Steelers' Cup struggles continue while Giants take the lead

To make it an even more disappointing night for player-coach Ben Simon's team, a 4-2 win for Belfast Giants over Dundee Stars saw them replaced at the top of the formative Elite League table.

While Steelers have swept all before them in the league – maintaining their 100 per cent record on Saturday night with an 8-0 rout of Edinburgh Capitals at Sheffield Arena – the Challenge Cup has produced just the one point from three games.

Simon admitted last night that his team came up against a Blaze team who – stung by a dreadful start to the season – were exceptionally "hungry".

Steelers took the lead just before the halfway mark when Simon broke the deadlock with his seventh goal of the season at 29.06. Thatis how it stayed until two minutes before the end of the second period when Owen Fussey levelled.

It was in the third when Steelers lost the game, with Paul Thompson's team plundering four unanswered goals. Sean Selmser got the go-ahead goal at 43.30 followed by a strike from defenceman Jonathan Weaver at 44.53. Dan Carlson added another at 50.59 and Aaron Nell completed the scoring with a powerplay goal at 58.44.

"We didn't show up in the third period," said disappointed Simon. "We were outshot in that period by something like 25 to 5 or something – it was almost embarrassing.

"I'm not saying we didn't work hard because we did – we just didn't work smart.

"Any time you lose 5-1 you have to be concerned but it is still very early days. We are only 10 games in so there's certainly nobody reaching for any panic button."

On Saturday, hat-tricks from captain Jonathan Phillips and fellow forward Neil Clark were the highlights of a game which was effectively over by the end of the opening period after Steelers skated into a 4-0 lead against Edinburgh.

A goal on a delayed penalty by Phillips set Steelers on their way after only 32 seconds before Joey Talbot added a second at 11.48. Phillips made it 3-0 on the powerplay at 15.33 and Clark scored his first of the game at 16.09.

Phillips grabbed his third with the only second-period goal at 22.29 but the home side stepped up the pace once again in the third. New arrival Derek Campbell marked his Steelers debut with a goal at 47.20 before Clark completed his own treble by adding goals at 50.46 and 54.08, both on the powerplay.