Sheffield Steelers offer hope for Elite League play-offs with dominating win over Glasgow Clan
HAVING demanded a positive response from his players, Sheffield Steelers’ head coach Aaron Fox duly got it on Saturday - as his team hammered Glasgow Clan 8-1.
In front of a 9,000-plus crowd at the Utilita Arena, the Steelers turned on the style in dominating fashion – helping ease the pain felt by chastening defeats in the past week to Dundee Stars and Cardiff Devils.
It may have taken them a while to get going - the first period was goalless despite the Steelers out-shooting the Clan 13-7 - but once Brett Ritchie broke the deadlock just over a minute shy of the halfway mark, the floodgates opened.
Before the Clan limped off at the second break, they were 4-0 down, further goals coming from Mitchell Balmas, Stephan Harper and Ryan Tait.
Kevin Tansey and Mitchell heard also go in on the act before the Clan eventually mustered a late reply through Hugo Roy at 54.25.
But the home team weren’t finished, with captain Robert Dowd and Tansey with his second completed the rout.
For Fox, while coming a little late in the season for such a dominant showing perhaps, it was a positive sign heading into next week’s play-off quarter-finals - once they have completed their regular season schedule in Glasgow on Sunday night.
“I liked our effort and our energy - there were no passengers tonight, everybody was ready to play the right way,” said Fox.
“We left some out there in the first period and then once we got that first one you could just feel some life and a bit of a sigh of relief from our group and then we rolled from there.
“But for us it starts with defensive accountability and playing fast, getting to the inside, just little details in our game that when we don’t do them we’re pretty average.
“Tonight, it showed that when everyone is committed to the cause and when we’re doing the little things and making plays and being physical, it is a completely different hockey team.”