Balmas double gets Steelers past Panthers

Photo: Panthers Images

Sheffield Steelers got their second road win of the week but were made to work hard for it by Nottingham Panthers, who again just fell short. 

Rok Stojanovič did his level best to keep the game scoreless in the opening stages with an excellent save sliding across his crease to deny Daniel Ciampini the opening goal 7:39 into period one. Ciampini had earlier missed an almost entirely open net as the Steelers dominated, but their pressure eventually told with Zach Vinnell putting them ahead with 8:13 played. Otto Nieminen had a neat wrist shot saved well by Matt Greenfield as the Panthers looked to respond, but the it was the visitors who held the one-goal advantage after 20 minutes.

Stojanovič thwarted a Steelers 3-on-1 in the early stages of period two, but after making that save he could only watch as Mitchell Balmas was given time in the slot to pick his spot and make it 2-0 at 22:05. The Panthers got themselves back into the game while Simon Despres sat a Slashing minor - Nieminen took the puck through the zones and faked as if he was going to skate along the boards, but then cut inside to bring the puck towards Greenfield who stopped his initial shot, but Hugo Roy was on hand to slot home the loose puck for a shorthanded goal at 28:09.

The Panthers deservedly tied the game 4:29 into period three with a backhanded Nieminen effort being tipped in front by Roy to bring the scores back level. However, it was Balmas who put the Steelers back ahead just under two minutes later when he raced through on Stojanovič and beat him five-hole off an excellent Robert Dowd Stretch pass. The Panthers played 50 seconds with the extra skater to try and tie the game in the final minute, but ran out of time.