CZECH forward Jakub Sindel experienced mixed emotions on his first weekend with Blaze.
The 28-year-old marked his debut with the game-winning goal as Blaze beat Hull Stingrays 4-3 at the Skydome on Saturday night in the Challenge Cup.
Sindel was then one of three Blaze players who were unsuccessful in the shoot-out as they lost by the same scoreline at Hull Arena on Sunday, leaving their cup participation in the balance.
Defeat in regulation time would also have eliminated Blaze but a point means they must now rely on Cardiff Devils beating Stingrays in the final Group B tie to progress.
“We should have won both games but our mistakes cost us,” said Sindel. “Now we are in a bad situation because we have to wait and we have to hope.
“It was a nice feeling (to get the game-winning goal) and it was a nice feeling just to win the game.
“The feeling (on Sunday) was totally the opposite because I had a couple of chances to score and didn’t so only bad feelings.”
Coach Marc LeFebvre said not getting the two points was a missed opportunity.
He added: “We always want to control our own destiny but now we have to rely on someone else doing it for us.
“We need a killer instinct to finish teams off, we have to be hungrier to finish teams off. Pucks are ending up in the back of our net because we are not doing the little things.
“It’s about five times now this season we have had a lead going into the third period and let it slip away. But give the guys credit, they showed some character at the end there to tie it up and get a point to keep us in the competition. But we are in limbo now.”
