Handy Andreas helps Steelers stay unbeaten

Time for our report from Sunday night against the Clan.

Fresh from their win in Nottingham the night beforehand, Steelers entertained the Braehead Clan at the Arena knowing a win would mathematically see them into the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup barring any freak results elsewhere. Clan arrived into Sheffield, late, and on the back of a 7-1 home beating by Fife Flyers which left a lot of the Purple Army angry and upset. As regards the team news, Steelers iced the same line-up that won in Nottingham, which meant both Davey Phillips and Mathieu Roy were still absent. Clan, much changed in the summer, were with Adam Brace who was out with a lower body injury but otherwise at full strength which meant a return to Sheffield for 16-17 Steeler Christoffer Björklund.

The game started an hour later than planned because the Clan bus broke down just close to Carlisle, and they arrived at the Arena around three minutes before the initial face off time. As it was the game was a bit of an opening period to forget about, three penalties in the first two minutes but as regards chances nothing much to write about bar Ben O'Connor hitting the pipe work in the final minute of period one and Ervins Mustukovs showing why he got Man of the Match in NG1 last night; a smart save as denied an unmarked Brendan Brooks.

The intensity did increase in the second period, and O'Connor once more found the post rather than the twice as Steelers looked for that opening goal that would break the deadlock. Eventually as late as 32:25, it was. With Clan's Mike Embach serving a cross checking minor, the powerplay finally clicked on the 5th chance it was given. John Armstrong getting the decisive touch after O'Connor and Colton Fretter had engineered the chance. Five minutes later, Steelers doubled their lead when skipper Jonathan Phillips got the all important final contact on another shot from the point to the lamp.

Clan needed a goal to get themselves back in contention and with 54 seconds left in the period, they got it albeit with a bit of controversy attached. New Finnish signing Ville Hämäläinen was the man credited with it, scoring at the umpteenth time of asking with Mustukovs totally out of position. Referee Tom Darnell adjudged that the puck had found its way home and there was nothing doing as regards Steeler pleas for goaltender interference as well. Steelers were rattled and were still unhappy when the visitors scored a second goal just 17 seconds later. From an offensive face-off at the right circle, 126 game NHLer Ryan Potulny snapped a shot into the net.

Steelers needed to get their heads back on it, and went close when Andreas Valdix made the Clan pipework clang for the third time in the game so far. Yet Valdix wasn't to be denied when his shot from the blue line found its way through traffic and beyond Ryan Nie with just 15 seconds before the period drew to an end. The visitors came out with even more urgency in the final twenty, and this was probably the best period of the entire game as both Nie and Mustukovs came to their teams rescue a few times. In addition, both teams also hit the pipework too: in Steelers case the fourth time in the game. However, there was no more scoring and Steelers held on for a four point weekend; despite not being at their best.

Time for the statistics:

Goals: Steelers 3 Clan 2

Steelers Scoring: O'Connor 0+2, Valdix 1+0, J.Phillips 1+0, Armstrong 1+0, Ramsay 0+1, Matheson 0+1, Fretter 0+1, Dowd 0+1.

Clan Scoring: Hämäläinen 1+0, Potulny 1+0, Björklund 0+1, Scofield 0+1, Shattock 0+1, Brooks 0+1.

Shots On Goal: Steelers 29 Clan 30 

Powerplay: Steelers 1 from 5 (20% conversion), Clan 0 from 2 (0% conversion)

Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 4 Clan 10

Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 28 Saves (122 overall in CC), GAA: 2.00 (3.00), Save Percentage 93.30% (91.00%)

Man of the Match: Andreas Valdix (Steelers), Brendan Brooks (Clan)

Now for some of your thoughts:

Darren: "Still work to be done but moving in the right direction."

Steve Bower: "Good result, still not firing on all cylinders for me yet. Just hope that we don't leave it too late to click."

Tony: "Before the goals it was the dullest 0:0 I can remember. Shortly followed by the dullest 3:2 I can remember in the third period."

Robin Hindle: "Like the look of the new guy. Did enough to win the game...and not much more. A win's a win though."

Robert Newbolt: "Pretty poor but we won."

Jack Walker: "Looking better, seems like we are on the right track now. Just need to keep it up,"

Chris Spotswood: "Still a lot of issues for me. Faceoffs, intensity 3rd. Still think some guys ain't performing."

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