Sheffield Steelers double-up to get back in control of their own Elite League title destiny again

Having picked up just a point from their double-header weekend against Coventry Blaze, some had already started writing the obituaries for Sheffield Steelers’ regular season title aspirations.

But a four-point haul from wins over Nottingham Panthers and Manchester Storm coupled with defeat for leaders Belfast Giants at the hands of Coventry, things look a touch rosier.

Of course, there is still a lot of hard work required by Aaron Fox’s team in order for them to secure a first league championship since 2016, but their confidence will have been heavily restored over the past 48 hours.

The Steelers wake this morning just five points off Belfast, with a game in hand and two encounters still to come against the defending champions. As Fox said in a post-match interview on Sunday, the Steelers’ destiny is back in their own hands again.

There is little, if any, room for error over the last 9 games, though.

That run-in also includes two games apiece against the other teams in the mix – Cardiff Devils and Guildford Flames – who are both two points better off than the Steelers.

It took Matt Petgrave just 34 seconds to open the scoring for the Steelers against Storm and a little over over six minutes had passed before Marc-Olivier Vallerand doubled the home side's lead at 6.06.

But before anyone could get carried away, the visitors got themselves back in the game through Cole Carter at 10.38.

A goalless period followed making for a nervous time for the home fans, but calm returned when Daniel Ciampini’s shot could only be parried by Jeremy Brodeur before it crept over the line at 52.08.

"It was a long week for us,” admitted Fox, whose team host Belfast on Saturday before travelling to third-placed Guildford 24 hours later. “I will say the guys bought in and we talked about a path that still gives us an opportunity to win this thing.

“I think the four points this weekend was important and then Belfast lost tonight so we do now control our own destiny again which is very important.

“We’ve got one game in hand and we play them twice and if we can win that game and beat them twice then there is our points back

“It’s a huge game next Saturday which we need to have a big week for.”

In Nottingham, Steelers exerted more control throughout, getting 2-0 ahead by the end of the first through strikes from Brett Neumann and Ciampini.

Scott Allen made it 3-0 early in the third before Brendan Connolly got in on the act at 49.42, Stephen Anderson firing a consolation effort for Panthers at 58.55.