Steelers win 2020 Challenge Cup!
Photos: Dean Woolley, James Assinder, David Williams, Helen Brabon, Rebecca Brain
As the puck dropped at the Viola Arena, the score line from Friday meant nothing to either team, with the first trophy of the season up for grabs, it came down to this, the Sheffield Steelers taking on the Cardiff Devils with their eyes firmly fixed on claiming Challenge Cup glory.
An early penalty against the Steelers was killed with relative ease, and after that the two teams desperately searched for the opening score of the game. It was the Steelers half of the building that celebrated first, John Armstrong moved the puck up ice, shaking off the attentions of two Devils defenseman, before finding a wide-open Michael Davies, who made no mistake with his effort, opening the scoring with a low drive, for his tournament-leading 10th goal. Much like Friday, after the opening goal it didn’t take long for the second to follow. This time it was Marc-Olivier Vallerand the scorer, but it was his linemate Brendan Connolly who made it happen, pulling a lovely spin move as he entered the zone, before laying it back for Vallerand as he attempted to go around the net, and Vallerand had an easy tap in at the back post to open a 2-0 advantage for Sheffield just over a minute after they opened the scoring. Both sides continued to create chances throughout the remainder of the first, but couldn’t get the puck to find the back of the net, with the Steelers holding their lead into the first intermission.
The Devils would begin the second period with a short powerplay opportunity after a late penalty called against Tanner Eberle, but the best chance came the other way. As Connolly forced a turnover at the blueline, he streaked down the ice but was impeded on his way, earning a penalty shot for his troubles, and as he slowed up right in front on his attempt, he fired a quick wrist shot over the glove of Ben Bowns to give the Steelers a 3-0 lead early in the second and his teammates killed the remainder of the penalty to keep it that way.
Cardiff still pressed despite conceding early, and that paid just a few minutes later. With the Devils trying to set up camp in front of Tomas Duba to sneak one by him, Sam Jardine sent a slap shot from the point through a sea of bodies and past the screened goalie, getting Cardiff on the board and making it 3-1. Both teams kept plugging away trying to add another to the score sheet, but both goaltenders came up strong, and their defenses in front of them really played a big part, but eventually something had to give.
As the Devils came up ice, Mike McNamee made a lovely play to pull the puck around a defenseman, laying it back to Masi Marjamäki who didn’t get all of the shot, but it was enough to fool Duba as it slid along the ice and past the veteran goalie to give the Devils their second of the night and make it a one goal game with five minutes left of the middle period of play. It was incredibly close to be all square just moments later, as the Devils tried to get their third, but the Steelers had collapsed down low to block any chance of the puck crossing the line, keeping them ahead by one where they would remain heading into the final 20 minutes.
With just 20 minutes of regulation remaining, and one goal between the two sides, neither team wanted to be the first to make a mistake, but they both clearly started the period in search of a quick goal. Cardiff did well to keep the puck in the offensive zone for most of the opening passages of the third, but with Tomas Duba using every part of his body to make a save including his head, it wasn’t going to be an easy task for the Devils to draw level. After holding off the Devils early on, all it took was one chance for the Steelers to re-open their lead. After picking up the puck in the neutral zone, Michael Davies went in on a two-on-one, electing to take the shot himself, putting it past the blocker of Bowns to make it 4-2 to the Steelers.
Joey Haddad pulled a late one back for the Devils with one minute to play, but it wasn't enough.
