Murphy Shines in League Leader Win in Sheffield: Match Report

Saturday 18th January 2014 - Sheffield Steelers (18-10-3) v Belfast Giants (26-5-2) @ Motorpoint Arena. Face off: 7pm

Well on a Saturday evening in Sheffield and live on Premier Sports an outstanding performance by Great Britain's number one goaltender Stephen Murphy helped his team to a 3-1 win over the Sheffield Steelers and put them 15 points clear at the top of the Elite League table.

So it was a big crowd, Frank Doyle in goal for the Steelers and Stephen Murphy in goal for his 400th Elite League appearance. After a well respected minute silence in respect to the Dagenais family the game got underway and it was the Giants that started the better as they skated hard and fast and had the first shot of the game within 10 seconds as Doyle saved of Jeffrey Szwez. The Sheffield defence had to be on form and Danny Meyers was playing the puck out well to get the attacking going and it was some great skating by Sheffield's Stefan Meyer who eventually drew a slashing penalty from Belfast's Cody Brookwell on 2:38 and what a penalty kill it was by the league leaders only allowing one shot which was blocked and didn't even make it to Stephen Murphy. With the Giants back to full strength Langlais had a shot from the blue line tipped just wide of goal by Sirianni and then a big cheer erupted around the arena as Tim Spencer laid a big hit on the Belfast captain Adam Keefe. Best opportunity so far fell to Robert Dowd who's back hand just went wide. Sheffield went back on the man advantage when Jeffrey Szwez was called for holding of the stick on 8:09, but the penalty kill seemed more like a power play as Doyle made a good save with his mask and then Jeff Legue was called for holding even though TV replays show it was slashing if anything and we had some 4 on 4 hockey for 1:04 and then Stefan Meyer was once again putting a shift but couldn't get a scoring opportunity. With teams back to full strength the physicality came back as Gord Baldwin was next to lay a big hit putting Mason into the boards. Doyle had to be on his game again with a double save and covered up to force a face off. Then on 12:50 from the resulting puck drop Darryl Lloyd received the puck on the blue line and found a way through the five hole of Frank Doyle to open the scoring. What a standing ovation though during the 12th minute of the game in respect to the Dagenais family. Sheffield would find themselves back on the power play and found Legue with a great chance to level the scoring but saw his effort saved by Murphy. With the clock ticking down Mark Thomas shot a puck in and met Stefan Meyer who sent the puck across goal. Sheffield would be dealt a blow at the end of the 1st when Langlais was called for hooking and to the disgust of Doug Christiansen Sheffield would have to start to the second period with 1:21 on a 5 on 3 penalty kill when Gord Baldwin was deemed roughing in the corner when it was him and Kevin Saurette and Doug Christiansen was having a heated discussion with the ref in the tunnel.

So the second session started with a 5 on 3 power play for the Giants but Sheffield got straight at them when Dustin Kohn laid a big hit on and DiCasmirro cleared the zone and we was treated too some good reaction saves by Frank Doyle, Belfast found a way through but would put wide of an open goal, Sheffield killed the penalties but Doyle had to save off Kevin Phillips from in front and then a Colin Shields shot would hit him straight in the mask. Belfast would score a second on 24:19 when Kevin Saurette would shoot but would take a deflection of Doyle's skate and go in after a poor turnover by the Steelers. It would be Saurette again who would find himself 1 on 1 with Doyle and find a double save out of the Sheffield goaltender. Sheffield would start to find their feet in the game when Phillips, Meyers and Sirianni in front of goal had shots saved especially when Sirianni's effort should have been a goal but a good save by Murphy. Murphy would be at it again this time saving a double effort of Spencer after great work behind goal. Belfast would make it 3-0 through Evan Cheverie after a great pass from Adam Keefe who would shoot and would put it in off Sheffield's Jason Hewitts stick on 34:45. Stephen Murphy would make a good a good catch of Steven Goertzen and would keep it held then a coming together between Mark Thomas and Darryl Lloyd would result in Mark Thomas receiving a 10 minute misconduct penalty and Lloyd receiving a two minute penalty for holding of the stick which would result in a Sheffield power play, Belfast would kill the penalty and would end the second period with a 3-0 lead.

Sheffield would need a massive third period and it started well and fast when Jonathan Phillips would tip a Spencer shot just wide and would then try his luck against Murphy but would see his shot padded wide. Sheffield would finally beat Murphy on 42:23 when a great play from DiCasmirro met Sirianni who shot a great wrist shot past Stephen Murphy. Sheffield wouldn't stop their and would go looking for a second as Meyer just tips wide and Sirianni would then see an effort blocked followed by a second effort padded away by Murphy. Adam Keefe would deke a puck under Doyle and would then see the puck on the goal line and cleared by Chad Langlais, Danny Meyers would try his luck next and would fire a great slap shot against the post and Tim Spencer would put wide of an open goal. Belfast would go on the power play when Tim Spencer was called for tripping on 48:22 after Langlais had been tripped at the other end and had it ignored. Hill would lay down a good hit on a Giants defender after Sirianni put a back hand just wide on 59:00 Frank Doyle was pulled for an extra attacker and Giants would have the puck in the net again but would have it wiped off for offside on 59:39. With 9 seconds left in the game Tim Spencer received a 10 minute misconduct for abuse to an official which was met by a big cheer by the home faithful, tonight wasn't meant to be and Belfast would win 3-1 and take two points out of the. Motorpoint Arena for the second time this season.

FINAL SCORE: Sheffield Steelers 1-3 Belfast Giants

Boxscore (1st-2nd-3rd-OT-[PIM]-{PP}-S)
Sheffield   - 0-0-1-0-[28]-{0/4}-33

Belfast      - 1-2-0-0-[8]-{0/4}-35

Sheffield Man of the Match: #49 Drew Fata

Belfast Man of the Match: #31 Stephen Murphy

Belfast extend their league at the table to 15 points and improve to 27-5-2 as Steelers drop to fourth a point behind Nottingham with a record off 18-11-3 and take on the Dundee Stars on the Sunday in the 2nd leg of the Challenge Cup Quarter-Final.

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