COVENTRY Blaze made the perfect start to pre-season with a 7-4 victory against NIHL champions Milton Keynes Lightning.
Blaze overturned an early two-goal deficit as Colton Saucerman scored twice while Matthew Gleason, William Boysen, Elijah Barriga, Mack Stewart and Grant Mismash all found the net at the Skydome Arena.
Coventry took to the ice without captain Kim Tallberg with forward Artie Buzoverya left out as a precaution.
Lightning raced into a two-goal lead as Jordan Cownie opened the scoring at 1.45 before Cownie struck again at 2.26 on the powerplay.
Blaze responded at 9.08 when Saucerman blasted a shot through traffic and into the net.
And Gleason tied the game at 15.33 with a stunning diving backhand finish between the Lightning netminder’s pads.
The visitors reclaimed the lead early in the second period at 25.07 as Dominik Gabaj fired high into the top corner on the powerplay.
Blaze drew level again three minutes later when Boysen rifled home.
And the game turned in Coventry’s favour at the start of the third period at Saucerman scored his second of the game at 43.09 to put Blaze ahead for the first time.
The home side extended their lead while short-handed at 45.54 as Barriga finished from a tight angle on the follow-up following Mike Pelech’s breakaway effort.
And Blaze scored another short-handed goal at 47.14 as former Lightning forward Stewart capitalised on a loose puck to stretch Coventry’s lead.
The visitors pulled their netminder late on as Toms Rutkis scored a consolation goal with 1.46 left to play.
However, Blaze had the last laugh at 58.45 as Mismash punished a turnover to slide the puck into an empty net.
Blaze head coach, Kevin Moore said: “I thought it was a solid learning game for us.
“We had a really hard practice, so I expected we might start slow – and we did.
“But that was good for us in terms of mentality, and as the game went on we were able to establish our offensive identity.
“Defensively, there are some things to clean up, but that’s what these games are for.”
