SHEFFIELD STEELERS have been doing it tough of late – but captain Robert Dowd believes that to be a positive sign regarding the team’s hopes of success this season.

Aaron Fox’s team were enjoying a seven-game winning streak ahead of an Elite League visit from Cardiff Devils almost two weeks ago, but came unstuck on home ice when they went down 4-0 to former coach Paul Thompson’s team.

The Steelers quickly returned to winning ways three nights later when they edged past Guildford Flames 4-3 in overtime and maintained that winning feeling with a 2-1 win at home to Fife Flyers before repeating their success 24 hours later in Guildford, this time requiring a shootout to ensure a four-point weekend and a return to the top of the standings.

None of the wins came easy, admits Dowd, but he is reassured by his team’s ability to grind out the results they need if they are to stand any chance of repeating any part of the treble-winning success they enjoyed in 2023-24.

Speaking ahead of a Saturday night visit to second-placed Nottingham Panthers and a Sunday visit from fourth-placed Manchester Storm, Dowd said: “This business is about wins so to bounce back the way we have since that Cardiff game is particularly pleasing.

“I don’t think when you watch the Cardiff game back and you break the stats down - yes it was a tough night at the office - but it wasn’t as disastrous as the initial knee-jerk reaction felt.

“So coming back with three wins is a good sign and the fact they were all hard-fought one-goal wins, I think that maybe even better for us as it shows we can come out of tough games on the right side in the win column.

“It’s big for confidence as well, we just need to keep grinding away.

“Danny Stewart has done a fantastic job at Nottingham. They are a great outfit right now and are playing some very good hockey - It will take our best to beat them.

“But we need to bring our best all weekend because Manchester are playing some fantastic hockey as well at the moment.

“They won at Belfast last weekend and also ran them close the night before over there, too, so it’s going to be a really tough two nights for us.”