02 Feb 2019, 19:00 | Regular season | Altrincham Ice Dome |
Manchester Storm | 3-1 | Cardiff Devils |
Periods: Shots: | 2-0 ( - ) | 0-0 ( - ) | 1-1 ( - ) |
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Referees: Andrew Miller/Tom Pering  |  Spectators: 1711 |
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Goals and assists
One of the league’s stronger home teams faced one of the best road sides so far this season at the Storm Shelter, as the Storm welcomed the Devils to Manchester. The hosts got the important go-ahead goal with just over five minutes gone – Felix-Antoine Poulin’s shot getting a big rebound from Bowns allowing Evan Richardson to fire into the top corner from the slot at 5:04. Cardiff’s second powerplay of the evening should have been a good chance to get back level – but they were undone the other way as Dan Byers raced through shorthanded and found the back of the net with 17:10 on the clock.
No goals in the middle session meant that the Storm carried that two-goal lead into the third period. Both Bowns and Matt Ginn pulled off some excellent saves to keep their sides in the game. A frantic final minute with Bowns pulled saw chances at both ends – the Storm guilty of not finding the empty net before Dallas Ehrhardt sealed the points for Manchester on the empty net with 21 seconds to go.
The win helps Manchester go into a multi-team tie on 44 points in the fight for the playoffs!