Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, folks!  Hope you all had fab time, cheering in 2015!

But to us hockey fans, the New Year does not start in January, as it does for those unfortunate many that do not follow our wonderful sport.  No, for us, the New Year starts in the Autumn, when it is just starting to get cold and the trees are orange (but not that nasty shade of orange that the Squeelers wear!!).

Now that the ‘actual’ New Year has come around, perhaps it’s time to look back on how far we’ve come.  So much has happened, both in terms of hockey and in life in general, since the start of the season that it is almost unbelievable that only three months has passed since the 2014-2015 season started.

Down in Cardiff, we were greeted with the welcome news that our precious club was to be rescued by Steve King and his partners from the hockey homeland.  After a terrible season the previous year, we were all looking forward to what this new conglomerate could bring to the Bay!  With the involvement of Todd Kelman and the promotion of Andrew Lord to player/coach, things were certainly looking up for us.

And what a team we have!  While familiar faces such as Josh Batch, Tyson Marsh and Mark Richardson all remained with the club, Lord and Kelman, with the help of long standing Bench Coach and former Devils’ player Neil Francis, worked tirelessly to bring new talent to the Welsh Capital.

Amongst the newcomers were now-crowd favourites Doug Clarkson and Trevor Hendrikx, as well as sharp shooters Brent Walton (and his little one, Colby, too) and Joey Haddad.  To help Richie and Batch on the blueline, Carl Hudson and Andrew Hotham (my personal favourite!) were drafted in.   And last, but certainly in no means least, GB netminders Ben Bowns and Mike Will were fitted between the pipes, bringing not only immense skill and dedication to this outlook, but also the Bownsy Wave!!! Where would we be without that after a hard-fought win?!

Now, of course, there are several other guys who joined the team, as well as several who remained from previous years, but if I got started on talking about them all, we’d be here all day!  I could go on for days, and that’s just talking about what great guys they are – without even mentioning their hockey talent!

Of course, we have to remember those we’ve lost – although most of them have hung around the league!  At the beginning of the season, we welcomed back Gerad Adams and Phil Hill back to the Tent, with their new Sque- I mean Steelers team.  Crowd favourites such as Chris Blight,

A lot of critics were cautious about this new team of ours, but the boys have certainly proved, week in and week out, that we are here to stay.  Just like in days gone passed, the BBT is once again a placed to be feared by visiting teams!  No longer can the likes of Adam Keefe and Darryl Lloyd (yuck!) come waltzing into our place and push us around; Heno has certainly seen to that!

With loud renditions of ‘you got battered’ ringing throughout the bay, I can truly say I am proud to be a Devils’ fan.  Our boys stand up and take names wherever they go.  And the Red Army are behind them 100% of the way.

At this point, I’m pretty sure Coventry’s Brian Stewart gears up extremely reluctantly before every Devils’ game, no matter which Planet Ice arena they are playing in – he must be havin nightmares of @WildthingJ74’s ‘stewwwwwwart’ taunts by now!

Now, as we move forward into 2015, with wins against both the Hull Stingrays and the Fife Flyers in our opening games of the New Year, our team sits joint 2^nd in the League, with three games in hand over the league leading Braehead Clan .  With our guys proving there is nothing they can’t do, there are no words to describe how excited I am for what is to come!

Happy New Year, folks!  Hope you all had fab time, cheering in 2015!

But to us hockey fans, the New Year does not start in January, as it does for those unfortunate many that do not follow our wonderful sport.  No, for us, the New Year starts in the Autumn, when it is just starting to get cold and the trees are orange (but not that nasty shade of orange that the Squeelers wear!!).

Now that the ‘actual’ New Year has come around, perhaps it’s time to look back on how far we’ve come.  So much has happened, both in terms of hockey and in life in general, since the start of the season that it is almost unbelievable that only three months has passed since the 2014-2015 season started.

Down in Cardiff, we were greeted with the welcome news that our precious club was to be rescued by Steve King and his partners from the hockey homeland.  After a terrible season the previous year, we were all looking forward to what this new conglomerate could bring to the Bay!  With the involvement of Todd Kelman and the promotion of Andrew Lord to player/coach, things were certainly looking up for us.

And what a team we have!  While familiar faces such as Josh Batch, Tyson Marsh and Mark Richardson all remained with the club, Lord and Kelman, with the help of long standing Bench Coach and former Devils’ player Neil Francis, worked tirelessly to bring new talent to the Welsh Capital.

Amongst the newcomers were now-crowd favourites Doug Clarkson and Trevor Hendrikx, as well as sharp shooters Brent Walton (and his little one, Colby, too) and Joey Haddad.  To help Richie and Batch on the blueline, Carl Hudson and Andrew Hotham (my personal favourite!) were drafted in.   And last, but certainly in no means least, GB netminders Ben Bowns and Mike Will were fitted between the pipes, bringing not only immense skill and dedication to this outlook, but also the Bownsy Wave!!! Where would we be without that after a hard-fought win?!

Now, of course, there are several other guys who joined the team, as well as several who remained from previous years, but if I got started on talking about them all, we’d be here all day!  I could go on for days, and that’s just talking about what great guys they are – without even mentioning their hockey talent!

Of course, we have to remember those we’ve lost – although most of them have hung around the league!  At the beginning of the season, we welcomed back Gerad Adams and Phil Hill back to the Tent, with their new Sque- I mean Steelers team.  Crowd favourites such as Chris Blight,

A lot of critics were cautious about this new team of ours, but the boys have certainly proved, week in and week out, that we are here to stay.  Just like in days gone passed, the BBT is once again a placed to be feared by visiting teams!  No longer can the likes of Adam Keefe and Darryl Lloyd (yuck!) come waltzing into our place and push us around; Heno has certainly seen to that!

With loud renditions of ‘you got battered’ ringing throughout the bay, I can truly say I am proud to be a Devils’ fan.  Our boys stand up and take names wherever they go.  And the Red Army are behind them 100% of the way.

At this point, I’m pretty sure Coventry’s Brian Stewart gears up extremely reluctantly before every Devils’ game, no matter which Planet Ice arena they are playing in – he must be havin nightmares of @WildthingJ74’s ‘stewwwwwwart’ taunts by now!

Now, as we move forward into 2015, with wins against both the Hull Stingrays and the Fife Flyers in our opening games of the New Year, our team sits joint 2^nd in the League, with three games in hand over the league leading Braehead Clan .  With our guys proving there is nothing they can’t do, there are no words to describe how excited I am for what is to come!

  

Cardiff Devils vs Belfast Giants (L) 06/12/2014, Cardiff Devils vs Belfast Giants (L) 07/12/2014

Devils 4, Giants 1 - Final (Saturday)

Devils 5, Giants 3 - Final (Sunday

Four points… against Belfast… the defending Elite League champions… enough said, right?

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.

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Only kidding!  Nine goals, 4000 spectators and no Mike Hicks!  Can things get any better for us Devils’ fans right now?! 

I was definitely one happy member of the Red Army as I watched our guys claim four precious league points from the defending League Champions, the Belfast Giants.  Now, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly nervous before Saturday’s game but the Devils certainly pulled out all the stops to demonstrate just how serious they are about their Elite League campaign this year!

Saturday night saw a complete Cardiff Devils’ roster face off in front of a crowd of more than two thousand fans, as the Red Army came out in force – probably because they heard about the clappers being given out on entry!! (Yes, I’m secretly jealous I didn’t get one!  The downside to watching the webcast instead of making the two-hour journey to the Bay!) 

Surprisingly, we had no fighting majors recorded this weekend – unfortunate I know!  Last time we engaged in a double header against the reigning champions, over in the Land of Guinness, we saw Josh Batch giving Giants’ captain Adam Keefe a taste of his own medicine, drawing blood from the pain we all hate to love.  While both sides seemed just as physical this time round, tempers were mostly in control.

Despite that, we did see a bout of handbags in the opening period, after a hit from Trevor Hendrikx (who else, eh?).  We had some hugs and a little of dancing side to side between Hendrikx and Kompon, before ex-NHLer Kevin Westgarth got himelf involved.

Now I was sure Westgarth was going to get third man in; considering I’m usually rubbish at spotting third man in, I thought it was completely obvious!  But, alas, our refs apparently did not think so… In fact, Westgarth was treated to a four minute roughing penalty, while Josh Batch, who jumped in to defend his defensive partner, sat for two.

Shortly after, alternate captain Jake Morrisette officially opened the scoring at 18:48, with his twelfth goal of the season.  I say officially, because the Giants were unfortunate to have a very early goal disallowed.

After a hard fought first period, the Devils’ carried their one goal lead into the second, where they managed to double their lead just over half way through – coming from Joey Martin, who also scored his twelfth goal of the season!

Colin Shields managed to pull one back for the visiting side, assisted by Robby Sandrock and Craig Peacock, at 31:44.  This seemed to revive the Irish side slightly, finishing the period strongly.

Going into the third, tensions were high.  With the BBT rocking, both sides were definitely putting on a show, especially between the pipes.  While the two teams battled in the neutral zone, Ben Bowns and Carsen Chubak stood on their heads in a competition to see who would be the first to fall.  As seems to be the way when these two teams come together, it was the visiting fans that were to be disappointed.

His offense struggling to come up with the goods, it was up to Carsen Chubak to keep his team in the game and for the most part, he did extremely well.  But as the game wore on and legs began to fail, Chubak slipped and Matty Myers was there to take advantage, not once but twice!

With Sawada and Hendrikx in the box after another round of handbags, things were heating up.  But Myers was unfazed as he shot the puck past the Giants’ goaltender, first on 4-on-4 play and again ninety seconds later whilst on the man advantage after Robby Sandrock was sent to the box for high stick.

After such an explosive ending, is it any wonder that the BBT was mayhem on Sunday, with even more of the Red Army piling in to see all of the action?!

Like Saturday, it was unclear before faceoff, which way the game was going to go.  Many expected the Giants to come fighting, desperate for revenge after falling 4-1 the previous night.  However, it was the Devils that came out raring.

And raring they were!  With just four and a half minutes played, Joey Haddad added his thirteenth goal of the season to give his team the early lead.  While the game had been end to end for the opening minutes, the Devils had been pressurising Chubak and it was only a matter of time before he let one slip.

Not even a minute later, Jesse Mychan, with his family watching all the way over in Canada, had a brilliant breakaway opportunity to double the lead, but was interfered with, earning himself a penalty shot!  Unfortunately Chubak read him like a book and was able to get down before Jesse could shoot the puck through his legs.

But never mind – Brent Walton, who was one of four players sitting on twelve goals for the season so far, could not be out done by Haddad and also added his thirteenth goal to give the Devils’ a two-nothing lead with only five minutes played!

With things looking bad for the visiting side already, Coach Thornton used up his time out early, giving his players a quick break to evaluate their position.  But it must have been hard to make himself heard as the volume continued to increase as the Red Army got into full swing!

Frustrated as they were, the Giants were struggling to find the offensive strategy to decrease the deficit.  Most of their shots were coming from outside of the zone and even Adam Keefe could not goad Jesse Mychan into a bit of rough and tumble – Jesse just laughed!

Normally both extremely physical teams anyway, it seemed impossible for the hits to get bigger, harder or even more bruising!  Belfast were definitely taking out their frustration on any in black that moved, but the home side was not going to take it lying down – big checks were coming from every line on both sides and it was extremely surprising that we did not see any gloves flying from either side.

But the Giants’ desperate efforts were rewarded with just over seven minutes left in the opening period when, with Andrew Hotham in the box for slashing, Ray Sawada managed to push the puck under Bowns to make it a one-goal game.  There was some controversy over the goal, with the assisting player, Kompon, playing the puck with a broken stick, but Matt Thompson gave a good goal.

It seems all the Devils’ wanted in the scoring action tonight, as Joey Martin added a third Devils’ goal, at 16:37 (with Darryl Lloyd in the box – surprise, surprise), giving him thirteen goals for the season so far!  When they say hockey teams are close, it seems they do actually do everything together!

To round off an extremely eventful period, Adam Keefe managed to grab another goal for his team, giving them a slight confidence boost going into the second period of what has become an extremely close game.

It was this confidence that saw them camped out in the Devils’ zone at the beginning of the second period, forcing long shifts for both Hendrikx and Batch and Bowns to put on the show of his life!  We definitely saw some highlight-reel material from both goaltenders this weekend.

With the pushing and shoving at an all time high, it was only a matter of time before someone was sent to the box.  And there were several penalties that went by without any definite chances for either side.  It wasn’t until Brockwell was sent to the box for delay of game with just over ten minutes left to play that things got interesting.

With only one goal in it and both sides playing a tight game, it was definitely the case that the next goal was crucial in turning the tides.  And unfortunately for the ruckus that was the Red Army, Jeff Mason managed to slot on in shorted handed to give the Giants the boost they needed, tying the game for the first time.

Tensions continued to build as the second ticked away but the score remained the same going into the final period. 

But despite a show of tired legs at the end of the second period, the Devils were certainly not down and out!  With just a minute and sixteen played, Andrew Hotham added his eighth goal of the season to give the Welsh side the lead once more.           

And to finally round off the scoring for the evening, with a beautiful sniper shot from the wing, player-coach Andrew Lord showed us all how it is done, celebrating the win by pulling on the emblem on the front of his jersey!  Team pride is definitely what we like to see!!

With the fifth Devils’ goal coming with over ten minutes still to play, the Giants were desperate to get themselves back in the game.  Tempers were running high as Giants swiped at Devils and at themselves!  Things only got worse as they had their second goal of the weekend disallowed for offside.

After using his timeout so early in the game, all Steven Thornton could do was stand behind the bench and watch as his player desperately tried to decrease the deficit.  He pulled Chubak with less than two minutes to go, giving his side the extra man but the Devils had the crowd on the ice with them and nothing was going to get through.

Unfortunately for Darryl Lloyd, our boys in black were certainly feeling the energy in the BBT, as Tyson Marsh ploughed the Belfast no. 72 into the boards.  Lloyd was slow to get up and had to be helped from the ice, although he did leave on his feet – So did Tyson, for that matter, when he was given a 5+Game for boarding.  Hopefully we won’t see too many repercussions from that, and we hope that Darryl Lloyd is okay.

Despite the Giants’ six on four advantage for the final thirty five seconds, the game was finished and the Red Army cheered for a fantastic four point weekend!!

So after an amazing weekend against the defending Elite League Champions, the Devils now look ahead to next weekend, as they face off against two of the top teams in the league this year.  Friday night sees a 7:30pm game against the Sheffield Steelers in Tin Town, before they return home to rest up on Saturday to face off against the league-leading Braehead Clan on Sunday!

Make sure you don’t miss a minute of the action this weekend! 

Unfortunately for me, this is my last post until after Christmas now, so I certainly wish you all a Happy Hockey Christmas!!! 

Let’s Go Devils!!

Cardiff Devils @ Nottingham Panthers (L) 15/11/2014, Cardiff Devils vs Dundee Stars (L) 16/11/2014

Devils 3, Panthers 2 - SO Final

Devils 5, Stars 4 - Final

Hello, hello!

Our boys went North and back this weekend, as they faced Nottingham in the NIC on Saturday night before travelling home to square up against the Stars on Sunday.  It has definitely been a tense weekend to be a Devils’ fan but the guys pulled it out of the bag and have rewarded us with four points!

Saturday night saw the return of Chris Culligan, who missed last weekend’s home game against the Belfast Giants, and Joey Martin, who missed the entire weekend due to illness.  The only Devil still missing from the line-up in Carl Hudson, out with a hand injury – which we all hope is healing nicely!

The numbers show a relatively calm game in the NIC, both sides scoring two goals a piece and only accumulating 14 PIMs between them throughout the entire 65 minutes of play! 

Bruce Graham opened the scoring for the home side with a powerplay goal at 14:50, with Joey Haddad in the box for holding.  But the visitors fought back with a goal of their own, from MOM Brent Walton at 18:37.

Walton has been on fire recently, picking up the man of the match award for both games this weekend.  With 10 goals and 11 assists (21 points), Walton leads the Devils in scoring in all competitions.  Soft hands and sharp shooting make this guy one to watch – even if he’s slightly shorter than the opposition!

And, on a side note, did you see Brent and his little boy on the ice last Sunday? Can you say adorable?!  Swoon!  But I digress….

The Devils’ no. 18 also helped himself to his second goal of the evening just three minutes into the third period.  The goal, assisted by no. 80 Jesse Mychan, brought the Devils level on the scoreboard, after Panthers’ captain David Clarke put his side ahead just after the halfway point in the second.

With the score tied at two a piece, the NIC was definitely a very tense place to be for the final 10 minutes of the game…. You could cut the tension with a skate blade!  But alas, both Ben Bowns and Mattias Modig (standing in for Craig Kowalski while he’s out with an injury) were standing on their heads to keep the score level and regulation finished with no further goals.

Off into overtime we went, and despite effort after effort for both sides, the score remained level; the shootout would decide who got that all important extra point.

Up first for the Devils was shootout wiz Jake Morrisette.  It has been said by many this year (even Coventry commentators!) that Jake is the go-to guy for shootouts and he demonstrate why perfectly on Saturday night, slotting the puck past Modig and giving his side a 1-0 as Bruce Graham came up to bat.

Unfortunately for Panthers’ fans, Graham was no match for Bowns and things only got worse for the home side as Joey Martin showed their team how it was done.

With the Devils up 2-0, Chris Lawrence had to score to keep his side in the game – which is exactly what he did.  Brent Walton missed his shot and it was all on the shoulders of Evan Mosey to force another round of shots.

But Benny Boy stood tall and carried us home with that extra point!

The Dundee Stars were in town on Sunday night, lead by captain and former-devil Chris Blight.  Also coming home to the BBT was Brad Plumton, a fan favourite from his time in the Bay, and Bari McKenzie. 

Despite currently sitting bottom of the league, with only two wins in twelve (before last night’s game), the Stars came out flying.  Their forecheck was strong, constantly chasing down any opportunity in the Devils’ zone – resulting in an early goal!  John Mitchell, an American with extensive AHL experience, added the Stars’ first goal after just a minute and eleven seconds – demonstrating that the visiting team were not going to roll over.

But coming into the BBT is tough – small ice pad, big guys, it’s always going to be a little rough.  Not twenty seconds after they got on the scoreboard, the Stars wee in the box, Igor Gongalsky being called for tripping.  With a man short, they did well to keep the lead, especially with guys like Trevor Hendrikx hitting anything that moved!

In fact, the fan favourite with the seventies’ tache (check out his movember effort if you haven’t had the pleasure yet, it’s brilliant!) found himself in the box a couple of times (in the first period alone) for roughing up the opposition!

On the plus, the main man of the period was definitely, although not surprisingly, Brent Walton!  Added his third goal of the weekend, the no. 18 brought the score level with just over five minutes left before the break.

He then went on to be called for clipping with only 25 seconds remaining… I have to be honest; I had to look this one up.  This is what Wikipedia had to say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(ice_hockey). 

But into the second period we go, with the Devils’ on the penalty kill for a minute and thirty-five.  The special teams have been doing extremely well this year and our penalty kill successfully fought off the Scottish advantage.

While this an amazing feat, it is definitely the powerplay that deserves special mention, especially the Marsh-Lord-Walton-Morrisette-Martin unit!  For the first two Devils’ goals, both on the powerplay (2^nd at 28:13, scored by Joey Martin), this unit pushed the Stars to the limit, creating chance after chance.

Unfortunately, just two minutes later, Dundee managed not one, but two quick goals of their own from Shane Lust and Jeff Hutchins to push the visitors ahead going into the third period.

This game, however, was not just about scoring.  From the very beginning, the game had a tension surrounding it that you would expect when playing the Arena teams – it was the kind of atmosphere we welcomed (and I use the term loosely) Belfast with last weekend!

Now I can’t think of anything that might have sparked this animosity, whether it be the Stars frustration after a disappointing loss the night before or what, but everyone came out swinging and carried on for the entirety of the game!

Last weekend we were treated to Josh Batch showing Adam Keefe how we tango; this week, it was Hendrikx’ turn!  Early in the first, Trevor went toe to toe with James Isaacs as he came off the bench – fists getting acquainted as they tangled in a line change.  Ref Matt Thompson, in his second appearance at the BBT this season, seemed to be watching a different altercation though, as he assessed the culprits roughing penalties.

Later on, in the second period, we were treated to a ‘handbag convention’ – quote courtesy of the MNL – before Hendrikx heavily persuaded Brad Plumton to take a spin.  While this round seemed more tame than Trevor’s opening dance, possibly because Plumton didn’t see too involved until he had Hendrikx’ fist in his face, Thompson assessed the guys for five minute majors and play continued.

From gloves off to in the glove, both goaltenders had a good night on Sunday.  While Marc Cheverie had to go fishing five times throughout the course of the game, he also had a fantastic second period – which could be reason for a tired third.  Throughout the second twenty-minute period, Marc Cheverie faced 22 (!) Devils’ shots and only let one passed him!  I’d say he either deserves a hand, or we need to practise our accuracy…. Probably both.

But fluster he did, and the Devils’ were able to sneak three goals passed the Canadian tender, the first while on the powerplay with Plumton in the box for interference.

While the Stars were able to add a fourth to their tally early on in the third, the Devils’ managed to hold them off and treated the crowd to a 5-4 regulation win.

Four points in the bag this weekend, we now look ahead to next week.  Saturday sees a(nother) trip up to the SkyDome, to take on the Coventry Blaze.  Red Army Travel is running a bus up, but seats are limited so make sure you secure your place quickly.

Sunday sees not only the Edinburgh Capitals coming to town, but also the retirement of Jason Stone’s jersey to the (temporary) rafters.  You can get your tickets online or by calling the box office, so get yourself down to the Tent to honour a Devils’ legend!

See you soon, Devils’ fans!  Let’s Go Devils!

(As a side note, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who reads every week – I have just reached 4000 views!  So thank you very much!!!!)

Cardiff Devils vs Coventry Blaze (L) 25/10/2014, Cardiff Devils @ Coventry Blaze (CC) 26/10/2014

Devils 6, Blaze 3 - Final (Saturday)

Devils 4, Blaze 0 - Final (Sunday)

Hello guys and girls!  

What a fantastic four-point weekend!  Facing the Coventry Blaze both home and away, our Cardiff Devils managed to bring home points in the League and the Challenge Cup, securing second place in the Challenge Cup group.

Saturday night not only saw an amazing comeback from 3-1 down to a 6-3 win for the Devils, but the news that NHLer, and former Devil, Paul Bissonnette would be rejoining our already talented squad.  Earning himself 21 points in only 11 games for the Welsh side, it is safe to say we were all extremely exciting to hear of his return.

But Andrew Lord and his team demonstrated that if Biz were to return to our ranks, which unfortunately is not the case anymore (http://www.cardiffdevils.com/news/devils-news/bissonnette-deal-is-off/), he would only be a bonus to the skills already being showcased every night in the BBT.

Things started a bang for the Devils as both Trevor Hendrikx and Matt Myers redecorated the boards with Blaze-shaped holes!  The rough and tumble affair could only get better as Brent Walton went short side, top shelf with only three minutes on the clock! 

Unfortunately, despite the quick start, the Devils could not hold on to the intensity for the rest of the first – and found themselves 3-1 down going into the break, after the Blaze saw goals from Ben Arnt, Steven Goertzen and Ryan O’Marra respectively.

But hope was not lost, as forty-four seconds into the second period Andrew Hotham added his first tally of the night, as he came tumbling out of the penalty box, thanks to a delay of game minor at the end of the first.

Joey Martin also added to the scoreboard with the Devils’ fourth shorthanded goal of the season so far, sending the puck between the legs of Stewart – who was definitely getting a warm welcome from blocks two and three!!  I mean, even I could hear the taunting and I was a computer screen away from the action!

The Blaze found their selves with the man advantage again as they opened the third period, tied with the home side at three apiece.  Unfortunately for the visiting team, the Devils are on fire on the penalty kill this season and Andrew Hotham was able slot in a rebound to add his second of the night, and the Devils’ second straight short handed goal – putting their shorthanded tally up to five for the season. 

With Andrew Lord leading from the front on how to deal with the pesky Blaze (and seeming to enjoy putting them through the boards whenever possible!), alternate captain Jake Morrisette was busy adding his seventh goal of the season, tipping the puck passed a very agitated Stewart with just short of twelve minutes left in the game.

To round off the scoring Chris Jones showed off the skills learnt in the Devils’ development programme and picked some Blaze pockets before getting the puck to Joey Haddad.  As with the luck of the Welsh on Saturday night, Joey could not miss and the Devils’ finished out the game with a 6-3 score and retained those all-important League points!

Sunday saw the Devils and the Red Army travelling up to the SkyDome for some Challenge Cup action.  With the Blaze only holding one win in six Challenge Cup games, they were desperate to finish the competition on a high note.

Now we all know that very few rinks can rise to the challenge when it comes to the noise inside the BBT but from what I saw of the webcast on Sunday (which wasn’t a lot as most who tried to watch the game will understand!), the most noise on Sunday was coming from the away block – and for good reason!

Despite being on Blaze turf, crowd favourite Ben Bowns earned himself his first shutout of the year, after the Devils’ cruised to a 4-0 victory over a depleted Coventry side.  After a good start to the season, you have to wonder what has happened to Marc LeFebvre’s side.

The only Devil missing from both weekend games was Carl Hudson, after he suffered a hand injury against Sheffield last Saturday – which, it was announced over the webcast on Sunday, could leave him out for up to 6 weeks.  Bench Coach Neil Francis was suspended for Saturday’s game, while Trevor Hendrikx did not ice on Sunday for reasons unknown.

With only 14 PIMs between the two teams over the entire 60 minutes, the stats almost show a boring game compared to Devils/Blaze match ups in the past.  In fact there were no penalties in the third period at all!

While penalties were lacking – which could be considered an improvement on the silly penalties the Devils’ were taking just a couple of weeks ago – the Welsh side still managed to earn themselves a powerplay goal.  With the tally standing at 23 PP goals so far this season, that means nearly half of all goals scored, in all competitions, this year are on the man advantage.

Definitely an improvement on previous years, eh?

But that comes later.  Almost like déjà vu, Brent Walton opened the scoring just before the first period close – a goal that nearly all viewers at home missed due to webcast technical problems.  As I was one of these unfortunate many, I have been promised it was a very pretty goal, with the feed coming from Josh Batch before Walton found the narrowest channel possible!

The second period saw both Joey Martin and Doug Clarkson increasing the deficit, with Clarkson adding that PP goal.

To round off the game, Andrew Hotham added the fourth just two minutes into the third period – another goal that most of us missed, and didn’t learn about until about 5 minutes from the end of the game!  Safe to say I was glad to get my money back after that technical debacle!

After a thrilling weekend, it’s time to look ahead to next week.  Unfortunately the Devils have only got the one game – a visit from the Nottingham Panthers on Sunday.  It would have been nice to have been welcoming Biz back to the Tent, but never mind!

Make sure you get yourself down to the BBT!!  I’ll be cheering from across the Atlantic, as I venture over the pond to watch my beloved Pittsburgh Penguins this coming weekend – so let’s fill the Tent so I can show the Yanks what a hockey night should really look like!

Let’s Go Devils!

Cardiff Devils vs Hull Stingrays (CC) 11/10/2014, Cardiff Devils @ Coventry Blaze (L) 12/10/2014

Devils 7, Stingrays 2 - Final

Devils 3, Blaze 1 - Final

This past weekend saw another fantastic effort from our Cardiff Devils as they defeated Hull to win two Challenge Cup points in the Bay on Saturday – the first game of the season for the new owners no less – before travelling up to the Skydome to bring home two league points on Sunday. 

There were certainly a lot of happy people surrounding the Devils’ organisation on Saturday night!  With an amazing 7-2 win against the Stingrays, who are looking more impressive in their campaign this year, the BBT was unusually red this past Saturday as the new owners made their debut in the rink, which was nearing capacity as a 2000+ crowd cheered a full Devils’ bench to victory. 

With seven goals from six different players, the Welsh side definitely put in a team effort to pull off such a great result.  Seeming to be the norm at the moment, both Haddad and Martin treated us to powerplay goals (at 19:10 and 44:47 respectively), but it’s Brent Walton’s goal (at 25:54) that has everyone raring!

An outstanding finish, Walton enters the zone and dekes the defenseman before putting the puck behind David Brown on the backhand – demonstrating the talent we’ve all been waiting to see since preseason!

While most of Saturday night was spent cheering – and dancing around the lockers at work whenever I got the chance to check the score! – Matthew Myers provided a little disappointment for Devils’ fans as he was awarded a 5+Game for a check from behind on Eric Galbraith – a hit that earned him a two game suspension from the Department of Player Safety (the update can be found here: http://www.eliteleague.co.uk/two-match-ban-for-myers-p194100) and a seat on the bench for Sunday’s game against Coventry and the first game of next week’s double header against Sheffield.

Despite losing Myers for the second half of the game, momentum was not lost, especially with firecracker Jesse Mychan back in the line up for the first time since the 14^th September after suffering a hand injury.

The Devils’ no. 80 was definitely back and ready to shake up some feathers, making sure the Rays knew he would lay down and let them hassle his teammates.  Jesse also provided the first of the four third period goals that helped cement the win!

But it was Doug Clarkson who shined brightest, with two goals and a permanent presence whenever he was on the ice.  He’s a hard guy to miss but I’m pretty sure the Hull players were definitely feeling the Doug shaped bruises all the way north!

After experiencing such a thrill on Saturday night, the Red Army were ready and raring as they made the tedious journey to Coventry on Sunday for a 5:15 FO against the Blaze. 

With an impressive start to the season under their belt, many expected the Blaze to come out fighting, especially after losing out to Sheffield in their Challenge Cup match up the night before!  Unfortunately for the home fans, the blue fire seemed to be out on Sunday as the Devils came away with a 3-1 and those crucial league points!

Matthew Myers was the only Devil missing from the ice on Sunday, after he received a two-match suspension for a check from behind on Eric Galbraith the previous night.  On the other side of the ice, the Blaze were missing Mike Egener due to an undisclosed injury, but it seems like most of the Blaze failed to show up for the game….

The opening five minutes looked promising for both sides; Cescon and Hotham acquainted themselves early on, both earning themselves five minutes (and an extra two for roughing for Cescon), but things went downhill for the home side.

In fact, the Blaze were lucky not to be down by two before the end of the first.  In the opening minute or so, the Devils managed to shoot one past Brian Stewart, who was recently awarded the Blaze’s Fall Player award for the month of September (a title he earned on Sunday, as the score could have been a lot worse if it had not been for him), only to have it call off by Hicks after it was decided the net was off.

While this kind of controversy seems to follow our beloved (yuck!) Hicks around, there are several reports (from Devils’ fans as well) to support the call. 

Devils were also given the chance to double their lead at the halfway point in the second with a penalty shot, after Blaze captain Ashley Tait held Joey Martin on a breakaway – unfortunately for Devils’ fans, Stewart was up to the challenge and the shot was saved.

Coventry were certainly lucky not to be down by four going into the third period and their desperation finally won out as they brought the game back within one just 32 seconds into the third period – Steven Goertzen getting the home side on the board for the first time.

However, the small amount of renewed energy from the goal would not be enough to force the Devils back and Player/Coach Andrew Lord added one last solo effort just minutes after the single Blaze goal to cement the away win and bring those crucial league points back to the Bay.

So after a brilliant four-point weekend, the Devils are now looking ahead to the looming home and away double-header against Gerad Adam’s Sheffield Steelers.  This one’s for all the marbles – or at least four elite league marbles!  Make sure you get yourself down to the BBT on Sunday to cheer the team on!

Even I’m making it to this one, so be there or be square! See you there, Devils’ fans!!

Cardiff Devils @ Sheffield Steelers (CC) 27/09/2014, Cardiff Devils vs Nottingham Panthers (CC) 28/09/2014

Devils 3, Steelers 2 - SO Final

Devils 5, Panthers 2 - Final

Sheffield/Nottingham – 4^th Weekend

Back to back wins saw a voiceless Red Army after a fantastic four point Challenge Cup weekend for our Cardiff Devils!

Despite somewhat paranormal going-ons in the Sheffield Steelers’ first game in their Motorpoint Arena this season (due to crucial ice repairs), the Devils managed to come away with a 3-2 shootout win on Saturday night.  Matthew Myers scored twice to push his side through to overtime, before Jake Morrisette and Joey Martin fired the puck home, winning the shootout 2-0 to give the Devils that desperate extra point. 

The main event in the Steelers’ opening night was, of course, our favourite jazz-hand-using referee Tom Darnell!  Despite being confirmed as one of 12 UK officials to be officiating across international competitions over the next year, Darnell was up to his old tricks, allowing a very controversial goal for the Sheffield Steelers, allowing them to finish out the second period 2-1 up. 

Now, there have been many conflicting reports surrounding this ‘goal’ – some say (and these are Devils’ fans, not just Steelers’ fans) that it was definitely a goal, hitting the underside of the net and bouncing back out; others say that Darnell has simply lost what was left of his marbles and was up to his old tricks.  The justification behind the goal can be found here, thanks to Steelers TV: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JMNqEiszc4&list=PLdV17JtpLz4unlz0nY6bOhdrAJnXlCuP6

But, nevertheless, Myers levelled it up just 46 seconds from the end of regulation to force overtime.  And with no further goals in the extra five, the teams went to a shootout – you all know how that one ended!

Sunday saw a deflated Nottingham side travel down to the Bay after suffering a humiliating 6-1 home ice defeat to the Hull Stingrays, who are still missing Player/Coach Omar Pacha after he sustained a broken arm against Edinburgh earlier in the month. 

With the Northern side already missing several keys players, including Robert Farmer (foot) and David Clarke (shoulder), they did not need any more injuries to their already shortened bench.  Unfortunately for anyone with whiskers, Berube missed Sunday’s game, and was joined by Robert Lachowicz (ankle), Evan Mosey (undisclosed) and Brandon Benedict (confused? Possible arm injury, possible concussion.  Heard some very conflicting stories on this one), all of whom left the game early.

Whether it was due to increased ice time as a result of the smaller bench or a lack of confidence after the previous night’s loss (or, you know, Cardiff’s awesomeness!), the Panthers failed to play their best hockey and the Devils walked away with another 2 points, climbing to the top spot in CC Group B.

It seemed that bus legs and tired minds were a problem for last season’s Challenge Cup winners throughout the first period on Sunday.  Already missing some vital players from their line-up, the away team needed to give 110% for all 60 minutes in the BBT but it appears that several of the on-ice players were away with the fairies! 

With that in mind, it was still exciting to come home from work and discover in the 8 or so minutes I’d missed, we were already up by two!!  Luckily I was home just in time to witness Panthers’ newcomer Nathan Robinson (who we find out today is a budding artist as well!) being ejected from the game after ‘accidentally’ getting his stick tangled up in Player/Coach Andrew Lord’s face! 

Like with many things in this game we love, there is some controversy surrounding the severity of Robinson’s punishment.  While it is entirely possible (and extremely unlikely – this is Nottingham after all!) that #91 was slightly off-balance from a previous encounter with Lord, many believe that this was completely intentional; the 5+game awarded was slightly surprising though. 

The Panthers’ own account of the game (which can be found here: http://www.panthers.co.uk/content/spirited-effort-panthers-defeat-and-injury-woe-cardiff) describes the event as Robinson being targeting and retaliating to what was dished out to him…. I’m sure we can all make our own minds up on the situation, eh?

Additionally, the piece also comments on several of the injury sustained by the Panthers’ side on Sunday night.  The most interesting comment was surrounding the injury to Brandon Benedict; the Panthers’ website is reporting he was taken to hospital after a ‘check to the head’.  While they have not confirmed or disclosed any details about the injury, it is also being reported on the Steelers’ website that Benedict will be missing this weekend’s games due to concussion (http://www.sheffieldsteelers.co.uk/medical-staff-busy-for-both-steelers-and-panthers-p193844).  See why I’m so confused??  I guess it is just a case of watch this space for now…

The Panthers definitely seemed more awake after the first period break and some silly penalties for the Devils allowed them the space they needed to pull two goals back to bring them back within one going into the third period.  It definitely looked like things were looking up for the downtrodden side.

It was a case of who scores next wins… so thank the hockey gods for Andrew Lord!

With a spin-o-rama Crosby would have been proud of, Coach put the puck behind Kowalski (who, like most of the travelling team, was quite passive in the opening 20 before waking up and leading from the back for the rest of the game) and the game out of reach!  MOM Trevor Hendrikx added an extra tally to confirm the win and give the Devils those all important Challenge Cup points!!

This coming week sees the Red Army travelling across the Irish Sea to the Land of Guinness – Belfast beware!!  With Devils fans out in full force, it will be two incredible games so if you can’t make it to the O make sure you check out the webcast: https://live.belfastgiants.com// or the MNL: http://www.the-inferno.co.uk/mnl to keep up to date with every thing that happens as our boys continue to fight it out for those crucial league points!

Cardiff Devils vs Sheffield Steelers Double-Header 01/12/2012-02/12/2012 (L/CC)

Saturday 1st December - MotorPoint Arena (L)
   
     Devils 3, Steelers 2 - Final

Sunday 2nd December - Cardiff Bay Arena (CC)

    Devils 7, Steelers 6 - SO Final


  Saturday night saw a travelling Red Army, as the Devils headed up to Sheffield for the first of a two part double header.  With new-old-signing Mark Richardson back in a Devils' jersey and fan favourite Max 'Boom Boom' Birbraer back from suspension, it was sure to be a great match.

  The Devils started off slowly, going behind just six minutes in  - Ashley Tait the scorer for the home side.  The Steelers continued on and added a second a few minutes later, Drew Fata scoring on the power play after Devils' no. 24 Devin Didiomete was sent to the box for tripping.  Jason Hewitt also took a trip to the box for hooking at 1040, but Cardiff didn't get on the board until 1825, when Birbraer announced his return in style.

  As normal, the second showed a slower side to the team, and two penalties - the captain for slashing and the bench for too many men.  Despite gaining the advantage twice, the Steelers failed to capitalise and the score remained at 2-1 going into the third.

  It was all about the visitors in the third, with Cardiff scoring twice to take the lead, and eventually the game.  Despite the probable agitation he felt for a 'Simmsey slip-up' on his name,  MAC Faulkner scored two gaols in ten minutest to earn himself MOM and the Devils' those all important league points.

  With a jubilant attitude which can only come from a fantastic win the night before, the Devils' welcomed the Steelers in the BBT on Sunday for a challenge cup match up - despite being unable to progress no matter what the final score.

  For the fans that made the trip up on Saturday they would have experienced a bit of deja vu, with the Steelers taking the lead six minutes in.  With Birbaer out with an ankle injury, despite only returning from suspension the day before, the Devils were looking a bit slow.  But after Sheffield's Thomas was sent to the box for holding, Ben Davies levelled the score on the power play with seven minutes left to play in the first.

  Despite being held off to just the one goal in the first, Sheffield came out fighting, scoring a short handed goal two minutes in - whilst Tait sat in the box for tripping on behalf of Decaro.  With the score at 2-1 in favour of the Steelers, and the outcome of little consequence to the Devils, Osaer was replaced with Joe Myers, who received a large cheer as he stepped into the net.

  Ref Dean Smith saw some abuse and saw fit to throw Stephenson a ten minute misconduct at 2825, giving captain Stuart MacRae the chance to level the tally on the power play.  Fata regained the lead for the visitors but again Macrae pulled it back before Tyson Marsh gave the Devils their first lead of the game just before the buzzer rang, the home side taking a 4-3 lead into the final period.

  Phil Hill continued the momentum for Cardiff, extending their lead to two, before Hewitt brought on back for the English side.  With just seven minutes left in the period, Limpright and Shields scored two in quick succession to retake the lead.  But with a lucky turn of events MacRae added his hat tick goal in the final minus to force a very tense overtime - in which neither team managed to score the winner.

  So off to penalties it was and a nervous Red Army were watching with baited breath.  After several misses and a goal each for MacRae and Shields, it was up to Blight and he didn't disappoint.

 7-6 SO the final score and a pair of wins over the Steelers for Cardiff.  Let's Go Devils

Cardiff Devils vs Belfast Giants (L) 18/11/2012

Devils 4, Giants 3 - OT Final

Coming off a thrilling 9-1 domination of the Dundee Stars the night before, the Cardiff Devils were raring to go, as they got ready to go to war with league leaders Belfast Giants. The BBT was rocking and the chances of a four point weekend were high!

The game proved to be s physical one from the start, with both sides landing some big hits. We saw a couple of holding penalties from either side but nothing major. The Giants' Darryl Lloyd got the game going properly with the first of the two Belfast goals in the first, with Craig Peacock following with the second five minutes later.

Despite having a good first period, the Devils slumped in the second, resulting in several penalties, giving Belfast captain Adam Keefe the chance to lengthen their lead, which if course he did. With the Giants' 3-0 lead and Bari Mackenzie going off injured with a suspected ripped abductor muscle, it was not looking good for the Welsh side going into the third.

Despite a worried home crowd, Cardiff were not down and out. With Clarke in the box for hooking, NHL signing Paul Bissonnette proved once again what a star find he is, scoring the Devils' first on the powerplay, opening the onslaught of Devils' goals!

Following his Canadian teammate's lead, Josh Batch, who has proved to be a very successful power forward, sent the puck top shelf to make it a one goal game. To heighten the excitement, Mac Faulkner levelled the game with just eight minutes remaining. There were some handbag exchanged, Deeds and Keefe in the middle of it all.

Neither side managed to get that winning goal within regulation, so off to overtime we went. But the Red Army had no reason to worry; with his second goal of the evening, Mac Faulkner, earning himself the 1st star of the night, scored the GWG just 2.38 into the five minute extra period, securing those precious two points and completing the Devils' four point weekend.

After a thrilling run this weekend, the Devils will be looking to continue it through next week, with an away trip to Nottingham on Saturday, before returning home on Sunday to face the Coventry blaze, a match that is sure to set tempers soaring. Book your tickets early so you don't miss out! Let's go Devils!