2 days Ago By Phil Harrison
Did you know with a Digital subscription to Yorkshire Post, you can get access to all of our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Of course, help from outside South Yorkshire is only worth something if you can take care of your own business. And, save for a 2-1 shootout loss to Nottingham Panthers , the Steelers have been able to do that since their lowest moment of the season on March 1 when they were hammered 6-0 at home by Coventry Blaze.
Advertisement Advertisement That marked a third defeat in a row for the Steelers - coming on the back of losses to Cardiff Devils (6-2) and Guildford, where they went down 3-2 in a shootout. For the last seven games - since being edged out at the National Ice Centre - the Steelers have been perfect, gradually picking away at Belfast Giants’ lead at the top, all the while hoping Adam Keefe’s side would slip up enough times to keep the dream of a second successive league title alive. Those hopes have been realised.
The Giants’ lead is now down to just one point going into the final two-game weekend of the regular season, the Steelers easing past Fife Flyers 8-4 in Kirkcaldy on Sunday night, while the leaders fell to their fifth defeat in 10 games, floored by a 5-1 loss at home to Manchester Storm. Those two results - when combined with Dundee Stars’ 3-1 home defeat to Cardiff - mean there is all to play for at both ends of the table come Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement The Storm had plenty of incentive to turn Belfast over for the second time in succession, their win at the SSE Arena leaving them two points behind the Stars in what has become a desperate scrap to clinch the eighth and final play-off spot.
At the other end, neither Belfast or the Steelers will have it easy on the final weekend. The Giants take on a Nottingham team in back-to-back games with the Panthers still clinging to the slimmest of hopes that they can take the crown. To make that happen, they need to win both games in regulation against the Giants and hope the Steelers don’t pick up any points in their games against Cardiff and Coventry.
Advertisement Advertisement If that happens, they would win the league by virtue of having won more games in regulation than Belfast. On Sunday - having done Manchester a good turn by beating Dundee 5-1 on home ice - the Steelers raced into a 4-1 first period lead, Mitchell Balmas breaking the deadlock at 10.28 before he was joined on the scoresheet by Sam Tremblay, Kevin Tansey and Brandon Whistle, Massimo Carozza replying for the beleaguered hosts.
Phelix Martineau reduced the deficit for the home team early in the second but further strikes from Tremblay and Whistle ensured the Steelers were 6-2 to the good after 40 minutes. Mikko Juusola got in on the act to make it 7-2 in the 54th minute, Carozza’s reply four minutes later almost immediately cancelled out by a strike from Steelers’ captain Robert Dowd before Lucas Chiodo grabbed a consolation fourth for the Flyers four seconds from time..
