Cardiff Devils secure third place with 7-5 win over Guildford Flames in Elite League play-off final
Cardiff Devils ended their season on a high with a thrilling 7-5 victory over Guildford Flames in the Elite League third-place play-off final at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
The game started with a bang as Sam Duggan and Nicolas Ouellett exchanged goals in the first period. However, it was Cardiff who took control in the middle period with goals from Cole Sanford, Cole Ully, Tyler Busch, and Cody Donaghey. Guildford managed to pull one back through Ryan Tait, but the Devils continued to dominate.
Turner Ripplinger, Ouellett, and Lewis Hook tried to spark a comeback for Flames, but Riley Brandt and Joey Martin sealed the win for Cardiff. Despite neither team wanting to be in the third-place final after their semi-final defeats, both sides put on an entertaining show for the fans in attendance.
The victory was a fitting end to the season for Cardiff, who had lost in overtime in the semi-finals against Belfast Giants. With goals coming from multiple players, the Devils showed their depth and determination to finish the season on a high note.
Now, all eyes will be on the Elite League Grand Slam final between Sheffield Steelers and Belfast Giants. Sheffield will be looking to complete the clean sweep of titles, while Belfast will be aiming to defend their play-off championship. It promises to be an exciting showdown between two top teams in the league.