Cardiff Devils vs Hull Stingrays 26/02/2012

  Bouncing back from a devastating 6-3 loss to the Nottingham Panthers, the Cardiff Devils gained those precious two points in an exciting 5-3 win over the visiting Hull Stingrays.

  Despite the finishing score line, it was the visiting team that started the scoring off, with former Devils Jason Silverthorn showing some amazing skill as he travels past several of the Devils’ players and shooting the puck passed Lyle.  But that didn’t slow the Welsh side down; with a man-advantage, Devils’ forward Scott Matzka tipped the puck passed Boucher to level the score before the end of the first.

  Even though the score was tied coming into the second, the Devils’ were a definitely a force to be reckoned with.  Just 44 seconds after the restarted, the Devils had pushed ahead, with Matzka getting his second goal of the night, after picking up the puck from fellow Devils Sam Smith and shooting it five-hole.  Now on a role, it wasn’t long until Cardiff had extended their lead further, with a nice poke from Coach Gee, who had only just returned to the ice after taking a puck to the face, to make it three-one Devils.

  With the Devils’ leading 3-1 when entering the third, it seemed that Hull were beginning to wake up.  In the opening minutes of the final twenty, Head Coach Cloutier managed to bring one back for the English side, bouncing the puck of Lyle’s pad into the back of the net.  Despite the pickup in play by the ‘Rays, nothing could stop the Devils’ now and fan favourite Jeff Pierce redirecting the puck behind Boucher whilst Cardiff had the man-advantage.  Not finished yet, Scott Matzka also shot the puck home, for one final Cardiff goal, to earn himself a hatrick, also on the powerplay. 

  In a last ditched attempt to level the score, Hull’s Osman took a blinding shot at the net, beating Lyle and bringing the final score to 5-3 Devils. 

  With two more points in the bank, it’s now time for the Devils’ to prepare for next weekend, which will take the Devils up north to visit Scottish teams the Braehead Clan, who currently sit behind Cardiff in fifth with 57 points, and the Dundee Stars, who are just outside the playoff berth with 24 points.  All teams need those points, make sure you follow along to find out who gets them… Let’s Go Devils! 

Cardiff Devils @ Nottingham Panthers 25/02/2012

  It was that time again, and the Red Army were out in force last night as the Cardiff Devils ventured up to Nottingham to take on the third place Nottingham Panthers.  Coming off a great week last week, with a win over both the Fife Flyers and the Hull Stingrays, the Devils seemed ready to carry their momentum to Nottingham with them.

  The Welsh side didn’t hit it off in the best way, finding themselves 2-0 down within six minutes.  With both Fox and Clarke scoring for the English side, it seemed like a complete opposite of what most fans had witnessed in the England/Wales 6 Nations game earlier that day.  Despite the two goal deficit, the Devils’ managed to pull the Panthers’ lead back to one, with a neat back door goal, assisted by Canadian Captain Stuart MacRae.  No other goals followed in the opening twenty and the intermission came with a score of 2-1 Panthers.

  Things seemed to go from bad to worse as the second period rolled around, with Nottingham pushing their lead up to 5-1 in the first ten minutes.  The onslaught of Panthers’ goals started just two minutes into the period, with a second from David Clarke, who played with Devils’ starting tender Stevie Lyle on Tuesday night in Lyle’s Testimonial game.  The second came just after 30 minutes (30.14) from Matt Francis, the third a minute later from Brandon Benedict.  Despite the serious Nottingham advantage, the Devils’ managed to pull another one back, coming from Scott Dobben in the dying minutes of the second. 

  Now onto the third, and either Gee gave an incredibly inspiring pep-talk during the intermission or Dobben’s goal was earth-shattering, as the Devils’ came out onto the ice with a new attitude for the final twenty.  Shown in the statistics by the 15-6 shots difference in the third, in favour of Cardiff, the Devils’ were clearly determined to turn the tables.  And it looked to be working, when at just a minute twenty into the period, Scott Dobben scored his second of the night, cutting the deficit to 2 goals, with a Panthers’ lead of 5-3.  With a further nineteen minutes left to play in the game, it seemed like anything was possible for the Welsh side. 

  Unfortunately, despite the luck seeming to be on the side of the Red Dragon, the Devils’ just couldn’t get the puck passed Panthers’ netminder, Craig Kowalski.  Down at the other end of the ice, the Devils’ D slipped one to many times and Beauregard took full advantage to add a final Panthers’ goal to the final tally.  The game finished with a final score of 6-3 to the Panthers’ and a disappointed Welsh side. 

  With all of Cardiff gearing up to watch the Carling Cup Final, with hometown Cardiff FC facing Liverpool, tonight’s face off has been delayed half an hour, so the Devils’ will now be facing the Hull Stingrays at 6.30pm, down at the BBT.  Let’s get as many people as we can down to the Bays to support our Devils! Let’s go Devils!

Cardiff Devils @ Hull Stingrays 19/02/2012

  So, coming into the end of a brilliant week of hockey, the Devils’ faced one last match-up before the week ended.  With an amazing tally of three wins in five days, the Devils’ were set to face the Hull Stingrays, giving themselves the chance to push further ahead of rivals Coventry Blaze into fourth place.

  From the get go, Cardiff demonstrated their edge.  With the only goal of the first period going to Captain Stuart MacRae, who would later go on to win the Man of the Match award, after a fantastic blast on the powerplay, the Devils’ were away. 

  Cardiff continued to dominate the game well into the second, with American forward Jeff Pierce claiming the second Devils’ goal, and skipper MacRae following up with his second powerplay goal of the night.  Hull followed suit, taking control of the one-man advantage, as Devils’ defensemen Chris Frank got comfortable in the penalty box, with Head Coach Sylvain Coutier shooting the puck passed Welshman Stevie Lyle, in one of only eighteen shots made towards the welsh wall. 

  Into the third and the Devils’ were definitely not backing down… and neither were the Rays.  Cardiff were on fire, making an incredible 52 shots on Canadian goaltender Christian Boucher.  Head Coach Gerad Adams managed to convert one of those shots into Cardiff’s fourth goal.  Hull were not going to take it lying down though; former Devil Jason Silverthorn, who spent two seasons with the Welsh side, was perfectly at ease, shooting the puck passed former teammate Lyle.  With it too late for a Hull comeback, Devils’ forward Ben Davies cemented the win of the Bay side, with his own powerplay goal.  In a last ditch attempt, and with a fire alight inside after watching teammate Osman go one on one with Canadian Devils Jamie Vanderveeken, Silverthorn added a second to his tally, the game finishing with a final score of five goals to three, in favour of the Cardiff Devils. 

Cardiff Devils vs Fife Flyers 15/02/2012

  Wednesday night brings another Hockey Night in Cardiff, as the Fife Flyers come to do battle with the Cardiff Devils, in what will be the Devils’ third game in five days.  The Devils are coming off a brilliant weekend, getting four points from a double header against the Edinburgh Capitals, and leapfrogging the Coventry Blaze to move up to fourth place in the Elite League standings.  With Cardiff now solidly in fourth, with a three point gap separating the Welsh side from the Blaze, and the Flyers down in tenth, surviving with only nineteen points, it would appear that the Devils should dominate this one.  But, nothing is ever certain, so make sure you are down at the BBT on Wednesday, for the 7.30pm puck drop, and cheer on the Devils as they battle to dominate the Scots once again!

  If you can’t make it to the arena, be sure to follow along at www.the-inferno.co.uk/match-night-live for live updates and commentary!

Cardiff Devils @ Edinburgh Capitals 12/02/2012

  So the Devils travelled north on Sunday for the second leg of their double header weekend against the Edinburgh Capitals, having played a physical game the night before, resulting in a win for the welsh side.  With the Welsh rugby team beating the Scots in the Six Nations, can the Devils emulate their success against the Scottish side?  Was there ever any doubt?

  The first started off slow for the Devils, with lots of pressure coming for the Capitals, forcing Lyle to make sure spectacular saves.  But the Cardiff side pushed ahead and within a couple of minutes, number 93 had put the visitors on the scoreboard.  Pierce took a pass from Welshman Ben Davies, before slotting the puck past netminder Nathan Craze.  With the confidence building rapidly, the Devils continued with their immense pressure, forcing save after save from Craze, before resident heavyweight Chris Frank doubled the Devils’ lead, Cardiff leading 2-0 before 10 minutes had passed. 

  The period continued with only a couple of minor penalties and saves, until the last minute. Capitals’ MOM Jarolin, having just resigned with the Capitals for next season, skated the length of the ice and tricked Lyle into coming out, before slotting the puck into the other side of the net, closing the deficit by one.  With only 48 seconds to play after Jarolin’s goal, the period finished 2-1 Devils.

  Second period started with a worrying hit on Captain Stuart MacRae, with the Capitals’ offender Safar getting 2+10 for checking to the head.  The Cardiff Captain was a bit weary on his feet but skates off on his own and is back on the ice a few minutes later.  During his absence, the powerplay comes and goes with no real chances for the Devils, but defenseman Jamie Vanderveeken adds a third goal to the Devils’ tally at 22.11, opening up that gap again.  With some great combined play by S. Smith, Matzka and Adams, the Devils managed to create some great chances, though failing to convert.  Zembergs ended a good spell of Devils’ play with the Caps second goal, timed at 31.27.  There were some close chances for both sides throughout the remaining 10 minutes.  Towards the end of the period, some questionable calls were made by the officials, resulting in two Devils’ players heading to the box.  Devils’ fight off the Caps for the remaining minutes of the second, and the period finishes 3-2 Devils.

  Unfortunately, the penalties carried over into the third, and the Caps started the last twenty with 8 seconds of 5-on-3 play, although the Devils successful kill of this and all future penalties.  Big hits are thrown on both sides, and some big saves being made at both ends of the ice but nothing comes of any further chances for either side. 

  In a desperate attempt to force overtime, the Caps pull netminder Craze and finish out the game with 6 skaters, getting a 6-on-4 advantage when Matzka is sent to the box with 2+2 for hooking and unsportsmanlike conduct.  Despite the flurry of shots from Edinburgh, Devils’ hold the edge and finish the game with the score remaining 3-2. Yet another fantastic four point weekend for the Welsh side.

   With the weekend games over, the Devils now look to Wednesday when the Fife Flyers come to town.  Puck drop is at 7.30pm and it is sure to be a great game… Let’s cheer on our boys in their third game in five days!  Let’s go Devils! 

Cardiff Devils vs Edinburgh Capitals 11/02/2012

  The boys are back in the BBT tonight, as they welcome the Edinburgh Capitals into the Welsh capital.  This was the Capitals first game in two weeks, after they had an unexpected week off when their game against the Nottingham Panthers being postponed due to bad weather last Sunday.  On the other hand, our Devils were coming off a bad weekend, losing out to both the Belfast Giants and the Braehead Clan, despite putting up a fantastic fight in both games.  Were they able to turn their luck around this week?  Of course they were…

  First period started off fairly well for our Welsh boys, with an early powerplay showing some extreme improvement.  Shots were coming frequently for the Devils but nothing was getting through fellow Welshman Nathan Craze.  With the first half of the first quiet, it wasn’t until the 12^th minute that the Devils lit up the scoreboard; our very own powerhouse forward Phil Hill started off the Devils’ scoring with a fabulous goal, from Jeff Pierce and captain Stuart MacRae.  Of course, this wasn’t going to be the only points of the game going to this line, but we’ll get back to that in a minute.  Unfortunately, the Devils didn’t stay ahead for long, as two minutes later, Rene Jarolin, who has just announced that he is to re-sign with the Capitals for the 2012/2013 season, slotted the puck passed Stevie Lyle. 

  With a goal for each side, you would think that that was all the action we had time for in the first period.  If that was what you thought, then you would have been wrong.  At the exact moment the buzzer rang, an altercation broke out in front of the home bench, involving Sam Smith and Gerad Adams from the Devils, and Jiri Hanzel from the Capitals.  Each player got at least two for roughing, and Smith got a game for ‘third man in’.  The period ended 1-1 and Capitals would start the second on the powerplay.

  Despite starting the period on the penalty kill, the Devils didn’t stay down for long.  At the 25 minute mark, Captain Stuart MacRae pushed Craze for his second points of the night.  The Devils’ second goal of the night was set up by an incredible run by number 93, Jeff Pierce, with the other going to Phil Hill.  The Devils’ luck and good play continued on into the second half of the second period, when MacRae got his second of the night, with a powerplay goal no less!  Devils were now 2 goals ahead, until Edinburgh’s MOM Jarolin also got his second of the night, on the powerplay, bringing the score to 3-2 at the end of the second.

  With the Devils leading by a goal going into the third, it was clear that Edinburgh were desperate for an equaliser.  Their desperation, although bringing on some great play, failed to even the score and, after some big hits from the Cardiff side, Devils’ MOM Jeff Pierce managed to widen the deficit further with a powerplay goal, giving the Devils a 4-2 lead.   This was followed up by the Devils’ 5^th goal, scored by number 25 Phil Hill.  This was his second of the night, demonstrating how lethal that line truly was; all goals and assists, bar one, where tallied by the Hill-MacRae-Pierce line.  The final score: 5-2 Devils, with those two crucial points going in the pot.

  Tomorrow night, the Devils travel north of the border for the return leg of this double header weekend, hoping to bring the success with them to Murrayfield.  Hopefully, the MNL will be covering the game, but are in desperate need of texters (if available, email OJ on matchnightlive@gmail.com).  On the other hand, the Edinburgh Capitals will be webcasting the game at http://www.edinburgh-capitals.com/webcast/ .  Let’s go Devils!

Cardiff Devils vs/@ Edinburgh Capitals 11/02/12 + 12/02/12

  With the emotions running high last week, it will be back to business in the BBT this weekend, with the Edinburgh Capitals touching down in Cardiff, for the first game of a double header weekend.  Saturday night sees the Scottish side come to Wales to do battle in the Bay, with the Devils travelling to Murrayfield on Sunday. 

  Devils will be fighting for those all-important league points, after coming off a difficult weekend previous, which saw the Devils lose out to both Belfast and Braehead, although fans were given a show on Sunday when the Devils came back from a 3-0 deficit to, unfortunately, lose 5-4 after the Clan's Jade Galbraith scored on Stevie Lyle not only in the final minute of regulation, but in the penalty shootout as well.  On the other hand, Edinburgh should be well rested.  With their Sunday game against Nottingham having been postponed due to poor weather, the Capitals haven’t played since January 29^th, when they lost 6-3 at home to the Sheffield Steelers.  With this in mind, what can we really expect from this weekend’s clash? 

  Edinburgh has an away record of 1-9-0 in their last 10 away games, whereas Cardiff is posting a 5-2-3 home record in their last 10.  On the flip side, the Devils are tallying a 6-2-2 away record, with a 2-0-0 record in Murrayfield.  With all the stats pointing in Cardiff's direction, will the welsh side continue to hold the edge in the Scottish capital or, with the news of Rene Jarolin resigning for next season bringing delight to the team at Murrayfield, will the Edinburgh Capitals pull it out of the bag on the night?  Make sure to either get yourself down to the BBT on Saturday, or follow along on the MNL (www.the-inferno.co.uk/match-night-live), to see who will emerge victorious in this battle of Capitals!  

Cardiff Devils vs Braehead Clan 05/02/2012

  It’s hockey night in Cardiff, and a very special at that!  It’s today that we say our final farewell to the legend that is the Mayor of Cardiff, Mr Brad Voth.  In welcoming the Braehead Clan into the BBT tonight, the Cardiff Devils will be hoping for a fantastic game to end Vother’s time in the ‘Diff.  Despite losing out to the Belfast Giants last night, the Devils still have it all to play for, with those two precious league points up for grabs.  Head on down to the BBT for a later start of 7pm tonight, to cheer on your Cardiff Devils and say farewell to a great leader.  Let’s make this a good one for the big guy!

  So the Devils are back on home ice and ready to take on the Braehead Clan.  With emotions running high, the Red Army welcomed legend Brad Voth into the BBT for the last time, gracing him with a standing ovation, whilst a montage of the Mayor’s time with the Devils played in the background.  With anthems and the like out of the way, the game was underway, with the Devils starting strongly.  Throughout the first few minutes of the opening twenty minutes, the Devils pressured the Clan defence, forcing their way through; holding them at bay was a solid wall in the shape of netminder, Jaakko Suomalainen, who was forced to make some fantastic saves.

  Despite the continuing pressure from the welsh side, Clan defenseman Drew Bannister managed to work his way through the Devils’ skaters and slot the puck passed tender Lyle, at 9.11.  This seemed to kickstart the rest of the Scottish side, who began to create more chances for themselves.  With more chances for the Clan came less for the Devils, and the Scottish first line looked deadly.  After several penalties, the Devils find themselves on the PP, although all that comes from it is an altercation between our own #25 Phil Hill and the remaining Clan players on the ice.  Unfortunately for the Devils, as soon as the Clan reach full strength, Jade Galbraith is straight into the Devils’ zone, throwing the puck on net, giving the Clan a 2-0 lead.  He followed this up a minute later with his second of the night at 18.41.  First period ends 3-0 Clan.

  With the shots favouring the visiting team throughout the first twenty minutes, it was going to take a serious pep-talk to changes the way of play for the Devils.  Coming out after the intermission break, it seemed that whatever was said in the locker room was slow to take effect, with the Clan camped out in the Devils’ zone.  Despite this, the Cardiff boys were not down and out, coming back with a vegence in the 26^th minute, when American forward Jeff Piece shot the puck into an open net, having tricked both the defensemen and Jaakko Suomalainen into coming out too far.  Pierce then circled round and received the pass off his skate, before moving the puck quickly from his stick into the back of the net.

  Throughout the period, both teams had seen several minor penalties.  Neither team managed to use the accompanying advantages to their advantage, the five combined powerplays all going without any goals.  The penalties that caused these powerplays were all, as already mentioned, minor and most were inconsequential, almost to the point of boredom, at least until the 36^th minutes, when both Kenton Smith and Ryan Campbell both being sent to the box for roughing, after get tangled together.  Second period ended 3-1 Clan.

  What I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall in the Devils’ locker room during the 2^nd intermission break!  In a complete turnaround, Cardiff managed to score three goals in the space of ten minutes; the first, at 42.48, was from players/coach Gerad Adams, with some incredible end to end magic.  Jeff Pierce then came in with his second of the night at 45.09, followed by Scott Dobben at 48.43 with the third.  Unfortunately, despite the increase in intensity by the welsh side and the increase in saves Suomalainen was being called upon to make, the Devils failed to increase their lead.  In fact, with only 31 seconds left on the clock, Jade Galbraith, scoring his third goal of the night, pulled the Clan level, just as the Red Army were getting ready to cheer home the win.  Off into OT we went, 4-4 the score at the end of regulation.

  But, unfortunately for the Red Army, overtime came and went, with no goals for either side, despite the five minutes being Devils’ dominated.  There were some close calls, with Devils’ forward Scott Matzka going close with only 43 seconds remaining, but it was not to be.  

  Into penalty shootout we went, a feat that will make any Devils’ fan nervous… it is well known that we are not the best in shootouts, but each time we give it our all.  First up for the Clan was MOM Jade Galbraith, who put the puck just wide of Stevie Lyle.  Devils’ first shooter was defensemen Kenton Smith, who managed to put the puck passed Suomalainen and give the Red Army some hope.  The shots continued, with the Clan’s Krestanovuch also scoring his to put the two sides level.  Both Richardson and Pierce stepped up to the mark, both having their shots saved.  Just like in regulation, Galbraith came back for the Clan to score again and put them ahead two to one.  Our final shooter, Kenton Smith, had to score for us to remain in the game.  However, in a dark turn of events, the Clan tender managed to put his glove to good use and stopped Smith’s shot, ending the shootout and the game.  Final score 5-4 Clan, after OT and SO.

  Despite the loss, the Devils definitely showed what they are made out of, and gave Brad Voth a fantastic send off.  We wish the Mayor all the best in whatever he may find himself doing and hope he comes back to visit soon.  Nobody be dishearten by the weekend’s result; come on down to the BBT on Saturday (11^th Feb) night, when the Cardiff Devils welcome the Edinburgh Capitals.  Let’s go Devils!

Ode To Voth...

Gone but never forgotten… The legend that is Brad Voth

  Despite the flurry of snowflakes EIHL fans awoke to, today, Saturday 4^th February, will be remember as a day that changed the world of Elite League Ice Hockey.  It was today, with the delight of snow in the air, that the Cardiff Devils Management announced that powerhouse Canadian forward, Brad Voth, fan-favourite and all-round great guy, had retired from hockey.

  Voth, who was currently in his seventh season for the South Wales side, has been side-lined since the 30^th December 2011, when he suffered an injury to the nerves in the first period against the Belfast Giants.  From there, Voth, known to all as the Mayor of Cardiff, was taken back to the ‘Diff as his team travelled on to Coventry, to play the rival team in the final game of 2011.  The 6’5” Calgary native then missed the following seven games, before suiting up for the first leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final, facing the team in which he suffered this injury, although the forward did not ice.  Through good progress made, it was looking hopeful that Voth would be ready to play in the second leg of the Semi-Final but ‘it was not to be’, as described by the Devils Management.

  Before entering into his EIHL career, Brad Voth started out with a five-year stint in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, accumulating a combined total of 215 games played, 30 goals, 57 points and a huge 785 PIMs.  With the now well-known intimidating stature, Voth was the all rounded definition of a textbook ‘enforcer’, demonstrating his skills in both defending himself and his teammates, and putting the puck in the back of the net when needed.  After leaving the WHL, Voth served two stints in the AHL with the Worcester Ice Cats, as well as playing for several teams in the ECIHL.  Between his time with the Tigers and joining us in Cardiff, Voth built up a combined tally of 196 games played, 41 points and 776 PIMs.

  From the beginning, ‘Vother’ was always a favourite in Cardiff.  In his debut season with the Devils (2005-2006), Voth posted a tally of 45 games played, 9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points and 263 PIMs.  Brad then went on to take the Cardiff Captaincy in the January of 2007, after demonstrating huge loyalty to the club.  With the kind of skills honed by Voth rarely seen, it was understandable that he was wanted throughout the league; no one wanted to play against him, yet everyone wanted to play with him!  Offers were soon flying in from all-around the league, with clubs such as Belfast and Sheffield desperate to get their hands on the enforcer.  However, it seems that Voth was exactly where he wanted to be.

  Over the course of his first six seasons with the Welsh side, Brad Voth worked hard to establish just how afraid anyone facing him should be.  With a combined total of 1667 PIMs from his first season to the 2010-2011 season, the ‘goon’ was not someone to be messed with.   Right from the get-go, Voth has been our go-to-guy for a good fight, whether it be in his first season, where he tangled with Newcastle Vipers’ Jeremy Cornish, or this season, when he had it out with long-time foe Guilliame Lepine, there was always action to be had when Vother was on the ice. 

  At the beginning of the 2011-2012 season, coming off a disappointing playoff final loss to the Nottingham Panthers, it was no surprise that things started slowly.  The first game of the season saw the Devils facing off against the Panthers in a devastating 6-1 away loss, in which Voth came out with 6 PIMs, one of which a roughing penalty received in the second.  Although, despite this heart-breaking defeat, we all know that the Devils aren’t a team that back down easily.  In the home leg of the doubled headed weekend, the Devils fought back with an electrifying 4-1 win over Nottingham.  Voth finished the first weekend of the season with a total of 8 PIMs.  However, it wasn’t until October 22^nd, when the Dundee Stars travelled to the BBT, that we finally saw Voth drop the gloves for the first time this season.

  After that, the fights, as well as the stellar skill, continued, up until that fateful game in the Odyssey Arena put our Mayor out of action.

  With the time for goodbyes near, Brad will be present at the home game on Sunday 5^th February, when the Braehead Clan come to town, for one final farewell, before jetting home to Canada on Wednesday.  It is an understatement to say he will be missed, as we all know the BBT will feel empty without his ‘intimidating presence’.  After Sunday, never again will we sing ‘Shoe off’ when Vother scores or ploughs someone into those boards. 

  Best of luck to the big guy, hoping that he does well, as we all know he will, in whatever he does next.  He will always be welcome in the BBT, will always be a part of the Red Army, and will always be a Devil…

Cardiff Devils @ Belfast Giants 04/02/12

03/02/2012

It's Challenge Cup time again and this Saturday, your Cardiff Devils are travelling to the Odyssey to take on the league leading Belfast Giants in this double stakes match-up. With the Giants making several roster changes, one of which includes the addition of 6'5" American Mike Hoffman, who was always a fan favourite in the O, and our own Mark Smith and Max Birbraer still missing in action, can the Devils pull off another nail-biting victory? Or will it end like the majority of Giants/Devils match-ups this season? Tune into the MNL (www.the-inferno.co.uk/matchnightlive) on Saturday night to see if we will emerge on top.

04/02/2012

Devils 1 (3), Giants 4 (5) - Final

So, the Devils head to Belfast in the second leg of the Challenge Cup Semi Final tonight, hearts heavy with the news of Brad Voth’s retirement.  Despite the sadden news of the loss of the Mayor, the Devils have it all to play for, with a place in the Challenge Cup final up for grabs.  Coming of a 2-1 win in the first leg, Devils have the advantage, needing only to tie to go through.  However, with this game doubling up as a league game, is it worth losing the points in the league for a chance at the cup?  Or will the Giants give up the cup in exchange for those crucial league points?  Follow along at www.the-inferno.co.uk/matchnightlive or watch the Giants Webcast, and see how who’s going home happy…

Devils started off well in this double match up, with captain Stuart MacRae scoring quickly… the puck hitting the back of the net with just 38 seconds gone!  The Devils continued this play, keeping strong for the first half of the period, Lyle having to make only a handful of saves.  Cardiff were also granted with a 5-on-3 powerplay, along with several other PP chances, but failed to convert.  Throughout the period both goaltenders were pulling off some fantastic saves.  Unfortunately, the great style of play did not continue into the second half of the period. 

After the uneventful powerplay, the Belfast made it back into the game with some dominating play, keeping the puck in the Devils’ zone whilst throwing it at Lyle with increased intensity.  Luckily for them, ex-Devil Jon Pelle was on hand.  At 15:20, Pelle slipped the puck past Lyle to level the game score; unfortunately for the Giants they were still a goal down on aggregate.  Obviously not happy with that, Craig Peacock also put one past Stevie, giving the Giants the edge and levelling the aggro score. 

With the score now in the Giants' favour, the Devils were being careful… just not careful enough.  With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, Robert Dowd broke away, only to be brought down by Kenton Smith.  Referee Tom Darnell calls a penalty shot, and it is all eyes on Stevie.  The testimonial goaltender comes out to face Dowd, tracking him in a way only tenders can achieve, leaving Dowd just enough room to think he was in.  Luckily for the Red Army, Lyle knew exactly what he was doing and shut Dowd down.  Period ended 2-1 Giants.

Now, the second is a continuation from the second half of the first.  Giants continue to dominate and blast the puck towards Lyle, forcing the Welshman to make some incredible saves.  This domination pays off for the Giants, as high scoring forward Robert Dowd, making up for not getting the puck passed Lyle when he had the chance on the penalty shot earlier, put the puck passed Stevie at 31.34 on the powerplay, the Devils having #25 Phil Hill in the box for hooking.  In an attempt to combat the punishing Giants, the Devils were desperately trying to get back into the game.  Whenever the chance arose, the Devils were throwing the puck at the net, forcing netminder Murphy to put his glove to good use.  The welsh side had a few breaks, getting a couple of powerplay chances but not using them to their full advantage.  Unfortunately, the Giants were making up for past mistakes, taking whatever the Devils would give out.  Second period finished 3-1 Giants.

It looks like the Devils will have to pull something incredible out of the bag to have a chance in this game.  The Giants, who are definitely the dominate force in tonight’s battle, were taking no prisoners and showing no mercy.  All bets are off now, with everyone looking to the third to see who is going to pull it out of the bag.

It didn’t look good at the start of the third; straight off, Matzka was sent to the box for elbowing.  Unlike our own side, the Giants weren’t shy about using the advantages given to them.  Push and push they did, until finally they got the puck over the line.  Unfortunately for the Irish side, Darnell has a keen eye, and the goal was disallowed due to a player in the crease.  It seems like this served as a kick-start, as the Devils’ game seemed to pick up.

Due to this jump in action, Scottish tender Stephen Murphy was called upon to make some serious saves.  With the shots came more time on puck for the Devils, although Murphy was acting like a brick wall, keeping the Devils from converting any of their chances.  Despite this increase in intensity, Aaron Clarke managed to get one passed Lyle on the powerplay, at 51:11.  After the restart, and some additional Giants’ chances, Matzka and Keefe got tangled behind Lyle, with Richardson, Keefe and Deniset all being sent to the box. 

Unlike a few occasions Devils’ fans could recall from this season alone, it seems Tom Darnell was rooting for the Devils, as he disallowed a second Giants’ goal, giving our Devils a much needed reprieve.  Unfortunately, the Devils failed to use it.  In fact, the opposite happened.  With three minutes left on the clock, Matzka was sent to the box with a minor for interference and a ten minute misconduct.  Despite being on the powerplay, the Giants failed to widen the gap further, and the game finished with the Giants winning 4-1 (5-3 AGG).  Captain Stuart MacRae was awarded the Devils man of the match, with the Giants alternative going to ex-Devil Jon Pelle.

Keep your head up, Red Army; shake off this loss and look forward to tomorrow’s match, back in the BBT when the Braehead Clan come to town.  Let’s give the Mayor an incredible send off!  Let’s get everyone down to the BBT tomorrow.  Let’s show Voth how much he will be missed.  Let’s go Devils!