Hull Stingrays 2-1 Cardiff Devils
A late game winning powerplay goal from captain Kurtis Dulle and a 36 save effort from netminder Ben Bowns tonight led the Hull Stingrays to their fourth victory over the Cardiff Devils in five games this season.
The Stingrays began the game missing imports Jason Silverthorn - due to a one game suspension - and long-term injury victim Cale Tanaka but dominated possession in the early stages against a Cardiff side struggling for momentum and without key forwards Mac Faulkner and Phil Hill - who are both sidelined through injury.
The early pressure - particularly from the line consisting of a resurgent Sam Towner, Ryan Hand and defenceman-turned-forward Jeff Smith - very nearly paid off as in-form Dominic Osman squeaked a shot through the pads of Devils netminder Chris Whitley only for the puck to be cleared off the line.
Playing a noticeably defensive road game early on - presumably due to their impact of injuries - the Devils forced their way into the game, holding the Rays in their own end after seven minutes before a number of penalties against the home side gave them a further advantage.
Though the Stingrays penalty kill performed well against a Cardiff side clearly missing the finishing ability of former EIHL leading scorer Faulkner, it would be the Devils that opened the scoring.
Shortly after Dulle and Cardiff forward Stuart MacRae returned to the ice after co-incidental roughing penalties, a rasping shot from the left point by Tyson Marsh was tipped home by Jesse Gimblett for a 1-0 Devils lead.
A response wasn't long in coming from the Stingrays, who leveled the score 43 seconds later thanks to a wraparound from Osman following a great tussle between Dulle - who put in a very good overall performance on the night - and Cardiff defenceman Mark Smith with the former coming away victorious.
Roles reversed at the beginning of the second as the road team came out strongly and controlled the game for much of the opening seven minutes. However, aside from chances for Tom Squires and Danny Wood close in after two Devils collided at mid-ice, there were few talking points from a second period that the Stingrays outshot their opponents 14-9 after a first period shot deficit of 16-9.
The Erhardt Conference side forced the issue in the third period as the game became increasingly chippy, though it was clear that one-goal would again be the difference between the sides.
The two teams traded half powerplay chances with Dmitri Rodin handed what appeared to be a harsh elbowing call that could have proved costly on 51.12.
Gimblett then took the first of three consecutive penalties on 11.41 to cancel out the Rays disadvantage before a beautifully timed diagonal pass from Shane Lovdahl on the blueline gave Sylvain Cloutier a great chance for a late goal, only for the player-coach to fire a one-timer into the body of the Devils netminder with the goal gaping.
Gimblett's second penalty - an elbowing minor - quickly followed, giving Cloutier's side a crucial powerplay with less than six mintues left on the clock. However, this too was soon cancelled out as Dulle - having been wound up by Cardiff player-coach Gerad Adams in the offensive zone - took a cheap boarding minor moments later at the other end of the rink.
The Devils Canadian tough guy's final minor penalty on 17.32 for slashing Jereme Tendler - who was attempting to edge himself around the Devils defence and in front of Whitley - proved to be the most costly.
On the ensuing offensive zone face-off Matty Davies drew the puck back to Rodin on the blueline, who in-turn fed Dulle to fire home what turned out to be the game winning goal with less than three minutes left on the clock.
Adams pulled netminder Whitley with less than a minute remaining but the travelling Devils couldn't make the pressure, nor their superior 12-5 third period shot count tell as time ran down sealing the Stingrays fifth point in a week, though not before Lovdahl and Chris Blight dropped the gloves in a surprising, if entertaining bout with 19 seconds remaining.
Though not the prettiest sixty minutes you're likely to see, the two-one win and team performance will surely prove as a further confidence boost to Cloutier's side ahead of a visit to South Yorkshire to take on the Sheffield Steelers.
After tomorrow night's Yorkshire derby - which will see Silverthorn return to action following suspension - the Rays face five consecutive games against Gardiner Conference sides that will, more than likely, decide their playoff fate.
Currently five points behind Fife - whom they meet twice in two weeks - in the final playoff spot in the league and just three points shy of Braehead in top spot in the Gardiner Conference there remains plenty to play for as the regular season draws to a close.
Both the league and conference are so tight that a good run in the next six games could potentially propel the Stingrays back into the final playoff spot and put them in a strong position to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
A late game winning powerplay goal from captain Kurtis Dulle and a 36 save effort from netminder Ben Bowns tonight led the Hull Stingrays to their fourth victory over the Cardiff Devils in five games this season.
The Stingrays began the game missing imports Jason Silverthorn - due to a one game suspension - and long-term injury victim Cale Tanaka but dominated possession in the early stages against a Cardiff side struggling for momentum and without key forwards Mac Faulkner and Phil Hill - who are both sidelined through injury.
The early pressure - particularly from the line consisting of a resurgent Sam Towner, Ryan Hand and defenceman-turned-forward Jeff Smith - very nearly paid off as in-form Dominic Osman squeaked a shot through the pads of Devils netminder Chris Whitley only for the puck to be cleared off the line.
Playing a noticeably defensive road game early on - presumably due to their impact of injuries - the Devils forced their way into the game, holding the Rays in their own end after seven minutes before a number of penalties against the home side gave them a further advantage.
Though the Stingrays penalty kill performed well against a Cardiff side clearly missing the finishing ability of former EIHL leading scorer Faulkner, it would be the Devils that opened the scoring.
Shortly after Dulle and Cardiff forward Stuart MacRae returned to the ice after co-incidental roughing penalties, a rasping shot from the left point by Tyson Marsh was tipped home by Jesse Gimblett for a 1-0 Devils lead.
A response wasn't long in coming from the Stingrays, who leveled the score 43 seconds later thanks to a wraparound from Osman following a great tussle between Dulle - who put in a very good overall performance on the night - and Cardiff defenceman Mark Smith with the former coming away victorious.
Roles reversed at the beginning of the second as the road team came out strongly and controlled the game for much of the opening seven minutes. However, aside from chances for Tom Squires and Danny Wood close in after two Devils collided at mid-ice, there were few talking points from a second period that the Stingrays outshot their opponents 14-9 after a first period shot deficit of 16-9.
The Erhardt Conference side forced the issue in the third period as the game became increasingly chippy, though it was clear that one-goal would again be the difference between the sides.
The two teams traded half powerplay chances with Dmitri Rodin handed what appeared to be a harsh elbowing call that could have proved costly on 51.12.
Gimblett then took the first of three consecutive penalties on 11.41 to cancel out the Rays disadvantage before a beautifully timed diagonal pass from Shane Lovdahl on the blueline gave Sylvain Cloutier a great chance for a late goal, only for the player-coach to fire a one-timer into the body of the Devils netminder with the goal gaping.
Gimblett's second penalty - an elbowing minor - quickly followed, giving Cloutier's side a crucial powerplay with less than six mintues left on the clock. However, this too was soon cancelled out as Dulle - having been wound up by Cardiff player-coach Gerad Adams in the offensive zone - took a cheap boarding minor moments later at the other end of the rink.
The Devils Canadian tough guy's final minor penalty on 17.32 for slashing Jereme Tendler - who was attempting to edge himself around the Devils defence and in front of Whitley - proved to be the most costly.
On the ensuing offensive zone face-off Matty Davies drew the puck back to Rodin on the blueline, who in-turn fed Dulle to fire home what turned out to be the game winning goal with less than three minutes left on the clock.
Adams pulled netminder Whitley with less than a minute remaining but the travelling Devils couldn't make the pressure, nor their superior 12-5 third period shot count tell as time ran down sealing the Stingrays fifth point in a week, though not before Lovdahl and Chris Blight dropped the gloves in a surprising, if entertaining bout with 19 seconds remaining.
Though not the prettiest sixty minutes you're likely to see, the two-one win and team performance will surely prove as a further confidence boost to Cloutier's side ahead of a visit to South Yorkshire to take on the Sheffield Steelers.
After tomorrow night's Yorkshire derby - which will see Silverthorn return to action following suspension - the Rays face five consecutive games against Gardiner Conference sides that will, more than likely, decide their playoff fate.
Currently five points behind Fife - whom they meet twice in two weeks - in the final playoff spot in the league and just three points shy of Braehead in top spot in the Gardiner Conference there remains plenty to play for as the regular season draws to a close.
Both the league and conference are so tight that a good run in the next six games could potentially propel the Stingrays back into the final playoff spot and put them in a strong position to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
FBB Three Stars
1. Ben Bowns
2. Kurtis Dulle
3. Sylvain Cloutier
