Steelers win tight game against Blaze

Photo: Dean Woolley

Special teams were the difference at the Utilita Arena as the Steelers' penalty kill helped them earn a 3-1 win against Coventry in front of 6,311 spectators in Yorkshire.

Fans waiting to air their bear had to keep them seated through the first 20 minutes which ended goalless. Coventry had the better scoring chance in the opening period but saw three powerplay chances go begging in large part due to some excellent stops from Barry Brust. The best chances in the game fell when both sides were shorthanded: Martin Latal went through 1-on-0 but couldn't beat CJ Motte low, while at the other end Alex Marsh couldn't convert 2-on-0. 

Sheffield were the better side for period two and could have gone ahead through both Justin Hodgman and Jonathan Phillips, but both found CJ Motte on fine form. The breakthrough eventually came with 1:58 left in the period when Marc-Olivier Vallerand was given too much time ad space to pick his spot and beat Motte on the powerplay. Thousands of teddy bears were launched onto the ice after the goal for the Steelers' local charity collection.

Vallerand's second goal of the game gave the Steelers some much-needed breathing space at 47:49, but the Blaze remained dangerous as they looked for a way back into the game. A petulant penalty from Barry Brust, retaliating after thinking a penalty should have been called for a push on him, gave the Blaze a late penalty that the Steelers killed off, however just two seconds later Dillon Eichstadt scrambled the puck over the line to end Brust's shutout hopes with 2:55 left. 

That was, however, as good as it got for the visitors who were left to regret only converting only one of their seven powerplay opportunities as the Steelers took the two-goal win.

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