Five star Steelers ruin Ferrara's homecoming

Time for the report from Saturday's home game against the Blaze.

Having scraped a win in their last game against newcomers Milton Keynes, Steelers were back in the Arena to face Paul Thompson, Davey Phillips and Matt Marquardt's old employers, Coventry Blaze. Likewise the game also saw Luke Ferrara facing the Steelers in EIHL action for the first time since joining the Blaze in the close season. Steelers were still without both Scott Aarssen and Jonas Westerling whilst Danny Stewart was still missing Garrett Ladd in the Blaze ranks.

Steelers were almost ahead in the first 20 seconds, Blaze netminder Kevin Nastiuk covering up just in time as Colton Fretter closed in. After killing off a Brady Ramsay boarding minor, Steelers took the lead on their first powerplay opportunity of the night. Blaze had been called for too many men at 5:57 and 18 seconds later Steelers made it count; former Blaze forward Marquardt jabbing the puck home after Andreas Valdix and Levi Nelson had set it up. Midway through the period, Blaze levelled matters when a point shot was tipped in by Ferrara from out front and although Ervins Mustukovs got a piece of it: it lit the lamp. Steelers went close again at 14:57 but Fretter's shot struck the post.

Midway through the second period, Steelers restored their lead. Valdix pocketing his first league goal of the season after Nastiuk had given up a juicy rebound from a Robert Dowd shot. Yet Blaze were still looking dangerous, and were level again at 34:54. Ferrara went tumbling on a breakaway under pressure from Mark Matheson and referee Tom Darnell adjudged there was enough contact to deny a goalscoring opportunity and a penalty shot to be awarded as well. The former Steeler picked up himself, skated in on Mustukovs and confidently put the biscuit away. A real top drawer finish.

The home side regained the lead at 45:39, a spot of increased pressure on the Blaze goal resulted in Robert Dowd scoring his third league goal of the season at the second time of asking with Valdix and Tim Wallace getting the helpers. However, the game was not put beyond the visitors until late in the third period. With 16 seconds left on a powerplay, Steelers' sixth of the night, Joonas Ronnberg arrowed in a slapshot from the half boards that found the littlest of gaps at Nastiuk's near post and give his side a breathing space. Two points were secured just over a minute later at 58:44, Zack Fitzgerald and Wallace broke up a Blaze attack and captain Jonathan Phillips found the empty cage (Nastiuk having being pulled for an extra skater) from inside his own blue line; aided and abetted by a post. It could have been six but Nastiuk again denied Fretter on another breakaway but Steelers had done the job and recorded their second successive win ahead of the return at the SkyDome on Sunday evening.

Time for the statistics:

Goals: Steelers 5 Blaze 2 

Steelers Scoring: Valdix 1+2, Dowd 1+2, Wallace 0+2, Nelson 0+2, J.Phillips 1+0, Ronnberg 1+0, Marquardt 1+0, Fitzgerald 0+1.

Blaze Scoring: Ferrara 2+0, Lauwers 0+1, Lake 0+1.

Shots On Goal: Steelers 31, Blaze 35

Powerplay: Steelers 2 from 6 (33% conversion), Blaze 0 from 3 (0% conversion)

Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 8, Blaze 14

Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 33 Saves (196 overall), GAA: 2.00 (2.35), Save Percentage 94.30% (92.50%)

Man of the Match: Mark Matheson (Steelers), Luke Ferrara (Blaze)

Now for some of your thoughts:

Adrian Lee: "Much better from the off. Even the powerplay looked better even when not scoring off it. Still need to get guys scoring, we should have been 10 up."

Andy Roberts: "See Ferrara showed PT what he was missing again."

Nathan: "Positives were: Fitzgerald, Moose, Matheson and Dowd."

Richard Wilcock: "(Ferrara) By far their best player, other than him they (Blaze) are hopeless."

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