Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey coach Chuck Weber felt his side's 2-1 defeat at Manchester Phoenix on Sunday night was disappointing.
Weber told the Blaze website: "I told the boys in games like this you don't want to run out of time and that is what happened. We were pushing and pushing and the clock ran out.
"It is frustrating. We had a game-plan but we were not focused to the level necessary to win a hockey game.
"We tried to get the cute and pretty goals. I told them it isn't the pretty ones which will win us the game it is the gritty ones.
"We had the opportunity to finally get out of 10th place and we let is slip through our grasp. It is disappointing but we have to regroup and get ready for Cardiff next weekend."