Steelers a step closer to CHL knock-out stages

Photo: Berend Stettler

Sheffield Steelers picked up an excellent point on the road in Switzerland to move a giant step closer to making the Round of 16 in the 2024/25 Champions Hockey League.

The Steelers were beaten in a shootout by ZSC Lions in Zurich, but now have nine points from five games played which, barring a very specific set of results, will see them into the knockout stages.

The game at the Swiss Life Arena saw Latvian Rudolfs Balcers give ZSC the lead at 16:44 - Marlon Graf gained possession along the left wing side before feeding a pass to Mikko Lehtonen who slid it to Balcers who rifled it past Matt Greenfield.

A quick transition play up ice gave Mikko Juusola time to thread a pass to Daniel Leavens between two defenders as Leavens picked his spot and beat Šimon Hrubec to even things at one goal apiece 12:01 in period two.

Greenfield came up with several big stops to keep the game level in the third, and the Steelers earned a point deadlocked at one each through 60 minutes. Balcers was the home side's hero in the shootout to give them the extra two points.