Devils could secure enough points across the two matches to replace Steelers at the top of the league
FANS are back in Welsh stadiums on Friday, just in time for back-to-back Cardiff Devils home games which could put them at the top of the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Fife Flyers will visit Ice Arena Wales on Friday, followed the next day by Nottingham Panthers. These will be the first games played at home that fans have been able to attend since the Welsh government introduced restrictions in December.
Devils fan Jan Krystof Gibbon, 24, said: “Hockey has the best atmosphere of any sport so having matches behind closed doors has been painful but getting back into the arena is great.”
The team have turned their performance around since December, when Devils lost four league games in seven and were beaten 4-2 in their first Challenge Cup quarter-final against Dundee Stars. After Christmas, the team surged back to top form and they have remained almost unbeaten since then.
Devils have won every league game they have played in 2022 except for one, a narrow 1-0 loss to Belfast Giants after a last-minute equaliser from Matt Register was disallowed. In the Challenge Cup, they also wrought vengeance on Stars, defeating them 6-1 in their second quarter-final and securing a place in the semi-finals.
Mr Gibbon said: “The team is really performing well and Brodie Reid has been scoring goals for fun. Having great young British talent such as Sam Duggan and Josh Waller shows that the team has an abundance of firepower. Hopefully now we can get behind the team so that they can finish the regular season strongly and then go on to win another playoff!”
Cardiff currently sit at second place in the league, tied on 41 points with top-of-the-league Sheffield Steelers who are only ahead on goal difference. Steelers will play Glasgow Clan on Tuesday 26 but, even if they walk away with two points from a victory, Devils have the opportunity to pick up four points across their back-to-back games this week.
If Devils can keep up their winning streak, fans will have returned to the stadium just in time to see Cardiff top the league.
Friday 28, 19.30: Cardiff v Fife
It is hard to imagine the Devils will be feeling anything but confident about this game. The team will be skating out to the cheers of their fans in Cardiff for the first time this year to face a team who have lost their last nine games. Despite signs of a decent season early on, Flyers have struggled more and more throughout the season, despite having a quality netkeeper in Shane Owen, and are stuck at the bottom of the table.
Saturday 29, 19:00: Cardiff v Nottingham
When Devils last faced Nottingham in October, Panthers inflicted two crushing defeats on the team. Now, however, the fourth-placed team are coming to Cardiff off the back of three losses in four days.
Panthers have no more games scheduled until their visit to Cardiff and, according to defender Stephen Lee, the team would be making the most of their week in training.
He said: “Rest is a good weapon too. Everyone’s going to come back refreshed and excited and ready for next weekend’s game against Cardiff.”
