Steelers rebound from overtime loss with convincing road victory

John Armstrong and Robert Dowd each scored two goals and Mathieu Roy registered three assists as Sheffield Steelers recorded a 7-1 victory at Elite League newcomers Guildford Flames last night.
John Armstrong. Picture: Dean WoolleyJohn Armstrong. Picture: Dean Woolley
John Armstrong. Picture: Dean Woolley

The comprehensive victory helped the Steelers quickly get over the disappointment they felt 24 hours earlier when they lost their 2017-18 league opener at home to defending champions Cardiff Devils 4-3 in overtime.

The Devils had lost at Guildford 8-4 in the Challenge Cup a week earlier, so there was understandable respect to be paid to the Surrey-based club, who made the step up from the now-defunct English Premier League along with Milton Keynes Lightning in the summer.

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Dowd put the Steelers ahead in the second minute last night with a powerplay goal, before captain Jonathan Phillips pounced to double the advantage mid-way through the opening period. Sheffield went 3-0 up when Armstrong hit the back of the net at 16.21, although the Flames hit back shortly after the re-start through David Lilliestrom Karlsson.

Any hopes of a comeback were dashed shortly after, however, when Colton Fretter scored the visitors’ second powerplay goal of the night at 25.20.

The always lively Dowd then completed his brace to make it 5-1 at 33.56.

The Steelers moved further ahead just under two minutes into the third period with Armstrong’s powerplay effort, before teenager Liam Kirk wrapped up the scoring at 51.47.

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Armstrong’s double gave him a four-goal return for the weekend, being on target twice against Cardiff 24 hours earlier.

But it proved in vain when, with just 38 seconds of overtime remaining, Justin Faryna’s effort gave the visitors the extra point in what had been a typically hard-fought encounter between the two sides.

Armstrong’s strike at 11.52 cancelled out Sean Bentivoglio’s opener before the Devils went 3-1 ahead early in the second through Joey Marton and Matt Pope.

Fretter and then Armstrong helped pull the Steelers level but they were to be denied in the cruellest of ways.