COVENTRY Blaze began the New Year with a 3-0 defeat against Nottingham Panthers after losing 9-2 to the same opponents the previous night.
Former Blaze head coach Danny Stewart – now in charge of the Panthers – came back to haunt his former club at the Skydome Arena.
That came after Coventry ended the previous year with a heavy defeat at Motorpoint Arena.
The results mean Blaze drop to sixth in the Elite League table.
On home ice, Blaze failed to make the most of a number of powerplay opportunities in the first period as Ryan Bednard impressed between the Panthers’ pipes.
And neither team were able to trouble the scoreboard in the second period as Coventry’s momentum faltered.
Nottingham eventually broke the deadlock at 41.07 as Zsombor Garat finished from Didrik Henbrant’s feed.
And the Panthers doubled their lead at 49.28 when Kristoff Kontos converted a three-on-one break.
Blaze pulled netminder Mat Robson for the extra skater late in the game as Ollie Betteridge sealed the win for the visitors at 59.23, scoring into an empty net.
Despite Coventry’s best efforts, the home side failed to find a way past Bednard who produced a 35-shot shutout.
On New Year’s Eve, Blaze endured a miserable evening and found themselves six goals behind at the end of the second period.
A rampant Nottingham opened the scoring at 9.46 as Kontos made the most of a powerplay opportunity.
And Henbrant doubled the home side’s lead at 10.28 with a finish into the top corner following a swift counter attack.
Blaze then failed to capitalise on a two-on-one break before Nottingham struck again at 15.13 as Hugo Roy’s effort left Coventry stunned.
And Matt Spencer extended the home side’s lead just 20 seconds into the middle period.
Blaze suffered a further setback when Grayson Constable was ejected for a major boarding penalty on Jaakko Niskala.
Nottingham took full advantage courtesy of goals from Otto Nieminen at 37.04 and Henbrant at 38.46 to leave Blaze six goals behind.
Coventry had chances to trouble the scoreboard after Jordan Kelsall’s ejection for a high cross-check but failed to make the most of the resulting powerplay.
Henbrant completed his hat-trick at 40.43 before Roy grabbed his second of the game at 41.38 to stretch Nottingham’s lead to eight.
Blaze scored a consolation at 49.04 Chase Gresock produced a fine short-handed breakaway finish.
Nieminen’s highlight reel goal at 55.33 restored the home side’s seven-goal lead before Blaze’s Nick Seitz completed the scoring at 58.43 with a close-range finish.
Coventry are next in action against Fife Flyers on Saturday, January 4 with the face-off at 7.15pm at Fife Ice Arena.
Blaze then host Belfast Giants on Sunday, January 5 with the face-off at 5.30pm at the Skydome.
