The Excel Hull Stingrays travel to South Wales tomorrow night for the second leg of the Elite League Playoff Quarter Finals trailing by the slimmest of margins after they tonight went down to the Cardiff Devils by two goals to one in the first leg at Hull Arena.
Sylvain Cloutier's Stingrays began just their second ever EIHL playoff appearance understandably edgy against a Cardiff side that dominated them in their regulation season series with seven wins from eight meetings.
That somewhat pensive approach allowed the Devils to open the scoring after three minutes as Tylor Michel - one of the league's most complete players - punished the Rays overly cautious first powerplay with a lovely low finish shorthanded to give the visitors a one-nil lead.
Ryan Lake - who has been the spark of the Stingrays so often this season but didn't receive as much ice time as he may have tonight - then made his first shift of the game count with an energising big hit which moments later caused temperature levels between the two teams to rise with Ryan Finnerty and Aivars Gaisins at the heart of the minor disagreement.
That first period scuffle set the early tone for a typically intense, gritty playoff affair and one which the Stingrays gradually grew into after the early shorthanded setback.
Ending the first period on top, the Stingrays spurned a couple of great chances in a two minute blitz on the Cardiff net and therefore went in to the second period harshly trailing by a goal.
The Devils Brad Voth took the intense, hard hitting nature of the playoffs a little too far early in the middle stanza as he lined up a big hit on the Stingrays Matti Uusivirta only to floor his own club captain Ryan Finnerty with the massive check that allegedly broke the Canadian's nose.
Then, having denied the Stingrays moments earlier with a magnificent sprawling save, Devils netminder Stevie Lyle was caught way way out of his goal allowing player-coach Cloutier to casually tap home into the unguarded net and deservedly level the scores on 26.25.
That 1-1 scoreline did not last long however, as Devils enforcer Brad Voth pounced on a minor mistake by the Stingrays rearguard to backhand the puck past keeper Christian Boucher and regain the slender lead three minutes later.
Craig Weller then continued the hard hitting theme to the game after 32 minutes with a mammoth mid-ice hit on the Stingrays Lee Mitchell as the period was played out on a similarly even keel as the prior 40 minutes.
A game tying goal seemed vital for the Stingrays chances over the two legs, with results incredibly hard to come by in Cardiff, and they pushed hard for more goals in the final period in front of a good atmosphere at the Hull Arena.
As was the case throughout the game, the Rays had the slight advantage in possession but critically found it difficult to create clear cut chances against a solid Devils defence and with their offence so dangerous, particularly on the counter attack, they remained warey of their responsibilities defensively.
Unfortunately, and perhaps crucially for their chances of qualifying for the semi finals at the Nottingham finals weekend, the Rays couldn't find any further goals with Lyle denying them on a number of occasions - in particular on 49 minutes with a massive pad stack save on the penalty kill to preserve the Devils lead going into the second leg.
The Rays put in an admirable, hard working 60 minute effort to run the Devils as close as they have since early October and the 2-1 scoreline gives them a genuine albeit perhaps small chance tomorrow night.
Although a result in Cardiff is maybe unlikely - after 12-0, 7-4 and 6-1 losses there this season - if Cloutier's team put forth a similar level of commitment tomorrow as they did tonight in their final game of the season at Hull Arena then few can have any complaints, particularly given the circumstances and level of performance of the season past, which returned the club's highest ever points total and highest ever finish in the Elite League.
Rays Rating
7
FBB Three Stars
1- Andrew Coburn (0+0)
2- Sylvain Cloutier (1+0)
3- Ryan Lake (0+0)
