Match Night Live

Welcome to MNL as we bring you the first semi-final of the 2012 Play Offs featuring your very own Cardiff Devils against the Belfast Giants

join me (OJ) from 12 mid-day when I hope my texters will have sobered up from their exploits of last night.

Score predictions to matchnighlive@gmail.com before face off please

Keith in Aberystwyth predicted a 3-2 win for the Devils

Ruth says she is very nervous but thinks the Devils will triumph 2-1

Let us know where you are - especially family members of Devils players and Devils fans living abroad

Carl predicts a Devils 4-3 win

Gazza is slightly more confident and goes for a 4-2 Devils victory

Lisa & Steve in Germany missing their first play offs for years go for a 4-3 Devils win

No predictions from the worldwide Birbraer clan just hope for a Devils victory

Luke B calls it DEVILS 2 Giants 1

No Chris Frank for Devils unless he's going to play in his suit

Michael Hicks is the man in charge, will check later if there has been any late changes to officials

Warmup about to start

I have nervous texters at Nottingham who felt they had to go to the pub to calm their nerves

No Frank, S Smith or Burrows for Devils as warmup starts

For those of you not in Nottingham the ENL Devils are also engaged in Play Off hockey taking on arch rivals Invicta Dynamoes at the BBT tonight FO 7pm

Devils in Black, Giants in White

Jeanne Pierece in Michigan up and ready to go at 7am, Lets go Devils, lets go

I wonder who is the HOME team

Home team status could be crucial as Devils juggle their limited resources

Never mind Giants are home team

devils have 15 skaters

Pat in Bridgend has his fingers crossed like the rest of us and predicts a 3-2 Devils win

Danette Macrae in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia takes the Devils to slay the Giants 3-2 but like the rest of us will take a victory by any score

Barry, a buddy of mine in Tenerife tells the Devils to get on with it lift the Championship and send m e home to Puerto de la Cruz

I will be off soon

Two of my usual on the road texters - Gavin & Amy are in Sri Lanka and predict a 4-3 Devils win

They are in 48 degree heat in Sri Lanka

Can anyone beat that

My brother in law in Ottawa was telling me yesterday that they have had the same turnaround in the weather as we have had in the UK

Last 90 secs of warm up

Dinna & Megan call it 2-1 Devils

Sue & Dick Matzka back home after their visit to Wales call it 4-2 Devils , being underdogs ios a good thing nothiung to lose everything to gain

Sue I hope this isn't your last prediction of the season, WE HAVE THE FINAL tomorrow

Warm up done, Zamboni chasing its tail

Neil says Devils to win, doesn't care what the score is and wants to thank the team for giving us a great season

Carl H in Berne Switzerland calls it 5-1 Giants

Simon P says heart says 3-1 Devils but head says Giants will beat us into submission

We shall see

Dan Vanderveeken have you join us yet? Give us a prediction

Bethan R calls it 3-2 Devils

The general view is that there will only be 1 goal in it other than Carl in Berne who is Giants thru and thru

Sine I agree with you scoreline is not importyant so long as Devils score 1 more than Giants

James ir trying to give he a heart attack as he predicts that it will be 2-2 and Devils win on penalty shots

Zamboni gone back to its lair

Lights are dimmed

Ger-Devils is in his seat at NIC

He is connecting his Bow line at the moment

Intro going on and on, give us the teams for heavens sake

Officials take to the ice

Michelle in Manitoba just wants a Devils victory

Matthew M calls it 4-3 Devils

Dan Vanderveeken is bing positive and calls it 4-2 Devils.

Ad West calls it 2-1 Devils

Welcome onto the ice your very own CARDIFF DEVILS

No sign of John Frank where are you

Giants now on ice

Michael Hicks confirmed as man in charge

Confusion at NIC as Chris Frank is introduced

Anthem time at NIC

Paul Sullivan sings Welsh Anthem

Chris Frank is NOT icing

Game underway

Nice poke check by Richardson stops Giants first attack

Great block my Mike Smith

Giants have 16 skater to Devils 15

Murphy save

Followed by Lyle save

Puck out of play

DEVILS GOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Awaiting confirmation

Matzka scores Devils 1st goal

@ 2:33 assists Dobben & Vanderveeken

Giants shoot wide

Now Devils shoot wide

2 huge save by Stevie Lyle

Devils penalty @ 4:17 - Batch - holding

KILL DEVILS KILL

Lyle save

M Smith blocks another goal bound shot

Devils breakaway thwarted followed by handbags

Devils penalty @ 6:45 - Vanderveeken - slashing

5 on 3 for 33 secs

KILL DEVILS KILL

Batch returns

Giants goal @ 7:21

PPG for Giants scored by Rebek assists Mason & Clarke PPG @ 7:21

Blood on ice

Vanderveeken arguing with Hicks, Jamie you cannot win that debate

Game re-starts

Steelers fans shouting for Giants - BLESS THEM

Giants have started very strong and purposeful

very feisty game allowed to flow by Hicks so far

Devils cough up bad turnover in neutral ice but costs them nothing

Devils struggling to get out of their end zone at the moment

Devils whistledown for hand pass

Puck out of play gives both teams respite

Pad save Murphy, rebound cleared

Game so far dull, bad passing etc says Gerald

Lyle save

Check from behind on Davies missed by Hicks

Giants icing as they are under pressure for once

Gametime 12:22

Richardson recovers Vanderveeken error

Gianrs go close

Devils hit pipes

Giants penalty@16:32 Dignard - tripping

Lets have a PPG of our own U DEVILS

Nothing of note on PP yet

Poor PP as Giants return to full strength (FS)

Final minute of 1st period

Giants penalty @ 19:20 - Mason - delay of game

End of 1st period DEVILS 1 Giants 1

Devils will start 2nd period with 1:20 of pp

Devils really struggled that period but on the plus side were are not behind

SoG for 1st period DEVILS 5 Giants 12

Officials back on ice

So are both teams

2nd period starts with Devils on pp

Get the PP into overdrive U DEVILS

Good pp pressure from Devils

Giants back to FS

Devils have upped their game for 2nd period

Gametime 22:15

Adams gunning for Keefe

Devils offside @ 22:36

Murphy block

gametime 23:15

Rachael is doing her best to get us a goal

Giants now exert pressure

Dobben has shot blocked @ 24:45

Giants shoot wide

Lyle save @ 27:02

Game has become scrappy

Big save Lyle

Giants shoot wide after clear chance

Gametime 28:22 as Giants go offside

it looks as if both teams are extremely nervous, the RED Army is as well

Matzka shot goes wide

Devils pressure @ 29:28

Problem with plexi stops play

Hicks is either missing a lot or letting the game flow - you decide

Game stopped @ 29:28

Game underway again

Half way through game and its tied at 1-1

Pierce breakaway - save Murphy

Murphy save from Macrae

@ 31:23 that was

Devils pressure at 32 minute mark

Puck out of play @ 32:20

RED ARMY getting louder and louder

Gametime 32:55

Giants penalty @ 33:02 Gardide - hooking

Vanderveeken slapshot goes close

Hill tip saved by Murphy

Murphy now covers up

Giants return to FS

Gametime 35:12

Devils GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Dobben assist Matzka

@55:34

assists for Batch as well

Gametime 37:03

Pierce flick almost beats Murphy

Devils shot deflected wide

Gametime 38:02

Giants penalty cominh me thinks

@ 38:49 Crane - hooking

Lets have another goal U DEVILS

Final minute of 2nd period

End of 2nd period DEVILS 2 Giants 1

DevilDom says that was a much better period from the Devils

What a turnaround in SoG for 2nd period DEVILS 19 Giants 6 making it 24-18 after 2 periods

Apologies Devils 2nd goal was at 35:34 not 55:34 although I would be happy if the Devils took the lead @ 55:34

Come on U DEVILS you can do just 20 more miles

Rachael bless her is texting, shouting, waving her poppoms, clappers clapping

Officials back on ice

Teams back for 3rd period

20 minutes of the same please U DEVILS

3rd period starts

giants back to FS

Devils pp has improved

Lyle save @ 41:18

Always worry went it goes quiet

devils penalty @ 41:49 - M Smith - delay of game

KILL DEVILS KILL

One minute of penalty killed

Lyle save

Lyle save @ 43:46

Devils return to FS

devils 2 on 1 denied

Puck out of play

Brilliant block by Vanderveeken @ 44:15

Giants chance, Devils clear puck

Devils fans proposes, girlfriend says YES we believe although she is more interested in game

Huge save Lyle

devils penalty @ 45:52 - Vanderveeken

KILL DEVILS KILL

Interference was call

Another Devils penalty @ 46:23 - Dobben - hooking

Devils have to kill 5 on 3

5 on 3 for 1:29

Giants have chances galore

devils back to 4 skaters

Lyle save

1 sec befor Dobben returns

Devils back to FS

49 minutes gone

Murphy save @ 49:22

anther Murphy save @ 49:43

From another 2 on 1 for Devils

50 minutes gone

Can we have a goal please U DEVILS to settle the nerves

Murphy save

Gametime 51:13

DEVILS GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Luke Piggott scores assists Daves and Adams @ 52:23

Gametime 52:59

Lots of Giants pressure

Gametime 53:25

Luke forgets about research of cancer cures to score Devils 3rd goal

Gametime 54:04

KEEP THEM OUT U DEVILS

Giants offside

Gametime 55:03

Giants goal

@55:19 Clarke assist Dowd

Gametime 56:29

Giants seeking equaliser

come on U DEVILS give us another goal

Lyle save

Gametime 57:02

devils wander offside

Gametime 57:44

Devils icing

Final 2 minutes

Giants goal

@ 58:25 scored by Hoffman

Assist Pelle

Final minute

End of reglation DEVILS 3 Giants 3

Now O/T

Its 10 minutes of sudden death O/T

O/T starts

devils start with K Smith, Vanderveeken, Macrae & Hill

Lyle save

Lyle save @ 61:28

Murphy save

@61:53

Vanderveeken shoots wide from blueline

Puck out of play

Gametime 63:40

big save Lyle

Devils seem deflated

RED ARMY get them going

Gametime 65:02

Big Lyle save

Its all Giants at the moment

Devils shoot wide

Lyle save and Giants run Lyle

James I hope your prediction is right

Gametime 67:01

Matzka shoots wide

Giants chance cleared

Gametime 68:03

Gametime 68:30

Final minute

Giants icing

Giants time out

Off we go again

52 secs left

Penalties @ 69:48 - Vanderveeken & Dowd both for roughing

3 on 3 for 11 secs

Lyle sav e

8 secs left

End of O/T we have penalties

K smith will take first Devils penalty

They are partially cutting the ice for penalties

Ice still being cut

K SMith - scores

Peacock saved

Macrae misses

Mason Misses

Matzka next

Saved

Pelle next

Save

We Win

DEVILS win 4-3 and go into Sundays final

Giants MoM - Stephen MURPHY

Devils MoM - STEVIE LYLE

My texters have good mad

James says he's in shock, well James you were the only one to predict a Devils win on penaties

A big thank you to our texters at NIc - Rachael, Gerald, Ger-Devils, JohnWildthing, DevilDom and Damian Diafol well done a cracking job, and the team didn't do badly either

I will now have to find a dark room and lie down

Join me tomorrow as we bring you the Championship Final featuring our very own CARDIFF DEVILS

Join me from 3pm for the 4pm face off

Good evening from me OJ