Post-Game Review: Devils Squander Lead & Fall to Defiant Blaze

Challenge Cup So Far; 5 – 2 – 0, 10pts, 1st Place Group A, Win% – 0.71

CARDIFF, WALES – After a lightning fast start, the home team struck up a 3 goal lead and in itself, reopens an age old debate in the hockey world, which lead is worse, by two or by three.

Many Devils fans would answer, take a look at the game vs Blaze and there is your answer.

Here are some key observations from the game vs Coventry Blaze on Saturday night;

1. Good lead thrown away as Barrow shines

Devils were up and skating away with the game with plenty of hockey left in the first frame thanks to goals from Barrow, Perlini and Estes. Everything snapped into place for them.

Positionally, defensively, pace and precision. Passing, to recoveries, puck cycling, back checking, forechecking. Goal tending.

It really felt it would be a game similar to the one vs Flames after 14 minutes being played.

However, less than a minute after the third goal, scored fast on the power play, Blazes’ Luciani was left unattended on the far post to tap home an easy and cheap puck to cut the lead to two.

That goal itself was a sore point in the game. Tracked back half heartedly and as he stuck to the open far-side, his marker just skated off, expecting a turnover for a touch and go outlet pass.

Alessio Luciani was Coventrys top scorer from last season, after departures of Gresock and Seitz, with 59 points, two more than Devils’ top points man, Josh MacDonald (57), who only managed one more goal than the number 61 for the men in blue.

Simply put, no matter what you think of your team, you respect the opposition and in particular, pay serious attention to one of their most prolific scorers, who outperformed the majority of your team the season before.

It was clear there was no homework done on the scouting of the team they just lost too, only just a few games prior.

He was also involved in a couple of other goals against the Devils, but it was Ryan Barrow who shone the brightest for the men in red.

His goals were superb and the coolness of how he made them was sublime. The first on a break away to kick off proceedings was Joey Martin-esque, absolutely undressing Matt Robson in the process and his second was more the typical style of play we have become accustomed to for the determined and driven Denver Pio.

After a thunderous forecheck where he full bodied his opponents into the plexiglass, he retrieved a great pass from a break in play to snipe home short side and restore their lead.

It also reflected in his TOI, which went up massively to 17.5 minutes on the night, nearly 6 minutes more than his last game and over 2 minutes more than his usual average.

Of course, it was to be expected, as already written here; https://hockeysteve.co.uk/2025/08/31/player-spotlight-ryan-barrow-el-purasangre/

His best performance in the EIHL Challenge Cup still remains with his first season at Storm, with 9 points from 8GP. He is currently at 6 points from 7GP this season and has equaled his best in goal scoring in the competition with 4 so far.

The redemption tour is still going for Ryan ‘El Purasangre’ Barrow.

2. Blaze Powerplay decimates top defense

Devils were 3rd overall before puck drop on the PK and had the best GA with just 9 and Bowns had the best GAA at 1.33, then it all came apart in the 2nd frame.

Blaze put up 4 power play markers, with two in quick succession to tie the game for the first time on the night. It was a pattern that followed, as the leagues most ill-disciplined team become undone by their own making, earning a a bench for Bowns once the 5th slipped through, also on the power play.

Then, the game winner on Stoever also got swiped through on the man advantage for penalties that utterly unnecessary to begun with. This would have surely been a sticking point for the coaches.

A lot of work to do by the team to correct a night of horrors.

Across 7 power plays, capitalising on 4 is a massive return and utterly decimated the good foundations the Devils had built. It lifted the Blaze to the top power play unit at 36.36% with Devils’ PK knocked down to 5th overall.

Blaze in the process overturned a sharp decline in goal scoring by lifting them back into a top 4 status for goals scored, which shows how unpredictable hockey truly can be.

3. Duggan had mixed night but finally on the board

The former alternate captain had a high stock put into him in his early career at the Devils and was entrusted by multiple coaches with the PK, often being quoted as ‘his baby’.

This season, he was yet to notch a goal and failed to contribute anywhere on the scoresheet. His goal on the night provided some much needed confidence to a pretty decent offensive input so far this season, where has had done everything but score.

The previous game vs Blaze saw him gifted two perfect opportunities to really put his team in the driving seat at the Skydome, but he was shut down by Robson one on one both times.

He has a 100% shot efficiency record across the games, but not prolific, living on the 4th line, with Harewood waiting in the background and is 50% on the minimal face-offs taken so far.

He was however on the ice for for 3 goals against, which would put him at minus 2 on the night, which doesn’t get recorded officially, but there would be some question marks on whether the bottom six should carry on being rotated for the PK units going forward.

4. Multi-point nights for players, with streaks ongoing

Along with Barrows brace of goals, 3 other players picked up their own brace of points with helpers. Kontos, Yaremko and Mosey each chipped in to help produce the goals that kept the team in the game for the 2 points.

Although it wasn’t meant to be, it was good to see them continue to try and keep their chances alive. The team as whole were undone by their own making and defensively put in their worst performance yet, to the opposite of their own form to date.

The question on if there should be cause for concern over goal scoring still lingers and they are clearly still missing the Goat.

Estes however has now gone to 11 points from 7GP, with his PPG on the night, one of 5, he has a 3 game point streak naturally.

As expected, Cole Sanford got back on the board, with an apple on the night, taking his own tally to 9 from 7. Joining him was the brace of apples from Kontos, having the same output but in an off-on trajectory.

Yaremko in a similar pattern is now at a point per game pace with 7, who put in a solid effort to break down the Blaze defensive set up.

5. Devils still in driving seat, but difficult road ahead

Following the loss vs Blaze, their second against the same team by a single goal, they now sit at 71% in the win columns, joint second with their old rivals behind Steelers (75%).

Next, they face a wounded Panthers team that got humbled on home ice against a plucky Storm team and with Giants losing to Flyers on the road in a shootout, the current Win% column puts them in 5th overall.

Quite an extraordinary run of results, but after Devils face off against Panthers, they have to face Steelers on the road, then Flames to wrap up the group stage.

They haven’t won in Sheffield since October 1st 2023, quite a record. Last season in all EIHL competitions they only won on home ice either way against each other. Something the Devils would look to over come this season, as they have done already with Panthers.

A win on Sunday should help to set up the realistic prospects of which teams would advance on Win%, the chosen method by the league to progress to the next stage.

A loss for Panthers would all but consign them to no progression in the competition, limiting their expectations of more silverware following a historic playoff win vs Devils.

This is an all or nothing for many reasons, thanks to both teams taking losses on Saturday night, with both looking to right their own wrongs and to make the early season meaningful for their fans or at least themselves.

Apathy and complacency should be averted, as they have clearly slipped into this mindset against the Blaze, clearly underrating their opponent. As stated before, they might have destiny in their hands, it is just the simple action of forging it.

Something the club has failed to do for very long time and following the result on Saturday, it appears that could very well be the outcome, again.

No pressure.