Steelers stay on top despite late Devils surge

Photo: James Assinder

The Sheffield Steelers moved three points ahead at the top of the Premier Sports Elite League with a well-earned 5-3 win over the Cardiff Devils at Ice Arena Wales.

Sheffield had the perfect start to the game, if a little fortuitous. With 4:25 played, Devils' goalie Mac Carruth went out to play an innocent dump in but tripped and deflected the puck straight out in front of his net, giving Martin Látal the simple task of backhanding into the empty cage.

The Devils struggled to get into the game with Sheffield having the lion's share of the chances in the opening period. Carruth made an excellent double save, eventually denying Tanner Eberle from putting the Steelers two up some five minutes after conceding the opening goal. Matt Register had arguably the Devils' best chance of the period, but Rok Stojanovič got enough behind the shot for the puck to bounce wide.

Period two were more balanced but it was still the Steelers who carried the bigger offensive threat. The Devils carved out more chances on Stojanovič's net a combinations of blocks and one pass too many kept the Devils at bay. The home fans at Ice arena Wales were silenced just past the halfway mark when Daine Todd's pass took a deflection in front of the crease, giving Jonathan Phillips the simple tap-in in front.

Rob Dowd could have all but finished the game when he went through 1-on-0 early in period three, but Carruth pulled off a good save. However, new signing Vojtech Polák did make it three on a rebound at 49:05 to give the Steelers what looked to be a comfortable lead. Marc-Olivier Vallerand poked home a rebound at 52:44 to make it 4-0, a goal which the Devils wanted reviewed, but with no video available to the officials the on-ice call stood.

Some Steelers penalty trouble for the Steelers gave the Devils a way back into the game. Cole Samford got the ball rolling at 54:07, followed by Brodie Reid just 25 seconds later. The Devils pushed forward for an equaliser with Carruth pulled, and had a post to thanks for the Steelers not finding the empty net. With 53 seconds left, Stephen Dixon suddenly had the Devils back to within one, and then with Jonathan Phillips binned for tripping they had 14 seconds of 6-on-4 to try and tie it. However, John Armstrong won the vital faceoff, allowing Martin Látal to find the open cage and seal it with 10 seconds left.

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