The Cardiff Devils kept their Challenge Cup hopes alive with a thrilling 3-4 victory over the Genting Casino Coventry Blaze, leaving the Blaze’s semi-final qualification prospects in the balance.
The result means Coventry’s fate is now out of their hands, while Cardiff’s final group game against Nottingham Panthers becomes decisive for both teams.
The game began with a high tempo, as both Mat Robson for Coventry and Ben Bowns for Cardiff were kept busy in their respective nets during the opening ten minutes. However, neither side managed to find an early breakthrough despite the fast-paced action.
The deadlock was broken at 13.43 when Brandon Alderson scored against his former club, capitalising on a gorgeous pass from Mike Regush, with Terrance Amorosa picking up the secondary assist.
Despite being outshot 7-16 in the first period, the Blaze ended the opening 20 minutes with a narrow 0-1 lead, leaving the Devils frustrated as they headed to the locker room.
Cardiff’s persistence paid off midway through the second period. At 25.45, Reid Duke’s heavy one-timer from a feed by Cody Donaghey finally beat Robson, levelling the score at 1-1. The Devils took the lead at 35.55 when Evan Mosey found space and fired a shot that eluded multiple Blaze defenders to make it 1-2.
Coventry’s best chance to respond came shortly afterward on their first powerplay opportunity, but the Devils executed a strong penalty kill to maintain their advantage. Cardiff’s dominance was evident as they also outshot the Blaze 7-14 in the second period, taking a one-goal lead into the final frame.
The Blaze came out firing in the third period, and it took just 18 seconds for their top scorer in Cup competition Chase Gresock to pull off a spectacular ‘Michigan’ move. Lifting the puck onto his stick, he executed a lacrosse-style shot to score a sensational equalizer and make it 2-2.
At 48.38, Jackson Cressey gave Coventry a 3-2 lead with a sneaky move in close, poking the puck past a sprawling Bowns. However, their joy was short-lived as Tyler Busch pounced on a sloppy turnover just 32 seconds later to tie the game at 3-3.
The decisive moment came at 50.51, when Reid Duke found time and space to fire home his second goal of the night, giving Cardiff a 3-4 lead. The Blaze pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing minutes, but the Devils held firm to secure a crucial victory.
Cardiff’s win keeps their qualification hopes alive and sets up a pivotal final group game against the Nottingham Panthers. Coventry, meanwhile, remain in third place in the group, which would see them face the Glasgow Clan in a one-off play-in game for a semi-final spot. However, a single point for the Devils in their final game would knock Coventry out of third place and eliminate them from the competition entirely.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
