Devils 3-2 Blaze...
29th Oct 2009 | Posted by Mark Finn
Both the Devils and the Blaze put on a brilliant display, with the biggest midweek crowd the Big Blue Tent has ever seen, the Devils came away victors...
Blaze started the game the better of the two teams, with a lot of pressure in the Devils zone straight from the first face off. The Devils barely touched the puck in the first 50 seconds, but when they did Brad Voth broke out down the left wing, used Birbraer as a good decoy before firing through Hirsch's 5 hole to open the scoring.
Devils 1-0 Blaze. Voth unassisted at 0:48.
After a strange interference call against Hartwick, although it looked like he checked a Coventry player who HAD the puck the Blaze went on the PP - but it was the Devils who created the two best chances, Hirsch having to be at his best to keep out Voth and Latulippe. As the Devils returned to full strength they got all mixed up with the line change (5 players when they should have had just 4 for a couple of seconds) and the puck fell to an unmarked Greg Owen who picked his spot and fired into the far top corner.
Devils 1-1 Blaze. Owen from Fulghum and Chambers at 3:33.
After an explosive start the game settled down, but only slightly. It was still end to end and both netminders were being called uponto produce some brilliant saves. With 13 minutes gone Miller collected the puck in the zone, skated around several players before flicking the puck across to Latulippe at the far post. He managed to just about volley it, directing it towards goal where it bounced and appeared to go over the line before Hirsch swept it back. The Devils players celebrated, but the light didn't go on. Referee Darnell however was positioned right in line with the goal line and gave it immediately. Hirsch wasn't happy, but with no other complaints from the Blaze, the goal stood.
Devils 2-1 Blaze. Latulippe from Hill and Miller at 13:36.
Devils finished the period strongly, and nearly made it 3-1. Smith and Voth combined well to pass the puck across the crease, but as Birbraer skated in to score into the empty net he appeared to be checked without the puck...
The first period was pretty even, perhaps the Devils slightly shaded it.
However the Devils were the far better side in the second, creating great chance after great chance. Several times the Devils put together a couple of clever passes to breakdown the Blaze D, but every time a player skated into get the final touch they were hauled down from behind - yet no Blaze player was ever punished.
After 26 minutes a Blaze player collected the puck, and tried to get past Romfo - who took the body for a perfect mid-ice hit and was called for interference by Darnell. Devils kill the penalty but once again their resulting line change is a mess and they play for several seconds with too many men. It's not called and Thompson goes nuts.
Several minutes later play stops, and then the Devils are then called for Too Many Men. Right call - just 2 minutes too late...
Again the Devils kill off the penalty without too much hassle. 5-on-5 the Devils are much the better side and are hitting hard. Birbraer absolutely nails one mid-ice checks so well that the players ends up sliding into the boards.
Darnell's hand goes up - fans can't believe it....but are then speechless when he calls HOOKING!!! Despite the fact Birbraer didn't use his stick. It was a clean shoulder to shoulder check.
With less than 5 minutes left of the period, a bit hit on Lee by Michel saw Lee lose his stick. The Devils broke and as the pass was flicked inside to Latulippe he was rugby tackled by Lee. Nothing called by Darnell.
Blaze clear the puck and it is collected by Romfo who tries to bring it out himself as last man. Calder steals the puck off him and easily beats Lyle one-on-one...
Devils 2-2 Blaze. Calder unassisted at 37:01.
Despite being almost totally outplayed for the period, the Blaze have equalised. Adams and Francis try to call Darnell over to the bench to speak to him about all the non-calls. But he ignores them and tries to restart the game. With the Devils seemingly refusing to restart the game until he speaks to the coaches, he finally looks over to the bench, shakes his head and restarts the game.
Darnell finally makes his way over to the bench with about a minute left of the game, during which period Adams presumably asks him are they playing from the IIHF rule book or the IRB rule book.
End of period and with the Devils dominating, and Blaze were having to grab, hook, and do anything possible to stop the home team scoring.
Third period starts and the Blaze came out firing, they totally dominate the first 10 minutes and everything the Devils tried just wouldn't work.
As the period wears on, Darnell suddenly starts calling most of the Blaze hooking and holding. With around 10 minutes to go, the Blaze try to clear the zone along the boards, but a Devils player stops it.
The puck pops into into the slot to a Devils player (Birbraer) who is all alone. He dekes the netminder, slides the puck past Hirsch.... and as it goes past him, Darnell blows his whistle. The puck makes its way just inside the far post. Darnell washes the goal out.
Devils fans and players go mad - nobody knows why it has been disallowed. Darnell goes over to Adams and Francis to explain his decision as he tells them Adams bursts into laughter and skates away shaking his head.
This seems to have fired the Devils up and they dominate the final ten minutes. With less than 2 minutes to go, the Blaze call a time-out. When they win the following face-off, Hirsch is pulled for the extra skater. Devils clear the zone thanks to Hill, who passes the puck across the ice to Miller.
He skates into the zone, beats one player - shoots the puck.... but it pings off the post!
Miller hit his shot so hard it almost comes back out of the zone but is stopped by Latulippe on the blue line who shoots it back in, and despite there being two Blaze players on the goal line it beats them both.
Devils 3-2 Blaze. Latulippe from Hill and Miller at 59:12.
Last couple of seconds pass without any major incident and the Devils win a fantastic game. Though what on earth Darnell was up to at times the fans are left to ponder.
And with that, the Devils join the Panthers through to the 2nd stage of the Challenge Cup, whilst the Blaze and Stingrays fail to qualify.
Blaze started the game the better of the two teams, with a lot of pressure in the Devils zone straight from the first face off. The Devils barely touched the puck in the first 50 seconds, but when they did Brad Voth broke out down the left wing, used Birbraer as a good decoy before firing through Hirsch's 5 hole to open the scoring.
Devils 1-0 Blaze. Voth unassisted at 0:48.
After a strange interference call against Hartwick, although it looked like he checked a Coventry player who HAD the puck the Blaze went on the PP - but it was the Devils who created the two best chances, Hirsch having to be at his best to keep out Voth and Latulippe. As the Devils returned to full strength they got all mixed up with the line change (5 players when they should have had just 4 for a couple of seconds) and the puck fell to an unmarked Greg Owen who picked his spot and fired into the far top corner.
Devils 1-1 Blaze. Owen from Fulghum and Chambers at 3:33.
After an explosive start the game settled down, but only slightly. It was still end to end and both netminders were being called uponto produce some brilliant saves. With 13 minutes gone Miller collected the puck in the zone, skated around several players before flicking the puck across to Latulippe at the far post. He managed to just about volley it, directing it towards goal where it bounced and appeared to go over the line before Hirsch swept it back. The Devils players celebrated, but the light didn't go on. Referee Darnell however was positioned right in line with the goal line and gave it immediately. Hirsch wasn't happy, but with no other complaints from the Blaze, the goal stood.
Devils 2-1 Blaze. Latulippe from Hill and Miller at 13:36.
Devils finished the period strongly, and nearly made it 3-1. Smith and Voth combined well to pass the puck across the crease, but as Birbraer skated in to score into the empty net he appeared to be checked without the puck...
The first period was pretty even, perhaps the Devils slightly shaded it.
However the Devils were the far better side in the second, creating great chance after great chance. Several times the Devils put together a couple of clever passes to breakdown the Blaze D, but every time a player skated into get the final touch they were hauled down from behind - yet no Blaze player was ever punished.
After 26 minutes a Blaze player collected the puck, and tried to get past Romfo - who took the body for a perfect mid-ice hit and was called for interference by Darnell. Devils kill the penalty but once again their resulting line change is a mess and they play for several seconds with too many men. It's not called and Thompson goes nuts.
Several minutes later play stops, and then the Devils are then called for Too Many Men. Right call - just 2 minutes too late...
Again the Devils kill off the penalty without too much hassle. 5-on-5 the Devils are much the better side and are hitting hard. Birbraer absolutely nails one mid-ice checks so well that the players ends up sliding into the boards.
Darnell's hand goes up - fans can't believe it....but are then speechless when he calls HOOKING!!! Despite the fact Birbraer didn't use his stick. It was a clean shoulder to shoulder check.
With less than 5 minutes left of the period, a bit hit on Lee by Michel saw Lee lose his stick. The Devils broke and as the pass was flicked inside to Latulippe he was rugby tackled by Lee. Nothing called by Darnell.
Blaze clear the puck and it is collected by Romfo who tries to bring it out himself as last man. Calder steals the puck off him and easily beats Lyle one-on-one...
Devils 2-2 Blaze. Calder unassisted at 37:01.
Despite being almost totally outplayed for the period, the Blaze have equalised. Adams and Francis try to call Darnell over to the bench to speak to him about all the non-calls. But he ignores them and tries to restart the game. With the Devils seemingly refusing to restart the game until he speaks to the coaches, he finally looks over to the bench, shakes his head and restarts the game.
Darnell finally makes his way over to the bench with about a minute left of the game, during which period Adams presumably asks him are they playing from the IIHF rule book or the IRB rule book.
End of period and with the Devils dominating, and Blaze were having to grab, hook, and do anything possible to stop the home team scoring.
Third period starts and the Blaze came out firing, they totally dominate the first 10 minutes and everything the Devils tried just wouldn't work.
As the period wears on, Darnell suddenly starts calling most of the Blaze hooking and holding. With around 10 minutes to go, the Blaze try to clear the zone along the boards, but a Devils player stops it.
The puck pops into into the slot to a Devils player (Birbraer) who is all alone. He dekes the netminder, slides the puck past Hirsch.... and as it goes past him, Darnell blows his whistle. The puck makes its way just inside the far post. Darnell washes the goal out.
Devils fans and players go mad - nobody knows why it has been disallowed. Darnell goes over to Adams and Francis to explain his decision as he tells them Adams bursts into laughter and skates away shaking his head.
This seems to have fired the Devils up and they dominate the final ten minutes. With less than 2 minutes to go, the Blaze call a time-out. When they win the following face-off, Hirsch is pulled for the extra skater. Devils clear the zone thanks to Hill, who passes the puck across the ice to Miller.
He skates into the zone, beats one player - shoots the puck.... but it pings off the post!
Miller hit his shot so hard it almost comes back out of the zone but is stopped by Latulippe on the blue line who shoots it back in, and despite there being two Blaze players on the goal line it beats them both.
Devils 3-2 Blaze. Latulippe from Hill and Miller at 59:12.
Last couple of seconds pass without any major incident and the Devils win a fantastic game. Though what on earth Darnell was up to at times the fans are left to ponder.
And with that, the Devils join the Panthers through to the 2nd stage of the Challenge Cup, whilst the Blaze and Stingrays fail to qualify.
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