09 Mar 2025, 16:00 | Regular season | Ice Arena Wales |
Cardiff Devils | 1-0 OT | Nottingham Panthers |
Periods: Shots: | 0-0 (7-13) | 0-0 (20-7) | 0-0 (17-6) | 1-0 (3-0) | Total: 47-26 |
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Referees: #25 Andy Dalton, #14 Chris Wells  |  Spectators: 3100 |
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Goals and assists
Cardiff Devils kept their outside hops of a league title alive with a
1-0 win over Nottingham Panthers, decided in overtime by Cole Sanford.
The Devils' forward also scored the OT winner in Coventry less than 24
hours earlier.
We did a good job keeping them to the outside, and
the guys let me see pucks that were coming at me,” said Mac Carruth, who
logged a 26-shot shutout. “It was physical game which kept everyone
involved. It also got the fans involved, they were great tonight!"
A
feisty first period at a sold-out Vindico Arena started with a quick
penalty for Cardiff after Kohen Olischefski received a high sticking
call within the first minute of play. Matt Spencer found himself in the
penalty box after an interference on the Panthers, but both teams came
up short with the extra man. The Devils hit a crossbar in the opening
period, but that was as close as anyone came to going ahead and the 20
minutes ended scoreless.
As the teams entered the ice for the second time of the night,
the game remained just as intense as the first. The Panthers’ Reid
Stefanson found himself in the penalty box after an interference call
5:16 into the period. However, The Devils were unable to convert this
into a chance to take the lead despite ringing the iron again.
As the game entered the final 3 minutes of the period, Tyler
Busch picked up a roughing minor after an altercation in front of the
Panthers’ net. The Panthers had good pressure, but again couldn’t make
anything count with the extra man and the game remained goalless through
40 minutes.
Grande made the biggest save of the final period to deny the
Devils a late winner, but with neither side able to find a goal the game
went to overtime without having seen a goal in regulation.
In the
extra period, a battle between Cooper Zech and Cody Donaghey saw the
former lose his balance, and the latter feed Sanford to race through and
beat Grande for the winner.
The Devils' next game will be the
2025 Challenge Cup Final. "We’ve been working towards this game for
about a week and a half now. We’re going in on the back of some wins and
to be honest I wish it was tomorrow!” concluded Carruth.