The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Battling Stars pay for errors against Devils
Pacha rues mistakes after second weekend loss
Stars were handed their second Elite League loss of the weekend after a hardfought game against the defending champions last night.
Head coach Omar Pacha said: “We worked hard all night, although we did make some individual mistakes that ultimately cost us.
“It is unfortunate because we battled hard but mistakes were made at the worst possible time.”
Pacha’s side were beaten 5-2 by Coventry Blaze on Saturday night and they went behind after just 62 seconds of last night’s game at Dundee Ice Arena.
A defensive error allowed Charles Linglet to fire a low shot through the legs of Pontus Sjogren.
Stars’ first real chance came in the sixth minute as Connor Cox offloaded a hard slapshot but it was easily beaten away by Ben Bowns in the Cardiff net.
The home team tied the game in the ninth minute. Charles Corcoran collected a loose puck and drove a low shot at Bowns and after it hit the goalie’s pads, the American followed up to tuck home the rebound.
Gleason Fournier forced a good save from Sjogren while Devils were shorthanded but, just after returning to full-strength, Cardiff lost a second goal.
Stars’ 1,300th Elite League goal came from captain Johan Andersson, who fired a shot that was deflected past a screened Bowns in the 16th minute.
Stars created another dangerous chance straight from the restart but Bowns was equal to that effort.
Brian Hart was next to go close for the home side but his effort was off-target from close range.
The visitors levelled 67 seconds before the first break when Fournier picked out Stephen Dixon to fire a shot past the Stars keeper.
The second period began with Hart missing a good chance that was stopped by Bowns and the Brit made a good save before the second chance was put wide in the 23rd minute. Sean Bentivoglio rattled a shot off the home post and Sjogren twice denied Cardiff before Stars returned to full-strength.
Matt Bissonnette put a shot on target and Corcoran was closing in on the rebound but was held by Mark Richardson. However, a lack of concentration allowed a turnover and Joey Martin tucked home the free puck for the short-handed Devils.
Drydn Dow’s shot was deflected wide by Evan Mosey but, just after the Devils’ penalty expired, Stars tied the game at 3-3. In the 29th minute, the Canadian shot towards goal but Lukas Lundvald redirected it past Bowns.
Fabrizio Ricci was called for tripping Saturday: Cardiff Devils 3 Nottingham Panthers 2, Coventry Blaze 5 Dundee Stars 2, Fife Flyers 2 Sheffield Steelers 6, Glasgow Clan 6 Milton Keynes Lightning 3, Manchester Storm 3 Guildford Flames 2 Yesterday: Dundee Stars 3 Cardiff Devils 6, Guildford Flames 8 Manchester Storm 3, Milton Keynes Lightning 4 Coventry Blaze 1, Nottingham Panthers 3 Fife Flyers 2 (after penalty shoot-out). in the 34th minute and Devils went ahead again when Layne Ulmer skated around from behind the net to nick the puck under the pad of Sjogren.
Stars pressed for an equaliser in the final minutes of the period and Bowns repelled numerous chances.
An early Dixon goal for Cardiff in the final period put them 5-3 ahead after some good work by Fournier.
The Welsh side were playing with confidence after doubling their lead and Martin played in Mike Hedden but he could not beat Sjogren from point-blank range.
Craig Moore tripped a Stars player in the 49th minute but Pacha’s men were zero for four on the powerplay after that chance ended.
Bowns made another big save to deny Lundvald as Stars desperately searched for something inside the last five minutes. The Dundee coach pulled his keeper with 90 seconds to play and his side went on full attack.
Cardiff put on a display of excellent defending before a selfless play by Hedden allowed Jake Morissette to bag the empty-netter five seconds from time.
Nottingham Panthers’ Luke Pither netted the game-winning penalty shot last night as Fife Flyers skidded to their second defeat of the weekend.
Paul Crowder, Brett Bulmer and Marcus Basara all failed to hit the net for Fife after the sides were tied at 2-2.
The Kirkcaldy team, beaten 6-2 at home on Saturday by Sheffield Steelers, took the lead through Danick Gauthier but Alex Guptill levelled.
Joe Basaraba put the visitors ahead again after 49 minutes but Alexandre Bolduc sent the teams into suddendeath overtime and then penalty shots.