Excel Hull Stingrays 2-3 Coventry Blaze (OT)
The Excel Hull Stingrays were tonight handed their fourth loss of the season at home to the Coventry Blaze, claiming their first point of the year before going down to a John Gordon powerplay overtime goal.
For the third time in four 11/12 games the Stingrays conceded a goal in the opening five minutes, Brit Robert Farmer racing the length of the ice after Dan Scott lost the puck on his offensive blueline to fire in off netminder Christian Boucher's pipework after three minutes.
Already without Jack Watkins, the Stingrays then lost fellow British forward Ryan Lake early on and that forced Cloutier to shuffle his pack, handing 16 year old Bobby Chamberlain significant ice-time alongside Derek Campbell and Jason Silverthorn.
Nevertheless, after losing their second player of the season, the Rays scored an unlikely equaliser as the period neared a close. Jason Silverthorn firing home his third of the year and the team's fourth powerplay goal of the weekend into a virtually unguarded net on a rebound from a Jereme Tendler shot from a ridiculously acute angle that left Blaze keeper Hirsch way out of position.
Despite facing 11 shots fewer than Boucher in the game, former Danish international Hirsch came up big for the Blaze on a number of ocassions in the last two periods, notably making a brilliant glove save on a Dominic Osman-Tendler two-on-one that would have handed the Rays a lead on 27 minutes. He would later deservedly be named Blaze Man of the Match by sponsors.
After a relatively poor opening period, the home side were slowly but surely growing into the game, however, it was the Blaze that would strike next.
Greg Owen prodding the puck home in a mad scramble moments after Stingrays defenceman Martin Ondrej had lined up and chased a mid-ice hit that ominously failed to materialise. The event left him crucially way out of position and Coventry capitalise, souring a good period for Sylvain Cloutier's men.
Facing their fourth defeat in four opening 11/12 games, the Stingrays once again came out flat at the beginning of the third, however, in contrast to the previous three fixtures managed to up their game as the period wore on.
Duly the Rays leveled for the second time, six minutes into the third as Estonian defenceman Dmitri Rodin - who put in a very good all around performance - found himself in an unusual position on a shorthanded breakaway to fire through Hirsch's five-hole.
The Stingrays took control of the game after the goal but couldn't find a way past the Blaze keeper despite numerous chances but a Tendler hooking penalty - which prevented a sure-fire game winning chance for the Paul Thompson's side with seconds left - eventually proved costly as the game moved into overtime.
While the Rays had claimed their first point of the year, all hope of laying claim to their first win of the season ended seconds into the first, big blueliner John Gordon netting the game winning overtime goal on the man advantage to give the Blaze a four point weekend.
Cloutier's team undoubtedly deserved more from this game as well as the weekend on the whole, though untimely penalties, mistakes and poor finishing at crucial times ultimately cost them any chance of claiming more once again, as it would on any given weekend in this or any other season.
Evidentally, they learnt their lesson from the previous night when they were unlucky not to have the lead heading into the third only to collapse in the final stanza, incidentally as they did the previous week at home to Sheffield. Nevertheless, they still failed to put in the full package tonight and, while the season is still early yet, the Rays have a right to feel wholly unsatisfied with a one point return from four league games.
They return to action on Wednesday night, taking on Nottingham Panthers - who have gone 4-0 in their first four games - in both the league and cup, before facing Cardiff in the cup on Saturday and Fife in the league a week today.
For the third time in four 11/12 games the Stingrays conceded a goal in the opening five minutes, Brit Robert Farmer racing the length of the ice after Dan Scott lost the puck on his offensive blueline to fire in off netminder Christian Boucher's pipework after three minutes.
Already without Jack Watkins, the Stingrays then lost fellow British forward Ryan Lake early on and that forced Cloutier to shuffle his pack, handing 16 year old Bobby Chamberlain significant ice-time alongside Derek Campbell and Jason Silverthorn.
Nevertheless, after losing their second player of the season, the Rays scored an unlikely equaliser as the period neared a close. Jason Silverthorn firing home his third of the year and the team's fourth powerplay goal of the weekend into a virtually unguarded net on a rebound from a Jereme Tendler shot from a ridiculously acute angle that left Blaze keeper Hirsch way out of position.
Despite facing 11 shots fewer than Boucher in the game, former Danish international Hirsch came up big for the Blaze on a number of ocassions in the last two periods, notably making a brilliant glove save on a Dominic Osman-Tendler two-on-one that would have handed the Rays a lead on 27 minutes. He would later deservedly be named Blaze Man of the Match by sponsors.
After a relatively poor opening period, the home side were slowly but surely growing into the game, however, it was the Blaze that would strike next.
Greg Owen prodding the puck home in a mad scramble moments after Stingrays defenceman Martin Ondrej had lined up and chased a mid-ice hit that ominously failed to materialise. The event left him crucially way out of position and Coventry capitalise, souring a good period for Sylvain Cloutier's men.
Facing their fourth defeat in four opening 11/12 games, the Stingrays once again came out flat at the beginning of the third, however, in contrast to the previous three fixtures managed to up their game as the period wore on.
Duly the Rays leveled for the second time, six minutes into the third as Estonian defenceman Dmitri Rodin - who put in a very good all around performance - found himself in an unusual position on a shorthanded breakaway to fire through Hirsch's five-hole.
The Stingrays took control of the game after the goal but couldn't find a way past the Blaze keeper despite numerous chances but a Tendler hooking penalty - which prevented a sure-fire game winning chance for the Paul Thompson's side with seconds left - eventually proved costly as the game moved into overtime.
While the Rays had claimed their first point of the year, all hope of laying claim to their first win of the season ended seconds into the first, big blueliner John Gordon netting the game winning overtime goal on the man advantage to give the Blaze a four point weekend.
Cloutier's team undoubtedly deserved more from this game as well as the weekend on the whole, though untimely penalties, mistakes and poor finishing at crucial times ultimately cost them any chance of claiming more once again, as it would on any given weekend in this or any other season.
Evidentally, they learnt their lesson from the previous night when they were unlucky not to have the lead heading into the third only to collapse in the final stanza, incidentally as they did the previous week at home to Sheffield. Nevertheless, they still failed to put in the full package tonight and, while the season is still early yet, the Rays have a right to feel wholly unsatisfied with a one point return from four league games.
They return to action on Wednesday night, taking on Nottingham Panthers - who have gone 4-0 in their first four games - in both the league and cup, before facing Cardiff in the cup on Saturday and Fife in the league a week today.
Rays Rating
6
FBB Three Stars
1- Dmitri Rodin (1+0)
2- Christian Boucher (37 saves)
3- Dominic Osman (0+0)
