Welcome to our match report from Saturday's game against the Guildford Flames at the Fly DSA Arena.
Steelers headed into Saturday's game against Guildford in fifth place after Fife's win in Braehead; with Paul Dixon's Flames a place and point behind although Steelers had a match in hand over their on-night opponents. The two sides had faced each other in Surrey just six days ago when a Ian Watters hat-trick propelled the Flames to a 4-2 win after Steelers had twice levelled up the scoreline. Team news for the Steelers saw the return of forward Colton Fretter after a long injury absence; this meant that one import had to sit. Coach Paul Thompson decided that it would be ever-popular defenceman Zack Fitzgerald; a decision that surprised many. Flames started with Brian Stewart back in between the pipes, the former Coventry netminder sporting a goalie equipment very much reticent of the old Coventry City chocolate away kit in the 1970s.
It wasn't the greatest spectacle in the first period with both teams only having six shots on goal each and it appeared from that early stage, it would be a scrappy battle indeed. Steelers had a couple of powerplay chances when Flames were called for minor indiscretions, but both times the visitors repelled them away. The deadlock was broken though with a little over three minutes left in that opening twenty, and it was Steelers who got it. Swede Andreas Jämtin getting that all-important final touch to beat Stewart following a Mathieu Roy blast. It was Andreas' 8th of the season. Flames levelled at 18:55 on a powerplay of their own after Levi Nelson was called on a slashing minor. Jesse Craige's shot caused a bit of a problem and then the puck squirted loose for Watters to tap home in unchallenged.
The second period couldn't have started any better for the visitors as they took the lead in the first minute of it. Kruise Reddick, no relation to Bryce of Cardiff, crashed the Steelers net and after Ervins Mustukovs had denied him - there was nothing the Latvian netminder could do as Flames' top points scorer John Dunbar roofed the loose puck home for a 2-1 opposing advantage. Steelers had to respond and they had a couple more powerplay chances; yet it wasn't working out. With seven or so minutes left in this middle period, the breakthrough came. Joonas Ronnberg was involved in the build up and the puck eventually made its way out to Nelson who was given time and space from the Flames and pick his spot high blocker side for his 19th of the season.
Final period, and all to play for. The teams were evenly matched as they looked for the one goal that would give the team who scored a big chance to take the points. A few penalties got called, and a few people in the of just over 5000 thought it might go to overtime due to the scrappy and broken plays. With seven and half minutes to go, it was the Steelers who popped up with what proved to be the game winning goal. Jonas Westerling broke up a Flames offence and then played a nice give and go with Eric Neiley as they headed down ice on a 2 on 1. The Swede waited patiently for his moment, perfectly passed under the stick of the retreating Brennan Yadlowski to team-mate Neiley who remained calm to finish past the exposed Stewart. Eric's second goal in as many games, and fourth of the season. Flames eventually pulled Stewart with 1:45 but couldn't breakthrough and Steelers secured a second successive win.
Time for the statistics:
Goals: Steelers 3 Flames 2
Steelers Scoring: Jämtin 1+0, Neiley 1+0, Nelson 1+0, Roy 0+1, Matheson 0+1, Ronnberg 0+1, Marquardt 0+1, Westerling 0+1.
Flames Scoring: Dunbar 1+1, Watters 1+0, Craige 0+1, Reddick 0+1.
Shots On Goal: Steelers 52 Flames 11
Powerplay: Steelers 0 from 6 (0% conversion), Flames 1 from 3 (33% conversion)
Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 10 Flames 16
Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 16 Saves (1102), GAA: 2.00 (2.33), Save Percentage: 88.90% (91.80%).
Man of the Match: Eric Neiley (Steelers), John Dunbar (Flames)
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