28 Dec 2024, 19:00 | Regular season | Motorpoint Arena Nottingham |
Nottingham Panthers | 2-3 | Sheffield Steelers |
Periods: Shots: | 0-0 (16-9) | 0-3 (3-17) | 2-0 (17-8) | Total: 36-34 |
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Referees: #23 Andrew Miller, #3 Tom Pering  |  Spectators: 6924 |
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Goals and assists
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.