Match Night Live

Good Morning Hockey Fans. Well the League title is in the Bag and we can all breathe out now!!! Cue Celebrations in front of Steelers.

Join me (Russky) from about 5:30pm for the usual pre game shenanigans and live text commentary once the puck drops.

If you wish to interact with us here, send us a prediction or Comment to matchnightlive@gmail.com and we will do our best to include it up to the end of the first period break. Normal conditions apply i.e. Not libellous and not too rude/contraversial.

I am off to build a snowman here in snowbound Treharris, so until then I wish you all a good day.

Good Afternoon. Croeso - Welcome to the Devils League winning Celebration Party with special party interlopers the Sheffield Steelers. Lets hope they aren't going to be Party Poopers today.

THe scheduled refs today are Mike Hicks and Matt Thompson.

Just waiting for our anonymous texter to report in.

This is the third time these two have locked horns in a week with the current series score at 1-1 each having had a home win in the last 7 days.

James Ions and James Kavanagh are the scheduled Linos

Mark Louis is on the official team sheet today Dr Piggott sits this one out as does Lord, who oversees events from the Bench. We'll bring any further team news as soon as we can.

Good News for Harry Cooper, the game does go ahead. Dai Rees sees it as 4-1 Devils win.

Pat says 5-2 to Devils.

Warm up has been done and dusted. Zamboni chasing its tail.

Four other games tonight, two of which already in action: Fife lead Dundee 1-0 in Dundee, while Nottingham and Manchester are tied at 1-1 in Altrincham.

Coventry are at Guildford, Braehead are at Edinburgh. Both of these games facing off at 6pm

Interestingly Steelers have nominated Brad Day as their first choice keeper tonight as Moose has a night off.

Texter is in Place. Our Doncaster based Devils correspondant Maria is at the IAW tonight although not on texting duty tonight, we gave her the night off to enjoy the game.

Teams on the ice.

Devils lined up for intros.

Devils all in red tonight.

Joey Martin is a healthy scratch, Having deserved a night off.

Anthem time

Steelers in white shirts with orange shoulders and orange shorts.

Bowns starting in Devils net.

It was thought that Murdy might have started but Bowns gets the nod from coach Lord.

waiting to get the game underway

we are underway

Steelers shot saved with Bowns blocker

Steelers have the jump in this game

early pressure from them in this one

Face off in the Devils zone

early phase of game teams sizing each other up

Bowns saves from Jono Phillips

Devils yet to really threaten Day in Steelers net

Face off in the Devils zone

Steelers seem to be more purposeful. Devils going thru motions

Asselin had his pocket picked.

Face off in the Devils zone

gametime 5 mins Devils seem a bit lethargic

Crowder has a chance

snuffed out by Steelers D

Puck out of play

Face off in the Steelers zone

alot of tussles along the boards

Steelers go offside

Bowns having to be alert to a backhand chance from Steelers

neutral zone face off

Steelers having lions share of possession

Drew Paris collides with the boards. gets up tho'

Steelers score through Valdix. assist to Roy. its a goal thats been coming.

Devils very lacklustre.

game restarts

Bowns saves from Roy

not much intensity evident from Devils

Devils and Steelers pen Ronnberg 2 minutes for holding Redding 2 minutes for roughing @ 10:19

Reddick I meant.

Ben O Connor making a nuisance of himself

Ben O Connor making a nuisance of himself

Nielly flattens Hotham.

Steelers tried to run bowns but Hotham stopped it

Fournier gets bumped into the boards.

centre ice face off

sorry neutral ice

Steelers score a 2nd Valdix again.

awaiting on time of 2nd goal. 1st came at 8:44

Devils seemed to have woken a little from their slumber

Bowns saves from wallace.

Steelers 2nd goal timed at 13:23

Dowd and Nelson with assists scored by Valdix

Devils definitely not at the races in this game

The crowd getting a litte rattled by this Devils performance so far

The Devils fans will want a better performance than this

Mark Louis confirmed as being on the ice.

Bowns with a double save as the buzzer goes to end the period.

Poor period that from the Devils. Lord will give them a rocket no doubt.

sorry to be so negative but just relaying the texts as I receive them.

SOGs count show how placid the Devils have been: Devils 3 Steelers 19

Latest scores: Dundee 1 Fife 2; Manchester 2 Nottingham 3; Edinburgh 0 Braehead 2; Guildford 0 Coventry 0.

Time for Munchies and a cuppa. Back soon for the start of 2nd.

My texter says: That was as poor and underwhelming a home performance from the Devils he has seen all season

Lets hope its alot better in the 2nd period.

teams out for the 2nd

Ref Hicks gets this period underway

Devils pen Reddick 2 minutes for cross-checking @20:19

Morrisette and Myers with a short handed chance

Devils clear puck through Strachan

Devils definitely showing more intent so far this period

Haddad Blocks a Dowd shot

Devils pen Haddad 2 minutes for hooking @ 22:22

Handbags.

Devils killing a 5 on 3 for a short time

Devils now in penalty trouble. Hotham gets a pen

Bowns saves from Roy again.

Devils killing a 5 on 3

Hotham sitting 2 minutes for slashing @ 22:38

sheffield score a 3rd Scored by Roy@ 23:45

Bowns save

Reddick's pen was interferance, Haddad's for Slashing

Devils killing 5 on 4

Devils FS

game time 25:00

Devils 1 on 1 chance denied by Brad Day.

Morrisette the luckless Devils player there.

Another save from Day.

Face off in the Steelers zone

Reddick fires a slapshot wide.

Day saves from hotham

Face off in the Steelers zone

Devils not been given time to set up

Devils pen Faryna holding the stick 28:36

Fransilla 2 minutes for hooking @28:36

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL #1 Matt Pope scores

hopefully that will a turning point in this game

Both teams FS

Devils pen Crowder 2 minutes for holding

Bowns saves from Fretter

game time 31:40

crowder pen at 30:49

neutral zone face off

Valdix shoots one wide

Devils FS

Fitzy getting feisty with Strachan and Hotham

Steelers pen Fitzgerald gets 2 minutes for roughing 2 minutes for abuse of official

@ 34:16

come on u Devils

Day saves a deflected shot

Devils icing the puck.

Face off in the Devils zone

Haddad with a long shot

Bowns saves a SH chance from Nielly

Ulmer shot saved

game time 37:09

Steelers pen Roy with a Face off Violation. thats a new one on me.

Brad day with a glovesave

Devils with a 5 on 3 19 seconds left

Day saves again

Face off in the Steelers zone

Fitzy's pen expires. 5 on 4 PP for Devils now

Haddad fires high and wide

Face off in the Steelers zone

Ulmer's shot saved

Steelers FS

Day proving himself to be a good back up to Mustokovs

Face off in the Steelers zone

a period of sustained pressure from Devils comes to an end with an offside call against Faryna

gametime 39:40

Period ends Devils woken up at last.

Latest scores: Dundee 1 Fife 3; Manchester 2 Nottingham 3; Guildford 0 Coventry 2; Edinburgh 1 Braehead 3

SOGs Devils 13 Steelers 12 so 16-31 overall.

Dont forget to Join OJ as he hosts MNL coverage of the re arranged Devils v Manchester game on wednesday.

with Both Braehead and Coventry winning tonight it looks like the tussle for the last play off qualification place will go to next weekend.

whoever wins it will probably be playing the Devils in the Play off quarter finals, played over Easter weekend.

couple of social media posts from people at game who have got in touch to say that its mere exhibition style game, and not a good performance from the Devils. Another says Devils werent in the game until they killed the 5 on 3

Devils back on the ice for the third.

Days excellent glove save from Myers kept the Devils out when they seemed on a roll.

3rd underway

Ulmer shot saved by Day. set up by Asselin

Bowns saves from Valdix

Devils pressure comes to end

Devils looking more threatening

Steelers clears the puck

Day saves from Ulmer again.

Face off in the Steelers zone

Devils definitely woken up and upped their intensity and pace our texter says

Dowd down on the ice for a while. back up now and skating back to bench

Steelers pen 2 minutes for slashing by Fretter@ 44:36

Hotham fires one over Days goal

Devils are hunting for a second.

Day saves from close range from Morrisette

Steelers FS

Faryna trying to get the momentum going for the Devils

some more social media questioning the independance and neutrality of the refs

sorry that was alleged neutrality of the refs

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL #2

Layne ULMER scores

at last they find a way past DAY

Day is really keeping the Steelers in this

Steelers score on a rebound from Bowns. Dowd scores

@50:36

Bowns saves 1 on 1 from Nielly

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL #3 Justin Faryna scores @ 51:34

Assists to Ulmer and Haddad

gamtime 52:30

Bowns saves again

Devils have definitely find the mojo that was missing in the 1st

Day covers from Morrisette

this game is jumping now

Fournier fires wide

Faryna hits Ronnberg into next week

Hotham shot saved by Day

icing called

Face off in the Devils zone

two mins left in game

Backhand chance goes wide from Devils

last minute

bowns lifted

Face off in the Devils zone

Time out called by Devils

Face off in the Steelers zone

game restarts

Devils net empty

Face off in the Steelers zone

15 seconds left

Game over. Steelers win at IAW for first time this season.

Steelers MOM should be Brad Day who was outstanding. Fair play.

Steelers MOM is Brad Day, deservedly so.

Devils MOM Layne Ulmer

Thanks to our un-named texter, who did a great job tonight.

Results Dundee 2 Fife 6; Manchester 4 Nottingham; Guildford 1 Coventry 3; Edinburgh 1 Braehead 6

Neil Francis presenting the Conferance Trophy to Jake Morrisette

Mark Richardson in his testimonial season lifts the Elite League Championship Trophy.

Thats it from myself for tonight. Join OJ on wednesday for MNL coverage when the Manchester Storm come tom the IAW.

Goodnight All. Nos Da Pawb.