Cardiff Devils 4, Newcastle Vipers 3

Nov 26 2007 The Journal

MAX Birbraer’s early second-period goal proved to be the decisive strike as the Vipers losing streak was extended to five games.

Two goals three minutes apart opened up a 4-2 Devils advantage on 46 minutes with ex-Viper Matus Petricko netting the first of the quick-fire brace.

With three minutes left to play in the match, defenceman Mark Gouett cut back the lead and when Tyson Teplitsky was sent to the home penalty box for tripping, the Vipers gambled on making an illegal equipment call against Mike Garrow at the same time.

For the second night in a row the ploy worked but the Vipers couldn’t conjure up an equaliser with two extra skaters and then three when netminder Ryan MacDonald was withdrawn to the bench.

Referee Nigel Boniface had also travelled to Cardiff and he did exactly as he had done the night before when in Basingstoke and penalised the Vipers during the first minute of play.

As they had been in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Bison, the Vipers conceded a powerplay marker with Jason Silverthorn shooting the Devils ahead. Two skaters short, the Vipers then went further behind to a Garrow powerplay goal timed at six minutes.

The outlook became bleaker about three minutes later when the team’s second-top points scorer Derek Campbell was thrown out for being the third man into a fight.

But the Vipers responded to adversity in the right manner. Defenceman Jez Lundin made it 2-1 on 12 minutes and just before the first break Todd Jackson hit the equalising score.

MacDonald faced 55 shots in total against the Bison, conceding two powerplay goals during the first period to Mikko Purontakanen and Eric Braff.

Vipers captain David Longstaff struck a short-handed reply but quickly afterwards Danny Stewart made it 3-1, both goals being netted in the 37th minute.

With less than 10 minutes to play, Shaun Johnson made it 3-2 and on 55 minutes Gouett produced the equaliser.

Just over a minute later, Brad Cruickshank put the Bison ahead again and on a late powerplay – brought about by a successful illegal equipment call on Purontakanen – Jackson restored parity with 45 seconds left of regulation time.

Only seven seconds remained in overtime when Stewart struck and for the second time to win the game for the home side.

SCORERS: Yesterday – Cardiff Devils: Birbraer and Silverthorn 1+1, Garrow and Petricko 1+0, Deschatelets 0+2, Hill and Teplitsky 0+1.

Newcastle Vipers: Jackson 1+1, Gouett and Lundin 1+0, Hutchins, Rublivisky and Shields 0+1.

Saturday – Basingstoke Bison: Stewart 2+1, Braff, Cruickshank and Purontakanen 1+0, Thornton 0+3, Campbell and chambers 0+1.

Newcastle Vipers: Longstaff 1+2, Gouett and Johnson 1+1, Hutchins 0+1.