Steelers cruise past Devils

Photo: Dean Woolley

Despite already having the league title in the bag, Sheffield Steelers extended the lead at the top to 14 points with a comfortable win against Cardiff Devils in front of 9,266 fans at the Utilita Arena.

Anthony Morrone got his first start in two months and went on to record his first shutout for the Steelers, although the Devils' attack offered little with only 15 shots over 60 minutes.

There were no goals in a very quick opening period. In fact, the period was the fest recorded this season, logging in at just 24 minutes and 38 seconds Brett Neumann had one of the Steelers’ best chances shorthanded, but the period ended scoreless and without any high-danger scoring chances.

The Steelers outshot their opponents 15-3 in period two and ended it with a three-goal lead to show for their efforts. Daniel Ciampini's shot 18 seconds into the period hit the post but bounced over the line after hitting Bowns, whose back-reaching glove then knocked the floating puck over the line. Some six minutes later, Bowns thought he'd held a Robert Dowd shot only for it to have rolled loose where Josh Nicholls pushed it over the line. The home side's excellent period continued when Patrick Harper found a passing lane for Dowd to slot home at the far post on the powerplay at 33:58 as the Devils offered very little going forward.

Mark Simpson finished off Brett Neumann's feed to score shorthanded at 48:10 for the game's final goal.