Sheffield Steelers in no mood to give rivals any encouragement in pursuit of Elite League crown

The league leaders were handed a huge boost in midweek when second-placed Cardiff Devils failed to make any inroads on their 14-point cushion when they lost 5-4 at a resurgent Nottingham Panthers.

With 16 games remaining, it’s hard to see how the Steelers’ position could look any rosier - although the potential return of injured stars Brett Neumann and Mark Simpson this weekend - will help make that a possibility.

Regardless of personnel at the Devils’ Vindico Arena, head coach Aaron Fox is making sure all connected with the club - on and off the ice - are remaining firmly grounded.

“You can’t ignore the situation, we know they are the team that is closest to us,” said Fox.

“We have to consider this as a four-point game and again we’ve been talking about extending the lead and not letting that gap get any closer than it’s been.

“So we know that they are going to push hard after losing on Wednesday and they’ll know it will be a great opportunity for them to claw a couple of points back.

“We know nothing is done until it is done and we don’t want to give any momentum up, we know how it works in this business.”

Their superiority in terms of the table is clear for all to see, but the Steelers also have the edge over Cardiff when it comes to the head-to-head series between the two.

After Cardiff became one of only two teams to inflict defeat at the Utilita Arena back in September - the other being Glasgow Clan - the Steelers have enjoyed comfortable wins in the subsequent two games, a 4-0 win at home right before Christmas being followed less than two weeks’ later by a comprehensive 5-1 win in South Wales when they responded well to going behind after only 36 seconds.

But while everything appears to be going in the Steelers’ favour at the moment - including on the positive news on the injury front - there is little danger of Fox or his players taking anything for granted. Not while there are 16 games still to play.

“To be honest, I feel like the group we have is really good first and foremost, very professional, high character in there,” said Fox of his team.

“I know they want to achieve this as much as I do - even the new guys who haven’t been around the past couple of years.

“And because of that, there hasn’t really been a lull in the season for us, from a results point of view - they know it’s a big game.”

Neumann’s anticipated return - Fox said they will make a game day decision on whether he plays in South Wales - comes after the winger has been forced to sit out with an upper-body injury for five weeks.

Simpson has been missing since the win at Coventry Blaze with a lower-body injury and it is thought he might take a little longer before being in contention again, possibly on Sunday when Danny Stewart’s team visit South Yorkshire for a third and final time.

“Brett has had a good week and had a really good week last week as well,” explained Fox. “So he’s trending in the right direction, I would say and we’ll make a decision on him Saturday.

“And Simmer has had a better couple of days, but I’d say he’s still questionable to doubtful for the Cardiff game - but maybe sometime this weekend for him.”