Cardiff Devils head into the New Year on a high after earning a 12th successive Elite League victory.
They won 6-3 against Milton Keynes Lightning and took their goals tally to 52 during their winning run.
Captain Jake Morissette started their run of victories with a 5-3 win against Edinburgh Capitals in November, while they won 11 and drew 3-3 against Guildford Flames in their Challenge Cup quarter-final first leg.
Reigning champions Devils have transformed the League table and are now four points clear at the top with a game in hand on second-placed Belfast Giants.
Their first fixture in 2018 is against MK Lightning away on New Year’s Day (6pm).
Devils opened the scoring against Lightning at home when Sean Bentivoglio outmuscled a Lightning defender and found Welshman Matthew Myers in front of the net and he fired the puck past Miika Wiikman at 11 minutes 50 second.
That was the only goal of the first period despite an impressive opening 20 minutes by Devils.
The middle period saw six goals scored between the two teams with the Devils opening up a big lead before the Lightning battled back.
Justin Faryna (27-49), Bentivoglio (31-06) and Layne Ulmer (34-15) gave Devils a 4-0 lead and the home team looked in control in front of more than 3,000 spectators at Ice Arena Wales.
Devils went on another powerplay, but an unlucky bounce saw former Devil Denny Kearney break clear and he went backhand shelf over goalie Ben Bowns to give the Lightning some life (35-15).
Another former Devil, Guillaume Doucet, scored at 36-49 to make it 4-2. Andrew Hotham restored the three goal lead for Devils at 37-43 to make it 5-2 going into the final period.
Devils added to their lead on the powerplay in the third period with another goal from Hotham (55-12) to make it 6-2, but the Lightning scored just over a minute later to round out the scoring when Tommy Mele tapped in a Doucet pass (56-22).
The home team were two for eight on the powerplay and perfect on the penalty kill keeping the Lightning at bay on all four opportunities with the man advantage.
Devils now go to Milton Keynes on New Year’s Day (6pm) and travel to Guildford Flames for a League match on Saturday, January 6 (7pm).
Those trips are followed by two home games, against Nottingham Panthers on Sunday, January 7 (6pm) before they face Flames in the second leg of their cup quarter-final the following Wednesday.
Tickets for Cardiff’s home fixtures are available and ticket information can be obtained via ONLINE HERE
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Match stats:
Period scores (Devils first): 1-0; 4-2 (5-2); 1-1 (6-3).
Shots on goal: Devils (on Wiikman) 8+14+7=29; Lightning (on Bowns) 8+8+7=22.
Powerplays: Devils 2/8; Lightning 0/4.
Scorers: Andrew Hotham 2+0, Matthew Myers 1+1, Justin Faryna 1+0, Sean Bentivoglio 1+2, Layne Ulmer 1+0, Mark Louis 0+1, Gleason Fournier 0+3, Patrick Asselin 0+2, Joey Martin 0+1.
Penalties: Devils 6+4+0=10; Lightning 4+6+6=16.
Attendance: 3,095
Referee: Tom Darnell
Stars of the game: Devils, Sean Bentivoglio; Lightning, Guillaume Doucet.
Elite League table
GP W Pts
1 Cardiff Devils 29 22 45
2 Belfast Giants 30 20 41
3 Sheffield Steelers 30 17 37
4 Guildford Flames 29 15 36
5 Manchester Storm 27 16 35
6 Nottingham Panthers 27 16 35
7 Fife Flyers 24 17 34
8 Coventry Blaze 24 17 28
9 Braehead Clan 29 12 26
10 MK LIghtning 30 12 25
11 Dundee Stars 27 8 19
12 Edinburgh Capitals 28 3 6