Cardiff Devils 6-3 Excel Hull Stingrays
The Excel Hull Stingrays tonight brought the curtain down on their 10/11 Elite League campaign after they were unable to overturn a 2-1 deficit in Cardiff, going down 6-3 in their Playoff Quarter Final Second Leg for an 8-4 aggregate loss.
The task of beating the Devils in Cardiff is one few teams have accomplished this year but that is what the Stingrays had to do following their tight 2-1 loss last night.
However, first period strikes from Brad Voth, Tylor Michel - who both netted in the 2-1 win less than 24 hours earlier - and Ryan Finnerty made a difficult task that bit harder - despite a Jereme Tendler 14th minute goal - with the Rays now requiring three goals in the remaining two periods to take the game to overtime.
The Devils then rounded off their scoring for the quarter final with three further second period goals from Craig Weller, Scott Matzka and Jon Pelle. Those three goals dealt the fatal knockout blow to the Stingrays, however, consolation third period strikes from Konstantin Kalmikov and Andrew Coburn ended the scoreline on the night at 6-3 and on aggregate at 8-4, closing the Stingrays season out in Playoff Quarter Final defeat.
Ultimately, the Stingrays couldn't have asked for a harder opponent in the first round of the playoffs and in the end the Devils - who arguably should have claimed their first ever EIHL title this year - showed their class to see them off for the eighth and ninth time in 10/11 to reach their eighth consecutive finals weekend.
Cardiff now progress to take on Belfast in next weekend's finals weekend, while Sheffield face fierce rivals Nottingham in semi-final's on Saturday before the showpiece playoff final on Sunday afternoon.
