Cardiff Devils sealed second place in the Elite Ice Hockey League with a 4-3 overtime win over Belfast Giants at the Vindico arena on Sunday.

After consecutive losses at home to third placed Belfast and at the table topping Sheffield Steelers, the Devils bounced back with a win which should offer the Devils an easier route through the end of season play-offs.

Devils conceded early in the first period with Sean Norris tipping on a Josh Roach shot from in front of goal.

The home side responded well, whilst on a powerplay Evan Mosey tipped Bode Wilde’s shot into the net with three and a half minutes left in the period before Riley Brandt gave the Devils the lead on the rebound with a minute and a half left in the first period.

With 33 seconds remaining in the first period Devils players Cole Sanford and Cody Donaghey were called and given simultaneous two-minute penalties meaning the home side would be faced with a 5v3 penalty kill.

However, immediately upon their return a blocked shot ricocheted to Sanford who found Donaghey who raced in unopposed and slotted the puck home to give his side a two-goal cushion.

That advantage was halved minutes later when the Giants raced in on goal with a four on two and Greg Printz made no mistake with his finish.

That would be the end of the scoring in the second period with the Devils holding on to a slim 3-2 lead.

Belfast put the home side under significant pressure in the final third with Ben Bowns making several saves, finishing with 34 saves on the night.

But with five minutes and twenty seconds left in the game he was beaten for a third time as David Goodwin’s shot was tipped by Ben Lake right in front again.

Bowns was called upon once again in the last few seconds, but the scores remained tied and both sides prepared for overtime.

The visitors had a breakaway barely thirty seconds into overtime but hit the bar before Bowns produced a huge follow up save.

It would be Cardiff’s day though as Trevor Cox was found on the left and waited to set up Marcus Crawford to bury the chance and give the Devils the crucial extra point.

The Devils are still no closer to knowing who their opponents will be in the play-off quarter finals with the bottom five sides in the league separated by just three points.

With Cardiff facing three of those sides in their final three games before the play-offs they may have an opportunity to suss out their opponents ahead of any potential meeting at the Vindico arena on the 13^th of April.