Devils overturn two-goal deficit to make Challenge Cup Final!
Photo: James Assinder
Cardiff Devils advanced to their first Challenge Cup Final since 2022 after overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat Sheffield Steelers in the Semi-Finals. The Devils won the second leg 4-1 at a sold-out Vindico Arena to advance 7-6 on aggregate.
The opening period went about as well as the Devils would have been hoping, and probably almost the worst-case scenario for the Devils. Off a defensive zone faceoff, the Steelers turned the puck over on the Devils' blue line straight to Cole Sanford who raced away to beat Matt Greenfield with 13:55 played. A minute before the end of the opening period, a speculative throw at the net from Josh MacDonald went all the way through and past Greenfield to tie the game - Joey Martin ducking out of the way at a crucial moment in front of the net. All square on aggregate through 20 minutes.
Sheffield pushed back in period two, but a little against the run of play found themselves down on aggregate. Zach O'Brien took one touch in the slot and fired a shot past Greenfield who was screened again at 30:45 to put the Devils three ahead - and one up on aggregate. The Steelers had two chances to get back into the game with the Devils taking a pair of minors before the period was out - Marc-Olivier Vallerand miss-controlling while unmarked at the far post the best of their chances.
Sanford took an early high-sticking minor in period three, but the Steelers' powerplay came up short a third time. Just as the Devils had got back to full strength, Josh Batch threw the puck into the slot from below the goal line for captain Joey Martin to fire home backhanded and put the Devils two ahead on aggregate with 42:52 on the clock.
Everything seemed to be going the Devils' way, but a poor Gleason Fournier clearance landed straight on the stick of Mitchell Balmas to fire past Carruth and bring the Steelers back to within one at 47:25.
Balmas had probably the Steelers' best chance to tie things up, but couldn't take the puck first time when otherwise doing so would have been a certain goal. Greenfield was pulled with 1:47 to play as the Steelers pushed hard, the Devils just trying to freeze the puck along the boards in their own zone. With 24 seconds to play, Dominic Cormier stepped across Sanford as he tried to exit the zone and was called for roughing. Greenfield left the net as soon as the Steelers won the faceoff, but time ran out on the visitors who went down 7-6 on aggregate having led 5-3 after 60 of the 120 minutes.
