Cardiff Devils fight back to beat Steelers 5-3
Reid Duke (left) scored twice for Cardiff Devils who hit their highest shot total of the season, outshooting Sheffield Steelers 55 to 19
- Published
Cardiff Devils twice fought back to beat Sheffield Steelers 5-3 in the Challenge Cup on Sunday, bouncing back from an Elite League loss at Nottingham Panthers the previous day.
The victory over defending champions Sheffield keeps alive Cardiff's hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Steelers, already qualified for the semi-finals as guaranteed Group A winners, struck first in the Welsh capital with Marc-Olivier Vallerand's first goal. Reid Duke hit back for the hosts only for Vallerand to again put the visitors in front.
Duke also completed his brace by the end of the second period and in the third Cole Sanford and Riley Brandt seized the initiative for Devils.
Mikko Juusola pulled one back for Steelers, but Joey Martin sealed victory late on.
It was a welcome change in fortunes for Devils, who lost 3-1 at Panthers in a game delayed by 90 minutes due to the visitors being stuck in traffic for three hours on their way to Nottingham.
Cardiff Devils' goalscorer on Saturday, Brett Perlini, previously played for Nottingham Panthers - as did his father Fred
Didrik Henbrant netted a hat-trick for Panthers as Cardiff started slowly and had netminder Ben Bowns to thank for a goalless first period in which they were outshot 11 to four.
Henbrant fired the hosts ahead in the second period, but Brett Perlini equalised for the Devils soon after, leaving the game tied going into the third period.
Home hero Henbrant struck twice in the last seven minutes to earn Panthers only their third victory of the season.
Cardiff remain top of EIHL by a points but have played more games than all their rivals. They are next in action in the Elite League at Dundee Stars on Wednesday, 6 November (19:30 GMT).