Big Match Preview: Home Double Header

Welcome to the preview of this weekend's games for the Steelers.

This weekend sees the Steelers play both matches at home in a rare home double header. With the team in good form, they can feel reasonably confident that a four point weekend is within their reach. They start the weekend on Saturday night against this side:

Yes it's the nearest and dearest back in town, the Nottingham Panthers. Panthers started the season brilliant, leading the title race and making the last 16 of the Champions Hockey League but they've mixed the sublime with the awful since then and currently are in an uncharacteristic 7th place in the overall standings going into the game on Saturday night. Steelers will obviously fancy heaping more misery on Corey Neilson's team having recorded back-to-back triumphs over them in the festive period. But that was then, Saturday could be totally different.

Their roster doesn't scream panic, it's just been damn inconsistent. They have a quality netminder in Patrick Galbraith, the offensive talents of Yann Sauve and goals from Brett Perlini and Mark Derlago not to mention GB internationalists Robert Farmer and Evan Mosey. Mathieu Gagnon provides the beef. A solid performance from Paul Thompson's men is again required to see off the Panthers. We can't afford to take the night off and think the game is already won.

Sunday night, and game two of the weekend sees the return of this team and they haven't had far to travel to come to S9:

It's the Maaannnchester Storm, a team we seem to be building up a decent rivalry with at the moment. Games are very eventful these with the Storm proving to be a typical blue collar Ryan Finnerty roster, combining a bit of skill with a fair bit of brawn. It'll be feisty for sure, and expect a few penalties to be shared between the two sides. They have some quality in Matt Beca and Mike Hammond, but players like captain Jay Rosehill, former NHLer Dane Byers and defenceman Linden Springer won't think twice about roughing it up as they aim to put the Steelers off their game. Discipline is going to be on point.

All in all, it promises to be an appetising weekend of hockey in the House Of Steel.

My predictions? Steelers to see off the Bears 4-2 on Saturday, and then complete a four point weekend by defeating the Storm in a tough 3-1 encounter on the Sunday. What do you think?

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Steelers sleigh Clan with a shutout

Welcome to the match report from the Steelers game against the Braehead Clan.

Steelers headed into the final game before Christmas on the back of a 6-1 Challenge Cup quarter final win over the Dundee Stars. It was a chance for the team to impress before back to back Christmas games against the Panthers. Team news saw the Steelers at full strength bar Kieran Brown which meant that both Scott Aarssen and Zack Fitzgerald faced their old club. Clan featured former Steelers defenceman Christoffer Björklund, but were missing forwards Cale Tanaka, Tyler Shattock and former NHLer Ryan Poultny who impressed well in his last visit to the Arena in October.

After a delay due to power outage the home team created a very early chance, Swedish forward Andreas Jämtin causing Ryan Nie in the Clan goal to hold on after just 11 seconds of play. Paul Thompson also juggled up the lines with Liam Kirk partnering Colton Fretter and Mathieu Roy on the top line, the usual second line combination, John Armstrong onto the third with Matt Marquardt and Jämtin, and Tim Wallace moved to the fourth alongside captain Jonathan Phillips and Jonas Westerling. Clan were given a powerplay just over five minutes in when Andreas Valdix seemed to be harshly called for goaltender interference but the Steelers penalty kill has been one of their strengths, and saw off the man advantage.

Braehead continued to press, and forced Ervins Mustukovs into a series of saves midway through the opening twenty before Steelers came back into it at the end. However, the teams remained scoreless with Clan edging it the game via shots on goal. We didn’t have to wait for a goal in the middle period though as Steelers got themselves on the board at 21:38. Good work from Armstrong set up Marquardt to score his 14^th of the season from the high slot with Jämtin providing a good screen in front of Nie. That 14^th goal for Marquardt matched his tally with Coventry last season. Despite this, and plenty of other chances Steelers held that slender margin going into the final period.

The dominance continued in the third and you just knew it was coming. Mathieu Roy with a nice pass to his faithful sidekick Colton Fretter who made the Clan look absolutely daft before dispatching beyond Nie for 2-0 and a bit of breathing space. It was Colton’s 13^th of the season. Apart from that opening period, Clan been second best for the second and third period and captain Ville Hämäläinen took a nasty knock towards the end of the game which is bound to concern coach John Tripp in what has been a very short-benched Clan roster all season so far. With 1:48 left to play, Clan gambled and risked Nie for an extra attacker. It was prone to leave them exposed, and they almost conceded a third when Tim Wallace (a player in need of goals) missed the empty cage from near on the half board next to the Clan bench. A few moments later, the clincher arrived. Clan turned the puck over after that Wallace effort, and the King Of Sheffield swooped on it before doing a nice wraparound finish into the unprotected goal: Mathieu’s 13^th of the season. Game done and dusted, now for the Panthers!

Time for the statistics:

Goals: Steelers 3 Clan 0 

Steelers Scoring: Roy 1+1, Marquardt 1+0, Fretter 1+0, Matheson 0+1, Armstrong 0+1.

Clan Scoring: Nobody!

Shots On Goal:  Steelers 39 Clan 23

Powerplay: Steelers 0 from 4 (0% conversion), Clan 0 from 3 (0% conversion)

Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 6 Clan 8

Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 23 Saves (674), GAA: 0.00 (2.30), Save Percentage: 100.00% (91.70%).

Man of the Match: Ervins Mustukovs (Steelers), Ryan Nie (Clan)

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Big Match Preview: Braehead (Home)

Welcome to the preview of the next Steelers game.

There's only one game for the team this week, and that happens on Saturday night in the House Of Steel. Making the trip south of the border are the following team:

Yes it's the purple army, the Braehead Clan. Therefore we hope to see a great deal of our purple friends in the building. Games between both teams are usually entertaining and at times, close, so we could be in for a game and a half if previous encounters have anything to go by. This season has seen the sides feature against each other four times already, as they were grouped together in the same Challenge Cup qualifying group, and it's the Steelers who hold the upper hand with a win each time. In the same games, Steelers have scored 16 times compared to the Clan's 5. But that means nothing as Braehead certainly have the ability to inflict more league misery upon us.

A win for the Steelers would improve confidence in the ranks after a blank weekend last, whilst a win for the Clan could see them improve their own league standing and if results go against the Steelers - the home side could easily be lying in 7th place by the time they take on the Panthers in the Christmas double header games.

My prediction? Steelers to get back to winning ways in the league and to continue their dominance over the Clan this season: I'll take them to win it 5-2. How about you?

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Semi Final for Steelers as Stars sent packing

Welcome to our main match report from last night's Challenge Cup game against the Dundee Stars.

On a rare Tuesday night, the Steelers played their quarter-final second leg against the Dundee Stars. Steelers had taken a massive step towards clinching a semi-final berth with a 7-2 win in Tayside last week, but were looking to pick themselves up after a zero point weekend in the league. The team news saw Steelers not ice either Levi Nelson nor Kieran Brown. Cole Shudra started off in defence and defenceman Mark Matheson iced as a centre. Ervins Mustukovs started off the game in between the pipes. Omar Pacha's side were without Cameron McGiffin and Taylor Dickin who both left the club on Monday, as well as former Steeler Chris Lawrence and Swede Johan Andersson.

Steelers controlled the game from start to finish but some stubborn resistance from the Stars meant the deadlock remained unbroken until two and half minutes before the end of the second period; but what a goal it was though. Some absolutely ridiculous skill from new Finnish defenceman Miika Franssila saw him scythe his way through the Stars defence like a knife through hot butter; and then leave Travis Fullerton floundering before tucking the puck into the empty net for his first ever Steelers goal. A goal of the season candidate already. Prior to that we had a fight, Robert Dowd went through with a check that Anthony Mastrodicasa took exception to. Someone should have told Mastrodicasa that Dowd is not to be messed with, the former's team mate Riley Stadel knows this, and in the resultant scrap Dowdy again took charge.

The second goal came with just 14 seconds of the same second period left, Matt Marquardt finishing off a great move created by Dowd and Liam Kirk to score his 12th of the season. That made it 9-2 on aggregate and you couldn't see any further way back into the tie for the visitors. The final period saw Steelers give Mustukovs the rest of the night off as Brad Day was given some much welcomed ice time. It became 3-0 on the night just 73 seconds into the final twenty, Marquardt scoring his second of the game and 13th of the season on a breakaway after Andreas Jämtin had carved open the Stars defence. At 44:29 the lead was extended further when a wrister from Zack Fitzgerald (still playing with a face guard) found it's way home but it was one that Fullerton would be embarrassed to see over and over again. It was Fitzy's first of the season.

That Fitzgerald goal was also to spell the end of Fullerton's night as he made way for Craig Holland who would ice for the remaining 15 and a half minutes. Steelers obviously sensed more goals were to come and added their fifth at 47:18. Mastrodicasa was serving a slashing minor and just 11 seconds into that powerplay, Ben O'Connor put one on goal and Mathieu Roy in his usual position got the decisive tip to defeat Holland. It was the King's 10th of the season. A sixth came before 50 minutes play, a left shot from left circle by O'Connor eluded Holland and found its way in. Benny's seventh of the season. As the game petered out, we had a second fight of the night - Pacha rubbing up Colton Fretter the wrong way and getting a taste of his own medicine. Stars did however score the final goal of the tie, just like they did with the first, Justin Fox with a nice finish with 76 seconds left in the game to ruin the double shutout.

So Steelers advance 13-2 on aggregate, and now await the winners of the Cardiff-Guildford quarter final.

Time for the statistics:

Goals: Steelers 6 Stars 1 

Steelers Scoring: Westerling 0+3, Marquardt 2+0, Roy 1+1, O'Connor 1+1, Matheson 0+2, Franssila 1+0, Fitzgerald 1+0, Aarssen 0+1, Jämtin 0+1, Kirk 0+1, Dowd 0+1.
Stars Scoring: Fox 1+0, Mimar 0+1, Lévesque 0+1.

Shots On Goal:  Steelers 39 Stars 15

Powerplay: Steelers 1 from 4 (25% conversion), Stars 0 from 5 (0% conversion)

Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 22 Stars 40

Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 13 Saves (186), GAA: 0.00 (2.25), Save Percentage: 100.00% (92.50%). Day 1 Save (33), GAA: 3.00 (2.18), Save Percentage: 50.00% (91.70%)

Man of the Match: Matt Marquardt (Steelers), Justin Fox (Stars)

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Flyers soar to deepen Steelers misery

Welcome to our match report from Sunday's game at the House Of Steel against the Fife Flyers.

After slipping to yet another loss in the league, Steelers were looking to bounce back against this season's surprise packet as they hosted Todd Dutiaume's Fife Flyers. The team was unchanged from the side that lost 4-1 in Cardiff the night before but added both Cole Shudra and Liam Kirk to the line-up after international duty with GB. Fife were at full strength themselves which meant returns to the House Of Steel for former Steelers defencemen Jim Jorgensen and Russ Moyer. 

Both teams started the game well, forcing the respective netminders into a series of saves with Andy Iles already giving the majority of the 4148 spectators a good look at why he has been such a great pick up for the Flyers this campaign so far. However the deadlock was broken just before the 12 minute mark, Zack Fitzgerald with the feed and "The King of Sheffield" with the finish for was only his 9th goal of another stop-start season. It was also the cue for loads of bears, teddies etc. to hit the Arena ice as Steelers did their annual Teddy Toss in aid of local youngsters and local radio station Hallam FM's Mission Christmas/Cash For Kids appeal. However, that proved to be the sole goal of the opening period as Iles shut the door on a number of efforts following the goal.

Steelers had a great chance to double their lead in the opening stages of the second as Birzins and Bloodoff were assessed minors within 48 seconds of each other. Unfortunately and probably infuriatingly for the home support, Steelers failed to capitalise and so it remained a nervous one goal lead. With Iles having probably one of the games of his life at one end of the ice, you just knew something would happen at the other.

Yet in the final stages of the second period, it did. Steelers ran into penalty trouble as John Armstrong and Andreas Jämtin picked up minors within 46 seconds of each other. Eleven seconds of the 5 on 3 had elapsed when the Flyers powerplay profited and Shayne Stockton, scorer of a goal against the Steelers earlier this in Kirkcaldy, lit the red light. Defending a 5 on 4 now, could the Steelers stand firm and possibly leave it all to play for in the final twenty? The answer was no as Chase Schaber managed to get the all-important touch after a scramble; two powerplay goals in 1 minute 20 seconds!

The home side had to push now to avoid the ignominy of a zero point weekend, but Andy Iles was determined to protect his side's lead as Paul Thompson's men searched for that equaliser. Time and time again Iles denied the Steelers and once more proved to be a thorn in the home ranks. So it came down to the sacrifice of Ervins Mustukovs and Steelers with an extra attacker on the ice. Would they repeat what the Flyers had done to them in Kirkcaldy? Unfortunately not as with 52 seconds left, Flyers gained possession and skated up ice for Ian Young to add the icing on the proverbial cake. A chorus of displeasure greeted it, mainly in the direction of the coaching combo and that was that. The worse case scenario had rung true and Steelers slipped to the rarity; with teams around them also winning - the heat is certainly now on.

Time for the statistics:

Goals: Steelers 1 Flyers 3 

Steelers Scoring: Roy 1+0, Fitzgerald 0+1.

Flyers Scoring: Schaber 1+1, Gauthier 0+2, Mosey 1+0, Stockton 1+0, Birziņš 0+1.

Shots On Goal:  Steelers 44 Flyers 31

Powerplay: Steelers 0 from 5 (0% conversion), Flyers 2 from 7 (29% conversion)

Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 14 Flyers 10

Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 28 Saves (651), GAA: 2.01 (2.39), Save Percentage 93.30% (91.40%)

Man of the Match: Miika Franssila (Steelers), Andy Iles (Flyers)

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Big Match Preview: Dundee (Home)

Welcome to the Big Match Preview of the next Steelers game.

It's midweek hockey in Sheffield, and a £5.00 hockey game too. Steelers look to put their zero point weekend behind them as it's the second leg of the Challenge Cup quarter-final. That means that this team are in town:

Yes for the sixth time this season already, we face Omar Pacha and his Dundee Stars. For those who have been asleep for a bit, Steelers played the first leg in Tayside last Wednesday and skated away with a 7-2 advantage. That after being just 3-2 ahead with just one period to play, it also saw Davey Phillips score twice (yes you read that correctly) for his first goals of the season. It's a margin that Steelers should not relinquish and a semi-final berth beckons.

Stars have had at best, a season that promised so much but fallen flat a lot of the time. They will definitely be without Taylor Dickin, who was released today, and defenceman Cameron McGiffin who has hung the skates up to take up a job outside of hockey. Pacha will probably have to continue icing himself, as he still looks to record his first ever triumph over the Steelers since he first came to these shores in 2013 when he joined the Hull Stingrays. This will be his 25th attempt!

With the tie almost done and dusted, we expect the youngsters might get a fair bit of ice time which could give the likes of Brad Day, Cole Shudra and Liam Kirk plenty of time to shine. If Kieran Brown is fit, expect him to feature at some point. It would make sense. But with Steelers not in good league form, will Thompson risk the temptation and give some of his underachieving regular roster further shots at redemption? That's the flip side of the coin.

My prediction? Steelers to make the semi-final and to complete back to back wins in this quarter-final. Scoreline: Steelers to win 5-2 on the night, thereby finishing the tie 12-4 on the aggregate score. How do you see it unfold?

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Sheffield Steelers v Cardiff Devils - Challenge Cup Group B

Sheffield first home game of the new season versus Cardiff as well as the banner raising of last years league championship.

Sheffield Steelers – 8
Mathieu Roy (3) - 1st, 3rd (PP), 3rd
Jace Coyle - 1st
Jeff Legue - 1st
Levi Nelson - 1st
Robert Dowd - 2nd
Tyler Mosienko - 3rd

Cardiff Devils – 1
Andrew Lord - 2nd

Steelers first home game of the season as they took on the Devils in the challenge cup. 24 hours earlier the Steelers defeated Coventry in their own barn 4-0 and looked to take that momentum into the Cardiff game and to get revenge for the previous week. After giving up an early penalty shot which Tyler Plante saved comfortably from Leigh Salters the Steelers gave up another breakaway but Plante saved again and drew a delayed penalty but Sheffield broke and it was Jeff Legue from the right hand side who threw one on goal and it was Mathieu Roy who tipped it past Bowns for 1-0 at 1:08. It was 2-0 at 12:50 when some great work by Mosienko set up Jace Coyle on the blue line who fired his snap shot through traffic and beat Ben Bowns at his near post. No Less than 30 seconds later it was 3-0 when Legue and Roy linked up with Mathieu Roy playing a lovely back handed pass to the tape of Legue who moved Bowns and finished from a tight angle at 13:12. With the clock ticking down Levi Nelson made it 4-0 at 19:39 when he skated into the zone and brought the puck into his body before brilliantly sniping one past the blocker of Ben Bowns and Sheffield took a comfortable lead into the 1st break.

Into the 2nd period Cardiff pulled a goal back through their player coach when Andrew Lord fired one onto the post before picking up his own rebound and firing the backhanded shot past Plante to break the shutout at 24:02 to make it 4-1. In pretty much the very next play Robert Dowd made it 5-1 after a slick pass from Legue in the slot he fired a quick release stick side of Ben Bowns at 24:20. Cardiff had a mountain to climb going into the third period being down by four goals.

Sheffield scored their 6th goal at 44:48 while on the power play the Steelers broke 3v2 and Colton Fretter took his time to pass the puck through two Devils players for Mathieu Roy to re-direct past Ben Bowns to score his 2nd of the night. Sheffield continued their dominance at 46:39 when they scored their 7th when Duco played Phillips while drawing a delayed penalty from Batch it was the captain who slipped in Mosienko at the back door to slot past Ben Bowns which also saw the end of the night of the British number 1 as he was replaced by Mike Will in between the pipes. Mathieu Roy completed his hat-trick at 57:46 when he received the puck in the slot before showing nice hands to stick handle it under the leg pads of Will who was already down on the Ice and that made it 8-1 and completed a convincing win for the Steelers to secure a four point weekend.

FINAL SCORE: Sheffield Steelers 8-1 Cardiff Devils

Mathieu Roy took the Man of the Match award for the Steelers and Mark Richardson received it for the Devils. The Steelers next game is Saturday 19th September when they take on the Coventry Blaze in their only game of the weekend at the Sheffield Arena.

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