COVENTRY Blaze secured top spot in their Challenge Cup group with a 4-2 win against Guildford Flames before losing to the same opponents the following night.
Blaze won 4-2 on home ice at the Skydome Arena before they were beaten 7-4 in the reverse fixture at the Guildford Spectrum having already secured top spot in Group B.
And Coventry will play Guildford again in the quarter-finals with a date for the fixture to be announced in due course.
After a scoreless first period, Colton Yellow Horn opened the scoring at 21.21 with a quick slapshot that caught out Taz Burman in the Guildford net.
Bradley Lalonde levelled the game up at 26.40 with a shot that went through the legs of Blaze netminder Paavo Holsa.
However, Marly Quince put Blaze back in front at 39.30 when he finished a fine move from close range to score his fifth goal in eight cup matches.
And Swede Kim Tallberg extended Blaze’s lead just 14 seconds into the third period when he scored a rebound from close range.
Ben O’Connor kept the game alive for Guildford at 41.10 only for Ross Venus to settle the game late on when he fired the puck into an empty net after Flames pulled their goalie for an extra skater.
However, Blaze ended the group stages with a 7-4 defeat in Guildford as Owen Griffiths opened the scoring for the home side at 6.47.
And Jordan Klimek doubled Guildford’s lead at 15.49 before Ryan Tait put Flames three goals ahead at 34.47 with Quince handed a five plus game penalty for checking to the head.
The game was taken out of Blaze’s reach with 54 seconds of the second period remaining as Sam Marklund added Flames’ fourth goal.
Mitch Cook registered Blaze’s first goal of the night at 41.04 only for Flames to restore their four-goal advantage eight seconds later through Turner Ripplinger.
Tallberg reduced the deficit at 41.57 before Guildford’s Ian McNulty received a five plus game penalty for checking to the head soon after.
And Blaze cut the deficit again at 48.07 when Tallberg grabbed his second of the game before Peter Crinella secured the win for Flames at 57.16.
Johnny Curran scored Blaze’s final goal at 59.24 before Guildford’s Ryan Tait completed the scoring with just two seconds left to play.
