Match Night Live

OJ here in the MNL studio as we wait for the return battle between our beloved DEVILS and the Blaze

M42 is like a carparp apparently with long queues and delays

Just heard from my advance party of texters that face off has been put back 15 minutes at least

Sell out anticipated, reports that only standing tickets left 1 hour before face off

Game prediction to me at matchnightlive@gmail.com

I am told team coach has arrived and the team in the dressing room

Just heard from the boss (Chris S) stuck on M42 and at least 60 minutes away from Skydome

Blaze on the ice for warmup including Greg Owen whether he is icing I don't know yet

Trying to determine how many of my texters have arrived

I have at least two in place others slowly aking their way to the Skydome

Marc has Devils down for an OT loss

Russky goes for a 4-2 Devils win and plenty of fights

Jo calls if 4-3 to the Devils

Apparently the scoreboard at the Skydome is broken, this could be fun

That takes us back to the old Durham Ice Rink with that stupid clock and timekeepers using a series of watches. In those days I had to time all penalties to ensure they let our boys back on time, Wasps always came out early on my watch - what a surprise

Chris S must have flown the last few miles as he has arrived and sitting amongst Blaze fans, what a delight they have in store

Clock showing some signs of life after all

Warm up over

Lots of DEvils fans have made the trip

Hayes not icing for the Devils

Andy Carson has the whistle tonight

Giants game also delayed

If the Vipers got stuck on the M42 on the way to Belfast, they went the wrong way

Keith wants 2 points and I don't think he cares which way we get them

Good news I know have 4 eager texters at the Skydome

This is going to be a titanic battle

Greg Owen is back for the Blaze

Early reports of network problems so keep your fingers crossed

Welcome onto the ice your very own CARDIFF DEVILS

Big crowd in the Skydome

Blaze take to the ice

Samantha wants a win and it can be as ugly or close but so long as we pocket the 2 points she's happy

Pre game coming to a close

Anthems done

Voth, Finnerty & Hill; Jarvis & Richardson start for Devils

WE are away

Blaze icing @ 0:20

2 minutes gone, end to end

Lyle save @ 2:15

Devils penalty @ 2:45 - Finnerty - slashing

Lets kill this penalty DEVILS

Devils did well killing that penalty back to full strength

A PK thats working doesn't give you the right to take silly penalties

Lyle save @ 5:51

All the predictions are for a Devils win

Hirsch save (x2) @ 6:03 he droped it and had to save it a 2nd time

Devils penalty @ 6:26 - Adams - cross-checking

A stupid penalty says one texter, spudid by the ref or stupid by the coach I don't know

Devils penalty @ 6:45 - Michel - holding

1:41 of 5 on 3

Lyle deflects puck out of play @ 6:58

Blaze penalty @ 7:22 - Calder - Holding

Now 4 on 3 in favour of Blaze

Blaze goal scored by Carlson

Blaze penalty @ 8:07 Campbell - slashing

It is 1-0 to the Blaze don't believe what ih-update is saying

44 secs of Devils pp

DEvils powerplay awful but they almost scored on an error by Hirsch

Devils offside @ 10:39

Sorry to report this is a different Devils team from last nite, NO HITS

Watkins throws a big hit on Davies, maybe that will wake them up

Lyle save @ 11:51

At last Hill nails Cowley

Blaze offside @ 13:27

Dodgy mobile reception at Skydome

Blaze goal scored by Calder assists Campbell @ 14:35

Devils need to start hitting

2nd assist on Blase 2nd goal goes to Cowley

Blaze 3rd goal scored by Carlson @ 15:51

Devils Time out

Blaze 3rd goal was a delayed penalty goal

Terrible error by Lyle I am told

Unassisted goal

Devils penalty @ 17:02 - Hartwick - high sticks

Devils have a 3 on 2 sh breakaway, Hirsch glove save

Stone floors Campbell

Devils defence has gone AWOL tonight

Devils penalty @ 18:31 Latulippe 2 + 10 tripping from behind (thats a new one on me)

Hartwick returns

Latulippe penalty was a check from behind

Blaze icing @ 19:39

End of 1st period Blaze 3 DEVILS 0

Devils lucky to have ZERO

Best 2 Devils hits of the nite so far; Finnerty on Voth & Hartwick on Adams

That sums it up

Its a pity we can't post up the texts I am having and the e-mails on the Devils dressing room walls

Carl I don;t know whats going on but some hard truths need to be told

Its like two different teams from last night and that is from a Blaze fan

Inconsistency cannot be tolerated by fans in any sport

As an e-mailer said no wonders Simms takes the mickey out of us if we play up and down like this.

Where is the strength of old where a DEvils team were keen to perform in anyones barn

Lets get out there are go for the remaining 40 miles

Complacency has to be dealt with, it reminds me of a road trip when the atmosphere on the bus was too relaxed, so the bus pulledover and the team had to walk the last mile, imagine the looks on the faces of the fans when the bus turns up and just Heather, Taffy and me get off

Both teams back on the ice

2nd period underway

Latulippe returns, Devils back to full strength

Derek thinks it is the red wawy shirts and suggests they play in green next time or YELLOW

Hirsch save @ 22:26

Blaze icing @ 22:37

Lyle save @ 22:51

Blaze icing @ 23:13

If you can win face offs icings run the clock down with little effort

DEVILS GOAL scored by Smith @ 23:37

23:47 correction

SoG in 1st period Devils 7, Blaze 18

Assist to Michel on Devils 1st goal

Lyle save @ 24:37

Blaze penalty @ 24:57 - Robinson - hooking

Puck out of play @ 25:17

DEVILS GOAL

Devils 2nd goal scored by Jarvis @ 25:32 assists Smith & Birbraer

That was a ppg

Both teams now looking like they were last nite

Adams hit in face by slap shot

dams goes quickly to bench

Handbags followed but it was accidental

Devils penalty @ 26:13 - Voth - roughing

Blaze penalty @ 26:13 - Lee - charging

Game delayed as blood is cleared

Carlson shot puck that hit Adams, Voth thought it was Watkins and went after him

Game resumes

4 on 4 for 2 mins

Hartwick floored

Voth & Lee return

Blaze penalty @ 28:17 - Watkins - hooking

DEvils pp awful, it was crap last nite

Hirsch save @ 29:27

Blaze return to full strength

Hirsch save @ 30:26

I wonder if Marc is back, he left in disgust at the end of 1st period, he of little faith

BLAZE GOAL @ 32:06 - Fulghum

Rebound not cleared as defence go AWOL again

Devils icing @ 32:19

Blaze have been gifted TWO possibly three of their goals

Big save by Hirsch from Smith

Gametime 34:08

Chambers nails Jason Stone

Blaze penalty @35:07 Watkins - hooking

Powerplay is so bad it is unreal

Only Devils with + mark against them so far tonight are Finnerrty & Michel

Blaze complete an easy pk

Lyle save @ 37:27

Adams gone to hospital

My information on Adams is that there might not be any breaks but cut badly

Blaze offside @ 38:12

Finnerty floored

Devils penalty @ 38:54 - Birbraer - hooking

Final minute of 2nd period

Blaze icing @ 39:10

Lyle save @ 39:43 followed by handbags no penalties

End of 2nd period Blaze 4 DEVILS 2

Blaze seem to have regained the upperhand after Adams got hit, until then they seemed to be sitting back on their 3-0 lead

Both team return to the ice

3rd period underway

54 secs of pk for Devils

Devils return to full strength, well in terms of skaters anyway

Devils offside @ 42:09

Hirsch save @ 42:18

Fulghum takes slap shot to leg and goes stright to dressing room

Smith shot deflected wide @ 42:43

Confirmation that Adams has gone to A&E for stiches

Lyle ave @ 44:02

Hill floors Cowley

Devils look lost and leaderless

Blaze 5th goal scored by Calder @ 45:02

Devils defence an utter shambles who don't look bothered

Puck out of play @ 45:32

Assists on 5th goal to Chamners & Carlson

Devils icing @ 46:10

Voth floored

No Devils SoG so far this period

Fulghum returns to the ice none the worse

Puck out of play @ 48:43

Devils not playing as a team

Hirsch save @ 49:15

Devils are only staying above water because of the individual talent of some of their team, not through team play

Blaze penalty @ 49:35 - Campbell - interference

Can you decline penalties to the opposition as Devils are worse on the pp than sh or even strength

Hirsch save @ 50:54

Blaze kill penalty

Blaze icing @ 51:52

Devilsalty @ 53:02 - Lyle - tripping

Davies serves penalty

Texter says Devils should have had one of the top imports sitting the penalty as Davies is doing his bit for the team

Penalty killed

55 minutes gone

Devils offside @ 55:13

Puck out of play @ 55:18

Handbags Voth v Blaze bench

Voth ejected

Penalty called @ 55:28

Voth gets 5 + Game for slashing @ 55:28

Blaze have pwerplay until end of game

One texter reports that Voth was punched by plkayer on Blaze bench and retaliates

Finnerty ejected @ 56:02

He actually got a 10 minute misconduct

57 minutes gone

Final 2 minutes

Final minute

BLAZE PP Goal scored by Allen @ 59:21

Devils penalty - Miller 10 minute misconduct @ 59:21

Last goal times at 59:39

Final score Blaze 6 DEVILS 2

Ref Carson totally ignored by whole Devils team at end of game

Devils MoM Smith

Devils SoG in 3rd period 3, I don't know where they got them from

MNL management are considering placing the following warning on MNL "Following the Devils at away games on MNL is pointless and a waste of money and effort"

blaze MoM - Carlson

Our thanks go to Paul, Simon J, Wildthing and Chris C your texters tonight

Thats all from me (OJ) until the next mnl which is hopefully Wedndnesday next for the visit to Nottingham