Andrew Lord has been tweaking his blue line combinations to ensure he has the rest return from partnerships on the blue line.

Head coach Lord is intent on sticking with his current defensive partnerships when Devils play Coventry Blaze away on Boxing Day (6pm) and at the Viola Arena in Cardiff Bay just over 24 hours later (7pm).

Josh Batch and Mark Louis, two big, hard-hitting players, have linked up, while Mark Richardson is the rock for Gleason Fournier’s attacking instincts.

‘Richie’ partnered Andrew Hotham over the last few seasons and helped the Canadian become the best D-man in Elite League.

Now the hugely efficient Richardson has joined forces with Fournier, probably the smoothest skating player in Britain.

Drew Sheistel and Bryce Reddick have also teamed up, while the versatile Evan Mosey is able to switch seamlessly between offence and defence.

“I like the bigger body simplicity which Josh and Mark offer,” says head coach Lord. “Gleason and Richie give us a lot of puck movement and offence.

“We know what Richie can do with a highly offensive partner and it works well.

“I also like Drew and Bryce with Evan pitching in when needed.”

The addition of Scheistel – his name is pronounced similar to pistol – has been a massive boost for Devils, who are challenging hard for the Elite League title.

Sheistel is logging big minutes on the ice and Lord says: “Drew had not been playing and it takes time to get up to speed, learn the systems and culture.

“Now he looks more comfortable. Drew’s foot speed, skill set, vision, stick detail and defensive responsibility are growing and he will have a huge impact on a team going forward.”

Devils had an excellent Week 16 in the Elite League, winning all three of their games to finish for Christmas just a point behind league leaders Belfast with games in hand. 

Putting up numbers in each of those games is player of the week, Joey Haddad.

Haddad scored three and provided two assists in the Devils’ three wins, which came in MK, at home against Dundee, and away to Guildford. 

“It was a positive week for our team,” said Haddad. “The loss last Friday (against Glasgow in the Challenge Cup) was tough to swallow, but I’m proud of our group in the way we bounced back with three big wins.

“It’s always nice to be able to contribute, especially when the team is winning. 

“The big key to our success over the week was having each guy buy into the game plan and play hard for their teammates. 

“The vibe in the room is great. We are all confident in the group we have here and are excited to see what we can do in the second half. I think it shows a lot of character as a group to have such a great week after such a tough loss.

“Over the first half of the season we’ve realised that we have the most success when we play together as a team within our game plan and approach every game with a sense of desperation.

“Moving into the second half of the season we will look to have that mindset consistently.”

Remaining Devils fixtures in 2018:

December

Sunday 23 v Guildford Flames (away, 6pm)

Boxing Day, Wednesday 26 v Coventry Blaze (away, 6pm)

Thursday 27 v Coventry Blaze (home, 7pm)

Sunday 30 v Guildford Flames (away, 6pm)

TICKETS for Devils home games available ONLINE HERE or by calling 0800 0842 666 or in person at the reception desk at VIOLA ARENA right up until face-off.

ELITE ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE 2018-19

TEAM	GP	W	L	OTL	PTS	PCT	GF	GA	PIM	STREAK
Belfast Giants	30	22	7	1	45	.750	113	66	433	1-0
Cardiff Devils	28	20	4	4	44	.786	113	73	345	4-0
Nottingham Panthers	32	18	8	6	42	.656	104	92	526	2-0
Fife Flyers	28	15	9	4	34	.607	97	91	363	0-1
Guildford Flames	28	14	13	1	29	.518	93	88	400	0-2
Glasgow Clan	26	14	11	1	29	.558	82	88	304	3-0
Sheffield Steelers	29	14	15	0	28	.483	86	97	417	0-1
Dundee Stars	30	10	12	8	28	.467	79	101	322	0-2
Coventry Blaze	27	10	11	6	26	.481	86	100	364	0-2
Manchester Storm	29	11	15	3	25	.431	78	104	784	0-1
Milton Keynes Lightning	29	10	17	2	22	.379	72	103	588	1-0