Cardiff Devils v Murrayfield Racers... What happened?

Chris

Chris

Administrator
#1
Thread starter #1
From a thread that's running over on THF about big moments in the sport, a couple of people have mentioned a final (i think?) between Murrayfield Racers and the Devils as one of the biggest/best things they've seen....

I think my first season following the Devils was 03/04 so I don't really understand what happened in the game, i've heard people mention bits and pieces, and i've heard that Tony Hand missed the last penalty to send us through to the next stage/to let us win, but was this game a playoff game or related to another cup?

I'm pretty sure i've asked about this before, but i've either forgotten everything or I forgot to ask :roll:

Chris.
 
wildthing74

wildthing74

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
We beat them in sudden death pens in 1990 to win the double in our 1st season in the Premier.The game went on for hours and Grandstand held off all other sports to show it live.
Tony Hand missed all 3 and he was miles the best British player at the time.
 
wildthing74

wildthing74

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
Forgot to mention it was at Wembley arena in the days of the play offs being held there and we were 100-1 start of the season to win the playoffs and 100-1 to win the league.I knew a lot of people that made a lot of money,only trouble was I was a young boy and could not gamble :cry:.
By far best game I ever went to for pure emotion.It was back and fore all afternoon and the most draining experience ever.Eveybody was crying their eyes out when we won including a certain Director of Hockey.
 
G

Gaz G

Well-Known Member
#4
#4
Wildthing/or anyone else who may know really....

Where can we currently bet on UK Ice Hockey. I'm thinking about a punt. Not going to say what it is incase I curse it.
 
Finny

Finny

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
One of the all time great sporting matches. Am I going over the top.... probably not.

1989-90 season.
Murrayfield had won the Autumn Cup earlier in the year whilst the Devils had won the league title in their first season in the Premier Division - the first time this had every happened. Both teams had grown to dislike each other over the season, mainly due to the fact that Murrayfield had finished second in the league and felt they would get revenge in the final of the Playoffs at Wembley.

1st period - and the Racers came out flying. A goal after just 27 seconds was followed by two more so that after 16 minutes it was Devils 0-3 Racers.
Game over surely? Not a bit of it.

Ian Cooper got a goal back with two minutes of the first period remaining. Doug McEwen got another 54 seconds and when Steve Moria roofed a slapshot 51 seconds later it was 3-3 at the end of the first period thanks to 3 goals in 105 incredible seconds.

The second period was far more nervy until the Racers scored with 3 minutes left of the period. An early goal in the third period extended the Murrayfield lead to 5-3 only for Ian Cooper to get one back a minute later.

When Tony Hand made it 6-4 with 12 minutes later it looked like the Racers were back in control, but with 6 minutes to go Doug McEwen scored a fantastic coast-to-coast solo goal to cut the defecit to one.
Devils poured forward and with 1 minute 35 left in the game they scored what IMO is the best Cardiff Devils goal of all time. Steve Moria took it in the zone before dropping a pass back to Ian Cooper. He fired the puck towards the far post where his brother Stephen was steaming in, diverting the puck into the net before crashing into it himself.
There was still time for Jeff Smith in the Devils net to perform a fantastic pad save with seconds left to take the game into overtime.

This, along with an earlier delay due to smashed plexi meant the recorded game had overun its slot and caught up with the live action. The game was being shown on BBC Grandstand and they decided to delay switching to the Snooker and instead go live with the rest of overtime - which to be honest Murrayfield had the better of but couldn't get the winning goal.

And so into penalty shots. Best of 5.
Lawless scored. 1-0
Scott Neil missed. 1-0
Doug McEwen scored. 2-0
Tony Hand missed. 2-0
Steve Moria scored. 3-0.
Jim Mollard had to score.... and he did. 3-1
Stephen Cooper had the chance to win it.... but he missed. 3-1
McKee had to score.... and he did. 3-2.
Ian Cooper then had the chance to win it...but he missed. 3-2.
Chris Kelland had score.... and he did. 3-3

And so into sudden death.

Lawless scored. 4-3
Neil had to score... and he did. 4-4
McEwen missed. 4-4.
Tony Hand then had the chance to win it..... but Jeff Smith made a great save. 4-4
Steve Moria nearly lost the puck....got it back under control and scored. 5-4.
Mollard had to score.... and he did. 5-5.
Stephen Cooper then went ....and he missed. 5-5
McKee with the chance to win it...... but he missed. 5-5
Ian Cooper then went.....and he missed. 5-5
Chris Kelland then had the chance to win it.....but his shot hits the post and goes wide. 5-5.

Back to the start. Still Suddent Death.

Lawless shoots........but its saved. 5-5.
Scott Neil now has the chance to win......but fails. 5-5.
Doug McEwen takes his 3rd penalty and...... he scores.
And so it is down to Tony Hand. The commentator builds him up as the greatest player ever produced by Britain. Most goals. Most assists. Most points.
He has to score.......he shoots....Its SAVED!!!!!!!!!

Jeff Smith is mobbed by his teammates and history is made.

I still get goosebumps over it. It got huge media attention such that the next morning it was the headline sports story on BBC Breakfast.
 
Finny

Finny

Well-Known Member
#7
#7
drummer-ricky said:
i have the game on DVD somewhere :D
Click to expand...
I have the highlights on one of Wannabes excellent DVD's somewhere - and the whole game on one of my videos. At least I did until my dad claimed it was his and swiped it.

Might have to dig out the DVD tonight actually.
 
wildthing74

wildthing74

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
I recently managed to buy Jeff Smith's shirt that he saved the penalty that amazing day.It's pretty battered as never been washed since that game but chuffed to have a shirt from such a famous game.
 
Russky

Russky

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
Finny said:
The commentator builds him up as the greatest player ever produced by Britain. Most goals. Most assists. Most points.
He has to score.......he shoots....Its SAVED!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

I am sure the commentator in question was one of the BBC's best in Barry Davies!!!
 
Chris

Chris

Administrator
#11
Thread starter #11
Hah, cheers for that match report Finny :)

Was the premier division the old HPL, or am I mixing up old leagues?

Chris.
 
B

Block 2 Noise Boys

Member
#13
#13
"Jeff Smith is mobbed by his teammates and history is made."

Finny - Would that be the mobbing by his team mates where the second person to get to him was his coach who was wearing everyday outdoor shoes rather than skates??
 
Finny

Finny

Well-Known Member
#14
#14
Block 2 Noise Boys said:
Finny - Would that be the mobbing by his team mates where the second person to get to him was his coach who was wearing everyday outdoor shoes rather than skates??
Click to expand...
Yeh. I'm still amazed and confused as to how he got there so quickly! :lol:
 
D

drainage

Well-Known Member
#15
#15
Finny said:
Block 2 Noise Boys said:
Finny - Would that be the mobbing by his team mates where the second person to get to him was his coach who was wearing everyday outdoor shoes rather than skates??
Click to expand...
Yeh. I'm still amazed and confused as to how he got there so quickly! :lol:
Click to expand...
That was a certain Brian Kanewischer if I recollect correctly ? Was a fantastic game can still see Stephen Cooper head down not watching in the corridor !!
 
wildthing74

wildthing74

Well-Known Member
#17
#17
"And this man is in despair,Tony Hand". :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: We hammered him for years with songs about this game.
 
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