Coventry Blaze had a major scare against a traditionally inferior team before making the game safe in the dying minutes.

Travelling with a light squad, the Blaze took command early on but let the lead slip and with minutes to go the score was seven-all.

Kelham and Shewan put the Blaze in front with two early goals. Fry responded with a powerplay goal and Dumas gave Coventry a 3-1 lead at the first interval.

Another Fry narrowed the lead, but the Blaze went on one of their second period rampages that have become so common this season. Dumas, Tasker, Eley and Ruggles all scored to make the game seem secure.

But the Capitals came back, and with two minutes to go the score was seven-all.

Kelham edged Coventry back in front, but Shewan picked up a penalty with 54 seconds to go.

Capitals took their goalie off for the remainder of the game to try and force the overtime with six skaters against four.

The gamble backfired when Soderstrom scored from the defensive blue line to give the Blaze a two-goal lead.

Blaze are in the middle of a marathon stint of games at the moment, and a tough few days beckons.

Tomorrow they travel to Milton Keynes Kings for the Planet Ice Shield – a competition they still can win.

The weekend sees a double-header against Peterborough Pirates, who have become something of a nemesis to Coventry lately.

The sides are close to each other in the BNL, and the results will be crucial in the race for a good draw in the play-offs.

If sides are level on points at the end of the season the results between the teams involved are used to determine the final placing.

Coventry have to pick up good wins against Peterborough in case they end level on points. Earlier in the season Blaze have lost 4-5 and 2-5, so must win both games this weekend by a total of more than three goals.

And they are currently trailing Fife by one game to two, so they must win the remaining game north of the border if they are to come through above the Flyers.

When the season ends at the end of the month the top eight teams go into the play-offs. Two groups compete in a round-robin format, with the teams that finished in 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th place in the BNL in one group, and the remainder in the other group.

They play each other home and away over the first three weekends in March, with the top two teams going through to the semi-finals.

Period scores : 1-3/2-4/4-2

Penalty minutes : 0-6

Shots on goal : 38-40

Referee : Drew Fraser

Capitals : Fry 4+0; Lynch 2+2; Giusti 1+1; Hampton 0+3; Simpson 0+3; Karlsson 0+2; Svanstrom 0+1; Wilson 0+1.  Net - Crossland (time not recorded) 39/8; empty net 1/1