Steelers thrash Sparta Prague in front of near sell-out

Photo: Dean Woolley

Sheffield Steelers continued the miserable run of Czech Extraliga teams visiting the UK in the Champions Hockey League wit ha fantastic 4-1 win over Sparta Prague on Friday night.

In front of just shy of 9,000 fans at the Utilita Arena, Sheffield joined Belfast Giants, Cardiff Devils and Nottingham Panthers as EIHL teams to beat Czech opposition in the CHL, as well as winning two games in the same season in the competition.

The Steelers' win came after an historic overtime road victory in Växjö six nights earlier, and leaves them in an excellent position in five points after three games.

They went ahead inside two minutes when Joel Janatuinen beat Jakub Kovář from a bad angle. Almost exactly two minutes later, at 3:50, Mikko Juusola's shot crept through Kovář's pads to double the lead. Sparta gradually grew into the game and did hit a post, but the Steelers looked dangerous every time they broke up ice and were unlucky not to go three ahead through Robert Dowd. 

Ondřej Najman got the Czechs on the board 2:18 into period two when Tomáš Hyska reacted fastest to a loose puck and centred for Najman to beat Matt Greenfield. The goal was scored shorthanded, wiping out the Steelers' powerplay.

A feisty end to the period saw both teams take major penalties but without further goals. 

Sparta, who beat Fehérvár AV19 on Game Day 2 thanks to a final period 5-on-3 advantage, found themselves on the receiving end of the same early in the third period in Sheffield. After Daniel Leavens had a goal chalked off for offside in earlier in the play, he did make it 3-1 at 41:40 after neat passing in front of Kovář's net. Sparta coach Pavel Gross called a timeout and pulled Kovář's with 3:21 to play but despite some pressure and passing, Sparta failed to trouble Greenfield. With 2:27 left on the clock, Dominic Cormier shot from his own slot down the ice to find the empty net and put the Steelers 4-1 up. Marc-Olivier Vallerand added a fifth with another empty net finish with 1:29 to play to the dismay of the travelling Sparta fans.