Devils 1, Clan 3 - Final
This first of October saw the Cardiff boys travelling to Scotland for their first match-up against the Braehead Clan. The Clan are coming off a brilliant weekend, after winning their game on Saturday 6-0 against the Dundee Stars, and the Sunday game 4-2, against the Edinburgh Capitals. On the other hand, the Devils are also coming off a four-point weekend, after defeating Hull 4-2 at the BBT, and shutting out Coventry, in the Skydome, with a 2-0 final score.
The game started with some intense end-to-end action, with both goaltenders getting closer to the puck than they would like. Both teams also saw their fair share of offsides in the opening five minutes. But, after about seven minutes of the first period, Frank the Tank showed us all that he isn't invincible. After Scott Matzka was sent to the box for tripping, the Clan were trying to capitalize on their advantage, shooting shot after shot at the net. Frank put his body in the way of a Clan shot and ended up taking a bite out of the puck; or, the puck to a bite out of him? The defensemen was taken from the ice to get patched up, and play continued after the ice was cleaned. But nothing could keep the Tank from the ice. He was back on just after Braehead scored their first goal, netted by Adam Walker at 12:59, unassisted.
Throughout the duration of the first twenty minutes, the Devils took a couple of penalties, all minor in some degree or another. Unfortunately, the third power-play was just what the Clan were looking for, and they capitalized with the extra man, McPherson doubling their lead, while Kenton Smith was in the box for slashing. Score at the end of the first, 2-0 Clan.
Devils were given a slight reprieve in the second, with less penalties being taken. Most of the second twenty minutes were played with five men for both side, with the exception of a slashing call for Dobben and a holding call for Wedderburn. Both teams through everything at the net, but this time the netminders were ready. With shots coming at both ends, Lyle and Suomalainen, earning himself the MOM award, were pulling off some fantastic saves. Second finished 2-0 Clan.
The start of the third saw some rough play, mainly centered around Lyle's goal area but nothing came of it. In fact, nothing really happened for the first ten or so minutes of the third period. There were hits made, but none that did any serious damage. It wasn't until 49:34 that the box saw any actions. The only Clan to get a penalty throughout the entire game, Tim Wedderburn spent two minutes in the box for interference. During the power-play, the Devils' own Max Birbraer managed to pull them back within one goal, with the help of defensemen Kenton Smith and Mark Richardson, at 50:43.
Energized by the PP goal, the Devils found a new lease of life and gave everything to get the puck on the net. Despite this, the Clan's netminder, Jaakko Suomalainen, stood strong between the pipes. 57:14 saw Tim Wedderburn back in the box, once again for interference, but Cardiff failed to use the advantage. With 14 seconds left of the game, Braehead cemented their win with an empty net goal, after the Devils pulled Lyle, in hope that the extra attacker would help level up the playing-field. Final score 3-1 Braehead.
Despite the loss tonight, the Devils will be gunning for revenge tomorrow night, as they face the Braehead Clan at home in the BBT. FO is at 6pm, make sure you are there to support the guys. Let's Go Devils!
