Ben Bowns pitched a 33-save shutout and Cole Sanford recorded three points to inspire the Cardiff Devils to victory over the Belfast Giants in the first semi-final of the Elite League’s Playoff Finals Weekend tournament.
Joey Martin broke the deadlock for Cardiff within a minute of puck drop, scoring under the glove of Jackson Whistle after a precise feed from Cole Sanford.
Sanford assisted Josh MacDonald four minutes into the middle frame, before finding twine on either side of a Belfast timeout to place the tie firmly out of reach for the Giants.
Zach O’Brien scored in style with thirty seconds left in the second period, gliding through the neutral zone before tucking the puck beyond the reach of Whistle.
The Devils will face the Nottingham Panthers or Sheffield Steelers in the final, with puck drop set for 17:00 on Sunday [20 April].
Analysis:
When the Belfast Giants arrived at the Motorpoint Arena for Playoff Finals Weekend, many viewed them as clear favourites to take the postseason crown.
This is – after all – the same squad that dismantled the Cardiff Devils in the Challenge Cup final and held their nerve to take home the regular-season title.
But the Giants capitulated instead.
If conceding in the first minute of play wasn’t enough of a warning sign, Belfast’s complete lack of a first period pushback should have hit Adam Keefe in the face.
The Giants were uncharacteristically lethargic – straying offside on multiple occasions and allowing Cardiff to negate an eighth minute icing call when an offensive zone face-off could have shifted the momentum back in their direction.
Mark Cooper, Belfast Giants (Image: William Cherry)
The Devils, by contrast, were excellent.
Pete Russell’s squad played with intensity and confidence, buoyed by a pair of early Ben Bowns saves which set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
Joey Martin scored a minute into the action, capitalising on a complete defensive breakdown to find open ice between the face-off circles and whip the puck under the glove of Jackson Whistle.
Belfast had chances to wrestle back control of the tie – forcing Bowns into a spectacular double stop while on the powerplay in the final minutes of period one – but didn’t have an answer for Cardiff, a team they went 5-0-1 against in regular-season play.
Three Stars:
First Star: Ben Bowns stood tall whenever the ice was titled against his team, most notably on first period penalty kill when he made two exceptional saves to preserve Cardiff’s one-goal advantage. Keeping a 34-save shutout against the regular-season champions speaks for itself – Bowns produced one hell of a performance.
Ben Bowns, Cardiff Devils (Image: William Cherry)
Second Star: Cole Sanford scored twice and provided an assist to inspire the Devils to victory over Belfast, with his first-minute helper to Joey Martin in the conversation for play of the game. The Canadian forward retrieved the puck in the neutral zone, looked to his left, and saw Martin in acres of unguarded ice. Atrocious from Belfast, but fantastic execution from Sanford.
Third Star: Zach O’Brien scored the pick of the bunch, with the Canadian gliding through neutral ice before tucking the puck beyond the reach of Whistle.
WHAT A GOAL 😈
Zach O’Brien – What A Finish‼️ pic.twitter.com/0CWteQpd2z
— Elite Ice Hockey League | #EIHL (@officialEIHL) April 19, 2025
Playoff Finals Weekend Schedule:
Semi-Final: Belfast Giants 0-5 Cardiff Devils (19 April, 15:00)
Semi-Final: Sheffield Steelers vs Nottingham Panthers (19 April, 19:00)
Third-Place Playoff: Belfast Giants vs TBD (20 April, 13:00)
Final: TBD vs Cardiff Devils (20 April, 17:00)
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