Match Night Live

Welcome to MNL for the first leg of the Challenge Cup Semi-Final against the Belfast Giants

Join me (OJ) from around 5:30 for coverage of the Giants last visit to the BBT

Score predictions (+ comments) to matchnightlive@gmail.com

Now back to the rugby - COME ON WALES

Face Off delayed 10 minutes due to late arrival of Giants

Bad show it isnt as if they were travelling from Belfast

WE are really light on texter tonight so if you can help text me on 07527 625206

Warmup in progress

Russky has Devils winning by 2 goals although he would prefer a 3 goal margin

If you are at game let us know whats happenning 07527 625206

Phil E thinks Devils will take a 3 goal advantage to Belfast

Pat says Devils will win by 2 goals

Intro is on

BBT very noisy already

Adrian & Jon J have come to our aid along with JohnWildthing

Officials on the ice - 2 referees tonight

Both teams on the ice

MNL for home games at IAW might not be possible - no mobile network coverage inside the arena

Chris Culligan sits out for this game

Devils icing all their big guys tonight

Less of a delay in the end

Anthems done

Puck dropped

Stephen Murphy glove save

Devils icing

Tom Darnell & Dean Smith are refs

Ben Bowns save

Rutherford shot beaten away by Ben Bowns

Face off in the Devils zone

Gametime 3:02

Cagey opening by both teams

High tempo game says Adrian

Gametime 3;34

Devils penalty Josh Batch

@ 4:43 2 minutes for roughing

KILL DEVILS KILL

Joey Martin forces a great save fro Stephen Murphy

Mark Richardson clears zone

Double savy Ben Bowns

Zach Hervato clears zone

Devils Full Strength

Massive save by Ben Bowns

Its end to end

Hazel who is at the game tonight predicts a 5-4 Devils win

GGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

@ 8:08

Trevor Hendrikx with his 2nd of the season assit Joey Haddad

and Tomas Kurka

Zach Hervato having words with no less than THREE Giants

Hard hitting game so far

Shot from Leigh Salters hits Stephen Murphy

Andrew Hotham shoots wide

Stephen Murphy saves from Andrew Lord

Gametime 10:08

Adam Keefe goes close

Guillaume Doucet hits outside edge of post - so close to a 2nd

Jon J says its an excelklent game so far

Devils icing @ 12:32

Steelers losing 3-1 at Coventry, Flyers winning 1-0 at Braehead

Giants goal scored by James Desmarais

Devils failure to clear zone gifted that goal to Giants

assists for Radja & Rutherford

@ 13:33

Stephen Murphy covers puck

Come on U DEVILS

Andrew Hotham & David Rutherford have words

Devils are not too hot clearing their zone

Glove save Ben Bowns

Game is still end to end at a hectic pace

Easy glove save for Ben Bowns @ 16:15

Joey Martin hit to the face by stick - goes to bench

Adam Keefe throwing a few cheap hits as usual

Giants penalty Benedict 2 minutes for tripping @ 17:37

Tempers are rising on the ice at BBT - nasty hits and no calls

Gleason Fournier lays out Adam Keefe

Jake Morissette flattened off the puck - NO CALL

Devils are being turned over too often

Andrew Hotham shot pushed away by Stephen Murphy

Giants penalty Derrick Walser 2 minutes for cross-checking

Giants back to 4 skaters after a short 5 on 3 for Devils

End of a very good period of hockey

DEVILS 1 Giants 1

Derrick Walser penalty was @ 19:22

Devils will start 2nd period with a pp for 1:22

Jon J says teams pretty evenly matched, lots of lovely skills on show

SoG DEVILS 9 Giants 14

Jon J says teams pretty evenly matched, lots of lovely skills on show

Ice is ready

steelers losing 3-1 at Coventry, Clan losing 1-0 at home to Flyers

Stars 1 Panthers 1

Stars 1 Panthers 1

Teams back on ice

2nd period starts

LETS GO DEVILS LETS GO

Giants penalty @ 20:03 Mitch Ganzak 2 minutes for high sticks

Devils on 5 on 3

Lets have a PPG U DEVILS

Carl Hudson & Joey Martin go close

Jake Morissette hits pipework

Giants back to 4 skaters

GGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Ryan Russell his 3rd of the season

Sweeping end to end passing movement

Assists Andrew Lord & Gleason Fournier

@ 22:45

Correction - Goal was at 22:06 not a PPG

Gametime 22:45 I meant to say

Josh Batch has shot saved by Stephen Murphy

Adam Keefe pushes Trevor Hendrikx into Devils net - No Call as Devils come away with puck

Great save by Ben Bowns

Adrian says it was a massive save by Bownsy

Stephen Murphy dislodges net as Leigh Salters steams in

Gleason Fournier running the show tonight

Slight delay for ice repairs

Don't bother we are leaving soon

Game restarts

Luke Piggott gets a well earned shift

My timing were out before Coventy 3 Sheffield 1 after 39:30

Face off in the Giants zone

Gametime 46:30

Stephen Murphy bats a fierce Guillaume Doucet shot away

Ben Bowns covers

Andrew Lord throwing some big hits tonight

Its All Devils at the moment peppering Murphy

Adam Keefe sulking as usual

Darryl Lloyd attempts big hit on Josh Batch but comes off second best - bless him

Adrian asking why do we have 2 refs as they are missing obvious penalties

Jonathan Boxill has Joey Haddad in a head lock - NO CALL

Gleason Fournier shot saved, net dislodged

Gametime 29:35

Ben Bowns covers

Mark Richardson has shot saved

Conflicting scores coming my was but I am told its Blaze 3 Steelers 2 after 2 periods

Massive FIGHT involving everyone on the ice

Luke Piggott seems to have taken one half the Giants bench

Luke Piggott & Trevor Hendrikx go to sinbin

Two Giants going as well

Still awaiting calls

Gametime 31:00

Giants Mitch Ganzak 2 + 2 for roughing Rutherford 2 minutes for high sticks

Giants go on PP

KILL DEVILS KILL

Luke Piggot& Trevor Hendrikx both get 2 + 2 for roughing

Giants icing

Trevor Hendrikx jumped in when Piggott was attacked by 2 Giants

Gametime 32:40

Devils Full Strength

Guillaume Doucet making a nuisance of himself

Tomas Kurka sat the extra minor

Face off in the Devils zone

Impressive move by Leigh Salters saved on the line

Giants Goal

Ben Bowns should have saved it

Soft goal by Rutherford @ 34:56 assist Craig Peacock

Stephen Murphy knocks off his net yet again

Devils have ramped up the pressure even higher

Devils penalty Zach Hervato 2 minutes for holding the stick

KILL DEVILS KILL

Andrew Lord backhand shot saved by Stephen Murphy

Devils penalty Gleason Fournier 2 minutes for tripping

KILL DEVILS KILL

@ 38:30 I think

Flyers now winning 2-0

Devils back to 4 skaters

Giants hit post

End of 2nd period DEVILS 2 Giants 2

Gleason Fournier penalty was @ 38:08 so Devils have 8 secs to kill at start of 3rd period

Latest scores: Braehead 0 Fife 3; Coventy 4 Sheffield 2; Dundee 2 Nottingham 2; Edinburgh 9 Manchester 12 (Russky)

SoG for 2nd period DEVILS 13 Giants 7 making it 22-21 after 2 periods

now Braehead 1 Fife 3 (Russky)

If its Russ putting up the EIHL score, the EIHL website has the incorrect score for Blaze v Steelers its now 4-4

EIHL had missed off a Steelers goal which they have now added

teams back on ice

ok thanks OJ (Russky)

Come on U DEVILS lets have 3 unanswered goals like last night

3rd period underway

Devils Full Strength

GGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Awaiting details

Guillaume Doucet with his 33rd of the season

Assists Joey Martin & Andrew Hotham

Ben Bowns save

Goaltime 40:20

Lets have another TWO or more I am greedy - NONE= AGAINST mind you

Devils icing

GGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Leigh Salters with his 16th

Assist Joey Haddad

@ 42:49

Ben Bowns saves from Rutherford

Tonioghts crowd given as 1,875 not bad for a non ST game

Great save Ben Bowns

Giants Goal

What did I tell you U DEVILS

Kris Beech assists Derrick Walser & Colin Shields

Giants icing

COME ON U DEVILS get that goal back now

Devils penalty Guillaume Doucet

KILL DEVILS KILL

2 minutes for holding the call @ 44:54

Ben Bowns save

Ben Bowns covers

O/T at Coventry

GGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

SHG no less

Joey Haddad his 14th unassisted

Devils full strength

Full StrengthFull Strength

SHG was @ 46:45

Puck out of play Face off in the Devils zone

Ben Bowns save

FIGHT Adam Keefe v Josh Batch

A win for Josh Batch says Jon

Josh Batch after Joey Haddad was boarded

Adam Keefe gets 2 + 5, Josh Batch 5+10 (instigator)

Keefe minor was for boarding majors for fighting

Andrew Lord is up for this game challenges TWO Giants

Majors were @ 47:33

Joey Haddad punched by Stephen Murphy then elbowed by Mike Wilson

Coventry beat sheffield in shoot out. (Russky)

Mike Wilson gets 2 minutes for roughing

Stephen Murphy save from Tomas Kurka

Carl Hudson goes close

Another scrum in front of Giants goal

Blaze win 5-4 after penalties

Gametime 51:40

Kris Beech cross checking NO call

Leigh Salters penalised after retaliating

KILL DEVILS KILL

2 minutes for slashing the call

Giants penalty Craig Peacock 2 minutes for high sticks

Devils Time Out

Kris Beech 2 minutes for cross-checking @ 51:40

Now Braehead 3 Fife 3 (Russky)

Leigh Salters 2 minutes for slashing @ 51:47

Stephen Murphy saves from Carl Hudson

Devils Full Strength

Now Clan 2 Flyers 3 after 51:40

Giants Full Strength

Puck out of play @ 55:17

Now Braehead 3 Fife 4 (Russky)

No more goals against U DEVILS

Stephen Murphy covers

Devils looking for another goal

Adrian stays its still a tight game but DEVILS playing well

Devils icing

Gametime 57:33

Devils icing

Giants Time Out @ 58:48

Kurka, Haddad, Russell, Fournier & Hudson out for Devils as game restarts

45 secs left

Stephen Murphy glove save from Guillaume Doucet

Final score DEVILS 5 Giants 3

All to play for on 23 Feb at the O

Our thanks to Adrian, Jon J and JohnWildthing who did a great job as usual

All we need to round off a great weekend is for the Flyers to hold on

Giants MoM - James Desmarais

Less than 5 minutes left at Breahed and its Clan 3 Flyers 4

Devils MoM - JOEY HADDAD

Less than 2 minutes left at Braehead

25 secs left and its Clan 3 Flyers 4

Final score Clan 3 Flyers 4

What a brilliant weekend for the Devils

Thats it from me for probablt 2 weeks until the Devils travel to Sheffield on sat 20 Feb

Its very unkikely we will have MNL covering the games in Brest as we will not have any texters, even RED ARMY TRAVEL woun't make that trip or the intrpid traveller KettDevil

Have a good night indoors as its blowing a gale outside, lets hope the BBT lasts another 2 weeks

GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE - NOS DA PAWB