Match Night Live

Good Afternoon Ice Hockey fans. Its a massive game tonight, part one of a doubleheader weekend. The Red Army are enroute to Belfast. No Doubt Belfast will be looking for revenge following their exit from the Challenge Cup 9 days ago.

Join me (Russky) from 6:30pm as I bring you build up and unrivalled text commentary once the puck drops to start tonights game.

If you wish to send us a prediction or comment please do so by emailing matchnightlive@gmail.com.

Until then I wish you an enjoyable Friday afternoon.

Good Evening folks

Are you nervously excited?

I am. we have already had 3 predictions in: Matt Lundbech predicts a 4-2 Devils win, Liam Paget thinks its going to be a close game ending in a 4-3 Devils win and Roger goes for a 9 goal thriller finishing in Devils favour.

No predictions yet from our regular troupe of predictors though.

Personally I would like any Devils win in regulation

Tonights ref is Stefan Hogarth so it could be interesting.

Devils new boy Denny Kearny has been allocated shirt number #22 but not sure if he will be icing tonight. Giant's Captain Adam o'Keefe is serving a game ban tonight.

If he is half as good as Previous Devils players who have worn that number i.e. Tyson Marsh or Ivan Matulik he should be a hell of a player.

Our texters tonight are Dave and Dot, two regular MNL texters but Giants fans for their sins.

I am told there is a large number of the Red Army who have made the trip over to Belfast

The warm up should be coming to an end now.

Phil Egan has kindly agreed to provide his usual insightful end of period summaries.

Still waiting for our texters to report in.

Going by posts of many red army members on other social media outlets, there will be a fair number of hangovers tomorrow.

Please bear with us as the updates may NOT be as regular as what we are normally used to but I will do my best to keep you updated.

There is one other game tonight with Fife making the relatively short trip to Braehead, this game does not face off til half seven though.

Denny Kearney is listed on the pre-game team sheet but awaiting confirmation on whether he ices

Some more predictions for you: rob batch who goes for a Devils 6-3 win.

Simon goes for a 3-1 win tonight

Pat says any win will do

Mark Gough sees is the Devils getting a bullying win tonight

and Hazel goes for a 5-3 Devils win

and Hazel is feeling nervous too.

Graham goes for a Devils 4-3 win, He is at a concert tonight so cant keep track too much. shame on you Graham, only joking. Enjoy!

the 3 blind mice are on the ice

sorry the oficials.

Texter David has reported in

Both teams now on the ice for the pre game rituals

Nickerson is a healthy scratch for the giants

Murphy between the pipes for the Giants

Game underway

Dot has now reported in

Giants are in Pink Valentines jerseys NICE!!!!

bit of early shadow boxing going on as both teams size each other up

official scoresheet doesn't have Kearney as playing

that means he will probably score the first goal. lets hope

Giants pen 2 minutes for tripping

Mason is the culprit of the pen

@ 2:41

Giants FS

according to Phil Egan Denny is icing

game time 5 mins gone

both teams playing abit cagey

Giants trying to mount some pressure on Devils D

Bowns saves from Rutherford

game gone into a lull for now

Forney and Higgins making a nuisance of themselves

they are threatening every time they are on the ice

Halfway through first period

Benti has a breakaway chance but comes to nothing,

game has picked up again. end to end action now

Giants shoot high into back netting behind Bownsy's goal

Giants pen Riley 2 minutes for high sticks '11:41

Devils pen 2 minutes for holding

goal for belfast

while 4 on 4

Leduc scored for Belfast @13:29

Hotham got the holding call

massive save from murphy

5.06 left in 1st

Belfast pen Demarais2 minutes for holding

slashing not Holding @14:54

4 on 4 for 6 seconds then Devils on PP

Giants FS

3 mins left in period

Murphy saves a shot from Lord

gone quiet again

a 2nd goal for giants

Mike Forney scores it

@19:34

and that's the end of the period.

SOGs 11 each

wow the Devils tend to make it difficult for themselves don't they?

Phil Egan says: a poor first period for the Devils making a few chances but need to execute better. Devils need a good kick up the butt ready for the 2nd

Hothams penalty timed at 13:00

I have been told that the Giants shirts are a dark shade of pink with green numbers

players back out for 2nd

Don't know what the delay is

puck now dropped to start 2nd period

Giants offside. neutral zone face off

a lot of physicality already in 2nd

Belfast dominating already

Leduk just avoided an own goal for Belfast

Devils in white shirts with red trim

Giants pen Garside 2 minutes for holding

Face off in the Giants zone

Hotham shoots thru traffic but blocked

Devils trying to set up in Giants D

Hotham with another shot across the giants goal area

but goes wide

Giants FS

Devils PP unit not firing

Bowns saves from Walser

we all know how Walser loves the Welsh Anthem

14:44 left in 2nd

Face off in the Devils zone

great pass by Hotham A to release Devils forward but it comes to nothing

Murphy playing well so my texter says

Face off in the Giants zone

Devils cant seem build any pressure

Bowns saves a shot thru traffic

Devils guilty of too many stray passes.

Devils penalty Batch 2 minutes for interference

Bowns saves

Devils lets Kill this pen

PPG for Giants

Leduc scores again

Face off in the Giants zone

Devils need to find their road game pronto, they seem very out of sorts

Bowns saves again to thwart a quick Belfast attack

game time 11:08

sorry 31:08

Haddad working hard on the puck to create a chance

Belfast hit the pipes

Devils seem a poor second to Belfast at the moment

Shot goes high over Bowns' goal again

Devils pen 2 minutes for slashing against Piggott

Belfast toying with Devils PK unit

Bownsy pads a shot away

5:40 left in 2nd

Face off in the Devils zone

Giants attacking at will.

Haddad shoots puck into Murphys pads

Face off in the Giants zone

Giants being very physical

Giants icing

Face off in the Giants zone

Belfast Pen Forney 2 minutes for high sticks

purely accidental

Hotham shot blocked

by Benedict

Murphy saves

now a melee in the Giants goalie crease

Bentivoglio with the effort there

11 seconds left on Devils PP

two mins left of 2nd

neutral zone face off

Haddad working very hard to get Devils back into this game

Boxhill gone off injured

another neutral zone face off

Giants FS

Hotham A almost got out muscled but Devils clear the puck

Face off in the Giants zone

cleared into neutral ice

Devils breakaway thwarted by Pad blocker save by Murphy

buzzer goes to signal end of 2nd.

SOGs 26 Devils 23 Giants, Really? who is counting these?

sorry for stating the obvious but the Devils need a massive 3rd period now

latest score in Braehead is 4-3 to Braehead

that's against Fife

Phil Egan says he is not a happy with the Devils performance.

Perhaps its my mistaken perception but the Devils seem a little flat tonight. I don't think the SOGs are telling the real story of the game.

Officials back on the ice for the 3rd

Teams now back on ice

we are underway in the third

Devils start brightly

Devils battling on the boards

Riley shoots high

Bowns covers puck

Face off in the Devils zone

Another shot high into the back netting.

Face off in the Devils zone

scrappy attack comes to nought

Louis shoots but blocked by murphy

Devils seem to be playing with more intent this period which is a start

GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL

scored by Richardson

assist Haddad

@43:16

Belfast still threatening.

Devils offiside

neutral zone face off

Devils pen Hotham S 2 minutes for high sticks

Face off in the Devils zone

@44:34 time of Hothams pen

Joey Martin muiscled off puck

Devils FS

Murphy pads away a hopeful shot

Giants shot just goes wide

Towie shoots wide

Haddad hits crossbar with wrist shot

12:03 left

Face off in the Giants zone

Murphy comes under pressure again but manages to cover puck

Face off in the Giants zone

Haddad shoots but saved by Murphy

Devils playing better this period but have they left themselves too much to do

Forney gets nailed

Face off in the Giants zone

turnover leads to a Devils shot but saved by Murphy

Devils have definitely upped their game

Devils have definitely upped their game

a lot of neutral zone play going on

stray passes again for the Devils

Giants turnover the puck

GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL

Benti scores

assist Richardson

@ 52:17

Come on you Devils

Face off in the Giants zone

Red Army have started shouting and singing

Face off in the Devils zone

scramble in Devils crease cleared by Benti

just over 5 mins left

Devils offside

neutral zone face off

Giants icing

Face off in the Giants zone

Devils keep pressure on Devils

Giants I meant

GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL

Joey Haddad scores

Giants time out

4:16 left in game

assistds to asselin and A Hotham @ 55:44

game restarted

Devils icing

Face off in the Devils zone

Bordy getting some ice time

Myers working hard

shot by S hotham padded away

GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL

scored by Asselin

two mins left

assist by Fournier

@ 57:46

Murphy lifted

Belfast trying hard

Bownsy making saves

Face off in the Devils zone

devils clear puck away

Face off in the Devils zone

38 seconds left

Devils clear again

10 seconds left

Face off in the Devils zone

Devils win

What a comeback

I said that they needed a massive third period and they provided it

Belfast did put the puck in the net but AFTER the buzzer

sets up tomorrows night game

great result for the Devils

Giants MOM Leduc

Devils MOM was Bentivoglio

well that's a 5point lead now for the Devils at the top of the table.

Thanks to our texters Dave Dot and Phil for their invaluable contributions

Join OJ tomorrow night for what is sure to be a real barn burner of a game.

Braehead lead Fife 7-2 at the end of 2nd period

Goodnight form me. Nos Da Pawb.

sorry that's 7-3.

NB Final score Braehead 8 Fife 5