Coach Thompson keen for Sheffield Steelers to be more decisive

The Steelers suffered opening home night woe on Saturday when former players Andreas Valdix, Eric Neiley, Tim Wallace and loanee Cole Shudra returned to South Yorkshire to help Milton Keynes Lightning pull off a shock 3-2 victory.

The following night, however, Thompson’s stunned team reversed the outcome when a dominant third period helped them secure a deserved 5-2 victory.

Over the course of the two games against the Lightning, the Steelers outshot their opponents by 93-25, the crucial difference being in the third period on Sunday when Thompson’s players capitalised on their chances after draing a blank in the final 20 the previous evening, despite having 21 shots on goal.

Tomorrow night (Wednesday) sees the Steelers return to Sheffield Arena to play host to Fife Flyers, although it is unlikely the attendance will match the sellout crowd which witnessed Saturday’s defeat.

The Steelers will be back on the ice for practice today with Thompson keen to work on his players’ decision-making with the puck, particularly in front of the net.

“We let our fans down on Saturday, but it was great for our scorers to get off the mark on the Sunday, particularly with Josh Pitt getting the hat-trick,” said Thompson. “You have to shoot the puck and be decisive and that’s a part of our game we will work on.”