Blaze four-game winning streak ends

BLOOMINGTON - The Bloomington Blaze, fueled by Mid-Illini Credit Union, ended their four-game win streak with a 4-3 loss to the Denver Cutthroats on Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

The Cutthroats struck first with 16:43 left in the first period when a shot by Phil Tesoriero from the slot took a bounce in the air and landed in the net.  Ben Wilson gave Denver a 2-0 lead with 4:53 left in the opening period on a blast from the slot.  Just 1:12 later, Nicklas Lindberg grabbed a loose puck on the doorstep and cut the Denver lead to 2-1 with assists given to Jeremy Gates and Matthew Larke. 

The Blaze evened the count with 11:27 remaining in the second period on a rebound goal by Dan Barczuk from a shot by Ryan Palmer from a Travis Granbois feed.  The Cutthroats took a 3-2 lead with 6:22 left in the middle period on a power play goal on a Brett Lutes blast from the high slot.  The Blaze answered with a 5-on-3 power play goal of their own with 2:47 left in the second when Steve Makway rang in a wrister from the left point off the right post on assists from Nicklas Lindberg and Matthew Larke. 

Denver regained a 4-3 advantage just 56 seconds into the third period on a wrister by Glenn Cacaro that rang in from the left side on assists from Troy Schwab and A.J. Gale. 

Each team scored once on the power play as the Blaze were given four chances and the Cutthroats had three man advantages.  Kent Patterson earned the win in net with 37 saves while Pier-Olivier Pelletier suffered the loss with 32 saves.