Blaze stay strong, Devils still without cup point

Photo: Scott Wiggins

Coventry Blaze continued their excellent start to the season with a 5-3 Premier Sports Challenge Cup victory over Cardiff, leaving the Devils with an 0-0-4 start to their cup campaign this season.

Colton Yellow Horn opened the scoring 12 minutes into the game at the Skydome with a tight angle shot that beat Ben Bows at his near post. The Blaze then lost goalie Paavo Hölsä to what looked like a groin injury with 2:12 left in the opening period - Jordan Hedley took over in net for his season debut for the hosts and played the rest of the game.

Hedley's first shot saw him beaten by Jake Coughler on a strange play with the puck bounced off the post and then off a Blaze stick into the net at 18:04. However, the GB international made 13 saves without conceding in period two as the Blaze build out a solid lead.

Radek Veselý pounced on a rebound from a Kim Tallberg shot to put the Blaze back ahead at 21:29, before some te minutes later Peyton Frantti was allowed all the time and space in the world to find Bowns' top corner from the slot. Marly Quince's smart deke saw him beat Bowns for the Blaze's fourth with 44 seconds left in the period to give the home side a three-goal lead after 40 minutes.

The Devils looked short of ideas as period three got underway, but found themselves right back in the game over a three-minute spell. Brodie Reid got the final touch on his side's second of the night at 49:39, and at 52:03 Mark Richardson brought the visitors back to within one.

With the goalie pulled for the extra skater inside the final two minutes, Brodie Reid's pass to the blueline didn't find a waiting Devil, allowing Jack Billings to pick up the puck and hit the empty net with 1:19 left on the clock.