THE Basingstoke Bison have a major injury crisis ahead of this weekend's games against the visiting Belfast Giants tomorrow (6.30pm) and Elite League leaders Cardiff Devils on Sunday (6pm).

The Herd look set to be without Canadian duo Jeff Ewasko and Duncan Dalmao, along with Brit Tony Redmond - all three are out with concussion.

There are also question marks over Canadian Jeff Corey (knee) and Lewis Buckman (groin).

Bison general manager and head coach Mark Bernard is looking for replacements, but it is always difficult when the absences are only temporary.

Bernard said: "These are dark days for the team, but we will come through them as a stronger unit. It is going to be a tough weekend, but I am sure the fans, as ever, will get behind us."

He added: "Last weekend we worked hard, were narrowly beaten against London and then in Coventry we ran out of bodies. So I can't fault the guys, even if we lost 9-1."

Last Saturday, Slovakian Pavol Rieciciar made his debut for the Bison and Bernard was happy with what he saw. "It was tough for him as he only had one practice with the team, but he played well over the weekend," he said.

Rieciciar picked up his first point for the team on Sunday, setting up Shaun Thompson for the Bison's only goal of the game, in the third period.

The goalscorer had something else to smile about on Monday, when he was named in the Great Britain under-20 team, along with former Basingstoke junior Kurt

Reynolds, for the World Championships to be held in Sheffield from December 13 to 19.

Bernard said: "I think Shaun deserves to be in the team, as he has a great work ethic and I am sure he will do well."

On Sunday night in Coventry, the Bison started the game minus Dalmao, Redmond and Buckman.

However, Jerry Galway hit the post early on and then Greg Wood, Rieciciar and Bison Supporters Club player-of-the-month for October Doug Sheppard all went close.

Despite outshooting the home side 15-7, it was the Blaze who went in at the first buzzer with a 1-0 lead, thanks to man-of-the-match Dan Carlson.

After the break, two goals from Carlson in the space of 54 seconds made it 3-0 to the Blaze.

The visitors lost Ewasko after a check from Joel Poirier and then Corey went off with a knee injury, reducing the Herd to only six forwards.

Worse was to follow early in the final period as Jozef Lukac limped out to leave the Bison with just three defencemen.

The floodgates then suddenly opened and Coventry won the final session 6-1.

After the first two goals, scored by Andre Payette and Chris McNamara, both teams swapped their goalies.

In the next four minutes Bison Dean Skinns faced five shots and was twice beaten by McNamara and Mihalik, meaning Ronnie Vogel returned to the net.

Soon after, the Bison bench was reduced further as Blaze Tom Watkins and Bison Shawn Maltby clashed, both being giving four minutes for roughing.

National Hockey League star Wade Belak, on his home debut, netted Coventry's eighth, before Bison man-of-the-match Thompson got the visitors on the board at 53:00. It was left to McNamara to complete the scoring with his hat-trick strike.

Another coming together between Bison Mike Ford and Mihalik, at 56:38, saw Blaze's Calder dismissed on a "third man in" penalty.

Scoring: Blaze: McNamara 3+1, Carlson 3+0, Mihalik 1+3, Belak, Payette 1+2, Calder 0+3, Tait 0+2, Watkins, Pease, Schueller 0+1; Bison: Thompson 1+0, Rieciciar 0+1. Shots on Goal: Lehman 29, Shea 6; Vogel 33 Skinns 5. Penalties: Blaze 44min, Bison 14.