Sheffield Steelers target New Year's Day bounce back at Manchester Storm
SHEFFIELD STEELERS will look to exact swift revenge at Manchester Storm on New Year’s Day following their 5-3 loss at home to their Elite League rivals.
The Storm, nine points adrift of the Steelers with two games in hand, will be looking to close the gap further on home ice.
Steelers head coach Aaron Fox says his team needs to be switched on for the entire 60 minutes in Altrincham, unlike on Tuesday when a poor second period which saw them concede four goals cost them the game.
Having fallen behind to a Dennis Busby strike, Mitchell Heard quickly levelled for the Steelers at 29.42. But the Storm pulled clear through further efforts from Tyler Hinam, Stephen Johnson and Brandon Cutler.
Third period strikes from Robert Dowd and Joona Huttula made it a one-goal game with more than eight minutes remaining, only for Kaleb Ergang’s 59th-minute empty-net strike to put the game beyond the hosts.
“It’s about playing to an identity for 60 minutes – not for 20 or 40 or 50,” said a frustrated Fox.
The Storm defeat at the Utilita Arena came on the back of a defeat at title rivals lost to the Nottingham Panthers on Saturday, a loss Fox attributes that to similar behaviour.
He said: “We played some pretty good hockey versus Nottingham the other night, and you give up that lead late by not finishing hockey games and individual mistakes – you’ve just got to clean them up in this business.
“The attention to detail on the way back, the tracking habits and defending inside-out – it’s not been great at the moment.”
The Storm’s Altrincham home is much smaller than the Utilita Arena, presenting its own set of unique challenges.
“You've got to be ready, especially in that building, where it's such a small venue, and things happen so quick,” added Fox. “If you're waiting for someone else to make a play, or do your job, it'll burn you.”
Fox shuffled his lines on Tuesday – when forward Patrick Watling made his first appearance since returning to the club – but he is not satisfied that they will stay that way.
He said: “We’ll probably have to switch things up. We’ll evaluate how (Sam Tremblay) is going into the game and check out what the injury room looks like. Then we’ll make those types of decisions.”
Eamon McAdam could remain in net against Storm for back-to-back fixtures. Fox said: “I thought ‘Mac’ has been outstanding every game we’ve given him. We’ll evaluate that tomorrow.”
Fox’s men outshot the Storm 66 to 44 and outperformed them on Expected Goals too and still had a 78 per cent chance of winning, statistically, even after the game had finished.