Thunder silenced by improving Devils

And then with that impetus they put Milton Keynes Thunder to the sword at the Gosport Ice Arena.

The results from the latest double header meant Alex Murray’s outfit are still in seventh spot in the standings – four points adrift of the sixth-placed Thunder with three games in hand.

The Devils were understrength as they headed to Chelmsford on Saturday night.

But they managed to hold their own for much of the contest.

The league leaders drew first blood after four minutes with a goal from Andrius Kaminskas.

Andrew Magee tied things up just a minute later when he profited from good work by Mason Wild and George Norcliffe.

With little more than half an hour on the clock, Cameron Bartlett put the hosts back in the lead.

But with some help from Murray and Alex Trendall, Richard Brown levelled 30 seconds later.

The Devils then edged ahead when Shaun Rudkin picked up his first goal of the season – following good work by player-coach Murray and Richard Facey.

Chelmsford’s numerical advantage told in the final period, though.

Darren Brown struck the equaliser and shortly after Olegs Lascenko put the Chieftains back ahead.

The last 10 minutes of the game saw the Chieftains further extend their lead.

Matthew Turner got the first before Lukas Zatopek sealed the 6-3 success.

On Sunday, the Solent side were still short-handed when an even smaller Milton Keynes Thunder squad arrived in Gosport.

The Devils started brightly and were 2-0 in front by the end of the opening period.

Brown struck the first, with Ralfs Circenis and Norcliffe getting assists.

He then returned the favour as Circenis netted the second.

Less than 20 seconds into the second period, Norcliffe fed Brown to make it 3-0.

And a minute later Ollie Dennis made the most of good work by Facey and Trendall to increase the advantage further.

Thunder pulled a goal back as Nick Poole beat Christian Cole.

And they made it 4-2 soon after when captain Jamie Line broke through the Devils line.

The hosts rallied, though, and hit back with a double of their own.

Brown completed his hat-trick and Magee notched the other, with Facey grabbing two assists.

Wild then made the scoreline 7-2 in the third period – after Norcliffe and Magee teed him up.

And while Thunder scored another consolation, with Tom Mboya beating Cole, it was too little, too late as the Devils celebrated a 7-3 win.