Sheffield Steelers began their league campaign in emphatic fashion, scoring six times to defeat Dundee Stars at the Utilita Arena.
“It’s always nice to win your league opener, and I think this year there are no easy nights, so starting off with a win and two points is a great start,” said Steelers’ Evan Jasper, who scored his first goal in orange in the win. “Every game is important in this league. You can’t win the league in October, but you can definitely lose it. It was important to have a good mindset going into this one and to come out with a win.”
The Steelers controlled the vast majority of possession and chances in the opening period, but it took them over 15 minutes to get ahead. With Kris Inglis serving a slashing minor, Jordon Southorn fired from the slot to open the scoring at 16:33.
Dundee levelled eight minutes into period two when a turnover in the offensive zone allowed the Stars to break 4-on-2. Jonathan McBean swept home a rebound from Justin Bean’s shot to tie the game.
If the visitors hoped that goal would spark a change in momentum, they were soon disappointed. The Steelers restored their lead and then extended it further as Jasper struck before Southorn added a second from the point to make it 4-1.
“I had a bit of puck luck tonight; you can’t do it all by yourself,” added Jasper, who finished the night with four points. “I found some good chemistry with my linemates, and it was great to see everyone going. Our powerplay was buzzing, and we made some really nice plays.”
Ryan Tait and Joona Huttula rounded out the scoring to put the Steelers 6–1 ahead by the 48-minute mark as the home side cruised to victory.
“We just weren’t good enough tonight, to be honest,” reflected Stars’ Jonathan McBean. “We didn’t deserve the win, and they did. Special teams let us down tonight — they capitalised and we didn’t. It was good to get the equaliser, but things went downhill from there. I thought there might be a momentum shift, but we didn’t build on it.”
Sheffield Steelers – Dundee Stars 6:1 Dundee Stars Sheffield Steelers
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