The Devils got off to the worst possible start with an early Blaze goal just 22 seconds into the game. Taran Kozun made the initial stop but did not cover the puck quickly enough and Marly Quince was there to poke the puck away and backhand it into the net.

At 5:09, David Clements took a long range shot that took a strange bounce off the back boards and fooled Kozun enough for JD Dudek to take it in to make it 2-0.  The Devils penalty killers were called upon three times in the opening period and managed to keep the league’s best powerplay at bay. 

The middle period was a battle between the netminders as the Devils had their chances to get back into the game with three powerplay chances, but they failed to convert on any of them. 

The third period saw the Blaze score early and never look back.  Colton Yellow Horn broke loose on a breakaway with two defenders chasing him and although Kozun made the initial stop, the rebound bounced off his defender’s skate right back to Yellow Horn who scored to put the Blaze up 3-0 at 43:36. 

Two quick penalties with under ten minutes to play meant a 5 on 3 powerplay for the Blaze and they finally converted with the man advantage when Kim Tallberg beat Kozun at 54:24 to give the Blaze a 4-0 lead. 

The Devils pulled Kozun for the extra skater but at 58:07, Tanner Lishchynsky scored into the empty net to make it 5-0.  Nathan Ripley scored a sixth for the Blaze at 58:36 when he beat Kozun from just inside the blueline to finish off a night to forget for the Devils. 

Photos courtesy of Scott Wiggins