Post-Game Review; Retro Night vs Panthers Key Takeaways

League Record So Far; 31 – 11 – 2, 64pts, 2nd Place

CARDIFF, WALES – It was a fun affair at the Vindico Arena, with the retro theme taking over from the benches to the stands and even on the refs, the night was a blast for all in attendance.

The Devils took on Panthers in a game that was a much needed win for both teams, which ended up as a dominant procession to the benches for fist bumps, including a hat-trick for a GOAT.

Here are some key takeaways from the game;

1. Game 1 of a Long Home Stand, Done

This game was the first of a long stretch of home games for the Devils to close out the season, which is a very comfortable position to be in when looking to chip away the lead from rivals Steelers.

They have currently played the least at home, making them the real ‘road blokes’, of which they have the best away record so far.

This win was also needed to claw back some wins in their series vs Panthers, which historically, they do not fair well against. The series is now at 3:2 to them, with one more game to go in South Wales.

2. The GOAT Point Streak Heats Up

Joey Martin secured a hat-trick in the game, launching his points streak into another level. Over 20 games since his return from an injury spell, there has only been 5 games he hasn’t recorded a point.

The 20 game stretch has now included 17G, 5A for 22 points. He has been a silent leader on the ice, putting the numbers up diligently, whilst also allowing his own line mates to flourish. It is no wonder he looks happy out there, as like Bowns, the veteran is having a blast with great form to match.

3. Power Play Cooking

Whilst in the game they were at 50%, grabbing two power play goals is great as the team seem to continue keeping their special teams in high gears and getting rewarded for it.

Last season, there was no shortage of effort, however the reward simply wasn’t there. It is very much chalk and cheese this season, which is always good to see.

The power play improved overall to 28.24%, just one percent shy off Steelers, who have had a commanding lead all season long. The PK also saw an improvement, now to 78.91% in third overall. A mammoth turn around from last month.

4. Bowns Big Again

Despite Panthers slotting home on their first shot of the night, Bowns remained resolute in net as he made 32 saves during the game.

He put up another high SV% with 94.12, with an overall of 92.52% on the season so far, sitting in third behind arguably the best two goalies of the year, Greenfield and Weninger.

The difference in GAA is marginal between him and 2nd overall, just 0.02! So with a long home stand under way, now is the time for perfecting skills and mistakes, gearing up for a finale and Playoff run that is fast approaching.

5. Top Scorers Switch First Time This Season

Crawford has been the points leader amongst his team for nearly the entire campaign so far, with a league leading assists tally (44), however Sanford has been chipping away on the points gathering, even when not scoring as much.

Sanford now leads his team with 48 points, whereas Crawford has 46. The road to 50 is under way but who will get there first for the Devils?

Another player to note is once again, Jamie Arniel who hit 20 goals for his first season as a Devil on Saturday night with a sublime PPG. He is currently the 5th highest scorer so far on the roster.