COVENTRY Blaze saw their Challenge Cup semi-final hopes come to an end following successive defeats against Guildford Flames.

Blaze lost 2-1 at the Guildford Spectrum and then suffered a 5-3 defeat on home ice at the Skydome to bow out of this season’s Challenge Cup.

The defeats leave Coventry bottom of the Group A standings with one Challenge Cup fixture left to play.

Blaze surrendered a second period lead in Guildford as Coventry welcomed back long-term injury absentees Tanner Kaspick and Sam Ruffin.

Neither side could make the breakthrough in a goalless first period as Blaze goaltender Sisu Heikkeri and Flames netminder Justin Fazio kept the game scoreless.

Coventry eventually broke the deadlock at 34.52 through Ryan Richardson’s low glove-side shot which beat Fazio in the Flames net.

However, Guildford responded just over a minute later when Cole Sanford finished on the rebound at 36.12 after Heikkeri made an initial save.

Flames almost took the lead late in the third period when Travis Brown broke through on a breakaway only for Matthew Gleason to track back and deny the former a clear shooting chance.

But the home side turned the game on its head on 57.05 as Alexandre Lavoie fired into the top corner over Heikkeri’s shoulder following a scramble behind the net.

Blaze head coach Kevin Moore pulled Heikkeri for the extra skater with around two minutes remaining but Coventry could not find a way past Fazio.

And Coventry suffered a second defeat against Guildford at the Skydome with the latter still in with a chance of reaching the last four of the competition.

Guildford took the lead at 10.57 when Karl Boudrias converted a cross-ice pass moments after the visitors killed a penalty conceded by former Blaze defenceman Jordan Power.

Coventry equalised at 26.35 as Gleason finished on the rebound after Andrew Nielsen kept the puck in Guildford’s zone following a stray clearance.

Blaze then survived an 83-second five-on-three powerplay midway through the second period with the Flames unable to take advantage.

However, Guildford reclaimed the lead at 36.56 when Travis Brown circled the net and found Justin Ducharme in space who fired home past Blaze netminder Evan Fitzpatrick.

The home side thought they had drawn level soon after when Griffin Ness found the net only for a video review to rule out the goal after the puck crossed the line milliseconds after the period had ended.

Coventry responded just 43 seconds into the third period as Jaxson Ezman finished off a flowing move which involved Artem Buzoverya and Marko Csollak.

And Blaze completed the turnaround just 35 seconds later at 41.18 when Gleason scored his second of the game from Carson Musser’s stylish assist from the blue line.

But Guildford quickly turned the game back in their favour as Josh Waller restored parity at 47.08 with a long-range effort.

And Tyler Busch struck again for the visitors just 39 seconds later when Jack Jacome won the face-off and Tyler Busch converted Brown’s effort on the rebound.

Blaze pulled Fitzpatrick for the extra skater in the closing stages only for Brett Neumann to finish into an empty net at 58.34 to complete the scoring for Guildford.

Coventry conclude their Challenge Cup campaign against Manchester Storm on Friday, October 30 with the face-off at 7.30pm at the AO Arena.

Blaze then return to Motorpoint Elite League action against Sheffield Steelers on Sunday, November 1 with the face-off at 5.30pm at the Skydome.