Cardiff Devils rocked Coventry Blaze with a first period blitz which left them breathless.
A new-look Blaze team, coached by Danny Stewart, were leading 1-0 when Devils launched a spell of four goals in three minutes 16 seconds.
Joey Martin scored on the powerplay (15-41), Ben Blood fired Devils in front (17-16), Mike Hedden added a third (18-49) and Joey Haddad made it 4-2 (18-57).
Cardiff went on to win 5-2 with Haddad scoring his second of the night on a powerplay and the team signed off from their final home pre-season match.
Head coach Andrew Lord takes his Devils to Coventry on Sunday (5.15pm) for the return before the Elite title winners start their European Champions League fixtures against Red Bull Salzburg in Cardiff Bay next Thursday.
Devils were without injured players Justin Faryna, Matthew Myers and Charles Linglet, while they are an import defenceman short after Tom Parisi returned to North America last week.
“We’ll take the score, take the win and carry on with our preparation for the first Champion League fixture next against Salzburg,” said Lord.
“Playing Coventry was a good tune-up that opening CHL game.”
Devils start their European campaign with back-to-back home fixtures against Salzburg next Thursday and Swiss club SC Bern two days later.
Match stats v Coventry:
Scorers, Devils: Joey Haddad 2+0, Mike Heden 1+2, Ben Blood 1+1, Joey Martin 1+1, Sean Bentivoglio 0+2, Layne Ulmer 0+2, Gleason Fournier 0+1, Josh Batch 0+1, Matt Pope 0+2.
Europe comes to Cardiff in ONE week! 🙌🇨🇭🇦🇹
We kick of our European adventure at home, a week today, against @ecrbs before welcoming @scbern_news on Saturday September 1st.We've got lots of exciting things planned so don't miss it
🎟️ https://t.co/Zmtt21ln3X pic.twitter.com/bFzKEcYYqF— Cardiff Devils (@cardiffdevils) August 23, 2018
Blaze: Alex Nikiforuk 1+0, Kevin Morris 1+0, Kevin Hache 0+1, Ross Venus 0+1.
Period scorers (Devils) 4-1; 0-1 (4-2); 1-0 (5-2).
Shots on goal: Devils (on Miika Wiikman/Jordan Hedley) 15+20+7=42;Blaze (on Ben Bowns) 14+8+4=26.
Penalties in minutes: Devils 4+6+4=14; Blaze 14+6+4=24.
Powerplays: Devils 7/2; Blaze 7/1.
Man of the match: Devils, Joey Haddad.
Referees: Dean Smith and Matt Rose.
To book tickets for CHL games: CLICK HERE or phone 0800 0842 666.
Cardiff Devils fixtures and results list, including pre-season matches and Champions League group fixtures.
August
Saturday 11: Nottingham Panthers 5, Cardiff Devils 5
Sunday 12: Cardiff Devils 3, Nottingham Panthers 6 (Panthers won 11-8 on aggregate)
Saturday 18: Cardiff Devils 3, HK Poprad 2
Sunday 19: Cardiff Devils 4, HK Poprad 5
Saturday 25: Cardiff Devils 5, Coventry Blaze 2
Sunday 26: Coventry Blaze v Cardiff Devils (5.15pm, pre-season)
Thursday 30: Cardiff Devils v Red Bull Salzburg (7.30pm, Champions League)
September
Saturday 1: Cardiff Devils v SC Bern (7pm, Champions League)
Thursday 6: Red Bull Salzburg v Cardiff Devils (7.30pm, Champions League)
Saturday 8: SC Bern v Cardiff Devils (7.45pm, Champions League)
Sunday 9: Cardiff Devils v Nottingham Panthers (6pm, EL)
Sunday 16: Cardiff Devils v MK Lightning (6pm, CC group C)
Saturday 22: Cardiff Devils v Coventry Blaze (7pm, CC)
Sunday 23: Sheffield Steelers v Cardiff Devils (4pm, EL)
Wednesday 26: Nottingham Panthers v Cardiff Devils (7.30pm, EL)
Saturday 29: Guildford Flames v Cardiff Devils (6pm, CC)
Sunday 30: Cardiff Devils v Glasgow Clan (6pm, EL)
October
Wednesday 3: Dundee Stars v Cardiff Devils (7.30pm, EL)
Saturday 6: Cardiff Devils v Manchester Storm (7pm, EL)
Tuesday 9: Vaxjo Lakers v Cardiff Devils (6.30pm, Champions League)
Saturday 13: Cardiff Devils v Dundee Stars (7pm, EL)
Tuesday 16: Cardiff Devils v Vaxjo Lakers (7.30pm, Champions League)
Sunday 14: MK Lightning v Cardiff Devils (5.15pm, CC)
Saturday 20: Cardiff Devils v Sheffield Steelers (7pm, EL)
Sunday 21: Cardiff Devils v Fife Flyers (4pm, EL)
Saturday 27: Cardiff Devils v Guildford Flames (CC, 7pm)
Sunday 28: Coventry Blaze v Cardiff Devils (CC, 5.15pm)
Wednesday 31: Glasgow Clan v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7.30pm)
November
Saturday 3: Cardiff Devils v Coventry Blaze (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 4: Nottingham Panthers v Cardiff Devils (EL, 4pm)
Wednesday 7: Cardiff Devils v Fife Flyers (EL, 7.30pm)
Saturday 10: MK Lightning v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 11: Cardiff Devils v Belfast Giants (EL, 6pm)
Saturday 17: Cardiff Devils v Nottingham Panthers (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 18: Dundee Stars v Cardiff Devils (EL, 5pm)
Wednesday 21: Cardiff Devils v Fife Flyers (EL, 7pm)
Saturday 24: Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 25: Cardiff Devils v Milton Keynes (EL, 6pm)
December
Saturday 1: Fife Flyers v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7.15pm)
Sunday 2: Cardiff Devils v Dundee Stars (EL, 6pm)
Wednesday 5: Cardiff Devils v Guildford Flames (EL, 7.30pm)
Saturday 8: Sheffield Steelers v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 9: Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils (EL, TBC)
Friday 14: Cardiff Devils v Glasgow Clan (EL, 7.30pm)
Saturday 15: Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Thursday 20: MK Lightning v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7.30pm)
Saturday 22: Cardiff Devils v Dundee Stars (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 23: Guildford Flames v Cardiff Devils (EL, 6pm)
Wednesday 26: Coventry Blaze v Cardiff Devils (EL, 6pm)
Thursday 27: Cardiff Devils v Coventry Blaze (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 30: Guildford Flames v Cardiff Devils (EL, 6pm)
January
Tuesday 1: Cardiff Devils v Guildford Flames (EL, 4pm)
Saturday 5: Cardiff Devils v Manchester Storm (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 6: Fife Flyers v Cardiff Devils (EL, 6.30pm)
Saturday 12: Glasgow Clan v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 13: Cardiff Devils v Nottingham Panthers (EL, 6pm)
Saturday 19: Cardiff Devils v Belfast Giants (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 20: Cardiff Devils v Belfast Giants (EL, 4pm)
Saturday 26: Nottingham Panthers v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 27: Fife Flyers v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
February
Saturday 2: Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 3: Cardiff Devils v Sheffield Steelers (EL, 6pm)
Saturday 9: Cardiff Devils v Coventry Blaze (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 10: Guildford Flames v Cardiff Devils (EL, 6pm)
Saturday 16: Cardiff Devils v MK Lightning (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 17: MK Lightning v Cardiff Devils (EL, 5.15pm)
Friday 22: Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Saturday 23: Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
March
Saturday 2: Coventry Blaze v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 3: Cardiff Devils v Sheffield Steelers (EL, 4pm)
Friday 8: Cardiff Devils v Guildford Flames (EL, 7pm)
Saturday 16: Sheffield Steelers v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 17: Cardiff Devils v Glasgow Clan (EL, 6pm)
Wednesday 20: Glasgow Clan v Cardiff Devils (EL, 7.30pm)
Saturday 23: Cardiff Devils v Manchester Storm (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 24: Dundee Stars v Cardiff Devils (EL, 5pm)
Saturday 30: Cardiff Devils v MK Lightning (EL, 7pm)
Sunday 31: Coventry Blaze v Cardiff Devils (EL, 5.15pm)