22 Sep 2024, 17:30 | Regular season | SkyDome Arena |
Coventry Blaze | 4-5 SO | Sheffield Steelers |
Periods: Shots: | 1-3 (12-16) | 1-1 (10-16) | 2-0 (13-10) | 0-0 (6-1) | 0-1 ( - ) | Total: 41-43 |
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Referees: Dalton/Neenan  |  Spectators: 1701 |
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Goals and assists
Sheffield Steelers threw away a lead but came through to take the
points in a shootout against a Coventry Blaze team that refused to give
up at the Skydome.
The Steelers couldn’t have asked for a better
start in their first road game of the domestic season, taking the lead
after 14 seconds thanks to Mitchell Balmas working the puck to Daniel
Leavens in front. Patrick Watling fired home a Colton Saucerman feed at
4:06 to double the lead on the powerplay, and then Daniel Ciampini
scored shorthanded to have the Steelers three up in just over 11
minutes.
Coventry needed the next goal to stay in things, and they got it
when Nick Seitz fed Jackson Cressy in front for a top-shelf finish to
beat Matt Greenfield.
The Steelers could have been further ahead by the midway point of
the second period, but some good killing kept them in things. At 33:15,
David Clments’ shot from distance took all kinds of strange bounces to
beat Greenfield and bring the hosts back to within one. Brandon Whistle
re-established the visitors’ two-goal cushion at 35:35, the goal scored
on a powerplay after Kim Tallberg was ejected for slashing. Kevin Moore
challenged the goal for goalie interference but lost, putting his side
down to three skaters for the next two minutes.
Excellent penalty killing from the Blaze saw them survive both the minor and what was left of the major on Tallberg.
4:24 into period three, Jakob Stridsberg shot past Greenfield
from the point to make it a one-goal game again. And there was late
drama still to come! With 1:45 left on the clock Grayson Constable
slotted into a half-open cage after Chase Gresock’s initial attempt was
saved. The Steelers protested as Greenfield had knocked the net off, but
the officials confirmed the on-ice decision.
Off the very next faceoff, Mark Simpson was ejected for
cross-checking, giving the Blaze a major penalty to try and win the
game. Greenfield, and a couple of excellent blocks, kept the Blaze at
bay and both sides took a point with the game heading into overtime.
Coventry
had the better chances to win the extra point in OT with shots coming
back off the iron, but the deadlock still couldn’t be broken, and the
game was decided in a shootout. Daniel Ciampini had the winning penalty
shot in round five after Balmas and Gresock were the only scorers
through four.