Saturday finally in my eyes condemned us to knowing that we would not be creating history, that being the three-peat. Some might say it was ended up at Fife but Saturday's loss to the Blaze burned away any dreams we had flickering. We now have six games left to play in order to try and finish second.
Is it beyond us? No, not really but we probably will have to win out to make it happen. But time now to look ahead to games number 47 and 48 on the Steelers EIHL schedule.
It all begins on Saturday night as we make the final trip to Scotland in regular season action, and a visit to this wee team:
Oh Braehead Clan, purple army...Yes it's time to go to Renfrew and the most unusual venue of a hockey rink to visit our purple buddies and get acquainted again with former Steeler player and coach for that matter, Ryan Finnerty. For the uneducated ones out there who have never been to Braehead, the reason why it's an unusual venue is because the rink is located inside a shopping centre. Hence the Fife fans love singing "Let's go shopping" at their west coast rivals.
Clan pretty much have nothing to play for in the regular season, it's just about accumulating as many points as they can. They've won the Gardiner Conference (again) and are confirmed second seeds when it comes to the play-off quarter final match ups. They will play the seventh seed, currently Coventry. However, don't let that deflect you as Finner being Finner would love to put one over on us. They have capability to do so too, remember Ice Sheffield a few weeks ago? We could be in for a tough and possibly bruising encounter. After the disappointments of Fife and Coventry, getting back to winning ways is imperative.
The following day, it's an immediate shot at redemption as we welcome this team back to Sheffield. It's a team that's sky high on confidence.
See what I mean by redemption and see what I mean by playing a team oozing confidence out of every pore. It's the current Challenge Cup holders and the Elite League champions-elect. The Devils come into Sheffield for the first of two games in the next couple of weeks, they're back next Saturday you see. They've had few blips and for the long run, had a healthy and settled side all season. Players have bought into Andrew Lord and Neil Francis' system and quite honestly; they are head and shoulders above all this season. Deserved champions I will go on record and say too. But we can compete with them when the chips seem to be down, wouldn't it be nice to stop the proverbial fat lady from singing her arias for a while and leave the Devils champagne on ice too?
That's why I said the word redemption. Take the game to them and don't let the red snowball mow you down, because if you give them just an inch then they'll probably take a mile out of you instead. One lapse in concentration against them is all it needs. Put them on the back foot and they are beatable. End of.
Predictions? Steelers to win 3-2 after overtime in Braehead and the same again on Sunday back home.
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