The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars were beaten 4-2 in Cardiff after the first-leg of the Playoff Quarter-Finals but return to Tayside with a chance to overturn the two-goal deficit against the Devils, on Sunday.
By Kris Smith
The Stars made no changes to their line-up from the last regular season game as goaltender, Kevin Carr and forward, Craig Garrigan remained out through injury and Lucas Brine kept his place between the pipes.
Dundee got off to a good start as they were able to get a few shots on Ben Bowns in the Cardiff net right from the start and they came so close to scoring as one shot hit the post before rebounding through the legs of Carter Johnson as he attempted to bat it in.
The home team would then have two chances on the powerplay after Dundee defenders, Chris McKay and Drydn Dow both picked up two-minute minor penalties for tripping but the Devils would fail to cash-in on their man advantages.
Although, soon after the Stars returned to full strength, Samuel Duggan slotted home a rebound after Brine made the initial save to put the Welsh side in front, on 17 minutes and they carried that lead into the first break.
The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars were beaten 4-2 in Cardiff after the first-leg of the Playoff Quarter-Finals but return to Tayside with a chance to overturn the two-goal deficit against the Devils, on Sunday.
By Kris Smith
The Stars made no changes to their line-up from the last regular season game as goaltender, Kevin Carr and forward, Craig Garrigan remained out through injury and Lucas Brine kept his place between the pipes.
Dundee got off to a good start as they were able to get a few shots on Ben Bowns in the Cardiff net right from the start and they came so close to scoring as one shot hit the post before rebounding through the legs of Carter Johnson as he attempted to bat it in.
The home team would then have two chances on the powerplay after Dundee defenders, Chris McKay and Drydn Dow both picked up two-minute minor penalties for tripping but the Devils would fail to cash-in on their man advantages.
Although, soon after the Stars returned to full strength, Samuel Duggan slotted home a rebound after Brine made the initial save to put the Welsh side in front, on 17 minutes and they carried that lead into the first break.
Marc LeFebvre’s team responded quickly in the second session, with Ryan Valentini bringing Dundee level just 54 seconds of play, slamming home Brendan Harms’ feed from behind the net.
Cardiff, on the other hand, regained the lead just 33 seconds later when Tyler Busch capitalized on his own blocked ball and beat an already down Brine after the British goalie expected a shot from the attempted pass.
The Stars would subsequently have their first powerplay of the game, but it would be after it finished that they scored again, this time through Jake Elmer, who deked his way past Bowns on 26 minutes.
The two sides remained locked in a struggle for the lead, and the next goal came inside 34 minutes, when Bode Wilde’s slapshot from just inside the blueline beat everyone on a powerplay to put the Devils up 3-2.
Pete Russell’s team was still up entering into the third period, and they promptly increased their lead, with Busch scoring his second in the 42nd minute.
After a Brandon Alderson pass, the puck took a fortunate bounce off Xavier Pouliot’s skate, sending it past Brine and giving the Devils a 4-2 lead.
The Stars fought hard to get back another goal, but after a gritty and end-to-end 60 minutes, Cardiff still had a two-goal lead to protect in Dundee on Sunday.
Man of the Match
Dundee: #44 Lucas Brine
Cardiff: #13 Tyler Busch
Goals
1st:
1-0 Samuel Duggan (Ben Davies, Bode Wilde) 17:37
2nd:
1-1 Ryan Valentini (Brendan Harms, Spencer Naas) 20:54
2-1 Tyler Busch (Cole Ully) 21:27
2-2 Jake Elmer (Brent Beaudoin, Carter Johnson) 26:16
3-2 Bode Wilde (Trevor Cox, Evan Mosey) 33:13 PPG
3rd:
4-2 Tyler Busch (Brandon Alderson, Cole Ully) 41:40
