Leeds Knights enjoy third period goal-blitz to hold advantage over Sheffield Steeldogs in NIHL National Cup semi-final

Make no mistake, Leeds Knights were fully deserving of their fifth win in as many games against their Yorkshire rivals this season, with a four-goal blitz in the third period putting them firmly in control at the end of the first leg of this semi-final.

But the Steeldogs won two trophies last season for a reason and they would love nothing more than to upset the odds once again.

After a lacklustre first period in which both teams seemed unwilling to take many risks, the game exploded into life early in the second when Vladislavs Vulkanovs picked up the puck just inside the Knights’ zone, took a few quick strides forward before unleashing a rocket into Sam Gospel’s top right-hand corner at 22.41.

It immediately produced a more open game with chances being created at both ends with the netminders taking it in turns to stand tall.

As a direct result, the Knights got themselves back in the game from an unlikely source when defenceman Bailey Perre fired a speculative effort on net, the puck eluding Dmitri Zimozdra to draw the visitors level at 32.10.

Alex Graham was denied from close in when redirecting a sharp Matt Bissonnette pass from the left circle, while Mac Howlett twice went close at the other end for Leeds, the second time denied by a quick-moving Zimozdra on an attempted wraparound.

Carter Hamill, from the bottom of the left circle, then Cole Shudra were both denied by Zimozdra as Leeds ended the period in the ascendancy, but on the penalty kill after being called for too many men.

With plenty at stake for both teams, the next goal was always going to be crucial and it came the way of the visitors.

The Steeldogs coughed up possession in their own zone on the Knights left-wing, allowing Lewis Baldwin to quickly switch play to the right to Kieran Brown, whose pinpoint, first-time pass found Zach Brooks, who with the angle changed, fired home past a stranded Zimozdra at 42.02.

Only 78 more seconds had elapsed before the Knights doubled their lead, Bissonnette and Graham combined well in front of net before the final pass went astray. From there, Howlett was found free on the left boards just past the halfway mark, taking a few paces before finding Matt Haywood free in the right circle, his first-time effort beating Zimozdra low down to his left.

It got worse for the hosts when, on the power play, Shudra picked up the puck inside his own zone on the left, drove down the wing and picked out Brown who fired past Zimozdra from a similar position to where Haywood had minutes earlier to make it 4-1 at 47.04.

The Steeldogs earned themselves a lifeline when they quickly made the same power play count just 35 seconds later, slick passing seeing the puck fall to Lee Haywood free in centre ice from where he teed up Lee Bonner to beat Gospel low down from the right circle.

But the hosts will have been intensely frustrated to then allow a Leeds team which had understandably grown in confidence during the third period to restore their three-goal advantage ahead of the second leg at Elland Road next Friday.

As the Steeldogs pushed hard to make it a one-goal game, Brooks won the puck on the right boards in his own zone, found Brown all alone near the halfway mark, from where the Knights’ captain sped off before cutting inside to beat Zimozdra low to his left from 15 yards out for a 5-2 lead with just 75 seconds remaining.

Another 60 minutes now awaits in a week’s time in West Yorkshire, where Wood’s team now face a tough ask to overturn a three-goal deficit.

It is certainly not an impossible task for a team packed with the kind of talent the Steeldogs possess but, if they come up against a Knights team backed by a big home crowd and playing in a similarly clinical mood, it may just prove too much.