Cardiff Devils Into Challenge Cup Final For Third Successive Season

Belfast Giants 1, Cardiff Devils 5

Devils win 9-6 on aggregate

Man of the match Mark Louis score two unassisted goals for Cardiff Devils during their stunning Elite League Challenge Cup semi-final win in Northern Ireland.

Cardiff were the better team throughout the 60 minutes despite being without the suspended Andrew Hotham and having Patrick Bordeleau thrown out during the first period.

The other scorers for Devils were Bordeleau, with his third in three matches, Chris Jones and Joey Martin.

Giants went into this semi-final second leg holding a 5-4 lead from the first game in Cardiff Bay, but they were blown away by a Devils team who stuck to their game plan and stayed composed throughout.

Devils are through to the Cup final for a third successive season, having lifted the trophy in 2015 and finished runners-up last season.

They will now play Sheffield Steelers or Nottingham Panthers in the final at Ice Arena Wales on Sunday, March 5.

First period

Bordeleau had an eventful first period, firing Devils in front before he was thrown out for an illegal cross-check.

The big Canadian netted from Mark Richardson’s prompt after five minutes 13 seconds, but he was then given a game misconduct.

His hit was huge and left the Giants man groggy, while Belfast’s Adam Keefe charged in an attempt to make Bordeleau pay.

It didn’t work because the Devils forward edged that confrontation, but he was dismissed by referee Dean Smith after 12-46 for the cross-check.

Smith was a few yards away when Bordeleau’s drove in for a hit, but didn’t signal any penalty until after the right when he had talked to linesmen.

If it was a cross-check worthy of a game penalty Smith should certainly have signalled when it happened.

Bordeleau’s departure gave Giants a five-minute powerplay, but Devils saw that out with a top quality penalty kill.

Joey Haddad almost scored a second Cardiff goal as the penalty came to an end, breaking clear and skating away from a defenceman before taking on netminder Jackson Whistle.

Haddad surged right and seemed certain to score, but Whistle, going the wrong way, just managed to save with his foot.

Soon after, though, Devils D-man Mark Louis scored a superb goal to make it 2-0.

Louis, one of the best blue line skaters in Elite League, timed his break to perfection and Sean Bentivoglio picked him out with a reverse drop pass.

Louis skated at Belfast’s goal, went round the back of their net, and then backhanded the puck in off Whistle’s back as he desperately tried to save.

That came after 19-50 and Devils went in for the first period break having score two goals and had a player thrown out.

End of first: Giants 0, Devils 2 (aggregate 5-6).

Second period: 

Canadian Louis netted his second of the game after 34-14 and then Welshman Chris Jones made it 4-0 when goalie Whistle allowed a shot to bounce off him. Jones was in quickly to fire home.

Belfast changed their netminder with Murphy taking over and pulled a goal back through Chris Higgins on 36-15.

End of second: Giants 1, Devils 4 (aggregate 6-8).

Third period:

Joey Martin netted the only goal of the final period, firing high into the empty net after good work by David Brine.

Devils were then 5-1 ahead on the net, 9-6 on aggregate, and managed the rest of the match in a professional, clinical manner.

The only negative during the third period came in the last minute when Mark Richardson was helped off after being struck by a puck.

End of third: Giants 1, Devils 5 (aggregate 6-9).

Match stats

Scorers, Giants: Chris Higgins 1+0, Derrick Walser 0+1.

Devils: Patrick Bordeleau 1+0, Mark Louis 2+0, Chris Jones 1+0, Joey Martin 1+0, Mark Richardson 0+2, Joey Haddad 0+1, David Brine 0+1.

Period scores (Giants first): 0-2; 1-2 (1-4); 0-1 (1-5).

Shots on goal: Giants (on Bowns) 10+18+12=40; Devils (on Whistle, changed to Murphy at 34-21) 13+11+5=29.

Penalties in minutes: Giants 5+4+0=9; Devils 32+4+2=38.

Referee: Dean Smith.

Men of the match: Giants, Chris Higgins; Devils, Mark Louis.