Steelers snap streak, hold on in Nottingham

Photo: Panthers Images

Sheffield Steelers ended their four-game losing streak with a one-goal win in Nottingham, but had to survive a late Panthers fightback to do it. A sell-out crowd of 6,924 fans saw a thrilling game at the Motorpoint Arena.

Ryan Bednard and Matt Greenfield were the standouts in the first period, both coming up with candidates for save of the week. Greenfield kept the Panthers out early after he was initially wrong-footed, and off a Jordan Kelsall tip, while a sprawling Bednard kept the Panthers on level terms as the Steelers grew into the game and should have gone ahead through Brandon Whistle at the far post. On balance, the Panthers were likely disappointed to have ended the period without having taken the lead, having out-shot their opponents 16-9.

If the Panthers were feeling like they should have been leading after 20 minutes, the Steelers were deservedly up after 40. Robert Dowd broke the deadlock 5:20 into period two with the rebound off a Maxim Golod shot, the goal coming after some sustained passages of Steelers Pressure.

Shortly after, Didrik Henbrant was sent through 1-on-0 but draw Greenfield into a five-hole save in what proved to be a turning point in the game by not tying things up. The Steelers went two ahead when Dowd tipped Dominic Cormier’s shot from the point at 32:37, and 2:58 before the end of the period made it 3-0 through Daniel Leavens – that goal coming on a powerplay after Cooper Zech had no choice but to hook Golod when he followed up a loose puck.

Needing something to get his team going in the final period, Mitchell Fossier dropped the gloves with Marc-Olivier Vallerand, and that seemed to spark the home side into live. Just 22 seconds later, Didrik Hendrant broke through and finished high to beat Greenfield and get the Panthers on the board. 78 seconds following their first goal of the night, the Panthers added a second as Otto Nieminen's shot deflected off Ollie Betteridge to make it a one-goal game with 14:40 still left to play.

Hugo Roy failed to hit the target inside the final ten minutes when doing so would likely have tied the game, and he also saw Greenfield stop a backhand effort as the clock ticked down. The Panthers pulled Bednard with 43 seconds to go, and on the final play of the game almost tied it - having struggled to get the puck to the net, Didrik Henbrant found the puck on his stick with literally the last shot of the game but found Greenfield in his ay to secure the points for the Steelers.