Match Night Live
 
Cardiff Devils 3 - 5 Belfast Giants

Good Morning Hockey fans. Well after that resounding thumping of Vaxjo Lakers in midweek, the Devils return to League action, for the first visit to the IAW this season of the Belfast Giants.

Join me (Russky) from about 6:40pm for the usual MNL shenanigans of predictions, comments, latest scores and unrivalled text commentary once the puck drops.

If you want to be involved, please send us your comments and/or predictions to matchnightlive@gmail.com and I will do my best to include them during our coverage.

Enjoy your day and join us later if you arent able to get to the game at the IAW.

Good evening all. welcome to tonights coverage of the game between the Devils and the Giants.

Ref tonight is Dean Smith with James Ions and Matt Rose as Linos

Warm up has finished

waiting on news of whos Scratched and whos not from our lone texter tonight at the IAW

Paul Crowder serving the last game of his suspension tonight. the Game tonight is the Devils only game of the weekend.

Two predictions so far. Dave Rees sees it as 6-2 to Devils and Hazel has it as 5-2

No doubt proud parents John and Emma Ions are in the house to see their son James officiating as a Lino tonight.

There are 5 other games tonight being played. Guildford are 1-0 up at home to Coventry. Panthers are home to Sheffield, Manchester visit MKL, Fife visit Braehead, Edinburgh are at Dundee

I am hoping to be at the IAW next week to witness the Devils v Guildford game, Dont worry OJ will be in the hosting seat for that, as he will be for the midweek game for the Devils in Sweden against Vaxjo Lakers.

The intro should be starting soon

Zamboni in the last throes of icing the pad at the moment

our lone texter Phil Egan is in his usual prime position. if you are at the IAW and fortunate enough like Phil to get a mobile signal, why not email us at matchnightlive@gmail.com and we can give you a shout out.

Lights dimmed at the IAW in readiness for the Intro sequence

I think we might have a leter the normal face off

only slightly delayed.

Todd Kellman is doing his usual intros

Devils in all red with green and white trim

Lord IS playing tonight.

Belfast in white shirts and black shorts and white socks

Anthem time

almost ready to go

we are underway

early sparring

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL

Asselin scores, Assist Martin and Haddad

inside the first minute

well thats a hot start.

Louis lays a big hit behind the Devils goal

Ulmer Faryna Lord line on now

save by Whistle

Devils almost got a 2nd goal there.

Whistle denies Paris

Myers got away with a high stick

Asselin Haddad and Martin line out now

Hotham and Richardson on D

Whistle makes another save.

Belfast cycling the puck well.

Giants offside. Neutral zone face off

Devils goal scored on 40 seconds into the game

Bowns saves the Devils

Face off in the Devils zone

Giants have more speed on their roster this season

Devils offside now

Matt Pope still out injured

Devils get turned over but Bowns saves

Devils offside again

neutral zone face off

Giants pen @ 5:57

Riley 2 minutes for hooking

Giants pen 2 minutes for tripping for Saviano@ 6:47

Myers shoots high over Whistles goal

Devils on a 5 on 3

Face off in the Giants zone

Martin shoots just wide

Whistle saves from Asselin

20 seconsds left of 5 on 3

Face off in the Giants zone

GGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL

Joey Martin scores

A PPG at that.

assist Andrew Hotham goal scored at 7:45

Devils still on PP courtersy of Saviano's pen

Devils now cycling the puck in the Giants D zone

Giants Full Strength (FS)

Bowns pads away a shot.

Lord blocks a shot

neutral zone face off

top Devils two lnes getting alot of icetime

game time 12:00

Myers Morrisette and Benti on a line

Hotham having a good game on D

ushering a giants player wide into the boards.

not dangerously tho

Giants trying to play very direct but a few passes going astray

Bowns saves a shot through traffic

Face off in the Devils zone

Devils clear with Haddad

who has a shot on Whistle who saves

Face off in the Giants zone

Martinelli falls over to a cheer but he's ok

Bowns saving twice there in quick succession

whistles saves from Fournier

Face off in the Giants zone

Devils Pen Reddick at 15:38

2 for Interference the pen

Belfast score

scored by Cole Jarrett PPG @ 16:01

Big hit by Fournier on Connolly

last two mins of 1st period

Hotham fires an exocet but Whistle saves it.

Face off in the Giants zone

Haddad fires wide

Devils were complaining that Morrisette was impeded in the lead up to the Giants goal

ULmer trying to set up a chance

Giants clear

Lord Faryna and Ulmer put in a good shift before the buzzer goes for the end of the first period

Well that was quite an entertaining period. Still anyones game.

Connolly gets assist on Giants goal

SOGs Devils 13 Giants 8

Guildford 3 Blaze 0

Dundee 0 Edinburgh 2

Nottingham 0 Sheffield 2

Braehead 0 Fife 2

Milton Keynes Lightning (MLK) 0 Manchester 0

one final prediction received during course of first period. Cornwall Taffy also reckons on a Devils 5-2 win

Just got time for a quick cuppa

Phil Egan says: very end to end Hockey but Devils deserve their lead. Giants PPG game after Morrisette got his stick slashed out of his hand. Heating up towatds the end of the period with a few hits oming in. More Devils than Giants so far.

Latest score:Guildford 4 Coventry 2

officials back on the ice.

as are the teams

slight delay due to water laying on pad refusing to freeze

the ice by the Devils penalty box is causing some concern now

Caps 3-0 up now in Dundee

players just skating round to keep their bodies warmed up ready to play wen the ice is ready

we seem to be ready to go for the 2nd now

ref Smith seams happy to start the 2nd

we are now underway

Giants with an early shot padded away by Bowns with his Blocker

Martin Asselin Haddad Line starts

Bowns gloves the puck

Face off in the Devils zone

Bowns covers the puck

Belfast started with great intent and vigour

Belfast pen 2 minutes for tripping for Connolly@21:36

another Belfast pen Goulakos 2 mins for cross-checking @22:08

Devils with 5 on 3

Giants player blocks Devils shot

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL

Hotham scores assist Martin at 22:40 PPG

Another chance for Devils just wide

Devils looking so Dangerous on PP

Whistle saves

Giants clear anywhere

Bowns saves

game very open and end to end

Gants FS

Giants pens costing them two goals so far

now 4-4 in Guildford

Giants denied by Bowns

Devils pen Bath @26:10

for cross-checking

Bowns sprawling across his crease to deny Giants

Kill Devils Kill

Bowns gloves the puck

GIants have the momentum at moment

1 min gone of PK

Giants score

Goal being reviewed by ref

goal stands

scored by former Devil Matt Towe@ 28:08 PPG

Face off in the Giants zone

neutral zone face off

game gone into scrappy mode

whistle saves

Face off in the Giants zone

Giants have alot of jump on their play

Devils clear puck away.

Whistle saves from Bentivoglio

Face off in the Giants zone

Texter says Devils not dominating Face offs as they usually do

GIant shot goes just wide Bowns flat footed

relatively so even with skates on

Face off in the Giants zone

Devils have gone into their shell abit

they need to up their intensity a few notches

Haddad Martin and Asselin line on

Shot from Reedick is blocked

Giants break but comes to nothing

Devils pen Paris 2 minutes for Hooking @33:39

Bowns giving up alot of rebounds

Giants have found their game now and asserting themselves

Bowns being kept busy

All hands on deck in the Devils D zone

Giants sc ore through Blair Riley @36:07

Myers denied by the leg of Whistle

Devils need to wrestle back control of this game

Benti Myers and Morrisette line on

gametime 38:30

Whistle denies a Devils attack

Whistle standing on his head figuritively speaking

denying Martin and Asselin

Face off in the Giants zone

Lord Ulmer Faryna line replaced by myers line again

thats it for the end of the 2nd. Not the greatest period for the Devils who definitely took their foot off the gas there.

but began to reassert themselves towards the end of the period

Braehead 0 Fife 4

Guildford beat Coventry 5 -4 in OT

Dundee 1 Edinburgh 6

MLK 1 Manchester 2

this will please our Fife correspondant Gillian: Braehead 0 Fife 5

2nd Period SOGs Devils 13 Giants 6 which surprises me given Giants dominance in parts of that period

Cenwyn, one of our other correspondants says that our D is awful again, coughing up the puck. He also asks how our attack have only scored 3.

Overall SOGs is 26:14 in Devils favour

Phil Egan says: not a good period from the Devils. Making some good plays and had a few good shooting attempts, catching Whistle out of position a few times but we just couldnt bury the biscuit. Giants very lucky withr two of their goals, one of which was kicked in but the 2nd not so.

Zamboni has done its work

Teams back out for the 3rd

we are off and skating for the third

Devils pressing early on

stickwork seems a bit ragged at times from the Devils

Belfast fire a shot just wide

Devils cough up puck on D again but Bowns saves

Handbags involving Benti

Face off in the Devils zone

Devils puck retention not that good

says our texter

Giants shot goes wide

Devil pen coming. delayed pen call

Mark Louis 2 minutes for holding

KILL DEVILS KILL THE PEN

Giants score

scored by Saviano

PPG at 44:33

Devils cant get anything going on offence

Neutral zone face off

Devils not being given time on puck

FIGHT

Batch and Giants #21

who is John Kurtz

@46:37

both get 5 minutes for Fighting

Hits coming in

big melee coming in

Faryna involved. Lord gets a big right hand from Connolly

sorry Sylvestre

Penalties coming on this

Faryna and Connolly still chirping at each other in their respective boxes

Faryna gets 2 for charging @ 47:24

Lord goes to pen box too.

Lord gets 2 mins for roughing . In addition Faryna and Connolly get 5 minute majors for fighting

all at 47:24

Face off in the Devils zone

devils clear

but still cant get anything started

Belfast clear

Lord pen finished

4 on 4 hockey

Bowns makes two great saves sprawled on the ice

Blair riley in addition gets 2 plus game miscon for 3rd man in

on that altercation at:47:24 involving Faryna and Connolly

pen Giants Sylvestre

2 tripping @ 51:31

Goulakos get abuse of official pen just two mins though

Devils on PP

not creating much though

Paris shoots wide

game goes back to 4 on 4

gametime 53:58

Giants score with a sucker punch goal

scored by Sylvestre

@ 54:15

this is a game the devils had for the taking but has run away from them

Batch fires one but cleared

Whistle saves again

Giants pen Connolly 2 minutes for holding @56:33

Devils pen Haddad 2 minutes for interference

for tripping not interference, sorry folks

@56:46

Time out called

Whistle saves point bank

Face off in the Giants zone

4 on 4 hockey still

Martiinelli goes of injured

Paris with a big slapshot

goes wide

inside last two mins

Face off in the Giants zone

Bowns lifted

last minute

Face off in the Giants zone

last 30 seconds

game over Giants win

that was a strange but eventful period

Devils only have themselves to blame really. Perhaps a little 'hangover' after the Vaxjo win maybe

Giants MOM is Matt Towe

Thanks to our texter tonight Phil Egan. Safe journey home to fans of both teams.

Devils MOM is Joey Martin

Thats if from me. Join OJ on wednesday for Coverage as Devils travel to Sweden to take on Vaxjo Lakers in their last game in the CHL this season.

good night all Nos Da Pawb