COVENTRY Blaze saw their losing run in the Elite League stretch to four matches following narrow defeats against Belfast Giants and Dundee Stars respectively.
Blaze suffered an agonising 4-3 penalty shootout defeat against the Giants at SSE Arena Belfast after the home side levelled the game with just 18 seconds of regulation time remaining.
And Coventry then lost 5-4 against Dundee on home ice at the Skydome Arena despite braces from Jere Vertanen and Matthew Gleason.
The results mean Blaze sit eighth in the Elite League table.
Coventry failed to halt their losing run against Belfast but did come away with a point for their efforts against the defending regular season champions.
Blaze made the perfect start when Gleason found the net after just 43 seconds from Jack Hopkins’ pass.
However, Belfast equalised at 3.30 as Jake Gaudet scrambled the puck past Blaze netminder Dershahn Stewart.
Coventry then held firm to keep the scores level at the end of the first period after Colton Saucerman received a double-minor high-sticking penalty.
The Giants took the lead in the second period at 30.42 as Nicolas Guay scored on the powerplay with the goal awarded following a video review.
However, Blaze levelled the game at 34.51 when Elijiah Barriga capitalised on a Belfast turnover to score while falling against his former side.
And Coventry reclaimed the lead on the powerplay at 39.39 as Gleason scored his second of the game from his own rebound after Guay was penalised for tripping.
Belfast pulled netminder Alexis Gravel for an extra skater with two minutes left to play.
And the home side eventually drew level with just 18 seconds remaining in the third period as Jordan Kawaguchi’s goal sent the game to overtime.
Neither side could find a winner in the additional period which saw the game decided by a penalty shootout.
And Belfast triumphed on penalty shots with Patrick Grasso and JJ Piccinich both successful from the spot for the Giants.
Coventry’s struggles continued against Dundee as Blaze lost consecutive games on home ice in the Elite League for the first time this season.
The Stars opened the scoring at 5.34 as Matt Berry fired a shot through traffic on the powerplay to beat Stewart in the Blaze net.
However, Coventry equalised at 11.53 when Vertanen’s low drive from the blue line eluded the clutches of Dundee netminder Emil Kruse.
Following the goal, a fight broke out between Blaze’s Mack Stewart and Dundee’s Keanu Yamamoto at 12.16 before play resumed.
And Dundee regained the lead at 13.08 as Ben Almquist pounced on a loose puck to score on the powerplay.
Blaze tied the game for a second time at 17.35 when Vertanen blasted home his second goal of the night from Ivan Chukarov’s feed.
Dundee scored the only goal of the second period at 37.03 as Jonathan McBean put the visitors back in front.
Coventry equalised for a third time at 41.04 when Gleason tipped Grant Mismash’s initial shot into the net on the powerplay.
However, the Stars responded 36 seconds later as Otto Nieminen finished on the rebound to give Dundee the lead for the fourth time.
And the visitors extended their lead at 49.28 when Berry scored his second goal of the game after Barriga hit the pipes at the other end.
Blaze responded at 52.15 as Gleason poked home from close range but Coventry could not find an equaliser in the remaining minutes.
Coventry are next in action against Manchester Storm on Saturday, November 29 with the face-off at 7pm at Planet Ice Altrincham.
Blaze then host Sheffield Steelers on Sunday, November 30 with the face-off at 5.30pm at the Skydome.
