Sheffield Steelers in need of some late assistance in drive for Elite League title

Aaron Fox's (inset) team kept up their end of the bargain last time out, following up Friday night’s 10-2 thumping of hosts Glasgow Clan with an accomplished 4-1 win on home ice the following night.

The trouble was that leaders Belfast Giants – while having dropped a point in a 4-3 loss after a shoot-out at Cardiff Devils – were quick to respond with a 5-2 win at home to Guildford Flames.

That was enough to put them back above the Steelers – who had briefly assumed the throne after the win over Manchester, a position they strengthened when winning their game in hand on Wednesday at home to bottom club Fife Flyers, running out dominant 10-4 victors.

On the same night, Nottingham Panthers were in action and leapfrogged the Steelers into second with a 5-2 win at home to Manchester Storm.

Ahead of today’s visit from Dundee Stars – former Steelers’ forward and assistant coach Marc Lefebvre is still looking for his team to clinch the eighth and final play-off spot – the Steelers trail the Giants by three points and Nottingham by one, the Panthers having only three games to clinch the regular season championship.

The Steelers head to Scotland tomorrow to take on Fife, who are the first of two teams to visit Belfast this weekend, the other being Manchester tomorrow.

A win for the Steelers over Dundee – would be the perfect motivation for the Storm to go all out at the SSE Arena, given they could potentially close the gap on the Stars to two points, depending on the outcome of the Scottish club’s clash at home to Cardiff.

On paper the Giants should post a maximum return this weekend, given where their opponents sit in the standings, but it is only a month since Manchester got the better of them, with Adam Keeffe’s team regularly dropping points since.

The title race should at least go down to the final weekend, with none of the top three handed an easy close. Belfast and Nottingham face each other home and away, while the Steelers have to take on Cardiff Devils at home before visiting Coventry Blaze 24 hours later.