Cardiff Devils v Sheffield Steelers - League 19/09
20th Sep 2009 | Posted by Mark Finn
Great atmosphere in the tent with the Devils fans in particular clear their team needed the support with them missing 5 key players.
Michel moved onto the first line alongside Smith and Miller.
Ben Davies took Voth's place on the second line alongside Latulippe and Hill.
Towe centred the third line with Hayes and Fisher/Watkins.
Both teams started well, skating fast and hitting hard. After Miller was called for Interference and Hartwick for Tripping though, it gave the Steelers a 5-on-3 powerplay and after passing it around it got to Dagernais who fired a big slap shot past Lyle (04:26).
Devils tried to hit back and forced a hooking penalty from Phillips behind the net. After the whistle had blown though, Cruickshank tried to make his presence felt but only succeeded in getting called himself for roughing. The Devils turn to have a 5-on-3 powerplay, and just like the Steelers they passed it around until it got to Michel on the point and he fired an unstoppable shot past Reiter (06:09).
Both sides were creating good chances and after Reiter went walkabout, Ben Davies (I think) shot the puck from the boards at a tight angle towards the empty net, but somehow it avoided everyone and the net.
Devils were icing Richardson and Jarvis as their top D line with Adams rotating. You then also had Shurmer and Manson from the ENL icing everynow and again to give the guys 30 second breathers. Whilst both gave their all and made some good defensive plays, the speed of EIHL was too much for them at times and when Legue skinned Shurmer on the outside he accurately slid the puck along the ice past Lyle and into the far corner (12:15).
By now Hewitt was still to make his presense felt too, presumably due to the lack of big players on the Cardiff side. After a couple of questionable hits, he sent Ben Davies into the boards and got called for it. After the initial PP for the Devils was poor, the Steelers iced the puck and Mark Richardson skated back to collect it.
Picking up the puck behind the boards, he skated down the left wing, past one Steeler, deked another as he crossed the blueline, skinned another on the outside (drawing a delayed hooking penalty), cut inside, skated across the net, waiting for Reiter to go down and then beautifully firing the puck past him (14:56).
Absolutely fantastic goal, and the crowd went mad. At this point we started to believe that we could make a game of it.....
Devils top 2 lines were already starting to tire though, and after failing to clear the puck for a much needed linechange, Hewitt stole the puck and fed it across to Dowd who one-timed it into the top corner (16:10).
End of Period Devils 2-3 Steelers and to be honest I felt our chance to catch the Steelers cold had gone.
I wonder whether the Steelers felt the same because in the second period they just couldn't match the Devils intensity.
With Hewitt once again throwing his weight around, Steven Fisher decided to take one for the team and start roughing him up back. Both players got called for roughing.
Seconds after the restart, Miller fed Smith down the right wing, who deked into the zone, and then fired a perfect pass across the ice to the far post, where Jarvis was steaming in, poking it into the net before crashing into the boards (22:39).
Steelers looked a bit shocked that the Devils had equalised for a third time. I'll be honest at this point and admit the beer was starting to have its effect on me and when Smith scored at 24:03 to give the Devils the lead I can't remember anything about the goal apart from the fact the building went mad.
Matsos unsuprisingly called a time-out.
4 minutes later and it was Hutchins's turn to be throwing his weight around. With Jarvis the only Devil anything like a fighter it looked like he would be allowed to get away with it, or the Devils would lose their final import defenceman, until up stepped Matt Towe.
With Hutchins facewashing any player near him and throwing several punches at Ben Davies, Towe pulled Hutchins out of the melee, offered him out and both players threw down the gloves.
In terms of the fight, there was only going to be one winner, and it was clearly Hutchins.
In terms of boosting morale and taking one for the team, Towe was head and shoulders above him. A standing ovation from the Devils crowd as he left the ice and pats on the back from his team mates. Hutchins skated off grinning but I don't think any Steelers player skated over to congratulate him, and it may have been my imagination but I think a couple of players on the Steelers bench shook their heads in dispair.
A top import taken out by a 3rd line brit and sitting in the box for 2+2+5.
With Hutchins still in the box and Legue also sitting for Slashing, the Devils had another powerplay chance. Richardson once again took the puck down the left wing, skated into the zone and flicked the puck towards goal, where it found Jarvis who from a seemingly impossible angle hit the puck first time into the far top corner (35:43).
Devils 5-3 Steelers. Incredible.
2 minutes later though and the Steelers finally got back into the game. Having barely created a chance in the second period, the Devils got caught out trying to make a quick line change and with Hewitt skating down the left, nobody followed Sarich down the right and when the puck was fed to him he had space and time to fire it past an out of position Lyle (37:46).
End of 2nd period Devils 5-4 Steelers.
In the final period the Devils once again came out skating fast and hitting hard, but perhaps putting a bit more emphasis on defence than they had earlier. Steelers started to create more chances than they had in the rest of the game, but Lyle was looking solid and it was the Devils who created several good chances to seal the game.
It looked like the Devils had done enough and with less than a minute to go earned a faceoff in the Steelers zone. Steelers won the face off and managed to just clear the zone, it fell to Michel who shot from just outside the bluezone, but the shot went over the goal and over the plexi.
Unbelievably, Darnell called him for Delay of Game. Devils players went mad, Steelers looked bemused. Even Shannon Hope came down from the corporate boxes to ask Darnell what the hell he was up to.
Steelers pull Rieter with a face-off in the Devils zone. 6-on-4 they pass it around and with 48 seconds remaining Legue fires in the slapshot for the equaliser.
Very very harsh and very very undeserved.
Again I thought that would kill us off, but in the remaining seconds it was the Devils who went searching for the winner, Michel drawing a slashing penalty from Sarich. After the whistle was blown Sarich started throwing punches at everyone around him, Michel responded... and strangely only Michel got called so we ended up with both sides a player down for the end of regulation and start of overtime.
90 seconds into overtime and Miller skated down the wing and fired in a shot at Reiter, who made the save but dropped the rebound. Miller went for the poke but only succeeded in hitting the puck back to Reiter who smothered it. Steelers Dman ties up Miller, whistle blows, and then from behind the net Hutchins skated up to Miller and punched him in the face. Right infront of Darnell.
2 minutes for roughing, and for some reason Hutchins couldn't believe it.
Devils on the powerplay and they pass it around, Michel spots Hill free in the slot and when the puck gets to him, he fires it past Reiter for the deserved game winning goal.
As you can imagine the Devils fans go absolutely mad. It was as if we had just won the Stanley Cup.
Every Devils player can be proud of the way they played tonight, from the top two lines who must have iced close to 30 minutes each, to the ENL guys who stepped in when needed to give the guys a breather and keep the intensity on the Steelers.
But for me the two standout guys were Jarvis and Richardson. They both must have iced around 50 minutes and yet barely made a mistake all game. Jarvis for me was the most under-rated player for us last year, and with Teplitsky gone now seems to be getting the recognition he deserves.
Mark Richardson has been the signing of the summer. He looks like he has been playing defence all his career and has been the standout player of September for me.
Awesome game. Awesome performance. Awesome atmosphere. One of those games you won't be forgetting in a long long time.
Michel moved onto the first line alongside Smith and Miller.
Ben Davies took Voth's place on the second line alongside Latulippe and Hill.
Towe centred the third line with Hayes and Fisher/Watkins.
Both teams started well, skating fast and hitting hard. After Miller was called for Interference and Hartwick for Tripping though, it gave the Steelers a 5-on-3 powerplay and after passing it around it got to Dagernais who fired a big slap shot past Lyle (04:26).
Devils tried to hit back and forced a hooking penalty from Phillips behind the net. After the whistle had blown though, Cruickshank tried to make his presence felt but only succeeded in getting called himself for roughing. The Devils turn to have a 5-on-3 powerplay, and just like the Steelers they passed it around until it got to Michel on the point and he fired an unstoppable shot past Reiter (06:09).
Both sides were creating good chances and after Reiter went walkabout, Ben Davies (I think) shot the puck from the boards at a tight angle towards the empty net, but somehow it avoided everyone and the net.
Devils were icing Richardson and Jarvis as their top D line with Adams rotating. You then also had Shurmer and Manson from the ENL icing everynow and again to give the guys 30 second breathers. Whilst both gave their all and made some good defensive plays, the speed of EIHL was too much for them at times and when Legue skinned Shurmer on the outside he accurately slid the puck along the ice past Lyle and into the far corner (12:15).
By now Hewitt was still to make his presense felt too, presumably due to the lack of big players on the Cardiff side. After a couple of questionable hits, he sent Ben Davies into the boards and got called for it. After the initial PP for the Devils was poor, the Steelers iced the puck and Mark Richardson skated back to collect it.
Picking up the puck behind the boards, he skated down the left wing, past one Steeler, deked another as he crossed the blueline, skinned another on the outside (drawing a delayed hooking penalty), cut inside, skated across the net, waiting for Reiter to go down and then beautifully firing the puck past him (14:56).
Absolutely fantastic goal, and the crowd went mad. At this point we started to believe that we could make a game of it.....
Devils top 2 lines were already starting to tire though, and after failing to clear the puck for a much needed linechange, Hewitt stole the puck and fed it across to Dowd who one-timed it into the top corner (16:10).
End of Period Devils 2-3 Steelers and to be honest I felt our chance to catch the Steelers cold had gone.
I wonder whether the Steelers felt the same because in the second period they just couldn't match the Devils intensity.
With Hewitt once again throwing his weight around, Steven Fisher decided to take one for the team and start roughing him up back. Both players got called for roughing.
Seconds after the restart, Miller fed Smith down the right wing, who deked into the zone, and then fired a perfect pass across the ice to the far post, where Jarvis was steaming in, poking it into the net before crashing into the boards (22:39).
Steelers looked a bit shocked that the Devils had equalised for a third time. I'll be honest at this point and admit the beer was starting to have its effect on me and when Smith scored at 24:03 to give the Devils the lead I can't remember anything about the goal apart from the fact the building went mad.
Matsos unsuprisingly called a time-out.
4 minutes later and it was Hutchins's turn to be throwing his weight around. With Jarvis the only Devil anything like a fighter it looked like he would be allowed to get away with it, or the Devils would lose their final import defenceman, until up stepped Matt Towe.
With Hutchins facewashing any player near him and throwing several punches at Ben Davies, Towe pulled Hutchins out of the melee, offered him out and both players threw down the gloves.
In terms of the fight, there was only going to be one winner, and it was clearly Hutchins.
In terms of boosting morale and taking one for the team, Towe was head and shoulders above him. A standing ovation from the Devils crowd as he left the ice and pats on the back from his team mates. Hutchins skated off grinning but I don't think any Steelers player skated over to congratulate him, and it may have been my imagination but I think a couple of players on the Steelers bench shook their heads in dispair.
A top import taken out by a 3rd line brit and sitting in the box for 2+2+5.
With Hutchins still in the box and Legue also sitting for Slashing, the Devils had another powerplay chance. Richardson once again took the puck down the left wing, skated into the zone and flicked the puck towards goal, where it found Jarvis who from a seemingly impossible angle hit the puck first time into the far top corner (35:43).
Devils 5-3 Steelers. Incredible.
2 minutes later though and the Steelers finally got back into the game. Having barely created a chance in the second period, the Devils got caught out trying to make a quick line change and with Hewitt skating down the left, nobody followed Sarich down the right and when the puck was fed to him he had space and time to fire it past an out of position Lyle (37:46).
End of 2nd period Devils 5-4 Steelers.
In the final period the Devils once again came out skating fast and hitting hard, but perhaps putting a bit more emphasis on defence than they had earlier. Steelers started to create more chances than they had in the rest of the game, but Lyle was looking solid and it was the Devils who created several good chances to seal the game.
It looked like the Devils had done enough and with less than a minute to go earned a faceoff in the Steelers zone. Steelers won the face off and managed to just clear the zone, it fell to Michel who shot from just outside the bluezone, but the shot went over the goal and over the plexi.
Unbelievably, Darnell called him for Delay of Game. Devils players went mad, Steelers looked bemused. Even Shannon Hope came down from the corporate boxes to ask Darnell what the hell he was up to.
Steelers pull Rieter with a face-off in the Devils zone. 6-on-4 they pass it around and with 48 seconds remaining Legue fires in the slapshot for the equaliser.
Very very harsh and very very undeserved.
Again I thought that would kill us off, but in the remaining seconds it was the Devils who went searching for the winner, Michel drawing a slashing penalty from Sarich. After the whistle was blown Sarich started throwing punches at everyone around him, Michel responded... and strangely only Michel got called so we ended up with both sides a player down for the end of regulation and start of overtime.
90 seconds into overtime and Miller skated down the wing and fired in a shot at Reiter, who made the save but dropped the rebound. Miller went for the poke but only succeeded in hitting the puck back to Reiter who smothered it. Steelers Dman ties up Miller, whistle blows, and then from behind the net Hutchins skated up to Miller and punched him in the face. Right infront of Darnell.
2 minutes for roughing, and for some reason Hutchins couldn't believe it.
Devils on the powerplay and they pass it around, Michel spots Hill free in the slot and when the puck gets to him, he fires it past Reiter for the deserved game winning goal.
As you can imagine the Devils fans go absolutely mad. It was as if we had just won the Stanley Cup.
Every Devils player can be proud of the way they played tonight, from the top two lines who must have iced close to 30 minutes each, to the ENL guys who stepped in when needed to give the guys a breather and keep the intensity on the Steelers.
But for me the two standout guys were Jarvis and Richardson. They both must have iced around 50 minutes and yet barely made a mistake all game. Jarvis for me was the most under-rated player for us last year, and with Teplitsky gone now seems to be getting the recognition he deserves.
Mark Richardson has been the signing of the summer. He looks like he has been playing defence all his career and has been the standout player of September for me.
Awesome game. Awesome performance. Awesome atmosphere. One of those games you won't be forgetting in a long long time.
« Back to News