Milton Keynes Lightning 5, Cardiff Devils 2
Former Cardiff Devils captain Ryan Finnerty brings his Manchester Storm team to South Wales on Sunday (6pm).
Devils aim to hit back with intensity in the Elite League clash with Storm following a bitterly disappointing 5-2 Challenge Cup group defeat at Milton Keynes Lightning.
Finnerty knows his Storm players face a huge test at Ice Arena Wales and he says: “Going to Cardiff is a different feel nowadays. They’re a team at the top and you want to knock them off.
“You certainly have to be at your best if you want to beat them.
“It’s another challenge for this young Storm group in a great atmosphere. I still think we’re all still going to be chasing Cardiff Devils this season and it’s going to be a rollercoaster.”
Finnerty has had pressing off-ice matters on his mind this week with wife Emma almost a week overdue with the arrival of their
first child as he prepared his team for their weekend games.
But he will still have his Storm team ready for their test against Devils.
He has been involved in the Elite League for more than 10 years and says it will be another couple of months before league positions start to be meaningful.
“I always look around my birthday, November 23, as when we’ll start to see the cream rise to the top in this league,” he says.
“With the new two new teams (Guildford and Milton Keynes) joining the league it’s added a lot more excitement, plus the three Conferences as well. It changes the approach a little bit.
“There are no easy games and we’ve seen the new teams turn over the big boys.
“They’ve shown they can get results and they’re the real deal. We no longer have the 10 teams
we’ve seen for a good few years.
“There are two new teams and they mix into the schedule well.”
Devils suffered defeat at MK Lightning where ex-Devils players scored seven of the points.
Denny Kearney (2+0), Guillaume Doucet (1+2) and Carl Hudson (1+1) led Lightning to victory.
After Doucet’s opener Patrick Asselin equalised for Devils, but the middle period belonged to Lightning who scored three times from 26 shots.
Sean Bentivoglio pulled one back for Devils, but Ludwig Karlsson restored the home side’s three-goal lead.
Match stats, Lightning v Devils:
Period scores (Lightning first): 1-1; 0-3 (1-4); 1-1 (2-5).
Shots on goal: Devils (on Odrobny) 11+13+22=46; Lightning (on Bowns) 9+26+12=47.
Scorers, Lightning: Denny Kearney 2+0, Guillaume Doucet 1+2, Carl Hudson 1+1, Ludwig Karlsson 1+0, Christian Isackson 0+1, Paul Phillips 0+2, Ben Foster 0+1, Francis Verreault-Paul 0+1.
Devils: Patrick Asselin 1+0, Sean Bentivoglio 1+0, Joey Martin 0+1, Justin Faryna 0+1, Layne Ulmer 0+1, Joey Haddad 0+1.
Penalties in minutes: Lightning 2+4+4=10; Devils 2+4+2=8.
Powerplays: Lightning 2/4; Devils 0/5.
Tickets for tonight’s (Sunday) clash with Storm at Ice Arena Wales are available to buy over the phone on 0800 0842 666, in person up until game time or via cardiffdevils.com
Ticket prices for Elite League:
Adult £18 (gold category), £16 (silver), £15 (bronze).
Concessions (60+ years of age, registered disabled, youth 16-21 years) £14, @12, £11.
Child (3-years-old to 15-years-old) £10, £8, £7.
Children aged under three do not require a ticket as long as they are sitting on an adults lap.