Back-to-back nights on home ice brought back-to-back statements from the Steelers, as they followed up Saturday’s reset victory over Manchester Storm with an emphatic 6–3 win over league rivals Cardiff Devils at the Utilita Arena. With Cardiff arriving in second place and the Steelers sitting just behind them, this one carried genuine weight in the standings, and the Steelers delivered in style.
The Steelers were relentless throughout, outshooting the Devils 35–22 and dominating key areas of the game. They were clinical when it mattered, converting on the powerplay, striking short-handed, and controlling the tempo through aggressive forechecking and sustained offensive zone pressure. The special teams battle was decisive: the Steelers went 2-for-3 on the powerplay, scored short-handed, and posted a perfect penalty kill, while Cardiff struggled to gain any rhythm in those situations.
Matthew Greenfield was once again rock-solid between the pipes, producing big saves at key moments, particularly early in the third period when the Devils were still within touching distance. At the other end, the Steelers’ depth and balance shone through, with goals coming across the lineup and consistent pressure waves rolling through Cardiff’s zone.
But the story of the night belonged to Brett Ritchie and Stephen Harper. Ritchie delivered a two-goal performance, including his first goal in Steelers colours, while Harper matched him with two of his own, including a crucial late first-period powerplay strike. Add goals from Jordon Southorn and Mitchell Balmas, and the Steelers produced a complete, authoritative performance that not only secured the points but sent a message to the teams above them in the standings.
First Period (Steelers lead 3–2)
The game exploded into life early, with Cardiff striking first at 1:31. A breakdown at the back post left a Devils forward unmarked, sliding the puck across the crease for Josh Macdonald, who finished on the backhand after Greenfield’s initial stop. It was a frustrating start, but the response from the Steelers was immediate and emphatic.
Just 98 seconds later, the Steelers hit straight back. Jack Dougherty fired a shot from the blue line and Stephen Harper produced a superb touch at the top of the crease, redirecting it home for the equaliser. The building barely had time to settle before the tempo lifted again, with Brett Ritchie producing a huge defensive play; a perfectly timed stick lift on the backcheck to deny Cardiff a golden scoring opportunity.
At 8:31, the Devils regained the lead after Dougherty lost possession at the Cardiff blue line. Macdonald broke away and again finished on the backhand at the back post for his second of the night. But once more, the Steelers refused to let the game drift. At 12:08, a brilliant feed from Mitchell Heard behind the net found Brett Ritchie in the blue paint, and he roofed his shot for his first goal in Steelers colours, bringing the game back level at 2–2.
The Steelers continued to press, although Jordan Southorn’s no-look pass created a chance that saw Kohen Olischefski ring the puck off the post. Then, with 40 seconds left in the period, the Devils were penalised for tripping Patrick Watling. The Steelers needed just 22 seconds of the powerplay to capitalise. Stephen Harper struck again at 19:42, finishing from the doorstep after good work from Ritchie, giving the Steelers a 3–2 lead at the break, and a deserved one after a fast, physical, high-quality opening period.
Second Period (Steelers lead 5–3)
The Steelers carried their momentum into the second, immediately applying pressure through an aggressive forecheck. Mitchell Heard nearly beat Bowns to a loose puck in front, while Ryan Tait tested the Devils netminder with a heavy slapshot. The tone was set: the Steelers were playing on the front foot and dictating territory.
A pivotal moment came when Patrick Watling was caught knee-on-knee by Connor Caponi, forcing the officials into a lengthy review. Watling was helped from the ice by two Steelers players, but remarkably the call remained two minutes for kneeing. The Steelers made Cardiff pay. At 23:39, Brett Ritchie struck again on the powerplay, finishing high into the roof of the net from the right point after a feed from Dominic Cormier, with Mitchell Balmas also assisting. Two goals on the night, both clinical, both momentum-shifting.
The pressure didn’t ease. Heard and Juusola created a two-on-one, Harper almost completed his hat-trick in a crease battle, and Cormier forced a big save from Bowns with a fierce shot. Against the run of play, Cardiff pulled one back at 30:56 when Joey Martin picked the top corner after excellent wing play from Macdonald.
But the Steelers’ response was instant, and devastating. Following offsetting penalties after Sam Tremblay and Brett Ferguson dropped the gloves, the Devils found themselves on the powerplay. Instead, it was the Steelers who struck. Mikko Juusola produced a phenomenal forecheck to win the puck back, fed Jordan Southorn behind the net, and Southorn fired home a stunning short-handed goal at 34:08. The goal triggered a goaltending change, with Ben Bowns replaced by Christian Stoever, but the damage was done. The Steelers went into the second intermission 5–3 ahead, firmly in control and full of belief.
Third Period (Steelers win 6–3)
Cardiff came out pushing, but they were met by a wall named Matthew Greenfield. Early in the period, Greenfield produced a sensational sequence of saves, stopping the first shot, scrambling to recover the loose puck, and then stretching out the right leg pad for an outstanding third stop that brought the crowd to its feet.
The Steelers continued to generate chances through their top lines, with the Ritchie–Heard–Harper combination again causing chaos in the Devils zone. Patrick Watling showcased his class with a dazzling deke sequence, while Greenfield continued to deny Cardiff at the other end, including a sharp leg-pad save off a blue-line drive following an offensive-zone faceoff win.
Physicality also defined the period. Brett Ritchie flattened Cedric Lacroix in a heavy collision near the bench doors, underlining the Steelers’ edge and intensity. A Cardiff holding penalty handed the Steelers another powerplay, and although they couldn’t extend the lead, the pressure never relented.
With Stoever pulled for the extra skater, the Devils pushed late, but the Steelers stayed composed. Jordan Southorn narrowly missed the empty net, before Mitchell Balmas sealed it at 56:38, calmly picking his spot into the empty cage from in front of the Steelers bench. A 6–3 victory was secured.
Man of the Match
- Steelers: Brett Ritchie
- Devils: Joey Martin
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