COVENTRY Blaze thrashed Milton Keynes Lightning 10-2 and beat Essen Moskitos 6-3 in their opening pre-season matches.
Blaze scored 10 goals against Milton Keynes at the Skydome Arena before seeing off German side Essen on home ice the following day.
Against Milton Keynes, Blaze made a scintillating start and scored four goals inside the opening 10 minutes as Kevin Moore’s first game as head coach began with a bang.
David Clements opened the scoring at 1.51 when he finished a flowing move after good work from Zach Heintz and Jack Hopkins.
And American Chase Gresock doubled Coventry’s lead with a heavy shot at 3.21 before Estonian forward Morten Jurgens produced a neat finish at 4.40 to extend Blaze’s advantage.
The returning Kim Tallberg and Alessio Luciani then combined to punish Milton Keynes at 6.37 with the visitors short-handed.
Milton Keynes reduced the deficit at 15.47 when Ross Venus scored against his former club when he beat Blaze netminder Cam Gray to a loose puck.
Blaze scored their fifth goal just 19 seconds into the second period as Grayson Constable fired past Jordan Hedley from the slot.
Gresock scored his second of the night soon after at 24.35 following a video review before Nick Seitz grabbed a breakaway goal at 33.57.
Lightning responded at 37.50 when Milique Martelly scored a consolation goal for the visitors.
However, Blaze refused to take their foot off the gas as 16-year-old Brynley Capps saw his snipe find the net at 38.50.
Blaze added two further goals as Jurgens grabbed his second goal just before the middle period buzzer and Gresock completed his hat-trick and the scoring at 46.28.
Coventry battled to another pre-season win the following day with German side Essen Moskitos the visitors at the Skydome.
Club legend Russell Cowley made a special guest appearance for Blaze on the 20th anniversary of the club’s grand slam season.
Blaze took the lead early on at 4.06 as Jackson Cressey redirected Alexander Kuqali’s shot into the net.
And Gresock continued his fine start to pre-season with another goal at 17.06 before Kuqali made it three 41 seconds later.
Coventry extended their lead with four seconds of the first period remaining as Swede Jakob Stridsberg scored from Mike Regush’s assist.
Essen troubled the scoreboard at 34.24 when Edmunds Augstkalns beat Will Bray in the Blaze net on the man advantage.
The Moskitos struck again when Enrico Saccomani fired a quick shot past Bray after winning a puck battle behind the net.
Blaze responded with their fifth goal as Billy Thorpe of the Peterborough Phantoms, who also played against Milton Keynes, capped an impressive couple of displays with a goal.
Essen hit back at 55.23 as Ralfe Rinke reduced the deficit and the visitors pulled their goalie for an extra skater in the final minutes.
However, Blaze took full advantage as Gresock wrapped up the scoring at 57.41 to seal a second pre-season win.
Coventry host Kyiv Capitals in a double-header at the Skydome this weekend on Saturday, September 7 (face-off, 7pm) and Sunday, September 8 (face-off, 5.30pm).
