Devils Vs Steelers 24/11/13

24th Nov 2013 | Posted by Simon Rafferty

Sunday night see’s the Sheffield Steelers come to the bay. The Steelers on the hunt for a four point weekend come into the bay 3rd in the league. Looking to get back into winning ways after a big 4 – 1 road win in Hull the Devils will have it all to do against the Steelers.

Last Saturday saw the Steelers as the home side and taking the honours in their first league encounter of the season against their deadly dull rivals the Nottingham Panthers. However, it took a goal inside the last minute of the game to make sure the points went the way of the Steelers.

After twenty minutes of hockey there was nothing between the teams as they netted a goal apiece. The visitors were first on the board with a powerplay goal from David Clarke at 2.36. The hosts could have been level at 5.01 when they were awarded a penalty shot but Robert Dowd failed to find the net. They did however level the game at 5.52 with a strike from Jeff Legue.

A powerplay goal from Chad Langlais at 25.55 put the hosts in front. They increased their lead at 28.27 with a Jonathan Phillips strike .However, a second goal of the game from Clarke at 33.05 cut the home sides lead to one. Less than a minute later a second powerplay goal from Langlais restored the home sides two goal lead at 34.01.

A strike from Jonathan Weaver early in the second period at 42.24 made it a one goal game yet again. The next goal was going to be an important one and it came the way of the home side with 32 seconds remaining from Legue as he secured the points for the Steelers.

Final Score Sheffield Steelers 5- 3  Nottingham Panthers

Sunday saw the return leg of the double fall the other was as Panthers gained instant and decisive revenge on Steelers following their previous night’s 5-3 loss in Sheffield with a devastating 5-0 third period rout in a feisty encounter at the NIC in front of nearly 7,000 fans.

No fewer than 120 penalty minutes were called by referee Michael Hicks with ejections for Panthers’ Brent Henley and Tuuka Makela.

It didn’t take long for this one to light up with Henley being banished at 8.47 on a match penalty for excessive roughness but while shorthanded it was Panthers who took the lead with Matt Francis on hand to score at 9.33. Penalties continued to flow in that opening period but that was to be the only goal in a breathless series of exchanges.

Steelers had been probably creating more of the chances in the game and that continued into period two with finally some reward thanks to a tying goal at 32.21 on the powerplay by Rob Sirianni before Panthers saw Makela ejected on a 5+game for boarding at 38.31. No more goals left left the team level after forty minutes.

However, in the third session Steelers crumbled under a Panthers onslaught. Matt Ryan edged the hosts in front at 41.41 on the powerplay and again with a man-advantage Leigh Salters made it 3-1 at 46.34. Chris Murray added a fourth for the home side at 50.37 and at 51.53 Panther s went nap thanks to a second of the game from Francis.

The gloves were off with Joe Jensen of Panthers and Jason Hewitt of Steelers getting it done at 55.14 but with Hewitt also picking up an extra 2+10 for instigating it allowed Corey Neilson’s men to add powerplay goal number three of the night some 21 seconds later with Francis completing a hat trick to end the scoring and a great night for the NIC faithful.

Final Score Nottingham Panthers 6 – 1  Sheffield Steelers

Prior to our game on Sunday the Steelers faced the Dundee Stars at home on Saturday  where a solid display by Steelers, restricting Stars to a season low 16 shots, was the foundation for the 4-1 win that keeps Doug Christiansen’s men in third spot in the standings.

Rob Sirianni was star of the show for the hosts, involved in every goal with a 1+3 haul, while the evergreen Jeff Legue fired in a double.

Dan Bakala was by far the busier of the two goaltenders in the opening period but Steelers could only find a way past him once when on the powerplay Legue hit the net at 15.53.

With Stars on penalty killing duties right from the off in period two it was soon 2-0 Steelers with a 5 on 3 powerplay goal scored by Sirianni only 38 seconds in. Stars then got on the board at 23.12 as Nico Sacchetti fired past Frank Doyle but a third powerplay goal of the night at 29.23 from League saw his side 3-1 ahead – a lead they held to the second period interval.

Steelers kept up the pressure in the third period and all Stars had to show for their efforts was a paltry 2 shots on goal. A the other end Steelers were able to add one further marker, this one coming from Aaron Nell at 50.43 to end the scoring and a confident two points for Doug Christiansen’s troops.

Final Score Sheffield Steelers 4 -1 Dundee Stars

Our contact in Sheffield tells us that Doyle the net minder has been Outstanding, and the Stand out playters on defenceman have been Langlais, and Fata. 

Forward wise, Goertzen, Phillips and Dowd are all doing pretty well.

He went to say that the Steelers are  just very inconsistent at the moment with one of the best teams on paper but not performing on the ice. 

On paper the ones to watch look to be - 

Jeff Legue on 14 goals and 11 assists who’s closing in fast on 500 points in all EIHL game

Stefan Meyer on 10 goals and 11 assists

Steven Goertzen on 6 goals and 15 assists

Robert Dowd on 11 goals and 9 assists

In nets Frank Doyle has been playing well for the Steelers after a slow start to the season with a save percentage currently running at  89% and 2.9 Goals against average.

You can witness us talk about this upcoming game against the Steelers, last weekend’s games, a whole load of Random stuff and see the smashing of a Devils mug by one of the panel ( let’s call him Jon)  and a whole lot more in the Shambolic Episode 10 of Inferno TV here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJrfqMIV00E

We will be running the “ridiculously childish and disgustingly biased” and “Pantomime Script” like Match Night Live service for this game, expect name calling, slurs and one eyed bias in epic proportions, at the usual location of http://www.the-inferno.co.uk/mnl

We’ll be updating you live from the Inferno “News desk” at the rink thanks to the great guys at Analysis Technologies. If you’d like to chip in with a comment or make a score prediction you can contact us at matchnightlive@gmail.com

Also if you can't make it down and you don't want to miss any of the action and reading the game isn’t enough you can get the on Devils live TV here Shttp://cardiffdevilstv.net/  for a jolly reasonable £8.