Cardiff Devils 4, Belfast Giants 2
Leaders Cardiff Devils earned a magnificent eighth successive Elite League win, beating closest rivals Belfast Giants at the Viola Arena.
The best two teams in British ice hockey went toe-to-toe in a match full of power, speed, skill and drama.
A sell-out attendance of more than 3,000 spectators watched two these Elite heavyweights scrap it out in Cardiff Bay.
Giants went ahead during the first period, but Devils fans were roaring their approval when Mike Hedden levelled the scores on a power play and Layne Ulmer put the home team in front.
Goalie Ben Bowns, Devils man of the match, will reflect on Belfast’s goal and feel he might have done better as Colin Shields low shot slid into the corner, but the guy is an experienced pro and put that out of his mind.
‘Bowns’ then made a series of huge saves to deny Giants as they tried to claw their way back to level terms.
When the game ended it was Bowns who was the centre of attention among team-mates, taking their congratulations before being named star of the game.
Welshman Matthew Myers, too, was outstanding and a major contender for man of the match, while I will never tire of watching Charles Linglet, Joey Martin, Layne Ulmer and more.
Ken Hodge, the hugely talented ‘Black Line’ centreman who played in the 1996-97 title winning team alongside Steve Thornton and Ivan Matulik, is among my favourite ever Devils players.
Linglet has almost identical silky smooth hands which help make him a top end player.
Both teams gave everything they had for 60 minutes and the result was a pulsating match of the highest quality.
Devils fans celebrated in the Viola Arena bar after the match with a disco ensuring it was a lively evening.
It was a breathtaking match and Devils fans went home excited by the prospect of the teams doing it all again on Sunday (4pm).
Another capacity attendance and another huge night is in story at the Viola Arena in Cardiff Bay.
Match stats:
Scorers, Devils: Mike Hedden 1+0, Layne Ulmer 1+0, Gleason Fournier 1+0, Sean Bentivoglio 1+0, Joey Martin 0+1, Jake Morissette 0+1, Matthew Myers 0+1, James Livingston 0+1, Charles Linglet 0+1, Bryce Reddick 0+1, Matt Pope 0+1, Jake Morissette 0+1,
Giants: Colin Shields 1+0, Darcy Murphy 1+0, Blair Riley 0+1, Jim Vandermeer 0+1, Curtis Leonard 0+1, Kendall McFull 0+1.
Period scores (Devils first): 1-1; 1-0 (2-1); 2-1 (4-2).
Shots on goal: Devils (on Beskorowany) 10+9+10=30; Giants (on Bowns) 13+11+10=34.
Penalties in minutes: Devils 0+2+4=6; Giants 6+2+0=8.
Special teams: Devils PK 2/3, PP 1/4; Giants PK 3/4, PP 1/3.
Stars of the game: Devils, Ben Bowns; Giants, Colin Shields.
Referees: Tom Pering and Andrew Dalton.
Attendance: 3,100