11 Jan 2025, 19:00 | Regular season | Altrincham Ice Dome |
Manchester Storm | 2-3 | Cardiff Devils |
Periods: Shots: | 1-0 (9-13) | 1-2 (15-13) | 0-1 (13-5) | Total: 37-31 |
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Referees: #9 Joe Sewell, #52 Stephen Matthews  |  Spectators: 2217 |
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Goals and assists
For the second night in a row, Cardiff Devils came back from two
goals down to pick up a win and stay three points clear at the top of
the Elite League. This time they overcame Manchester Storm on Saturday
night.
Manchester wasted no time in getting themselves ahead in the
game. Just 25 seconds had been played in the Storm Shelter when Stephen
Johnson put Manchester ahead against the league leaders. Evan Weninger
was the busier of the two goalies during the opening 20 minutes, but
held out to keep the home side ahead heading into the break.
Having started fast in the first, Storm scored quickly in the
second period as well. Alexis D’Aoust broke down the wing and let go an
excellent snipe to beat Taz Burman and put Manchester two up with 22:18
played.
Cardiff got themselves back into things with two goals in just
over three minutes. An Evan Mosey shot from the point found its way
through past Weninger at 34:43 on the powerplay, before an Andrew
MacWilliam slap-shot beat the Storm goalie high to tie the game at
38:03.
Storm had an early chance to go back ahead in period three, but
Ryan Hughes couldn’t find the target on a penalty shot after getting
Burman to bite on his drag.
The Devils immediately punished their hosts for that missed
chance – a Cody Donaghey shot from the point somehow got through
Weninger to put the Devils into the lead at 42:51.
Storm came closest to tying when a stranded Burman could only see
the puck shot wide of his net, while in the closing stages Weninger was
pulled but without Storm creating a clear-cut chance to equalise.
Cardiff held on for the one-goal win in a game where all of their goals were scored by defensemen.