Sheffield Steelers assume full control to earn some valuable 'downtime'

With no game on Sunday, the Steelers went into their Challenge Cup, Group A clash with Pete Russell’s side knowing they could leave it all out there.

And, as far as a happy head coach Fox was concerned, that was exactly what they did.

Before the game, the Utilita Arena paid tribute to Adam Johnson, the Nottingham Panthers forward who tragically lost his life there almost a year before.

Johnson died after a collision with a Steelers’ player during a Challenge Cup game and tributes were paid to him across the hockey world throughout the weekend, the one-year anniversary being on Monday, October 28.

The Steelers forged ahead through an eighth-minute power play marker from Marc-Olivier Vallerand who fired home a rebound from close range, doubling their tally early in the second when Angelo Miceli redirected a Kevin Tansey effort in past Ben Bowns.

Mark Simpson pounced on a loose puck in front of the net to make it 3-0 at 30.58 and the Steelers looked home and dry.

But a goal from Tyler Busch just 23 seconds into the third gave the Devils some life, the visitors hauling themselves to within one just over six minutes later on the power play through a strike from Cole Sandford.

But the Steelers were able to control the last 10 minutes or so, giving themselves some extra comfort when Simpson scored an empty-netter with 21 seconds remaining.

“I thought we were excellent for 60 minutes,” said Fox, whose team return to the ice tomorrow to prepare for Wednesday night’s league clash against Fife Flyers.

“When we get a lead we are a hard team to handle and they did a good job on pushing back in that period but I felt we shut down the last 10 minutes, kept them to the perimeter and closed out the game very nicely.

"We haven’t put 60 minutes together I don’t think in Cup and League play probably since the Belfast game and even in the first 10 minutes of that game we weren’t great.

“And it was a good 60 and I’m happy we get a couple of days here with no game on Sunday, the boys have earned it and we’ll come back on Tuesday ready for a big midweek game against Fife.”