Hockey night in Cardiff and the Red Army welcomed (or not)
the Coventry Blaze into the BBT for the usual fast, action packed game that
occurs when these two teams get together.
The Devils were coming off a brilliant weekend, with an incredible win
of the Braehead Clan on Friday, and a nail-biting 4-3 victory over the Dundee
Stars. On the other hand, we had
Coventry, who were definitely flying after their four point weekend, two of
those points coming from a thrilling 5-3 defeat over the Nottingham
Panthers. It was all to play for last
night and neither team wanted to lose.
Things started off slowly, with the majority of the first
ten minutes being end to end play, both teams getting chances but not being able
to capitalise. We reached 6 minutes and
the roof was lifted when, after Soderstrom was sent to the box for hooking,
defensemen Kenton Smith shot the puck passed Hirsh, giving the Devils’ a one
goal lead. They managed to hold the lead
until the 16th minute, when Blaze’s MOM Kralj equalised. With only a few minor penalties, the first
finished 1-1.
The second opened with a couple of penalties for the Blaze,
though the Devils’ failed to convert any of their PP chances. In fact, it was Coventry that got the next PP
goal, with Devils’ Piggot in the box for slashing; the Blaze took the lead for
the first time, with the credit going to Farmer.
The game began to heat up towards the end of the second,
with Chris Frank starting the ball rolling by getting another 10 minute
misconduct, this time for a check to the head.
With him off, you wouldn’t think there could be any more trouble. But, at 34.25, Jurynec and Vanderveeken got
into it. No fighting majors were called
but Veeks got 2 for roughing and Jurynec was awarded 2+5 for charging and a
game for cross-checking. Period finished
2-1 Blaze.
Yet more minor penalties followed into the third, with
neither side tallying. The Red Army were
starting to get desperate, until fledgling Adam Harding, currently playing on
the top line whilst Burrows is out with an injury, scored the equaliser. It was a tense final ten minutes, with both
teams waiting for baited breath to see who would get the winner.
In true Devils/Blaze fashion, the winner didn’t come until
61.47, when Devils’ Captain, Stuart MacRae, who is having a stellar second-half
of the season, shot the puck passed Hirsh and gained the extra point for the
Welsh side.
The Devils’ are off to Sheffield tonight, heading towards a
definitely showdown, as they try to catch third-place Nottingham and Sheffield
battle to prove they are still in the title race. Follow along at www.the-inferno.co.uk/match-night-live
if you’re not travelling up to Sheffield, to see how the battle plays out. Let’s go Devils!
