Newcastle Vipers 3, Coventry Blaze 2

Mar 23 2009 by Peter Adams, The Journal

WINGER Ed Courtenay’s early final period goal proved crucial as the Vipers produced a morale-boosting win ahead of next weekend’s play-offs.

The victory, which confirms that the Vipers finish the regular season seventh in the table, was achieved at a cost, however. Two wingers picked up injuries which could rule them out of the play-off quarter-finals. Rob Rankin has a suspected broken foot and Dean Holland has suffered a reoccurrence of a knee injury.

Ten minutes into the game the Vipers took the lead and 17 seconds later doubled it. After the puck had rebounded off the backboards to the face of the goal, Jeff Hutchins looked to have scored before Rankin’s effort lit the red light for his 15th goal of the season.

Just as the goal details were being announced, David Longstaff picked out Rob Wilson and the player-coach’s rising shot found the gap goalie JF Perras had left by his right-hand post. The Vipers killed three Coventry powerplays and then failed on a three-on-one breakaway before conceding a goal on 36 minutes.

Vipers errors inside their own zone turned the puck over and Erik Hjalmarsson capitalised with a powerful shot that beat netminder Andrew Verner.

The Vipers killed a fifth Blaze powerplay which spanned the second break and, back to full strength, restored their two-goal lead on 41 minutes. Surging up the left wing, Hutchins put the puck between an opponents legs, skated around him, before producing a centring pass for Courtenay. Perras had been drawn out of his goal leaving Courtenay with a massive target to hit.

The Blaze pressed hard but couldn’t find a way past Verner until the final minute. Playing with six skaters having withdrawn Perras, Hjalmarsson was set up in the slot and shot hard and low under Verner. In the remaining 19 seconds, Verner came up with saves 40 and 41.