Sheffield Steelers denied Elite League play-off triumph by Cardiff Devils

The Devils won 5-2 in the end, a scoreline enhanced somewhat by two late empty-net strikes.

“I thought they were the better team in the first period and we were the better team in the second,” said Steelers’ head coach, Fox.

“Unfortunately, the two quick goals put us on our back to start the third period. But I can’t fault our level of compete, effort or buy-in over the play-off stretch.”

Fox also hailed the backing from the Steelers’ fans, despite some tough spells during he course of the 2025-26 campaign.

“The support that they give us in unbelievable and, obviously, we appreciate it,” he added. “We feel their disappointment when things don’t get done the way we want or expect them to, but we’ll just build on it and come back stronger next year.”

With Mitchell Heard taking a double-minor penalty for high-sticking exactly 60 seconds in, an early opportunity presented itself for the Devils,

A Kohen Olischefski shot from the left face-off circle beat Matt Greenfield nearside, and Cardiff led under three minutes into the game.

The Steelers levelled at 22:52. A Sam Tremblay pass from behind Christian Stoever’s net was put on the stick of an approaching Kevin Tansey, who fired across the Cardiff goaltender and put it away, glove side.

With less than 90 seconds remaining in the second period, the Devils restored their lead through Nolan Yaremko. Gleason Fornier broke down the right side boards, found Yaremko in the middle and he slotted it blocker side of Greenfield.

Yaremko doubled both his tally and the Devils’ lead with three seconds left before the break. Cole Sanford stole the puck from Brien Diffley behind the Sheffield net, and found Yaremko all alone in the slot from where he fired it home to make it 3-1.

Early in the third, there was a scary moment for the Devils, when Jimmy Oligny was hit by Tansey along the side boards.

With Mitchell Balmas exiting the penalty box at the same time, Oligny was hit into the open door. He received some treatment on the ice before he was helped off by the Cardiff medical staff.

Ryan Tait brought the deficit back to one goal with six and a half minutes left in the game. A wrist shot from the point made it through a Jack Dougherty screen in front of Stoever..

With Greenfield pulled to try to bring a goal back, the face off was won by the Devils in the defensive end, the puck falling directly to Josh Macdonald who fired the puck down the ice and into the yawning goal mouth.

The Devils scored again with just 28 seconds to go. Tyson Helgesen threw the puck on net from the face-off circle and it was tipped home by Olischefski to give him two on the night, and the Devils a three-goal lead to win the Championship.