Steelers seal four point weekend over title rivals

SHEFFIELD, U.K. – The Sheffield Steelers widened the gap at the top of the Elite League table with two great wins over fellow title hopefuls the Cardiff Devils. Sheffield first made the long trip down to the Welsh capital on the Saturday and came away victors with a 5-4 nail biting victory, which was settled in overtime.

 
Sheffield Steelers Player/Coach Ben Simon gave his team the perfect start after just 52 seconds, scoring a shorthanded marker, to give the South Yorkshire side a 1-0 lead.
Sheffield pressed and outshot the hosts 10-8, but it was the Devils who made the most of their chances, with the in-form Scott Matzka tying the game up on the powerplay at 18:50.
 
Cardiff came out the stronger of the two teams in the second period, but some fine netminding from Sheffield’s Latvian international goaltender Ervins Mustukovs kept the hosts at bay.
Ex NHL’er Craig Weller gave Cardiff the lead for the first time in the game at 28:32 after some good work from Ryan Finnerty down low to set him up.
 
Cardiff doubled their lead at 37:56 after an unassisted goal from Scott Matzka.
The fantastic travelling support from Sheffield were soon on their feet as Rob Dowd fired home a superbly taken goal just 17 seconds after Matzka’s effort.
 
Sheffield came out of the blocks first in the final period with a powerplay marker from Rod Sarich to tie the game up at 43:51.
 
Steelers fan favourite Jeff Legue then netted his 33^rd goal of the season at 44:09 to give his team a 4-3 lead.
 
Cardiff were determined to battle back, and did just that when Scott Matzka fired home his hattrick marker at 58:50 to ensure a tense finish at the ‘Big Blue Tent’.
No further scoring ensued, meaning the game would then go to overtime.
 
Both teams had chances in overtime, and there was some solid end-to-end hockey before an unlikely source in Sheffield’s Mark Thomas put the game to bed with his overtime winner at 61:41, ensuring Sheffield would return home with a vital two points.
 
The two teams battled it out once again 24 hours later at the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, but this time with a slightly different outcome. Sheffield claimed the two points once again to pour scorn on the Devils’ title hopes.
 
It was the visitors who got off to the perfect start when Stuart MacRae netted his 22^nd goal of the season after some good work from the Devils pantomime villain Brad Voth at 2:37 to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.
 
Billingham-born Rob Dowd restored parity at 7:21 with his 25^th goal of the season after a great pass from Jerramie Domish found Dowd in space who calmly slotted home.
Ex Florida Panther Rob Globke showed his pedigree with a sublime finish to give the home side a 2-1 lead at 15:44.
Jeff Legue netted the only goal of the second period after some great work from Derek Campbell to give Sheffield some breathing room with a 3-1 lead.
 
Despite Cardiff out shooting Sheffield in the third period, it was the hosts who capitalised on their chances, with Ashley Tait scoring Steelers’ fourth goal shorthanded at 46:18.
Rob Dowd ensured the game was out of reach when he netted his second goal of the game at 56:25 to make it 5-1 to the hosts.
 
A rare goal from British defenceman Alex Symonds was a mere consolation effort for a tired and depleted Cardiff Devils side who were well and truly outclassed by a Sheffield Side who are now unbeaten in 15 games since the Devils 7-1 thumping in January.
 
Contact the author at Scott.antcliffe@prohockeynews.com