Sheffield Steeldogs coach Slava Koulikov happy with pre-season progress after Leeds Knights double-header
WHILE Saturday’s pre-season meeting between Leeds Knights and Sheffield Steeldogs perhaps packed more punch than your average boxing match, Sunday’s renewal was rather tame by comparison.
In all, 107 penalty minutes were handed out at Elland Road - the visitors the biggest ‘sinners’ with 62 - as the Steeldogs enjoyed a 7-5 triumph.
After a fitting tribute saw former defenceman Tim Smith’s jersey retired to the rafters, the Steeldogs were the winners on home ice just under 24 hours later when they prevailed 2-1.
Goals from young defenceman Finley Williams - his first for the team - and Walker Sommer put the hosts’ ahead and while Owen Sobchak’s power play strike towards the end of the second period offered Leeds hope, that was as close as they got.
There were just four minutes in penalties handed out overall – two per team – as the on-ice histrionics from the previous night were left in the locker rooms, either by design at the request of the coaches or through the players realising they are now less than a week from the season starting for real and would prefer not to miss opening weekend either through suspension or injury.
For Steeldogs’ coach Slava Koulikov, the learning experience he goes through each pre-season was again worthwhile, leaving him satisfied with the progress made ahead of his team’s NIHL National opener at Solway this Saturday.
“In pre-season, you shouldn’t get too nervous, it’s not a Cup final you are just looking for the small details there,” said Koulikov.
“But everything is about learning right now and we spoke after the (Saturday) game about it and Sunday was a different ending to the game and one we managed to close out very well.” Koulikov acknowledged Saturday’s first encounter resembled a league game more than a pre-season warm-up for the Yorkshire rivals and was no doubt pleased the intensity dropped slightly for the renewal at Ice Sheffield the following day.
“Saturday was probably not a pre-season game, more like a league game, there was a lot of physicality” added Koulikov. “But I think we capitalised well with our chances and built a lead.
“Sunday was a different game, bigger ice but also you can see back-to-back games with this intensity that you can see both teams are not 100 per cent match fit.
“I think overall what I liked today (Sunday) is the way we managed the closing stages in the third period.
“Now we’ve got something to look forward to next week.”
Leeds open up their regular season campaign on Friday when they host Hull Seahawks.