Consistency proves elusive for rivals

SHEFFIELD Steelers and Nottingham Panthers both head into their weekend double-header looking for the spark that could ignite their season.
EPIC DUEL: Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers lock horns again twice this weekend. Picture: Dean Woolley.EPIC DUEL: Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers lock horns again twice this weekend. Picture: Dean Woolley.
EPIC DUEL: Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers lock horns again twice this weekend. Picture: Dean Woolley.

Both teams have struggled for consistency this term, with defending champions Nottingham having lost four of their last six games, while the Steelers have lost four out of their last seven – three of them at home.

Third-placed Steelers will look to extend the two-point advantage they currently have over Nottingham when the first encounter takes place at the Motorpoint Arena tonight (7pm) before the two sides resume hostilities at the National Ice Centre tomorrow.

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Nottingham, currently sitting fifth in the overall Elite League table, have three games in hand on their South Yorkshire rivals.

Hull Stingrays coach Sylvain Cloutier is well aware his team will face a completely different Braehead Clan team when the two meet in Glasgow tonight.

Stingrays beat Clan 5-2 in their opening home game of the season in September, but coach Ryan Finnerty has added several players to his roster since and are on a seven-game winning streak.

Cloutier’s team, however, are enjoying some good form with a record of 5-3-2 from their last 10 games and will be keen to secure a third successive road win in the Gardiner Conference.

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“Braehead have picked up some good players and are playing really well,” said Cloutier.

“We will have to play a simple road game. Every Conference point is crucial, we saw that last season with how close it was.”

Stingrays return home to welcome Coventry Blaze to Hull Arena tomorrow (6pm).