The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze produced an incredible comeback from 0-3 down to defeat the Cardiff Devils 5-6 on Saturday night at the Vindico Arena.
Blaze were boosted ahead of the trip to the Group A leaders with Ukrainian forward Artie Buzoverya confirmed fit to make his club debut. Defenceman Connor Russell and forward Elijiah Barriga remained sidelined.
Following four consecutive Man of the Match performances, Canadian goaltender Mat Robson got the start in net for Coventry, while Great Britain international Ben Bowns began between the pipes for the Devils.
Cardiff opened the scoring at 5.31, when Ryan Barrow was found beautifully by Kristoff Kontos with a stretch pass that split the Blaze defence.
The hosts doubled their lead at 9,41, as Brett Perlini collected a pass from Tyson Helgesen and finished smartly past Robson through traffic.
On their first powerplay of the night, the Devils made it 3-0 at 13.51, with offensive blue-liner Brandon Estes firing home, assisted by Cole Sanford and Nolan Yaremko.
Coventry responded just 42 seconds later, getting on the board at 14.33 through Alessio Luciani, who finished from close range after Mack Stewart shovelled the puck across goal.
Blaze began the second period on the penalty kill but handled it well and built momentum.
They were rewarded soon after when a hit by Jere Vertanen on a Devils player sparked a response from Sam Duggan, putting Cardiff shorthanded. On the ensuing powerplay, Matthew Gleason scrambled the puck over the line at 27.14, assisted by Kim Tallberg, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Jimmy Oligny was called for roughing after the Blaze goal, and Coventry were able to strike again just 85 seconds later. Sam Ruffin buried the equaliser at 28.39, assisted by Luciani and Colton Saucerman, tying the game 3-3.
Devils coach Paul Thompson immediately called a timeout to settle his side, and it paid off briefly as Barrow broke away to score his second of the night, assisted by Yaremko and Kontos, restoring Cardiff’s lead.
However, the Blaze continued to press and thought they had equalised again with 6:46 left in the period, only for the goal to be overturned following a successful coach’s challenge for goalie interference.
They weren’t denied for long, though, as at 34:20, Jack Hopkins tipped home a shot from Ivan Chukarov, with Luciani collecting his third point of the game on the secondary assist to make it 4-4.
Just 30 seconds into the third period, Blaze went on another powerplay and needed only 14 seconds to take their first lead of the night. Man of the Match Saucerman blasting home at 40.44, assisted by Ruffin, to make it 4-5.
That goal prompted a goaltending change for Cardiff, with Christian Stoever replacing Bowns.
The Devils tied things up again at 43.29, Duggan scoring in tight after a neat pass from Connor Caponi, levelling the game at 5-5.
The decisive moment came on the powerplay at 55.29, when Grant Mismash buried Coventry’s fourth powerplay goal of the night, assisted by Saucerman and Ruffin, to make it 5-6.
Cardiff had chances late on, Josh MacDonald was denied on a breakaway by Robson, and the Devils couldn’t capitalise on a 6-on-4 powerplay advantage in the dying moments as the Blaze held firm to claim a huge two Challenge Cup points in South Wales.
The result sees Coventry go level on points with the Devils at the top of Group A, with three games left to play.
Photo credit: James Assinder
