The Belfast Giants put up brave resistance in the Challenge Cup semi-final second leg as they won 5-3 in Dundonald against Cardiff, but the Devils scraped through 8-7 on aggregate.
Going in with a 5-2 advantage, the Devils still held that three-goal lead with less than five minutes remaining but two Colin Shields powerplay goals left the Welsh side sweating and very relieved at the final buzzer.
Devils had got off to the perfect start when Matt Miller fired them ahead after only 2.02 but the home side hit back and tied the period score with a counter by Brandon Benedict at 10.56.
Giants then made it more interesting by hitting two goals in the middle session through Craig Peacock at 27.46 and Evan Cheverie at 33.10 on the powerplay to lead 3-1.
But a powerplay effort by Max Birbraer for Devils at 36.02 kept the visitors seemingly well in charge after two periods.
When Birbraer scored his second of the game at 40.32 shorthanded it seemed like a hammer blow to the Giants.
But then came that grandstand finish as the Devils were penalised several times, allowing Shields to score powerplay goals at 55.32 and 58.11 to bring Giants to within a single goal.
However, even after pulling goaltender Stephen Murphy the home side could not force the extra goal to take the game to overtime and it is the Devils who now await either Nottingham or Sheffield in the Challenge Cup final.
© UTV News