Polák wins it in OT for Steelers
Photo: Dean Woolley
Vojtěch Polák scored the overtime winner for the Sheffield Steelers as they beat the Guildford Flames in overtime at the Utilita Arena on Sunday afternoon, coming back from an early 2-0 deficit to go back top of the league.
The score was tied after a busy opening period which saw the Flames take a two-goal lead but then be pulled back. Brett Ferguson was set through the middle by an excellent pass from Levi Cable to shoot past Rok Stojanovič just 86 seconds into the game, and Cable then finished off a fortunate bounce to double the visitors' lead with only 4:48 played.
Marc-Olivier Vallerand got the Steelers back into things with an excellent wrist shot at 5:31, and by 11:34 the Steelers were level on a rush after the Flames couldn't convert one of their own - Vallerand set up Robert Dowd to beat Kevin Lindskoug to tie it up. The Flames hit the post as the period wound down, but at the other end were grateful to Lindskoug for a point-blank save off Evan Mosey.
Period two was a much tighter affair overall, but it started in the same way with an early Flames goal. Exactly 86 seconds in again, Cable set up Jamal Watson on a 2-on-1 and the defenseman beat Stojanovič with an excellent move in close.
The Steelers hit two posts and survived two penalty kills before getting back on level terms. With only three seconds left in the period, Vallerand got his second of the game thanks to a great release in the slot which beat Lindskoug top shelf.
Period three was a stop-start affair with a bunch of penalties called as the clock ticked down. Guildford had the better of the chances to steal the points in regulation with McNulty unable to score 1-on-0, a puck bouncing over Cable's stick on the same play, and then a John Dunbar shot coming back square off the post inside the final five minutes.
But with no winner in 60 minutes the game head into overtime. Ferguson was callled for tripping 36 seconds into the bonus period, and after a couple of tries the Steelers eventually set up Polák for the rocket slapshot to score and take the bonus point.
The Steelers extend their unbeaten regulation record to 11 games, while the Flames picked up their first point after six straight zero-point losses previously.
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