Welcome to our match report from last night's game against the Fife Flyers.
After defeating Elite League Champions Cardiff in IAW on Sunday, Steelers headed north to meet one of this season's surprise packets for the last time in regulation play: Todd Dutiaume's Fife Flyers. Steelers showed a few changes from the side that won in Cardiff. Returning after a one game injury absence was British defenceman David Phillips, whilst Mathieu Roy was absent for personal reasons. Kieran Brown was added to the team as well. Fife were still missing Andy Iles so Jordan Marr continued in between the pipes with Andrew Little backing him up, Liam Heelis was back after a one game suspension but Ian Young and Evan Bloodoff remained sidelined with injury. Former Steelers defencemen Jim Jorgensen and Russ Moyer iced against their former team.
Again apologies for the short match report.
Fife had been in action just 24 hours before this game when they travelled to Nottingham and slipped to a 2-1 loss in the NIC. Marr had been brilliant in that game, denying the Panthers shooters time and time again whilst his team-mates lacked offence all game: recording an incredibly low 9 shots in the entire game.
Steelers dominated the shot count again in the first two periods albeit not as comprehensive as they had done in recent matches, but Marr was again proving to be a more than capable deputy for Iles with another good showing. Not bad for a player who had a goals against average of over 6 in three appearances in Elite League last season. The Fife offence was a bit more like itself and by the end of the second period, had exceeded their performance in Nottingham but for all this - the game remained scoreless going into that all important final period of play. Marr and his Steelers counterpart Ervins Mustukovs both playing well.
Then it really opened up in that final twenty with Mustukovs being tested by the Flyers but standing tall. Flyers thought they had broken the deadlock when Peter LeBlanc, who played a single game in the NHL for Washington Capitals in 2014-15, turned the puck home. However, after much deliberation and GLT being involved, the goal was wiped out with high sticks being given as the reasoning. It was a decision that has subsequently left many perplexed now as fans checked the rule book. Looking at that, there is nothing documented that it is a valid criteria, So a strange call indeed. Moments after the disallowed "goal", Fife went close again: Carlo Finucci hitting the post. Yet the tie was broken with just over six minutes left, and it was the Steelers who scored. Eric Neiley found Colton Fretter who with a quick release; found the top corner of Marr's goal. It was Colton's 20th of the season.
There were opportunities for the Steelers to extend it further after Fretter's goal with Ben O'Connor and Neiley both having chances to do just that. At the other end of the ice Mustukovs was shutting the door on the Flyers and time eventually expired on them to leave Steelers winners by the strange hockey score of 1-0. It was also Mustukovs' 9th shutout of the season and his 24th as a Steeler which matched the Steelers own Elite League record of a certain Jody Lehman. Two successive wins for the Steelers now, the race for a decent finishing position intensifies.
Steelers dominated the shot count again in the first two periods albeit not as comprehensive as they had done in recent matches, but Marr was again proving to be a more than capable deputy for Iles with another good showing. Not bad for a player who had a goals against average of over 6 in three appearances in Elite League last season. The Fife offence was a bit more like itself and by the end of the second period, had exceeded their performance in Nottingham but for all this - the game remained scoreless going into that all important final period of play. Marr and his Steelers counterpart Ervins Mustukovs both playing well.
Then it really opened up in that final twenty with Mustukovs being tested by the Flyers but standing tall. Flyers thought they had broken the deadlock when Peter LeBlanc, who played a single game in the NHL for Washington Capitals in 2014-15, turned the puck home. However, after much deliberation and GLT being involved, the goal was wiped out with high sticks being given as the reasoning. It was a decision that has subsequently left many perplexed now as fans checked the rule book. Looking at that, there is nothing documented that it is a valid criteria, So a strange call indeed. Moments after the disallowed "goal", Fife went close again: Carlo Finucci hitting the post. Yet the tie was broken with just over six minutes left, and it was the Steelers who scored. Eric Neiley found Colton Fretter who with a quick release; found the top corner of Marr's goal. It was Colton's 20th of the season.
There were opportunities for the Steelers to extend it further after Fretter's goal with Ben O'Connor and Neiley both having chances to do just that. At the other end of the ice Mustukovs was shutting the door on the Flyers and time eventually expired on them to leave Steelers winners by the strange hockey score of 1-0. It was also Mustukovs' 9th shutout of the season and his 24th as a Steeler which matched the Steelers own Elite League record of a certain Jody Lehman. Two successive wins for the Steelers now, the race for a decent finishing position intensifies.
Time for the statistics:
Goals: Flyers 0 Steelers 1
Steelers Scoring: Fretter 1+0, Neiley 0+1.
Flyers Scoring: None
Shots On Goal: Steelers 27 Flyers 29
Powerplay: Steelers 0 from 1 (0% conversion), Flyers 0 from 2 (0% conversion)
Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 4 Flyers 2
Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 29 Saves (1368), GAA: o.00 (2.36), Save Percentage: 100.00% (91.80%).
Man of the Match: Eric Neiley (Steelers), Jordan Marr (Flyers)
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