COVENTRY Blaze slipped to successive defeats in the Challenge Cup and Elite League against Guildford Flames and Fife Flyers respectively.
Blaze lost 3-2 to Guildford in the Challenge Cup before losing 6-4 at home to Fife to suffer their first league defeat of the season at the Skydome Arena.
Blaze made the perfect start against Guildford at the Spectrum as Blaze forward Tyler Kirkup beat Flames goalie Taz Burman at 2.03 to put the visitors into the lead.
Guildford’s Matt Alvaro was then assessed for a two-plus-two penalty for headbutting Blaze’s James Shearer although Coventry were unable to convert the resulting chance on the powerplay.
Flames equalised at 25.08 through Ryan Tait before Peter Crinella completed the turnaround at 36.59 after Fife missed a penalty shot.
And the home side extended their lead in the third period as Lewis Hook struck at 45.23 before Shearer reduced the deficit at 46.30 as the Flames held on to take the points.
The following evening, Blaze began their home campaign in the Elite League and took the lead after just 21 seconds as Kobe Roth converted David Clements’s initial shot into the net.
However, Flyers responded with an equaliser at 2.53 when Troy Lajeunesse took advantage of a lapse in the Blaze defence to beat Coventry netminder Taran Kozun.
Blaze reclaimed the lead at 13.44 when defenceman Shearer jumped into the rush to finish from Roth’s pass before Alexander Kuqali’s shot from the blue-line extended the home side’s advantage.
However, sloppy play in Blaze’s own defensive zone saw Fife reduced the deficit just 14 seconds later through Benjamin Hawerchuk’s strike at 22.07.
And the visitors drew level at 22.59 as Johan Eriksson made the most of a three-on-two advantage.
Blaze retook the lead at 37.25 when Ian McNulty’s cross-ice pass deflected off the skate of Fife goalie Shane Owen and into his own net.
Fife equalised again at the end of the second period as Eriksson grabbed his second of the game at 39.01 from another three-on-two chance after Kozun pulled off a superb save moments earlier.
And the Scottish side clinched the points late on as Lajeunesse scored the game-winning goal with just 1.64 remaining in the third period
Blaze head coach Danny Stewart pulled Kozun for the extra skater in the final minute only for Kyle Osterberg to finish into an empty net and secure victory for Fife.
Coventry are next in action away at Glasgow Clan on Saturday, October 7 with the face-off at 7pm at Braehead Arena.
And Blaze then host Sheffield Steelers on Sunday, October 8 with the face-off at 5.30pm at the Skydome Arena.
