Coventry vs Amiens

Former Blaze forward Elijah Barriga produced the highlight of the match at 49:34. Digging the puck out of a face-off scrum, Barriga drove towards the net and finished between his legs for a stunning 4-2 lead that appeared to put the game beyond Coventry.

Instead, it sparked Blaze's revival. Carson Musser fired past Amiens netminder Mathis Thirion at 55:57, assisted by Matthew Gleason, to cut the deficit to 4-3. Head coach Kevin Moore pulled Heikkeri for the extra attacker, and with 1:10 left in regulation, Nick Grima found the net on the 6-on-5 to force overtime at 4-4.

Just 44 seconds into the extra period, Gleason was hauled back on a short-handed breakaway, earning a penalty shot. The forward made no mistake, beating Thirion to complete the dramatic win.

• Matthew Gleason (Coventry) — the overtime hero, scoring the game-winning penalty shot and assisting Musser's third-period goal.
• Gabriel Bernier (Amiens) — two goals for the French side, both clinical finishes in the second period.
• Elijah Barriga (Amiens) — a breathtaking between-the-legs goal against his former club that looked set to decide the game.
• Sisu Heikkeri (Coventry) — the Finnish netminder made his Blaze debut with a composed showing, stopping enough to keep his side in the game before the late rally.

The period-by-period breakdown — 0-1, 2-2, 2-1, 1-0 — tells the full story: Coventry grew into the game after a quiet first period, controlled large stretches of the second despite the scoreline, and showed remarkable resolve in the third. The 6-on-5 goal at 58:50 was Coventry's second powerplay-style strike of the night after Nielsen's PP opener, highlighting special teams as a decisive edge. Amiens' two-goal lead after Barriga's 49:34 strike came from just 2:34 of sustained pressure — Coventry responded with 10 minutes of mounting dominance before the two late strikes.

Coventry finished their pre-season double-header weekend with two wins from two (3-1 vs Manchester on Saturday, 5-4 OT vs Amiens on Sunday). Amiens, who lost 4-1 to Nottingham Panthers on Saturday in the GM Memorial Trophy, ended their UK trip with two defeats. Both sides continue pre-season preparations ahead of their respective league campaigns — Coventry face Guildford Flames in another friendly at Skydome Arena on Sunday 6 September, while Amiens return to France for final preparations before the Ligue Magnus season.

A frantic pre-season friendly that delivered everything a neutral could want — fights, a between-the-legs goal, a 6-on-5 equaliser and an overtime penalty-shot winner. Coventry's character in fighting back from 4-2 down with under six minutes left will please Kevin Moore, while Amiens will rue a defensive lapse in the closing stages that undid Barriga's magic.