6/3/10 - Coventry Blaze 4 Cardiff Devils 3

06/03/2010

Coventry Blaze lead the league by three points with five games to go after a gritty 4-3 win over Cardiff.

Period 1

The opening powerplay came Coventry’s way but it was Cardiff who created the best scoring chance, with Matt Miller breaking 2-on-1 and taking aim, but missing the far post with his shot. The next man advantage was given to the Devils and once again it was the shorthanded team having a superb chance, this time with Blaze’s Adam Calder stealing the puck and going 1-on-1 against Stevie Lyle only for the GB netminder to get his glove down and make a huge save as Calder tried to score backhanded. Cardiff were given a big chance to open the scoring when Jonathan Weaver hooked back Mark Smith on a breakaway to give the Devils a penalty shot, but the visitors’ #91 couldn’t take advantage with Blaze goalie Peter Hirsch reading his intentions and turning his shot round the post. Stevie Lyle made a good reflex block from Tom Watkins’ point-shot with Danny Stewart screening him on the edge of the crease, before getting the pads down to keep out powerplay efforts from Brian Lee and Luke Fulghum as Blaze looked to build from the warning they had been given.   

The second half of the period saw Coventry given plenty of powerplay time to work with, and eventually their key men combined to beat Lyle twice in quick succession. The first was a trademark goal, with the puck being worked on a two-man advantage to Adam Calder at the point, whose low drive found the net. The second came after Lyle could only parry Jonathan Weaver’s low blast from the blue-line, with Greg Owen pulling the puck from the crowd in front of the net on the backhand and sliding it over the line.

End of Period 1: Blaze 2 Devils 0

Period 2

Coventry looked to extend their lead early in the second period, with Lyle getting his body well behind a shot from Luke Fulghum after the puck broke nicely in the slot for the in-form Blaze sniper. Four minutes after the re-start Coventry took a seemingly commanding three-goal lead, with Brad Cruikshank leading the rush and dropping it to Greg Owen on his right, who skipped over a defensive stick and swept a backhander under Lyle for his second of the night. Lyle had to be solid in the pipes to keep the puck out as Blaze got it in and around the crease on the powerplay, before he got his glove up and swiped Derek Campbell’s quick shot from the air with the teams back at even-strength.  

Peter Hirsch in the Blaze net meanwhile was quiet, but got his blocker up quickly and expertly to keep Mark Smith’s big shot out. Cardiff weren’t lying down and got themselves back into the game with seven minutes left in the period, as they battled hard to get the puck to the front of the net where Brad Voth dispatched it past Hirsch on the backhand. Brian Lee then had to be the first man back to clear a loose puck lying in the crease after Hirsch parried Jay Latulippe’s backhanded effort on the breakaway. The Devils gave themselves a big lift heading into the final period by scoring again on a late powerplay, with Wes Jarvis sending the puck to a wide-open Ryan Finnerty on the edge of the crease, who had time to stick it in the net with Hirsch out of position.

End of Period 2: Blaze 3 Devils 2

Period 3

Cardiff starting with intent in the third, and after Hirsch made a good near-post save from Max Birbraer on the powerplay, Brad Voth slammed just wide when the play reverted to even-strength. As Coventry looked to add to their precarious lead, Adam Calder tested Stevie Lyle with a big blast from distance which was snared well in the glove, but it was only a matter of time before Cardiff tied the game. Tylor Michel scored the goal, stepping over the blue-line with pace from the left-wing before zipping a bullet of a shot off the pipes and in. But Coventry responded in the best way three minutes later with Jonathan Weaver keeping the puck alive after Lyle made a big leg save from Joe Henry, before shooting on the spin and wrong-footing the Devils goalie, who could only sweep a kick at it as he failed to stop it finding the net.   

The Blaze defence converged on the loose puck to get it away after Mark Smith tested Hirsch with a shot the Dane parried, while Danny Stewart broke in from the left-wing looking to extend Coventry’s lead but got away a weak effort under pressure from the chasing Devils defence. Hirsch made a huge save when Matt Miller broke in behind the ‘D’ 1-on-1 – the Devils man blocked on his backhanded shot before the Blaze keeper got his glove up to stop him swiping in the rebound. Cardiff went close again, with Hirsch kicking Wes Jarvis’s shot into the danger area but the defence swamped Ryan Finnerty as he was about to put the rebound in. As if that wasn;t close enough, the Devils came unbelievably near to the tying goal when Hirsch sent a Mark Smith shot to the side of the net – Jay Latulippe reacted quickest to try and ram the puck inside the post but somehow the Danish keeper got his stick across firm to the pipes and held out to make an awesome save. A late powerplay gave Coventry a chance to seal the win, and they nearly did when the puck lay in the crease and was desperately cleared by the Devils after Lyle got a piece of Adam Calder’s close-range effort. The Devils eventually pulled their goalie for the extra man with Mark Richardson missing the net from an acute angle on their only chance as Coventry held out for a big two points in the title race.

Match Stats

Referee: Hicks
Lines: Beck and Young

Period Scores: 2-0/1-2/1-1 = 4-3
Shots On Goal: 14-9/16-9/9-17 = 39-35
Penalty Minutes: 10-18/4-6/2-42 = 16-66

Coventry: Greg Owen 2+0, Adam Calder 1+2, Jonathan Weaver 1+1, Russell Cowley 0+2, Dan Carlson 0+1, Brad Cruikshank 0+1, Joe Henry 0+1
Net: Peter Hirsch 35/3 (91.4%)

Cardiff: Ryan Finnerty 1+1, Tylor Michel 1+0, Brad Voth 1+0, Max Birbraer 0+1, Jamie Hayes 0+1, Stevie Lyle 0+1, Matt Miller 0+1, Wes Jarvis 0+1
Net: Stevie Lyle 39/4 (89.7%)

Man of the Match:
Coventry: #14 Jonathan Weaver
Cardiff: #91 Mark Smith

00.46 CAR PEN #18 Jay Latulippe 2 mins for Hooking
03.37 COV PEN #20 Tom Watkins 2 mins for Roughing
04.35 COV PEN #26 Dan Carlson 2 mins for Tripping
05.19 CAR PEN #4 Wes Jarvis 2 mins for Interference
06.39 CAR PEN SHOT #91 Mark Smith (missed)
08.13 COV PEN #37 Derek Campbell 2 mins for Roughing
08.13 COV PEN #39 Danny Stewart 2 mins for Roughing
08.13 CAR PEN #26 Brad Voth 2 mins for Boarding and 2 mins for Cross Checking
11.37 CAR PEN #11 Matt Towe 2 mins for Hooking
12.08 COV PEN #17 Russell Cowley 2 mins for Elbows
12.08 CAR PEN #61 Ryan Finnerty 2 mins for Cross Checking
14.22 CAR PEN #16 Tylor Michel 2 mins for Roughing and 2 mins for Boarding
15.38 CAR PEN #61 Ryan Finnerty 2 mins for Slashing
16.27 COV GOAL 1-0 #25 Adam Calder (#26 Dan Carlson, #17 Russell Cowley) (PPG)
17.12 COV GOAL 2-0 #9 Greg Owen (#14 Jonathan Weaver, #25 Adam Calder) (PPG)

24.02 COV GOAL 3-0 #9 Greg Owen (#57 Brad Cruikshank, #25 Adam Calder)
25.35 CAR PEN #25 Phil Hill 2 mins for Tripping
28.25 CAR PEN #45 Scott Romfo 2 mins for Elbows
33.07 CAR GOAL 3-1 #26 Brad Voth (#20 Matt Miller, #61 Ryan Finnerty)
33.37 CAR PEN #25 Phil Hill 2 mins for Tripping
36.57 COV PEN #9 Greg Owen 2 mins for Interference
38.45 CAR GOAL 3-2 #61 Ryan Finnerty (#4 Wes Jarvis, #23 Max Birbraer) (PPG)
39.31 COV PEN #57 Brad Cruikshank 2 mins for Cross Checking

44.45 CAR GOAL 3-3 #16 Tylor Michel (#13 Jamie Hayes, #30 Stevie Lyle)
48.06 COV GOAL 4-3 #14 Jonathan Weaver (#7 Joe Henry, #17 Russell Cowley)
57.55 CAR PEN #26 Brad Voth 2 mins for Boarding and 10 mins Misconduct
59.13 COV PEN #5 Brian Lee 2 mins for Hooking
60.00 CAR PEN #20 Matt Miller 10 mins Misconduct and Game Misconduct (20 mins)

Attendance: 2,651