Devils Fighting The Flames In Challenge Cup Defence

Cardiff Devils are fighting for their Challenge Cup lives this weekend.

Head coach Andrew Lord and his players have won this trophy twice in the last three seasons and were runners-up in 2016.

But they have lost two of their three Cup group matches and the pressure is on to earn more points, starting g against Guildford Flames at Ice Arena Wales on Saturday (7pm).

The Challenge Cup final will again be played in Cardiff Bay this season and Devils badly want to be playing in that match on Sunday, March 4.

Lord’s team defeated Sheffield Steelers in the last final at IAW and this weekend’s fixtures – Flames at home and Coventry Blaze away – will go a long way towards deciding whether they can progress.

Saturday’s home match is already virtually a sell-out with less than 300 tickets left and it’s a must-win for Devils.

They need to earn four points from the two games if they are to keep hopes of making progress to the quarter-finals alive.

There are three groups of four and the top two will go forward from each one plus two wild card teams who earn the most points without automatically qualifying.

Devils will be out for revenge against Flames after losing 8-4 against their rivals, while the Welsh club also crashed 5-2 v Milton Keynes Lightning.

Cardiff did beat Lightning in the return game and now have three Cup group games to play, against Flames (home) plus Blaze (home and away).

The club owners, led by Steve King, will be at the match along with 20 of their friends and families. They are also travelling to the Coventry game on Sunday (5.15pm face-off).

Devils will wear their black jerseys against Flames and the team will include Matt Pope and Paul Crowder, who were both back on the ice against Vaxjo Lakers in midweek following an injury and suspension respectively.

A final decision on Patrick Asselin, who didn’t play against Lakers, will be made on Saturday morning.

Ticket information for the match against Flames is available in person at Ice Arena Wales reception, by calling 0800 0842 666 or via the club’s official website.

Nottingham Panthers first venture into the Champions Hockey League last 16 sees them up against giants Swiss team ZSC Lions.

The Zurich-based side have never faced a team form the UK in the Champions League before.

CHL play-off draw: Tappara Tappara v JYP Jyväskyla, EV Zug v Kometa Brno, Adler Mannheim v Brynäs IF, Malmö Redhawks v Oceláři Třinec, Växjö Lakers v Red Bull Salzburg, Red Bull Munich vs SC Bern, Nottingham Panthers v ZSC Lions Zurich, Frölunda Indians vs Bílí Tygři Liberec.

The round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals are two-game, home-and-away series, with the winner determined by aggregate score. The playoffs begin on October and the CHL will finish with a one-game final on February 6 at the venue of the team with the best-accumulated group stage and play-off record.