By Luke McGinnis
Marc LeFebvre’s men concluded their 2025/26 Challenge Cup campaign last weekend, falling in two tightly contested battles against the Glasgow Clan and Belfast Giants. Saturday saw the Clan edge out a 4-2 victory in Dundee, while the Giants held off a late Stars comeback in Belfast to secure a 5-3 win.
“It was disappointing,” said LeFebvre on being eliminated from the Challenge Cup. “There were a few games where I think we threw away points, and that came back to bite us in the end. But we have to forget about it now — it’s a lesson learned for everybody, and we’ve got to focus on the league.”
Reflecting on the team’s recent struggles, LeFebvre added, “I’m always confident in our group. We’ve just got to pick ourselves up — there’s lots of hockey still to be played. You’re never going to play a perfect game, that never happens, but we’ve got to make sure more positive things happen than negative.”
Emil Kruse impressed on Sunday night, turning aside 57 shots for a .934 save percentage. Spencer Naas and Matt Berry led the way offensively over the weekend with three points each, while Ben Almquist found the back of the net against the Giants in just his second game back from an upper-body injury that had sidelined him for several weeks.
“It was really great to be back. It’s super tough being out for as long as I was and just having to watch all the hockey going on,” said Almquist on his return to the lineup. “I think it took me a weekend to get my legs back under me. I definitely wasn’t at my best, so I’m hoping to bring a different level this weekend against an exciting opponent.”
Cardiff currently sit second in the league standings, having won seven of their opening nine games. Defenceman Brandon Estes leads the way offensively with 19 points across all competitions, followed by Cole Sanford on 16. Meanwhile, Team GB netminder Ben Bowns has had a dream start for the Devils, posting a .945 save percentage, a 1.49 goals-against average, and four shutouts.
Last season, the Welsh side claimed five wins from the six meetings between the two teams. Stars captain Drydn Dow led the way offensively with six points, followed by Spencer Naas with four. Josh MacDonald topped all scorers with six goals, while Ben Bowns backstopped all five Cardiff victories, posting a .939 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average.
“This is a huge game for us as a team — to get us back on track and winning in the regular season. We need to come prepared, and playing against my former team will add another level of excitement for me,” added Almquist, who spent the tail end of last season with Cardiff.
“The Challenge Cup definitely showed what we can do when we’re playing our best hockey. We really haven’t been at our best recently, and that led to a disappointing result in the Challenge Cup,” Almquist concluded. “I think we’re trending in the right direction, we know what we need to do, we just need to get back on track, and I believe we can do pretty well in the regular season.”
Faceoff for Saturday’s massive home game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are selling fast, so make sure to secure your place NOW!
