MANCHESTER Storm had a three-point weekend with a terrific 3-1 win against Elite Hockey League leaders Cardiff Devils on Saturday followed by a 4-3 sudden-death penalty shootout loss at Coventry on Sunday.
Saturday’s win saw Storm in top form against Cardiff and they took a 2-0 first-period lead with goals from skipper Dane Byers and Evan Richardson.
Joey Martin pulled one back for the Devils in the third quarter before player-of-the-month, Dallas Ehrhardt, sealed victory with one of his trademark strikes.
Ehrhardt is one of the best players in the league in both defence and attack and scored seven goals during Storm’s successful January.
On Sunday, the team travelled to Coventry but soon found themselves 2-0 behind.
But the Storm came roaring back with goals from Byers, Mike Hammond and Rob Linsmayer.
This tied the game up, but after a goalless overtime period it went to a sudden-death shootout and Blazes’ star man, Nicolai Bryhnisveen, scored the deciding goal.
Storm sit seventh in the league but the points difference between fifth and 11th in the table is just four.
Storm are away this weekend at Glasgow and Fife Flyers knowing they will need to pick up some points to keep themselves in the play-off places.
Following the defeat at Coventry, head coach Ryan Finnerty said: “That was probably our worst performance of the season but we fought back from being 2-0 down to give ourselves a chance.
"Our net minder, Matt Ginn, who is by far the best in the league, kept us in the hunt and we headed home with one point.”
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