Cardiff Devils @ Sheffield Steelers 12/01/11

Devils 7, Steelers 1 - Final

  21 games vs 7 games; which streak will be broken?  We all know that the Cardiff Devils are the team to beat at the moment; with a 21 game win streak, they are soaring.  On the other hand, we have the Sheffield Steelers.  Having just been bought by Devils Owner, Paul Ragon, can the Steelers live up to their name and steal the streak?

  There was so much hype around this game, the outcome was kinda disappointing.  You'd have thought that Sheffield would have put up a bit of a fight.  Cardiff had the game pretty much won by the end of the first period, already leading 4 goals to 1.  The first goal, of many, came from the one and only Craig Weller, ex-NHLer.  With help from Scott Matzka, No. 12 sent the puck rocketing into the back of the net at 5.04.

  Four minutes after Weller opened the scoring, Brad Voth started what was going to be a good night for him.  His first goal came in at 9.49 in the first period, assists coming from captain Ryan Finnerty, who also found time to get into it a little with a roughing penalty, and (my favorite) Sam Smith.  Voth was followed up two minutes later, by player/coach Gerad Adams.  He sent the Devils' third goal into the back of the net at 11.38, in the first period, with the help of Brad Voth and Phil Hill.

  But at 3-0 down, Sheffield were going to try and go down fighting.  At 14.36, Joey Talbot scored past Stevie Lyle, on the powerplay - making the score 3-1.  Is it going to worry the Devils?  Of course it isn't.  To round off the period, Jon Pelle got in on the action, obviously feeling left out, and fired one home, the only assist going to Scott Matzka, at 18.09, whilst Cardiff were on the powerplay.

  The second period was one for the Smith's.  At 4.56, Sam Smith, No. 11, scored on Mustukovs (the Steelers' tender), the assists going to Stuart MacRae and Tylor Michel.  Whilst on the powerplay, at 17.37, Kenton Smith, No. 27, got involved and shot one into the back of the net, with help from captain Ryan Finnerty and defensemen Craig Weller, who was having a brilliant night.

  Developing that strong lead in the 1st was a smart move by the Cardiff Devils.  Although there were some goals in the 2nd and 3rd period - the game winner coming from Brad Voth, assists going to Sam Smith and Craig Weller, at 11.38 in the third - the Devils were more focused on keeping the lead.  Throughout the entire second and third periods, the Devils only allowed the Steelers to have nine shots on goal; of course, the legend that is Stevie Lyle, who saved 19/20 shots, denied all nine.  Sheffield made themselves look even worse when they had Jeff Legue kicked out of the game for making an obscene gesture in the 56th minute.

  I guess Cardiff looked like the stronger team from the beginning, and I would say that if they had lost this one, hell would definitely have frozen over.  But, however, the Devils are still on fire... literally!