Belfast Giants 2 Sheffield Steelers 5 - Steelers look to stall Devils after derailing Giants' title bid

AS THEY have repeatedly promised, Sheffield Steelers are refusing to give up their Elite League title quietly.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Mathieu Roy scored twice at Belfast's SSE Arena. Picture: Dean Woolley.DOUBLE TROUBLE: Mathieu Roy scored twice at Belfast's SSE Arena. Picture: Dean Woolley.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Mathieu Roy scored twice at Belfast's SSE Arena. Picture: Dean Woolley.

And they will certainly be in no mood to see it seized from their grasp on home ice tonight when champions-elect Cardiff Devils visit Sheffield Arena.

But, after the Steelers’ 5-2 win at second-placed Belfast Giants last night, that is effectively what they have given Andrew Lord’s side the chance to do.

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And the Devils would love nothing more than to rub the Steelers’ noses in it in their own building by clinching their first regular season crown in the EIHL era, adding to their Challenge Cup Final victory over Paul Thompson’s side in South Wales two weeks ago and – with the play-offs close – keeping hopes of the treble alive.

The Steelers’ however, are desperate to prevent that and pick up the only piece of silverware still available to them at the National Ice Centre on April 9.

Last night’s victory at Belfast’s SSE Arena certainly enhanced their chances of leapfrogging their hosts to finish runners-up to Cardiff, thereby ensuring a better seed for the post-season and – in theory – an easier route to the Final Four weekend.

Mathieu Roy was the Steelers’ hero, plundering two goals on a night when a win for the visitors rarely seemed in doubt, despite being outshot 52-28.

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Roy opened the scoring just under five minutes into the game with Markus Nilsson doubling the Steelers’ advantage at 10.16 to stun a Giants side still hopeful of taking their title challenge into their final weekend double-header at Cardiff.

After a goalless second period, hope arrived for the home side early in the third through defenceman Jerome Leduc’s strike. But the Steelers’ two-goal cushion was soon restored through Geoff Walker at 45.51, with Roy making it 4-1 just 43 seconds later.

James Desmarais capped off a wild run of play 21 seconds later by grabbing a reply for Belfast , but Guillaume Desbiens fired in a 59th-minute empty-netter to seal a stunning victory for the Steelers, while quite possibly killing off Belfast’s title dream.

Elsewhere, two goals from Dan Spang book-ended a good night as Nottingham Panthers got off to the best possible start to their weekend in Scotland, beating Dundee Stars 4-1.