REPORT: Glasgow Clan 3 Coventry Blaze 5

by Craig Anderson; photos by Al Goold

It was another night of disappointment for Glasgow Clan, sponsored by Aspray Glasgow West as Coventry Blaze took both points in a 5-2 game at Braehead Arena.

With new signings Niklas Tikkinen and Jeff Solow awaiting their clearance, Clan had to plod on shorthanded and it was another good effort that ended in defeat again.

That said, it was an encouraging start for the Clan as they broke the deadlock after six minutes when something of a scramble broke in front of the Coventry crease.

The puck popped out to Gabriel Chabot, who made the most of the opportunity to sweep it past visiting goalie Paavo Hölsä from the right side face off circle.

Blaze got themselves level a couple of minutes later when Colton Yellow Horn found JD Dudek in the centre, who got a nick past John Muse in the Clan goal.

The home side weren’t down for long when Kevin Massy smashed in a chance at the back post to restore the home lead.

However Blaze did restore parity as Johnny Curran was set up by Brady Norrish to rifle the puck into the roof of the Clan net.

The second period didn’t start in the way the home side would have hoped as Coventry finally got themselves in front after only a couple of minutes.

Tanner Lishchynsky’s effort from the blue line area was redirected by Muse by Mitch Cook as Blaze went 3-2 ahead.

And although they pushed for a fourth, they found Clan’s netminder in a not so generous mood, standing up to four big chances.

However Coventry bided their time and opened the two-goal gap as Curran got this second of the game, shovelling the puck under Muse from Venus’ set-up.

Gary Haden went close with a chance in the third as he found himself with room to get a shot off to test Hölsä.

But a powerplay goal finished the game as a contest when a sweeping move forward ended with Dudek slamming the puck into the net, as Gabriel Chabot sat in the penalty box.

Dyson Stevenson gave the fans some cheer with seven minutes to go when he took care of Peyton Frantti in a fight.

Then Brad Kennedy finished a wraparound with four minutes to go to narrow the gap to two as Clan began to pile on some pressure, but it was all they could muster in the end.