Manchester Storm 4 Sheffield Steelers 7 - Third-period comeback secures Challenge Cup points in milestone win

It was a dream start for the Storm and new signing Tayler Thompson. After a couple of early chances for the Steelers through Tanner Eberle, Thompson broke shorthanded and finished nicely past Rok Stojanovič for a debut goal at 10.52.

The Storm doubled their advantage when a scramble in front of Stojanovič’s net eventually saw Curtis Hamilton poke the puck home at 15.06.

Marc-Olivier Vallerand got the Steelers back in the game when he capitlaised on a bobbling puck at 18.25 but, just 28 seconds later, Jared Vanwormer tipped Linden Springer’s shot to restore the Storm’s two-goal lead

Sheffield pulled one back through Martin Látal to start period two, but just 54 seconds later Adam Brady hit back to again put Manchester two goals ahead, after which Stojanovič was pulled for Barry Brust.

Látal’s second of the game with 13 seconds left in the period made it a 4-3 game into the third.

A nice individual effort from defenceman Adrian Saxrud-Danielsen then tied things at 42.53 before late drama ensued.

Anthony DeLuca reacted quickest to a loose puck behind goalie Matt Ginn with 2.34 left on the clock, and Manchester’s unsuccessful video review for goalie interference then left them shorthanded for the next two minutes.

A further minor penalty on Gb international Dallas Ehrhardt set the Steelers up with a 5-on-3 which Vallerand made full use of at 58.38, before Finnish winger Matias Sointu deflected Daine Todd’s shot in front to add the Steelers seventh.

Elsewhere, in the league, an impressive performance from the Belfast Giants saw them brush hosts Nottingham Panthers aside with a 5-0 win.

Belfast led by two after the opening 20 minutes through JJ Piccinich and Scott Conway.

Slater Doggett then made it 3-0 to the visitors at 21:49, with Mark Cooper increasing the hosts’ woe when he made the most of an inch-perfect pass by Tyler Soy from the back of the net at 24:40.

The Giants extended their lead to 5-0 in the third when Piccinich fired past Kevin Carr for his second of the game.