Sheffield Steelers: Captain Robert Dowd marks 900th game in style against Cardiff Devils
ROBERT DOWD marked his 900th game for Sheffield Steelers with a goal as they edged out hosts Cardiff Devils 4-3 in overtime.
The Steelers had got themselves 3-1 ahead inside 23 minutes at the Vindico Arena against their Elite League title rivals but saw Paul Thompson’s team hit back to level with two goals in as many minutes later in the second period.
They then had to withstand some fierce Devils pressure - particularly in the third period when they were outshot 19-8 - but goalie Matt Greenfield stood tall to allow league leading scorer Mitchell Balmas to grab the extra point when he fired home his own rebound with just 49 seconds of overtime remaining.
Dowd was proud of his latest milestone, but reserved most praise afterwards for Greenfield.
“It’s pretty special,” said the Steelers captain of reaching 900 games.. “It’s a long time to get to that number, but I could not do it without my family and the support I get from them.
“On the road you’d take being tied at 3-3 going into the third. We bent but we did not break, we were solid. Matt Greenfield was fantastic throughout that game - Cardiff had some great chances in all three periods and he was our best player.”
It was the Steelers who broke the deadlock inside the first five minutes – Dowd winning the foot race to the puck below the goalline before pulling back to Mikko Juusola who squared to Balmas to apply a clinical finish.
Riley Brandt replied for the Devils at 10.26 – beating Greenfield from in front – before Dowd restored Sheffield’s lead on the power play with 82 seconds of the period left, firing home from the right circle after the puck cannoned off the back boards from Jordon Southorn’s initial shot.
Just over two minutes into the second period, the Steelers doubled their lead.
Derek Gentile banked a shot off Ben Bowns’ skate from behind the goal line, the puck looping up, hitting the back bar and falling over the line before former Steelers’ favourite Evan Mosey could clear it – something confirmed after video review to make it 3-1 to the Steelers.
As expected, the Devils came back hard – had a goal disallowed for goalie interference but reduced the deficit when Jimmy Oligny shot through traffic at 34.28. They were level a minute later when Krystoff Kontos was first to a rebound in front.
They carried that momentum into the third, but the Steelers held out before Balmas applied the finishing touch in overtime.
Steelers’ head coach Aaron Fox acknowledged the pressure his team had come under from the hosts all night – the Devils outshooting his team 49.32 overall – in a building where they have struggled in recent times.
He praised his team’s penalty kill, which went unbreached all night and remains the league’s best.
"We got the points and sometimes that’s all that really matters,” said Fox.
"We bended but didn’t break and found a way. Our penalty kill was outstanding, two minutes left in the game, was a big kill there for us and then to get the extra one in overtime was obviously very nice.
"I will give our group some credit because we’ve struggled in this building and to not fall apart after that 3-3 goal was important – and for us to find the extra point was huge.”