Belfast Giants 3, Cardiff Devils 4

Cardiff Devils swept five points ahead in the Elite League table after producing a stunning recovery against closest rivals Belfast Giants.

After two periods player-coach Andrew Lord and his team were three goals down and heading for defeat, but they hit back with a ferocity which shocked their hosts.

Mark Richardson, Sean Bentivoglio, Joey Haddad and Patrick Asselin scored the goals for Devils, the last three goals coming in the final eight minutes. Hatted levelled the scores with just over four minutes left and then Asselin tucked away the winer with two minutes 14 seconds left on the clock.

Adam Keefe, the suspended Belfast player who was commentating on Giants TV, sounded devastated at the end, saying: “That’s why Devils are number one. They upped their intensity and took the game to us.”

More than 300 Devils fans made the trip to Northern Ireland to cheer their team.

Player-coach Andrew Lord included new signing Denny Kearney, who played alongside Chris Culligan and Matthew Myers, while Guillaume Doucet was a healthy scratch.

Captain Jake Morissette is injured.

Belfast called up their own new boy, 24-year-old French Canadian D-man Jerome Luduc for his debut with Matt Nickerson their healthy scratch.

Adam Keefe was ruled out of the Giants team by suspension, although he will be available for the second game between these teams on Saturday.

Home coach Rob Stewart was serving a one-game ban and was in the stands with two former Devils players, Steve Thornton and Shane Johnson, running their bench.

First period

Giants had the better of a fast and furious first period, but Devils went closest after 10 minutes when Sean Bentivoglio broke fast and brought a pad save from goalie Stephen Murphy.

Andrew Hotham made an error which handed the home team a chance of their own when, on a Devils powerplay, he slipped a drop pass behind him. There were no Devils players close by and Jonathan Boxall was able to surge away unchallenged.

Netminder Ben Bowns was equal to the shot and blocked the effort.

Belfast went ahead after 13 minutes 29 seconds when new signing Luduc, who has joined the Giants from Czech League hockey, timed his charge perfectly to score.

Both teams had a player in the penalty box – Andrew Hotham was sitting for hooking – when Ludruc jumped into the play and finished clinically from close in.

That was a blow, but Devils were rocked again when Mike Forney made it 2-0 with 38.6 seconds left in the first. That move was sparked after Mark Garside lost his stick near half and used his boot to roll the puck forward to teammate Dave Rutherford.

Forney’s shot from just inside the blue line was screened by Chris Higgins and the puck flew past Bowns.

End of first: Giants 2, Devils 0.

Second period

Luduc made it 3-0 after 29-04 on Belfast’s first full powerplay of the match.

That left Devils facing task, but they took the game to their hosts and by the end of the second were leading 26-23 on shots.

Rutherford hit a post for Giants, while Cardiff set up three excellent chances.

Brandon Benedict put his body at risk when he threw himself in front of a full-blooded Andrew Hotham shot to block, while Stephen Murphy in goal for Belfast made a double-save to deny the visitor.

Joey Haddad tipped a David Brine shot in front of the Belfast net, but Murphy was again in position to save, and then, in the final couple of seconds, a Patrick Asselin shot brought another quality stop from the British goalie.

End of second: Giants 3, Devils 0.

Third period

Giants looked in total control, but they were about to be hit by a Devils typhoon. Asselin took the game by the scruff of the neck and inspired those around him.

Mark Richardson netted Cardiff’s first after magnificent work by Asselin (43-16) and then Bentivoglio came from behind the net and fired in a hard, low pass. The puck flew off the skate of Derrick Walser and into the Giants net (52-17).

Asselin stepped up again when he controlled the puck, waited patiently and skated out from behind the net before setting up a big chance for Haddad, who fired past stranded goalie Murphy (55-44).

It was fitting that Asselin’s electric third period display was topped off with the winning goal when Gleason Fournier picked him out with a peach of a pass and he tucked his shot into the net at the far post (57-46).

It was a night when Giants were feeling good for two periods, but Devils left the ice feeling like champions.

End of third: Giants 3, Devils 4.

Match stats:

Scorers, Belfast Giants: Ludruc 2+0, Forney 1+1, Rutherford 0+1, Garside 0+1, Riley 0+1, Higgins 0+1, Vandermeer 0+1.

Cardiff Devils: Asselin 1+2, Richardson 1+1, Bentivoglio 1+0, Haddad 1+1, A Hotham 0+1, G Fournier 0+1.

Period scores (Giants first): 2-0; 1-0 (3-0); 0-4 (3-4).

Penalties in minutes: Giants 6+4+2=12; Devils 2+2+2=6.

Shots on goal: Giants (on Murphy) 11+12+6=29; Devils 11+15+15=41.

Referee: Stefan Hogarth.