“Turnovers the Difference” says Steelers Boss
Sheffield Steelers head coach Aaron Fox admitted his side were left frustrated after Wednesday night’s 7-4 defeat against Guildford Flames at the Spectrum.
The Steelers led three times during the opening 40 minutes and were still level at 4-4 in the third period, but the Flames eventually pulled away with a decisive burst late in the game.
For Fox, the contest was far closer than the final scoreline suggested.
“I thought it was a pretty even hockey game for the majority of the night,” he said.
“But we just never really found any momentum.
“Every time we scored, it felt like a minute later we gave one back, and that just neutralised anything positive we had going.”
That pattern was evident throughout the night.
Sean Collins, Evan Jasper and Brandon Whistle all put the Steelers ahead at different stages, only for Guildford to respond quickly each time.
Brien Diffley then brought Sheffield level at 4-4 in the third period, but again the Flames answered almost immediately.
For Fox, the biggest issue was the Steelers’ puck management.
“I thought turnovers were the difference,” he explained.
“They’re very good in transition and every time we made a mistake around the offensive blue line they punished us.
“We gave them too many opportunities to come back the other way with speed and they made us pay for it.”
Guildford eventually took control through two quick goals from Chase Gresock, turning a 4-4 game into a 6-4 Flames advantage in little more than a minute.
Fox also pointed to one moment in particular that summed up the Steelers’ night.
“We were killing a penalty and actually made a pretty good play,” he said.
“They iced the puck, it hits the stanchion, dies and lands perfectly on their tape.
“That’s one of those nights where things just seem to go against you.
“But at the same time, we put ourselves in those positions because of the turnovers and the way we managed the puck.”
The Steelers now have little time to dwell on the result, with attention quickly turning to Saturday night’s home game against Cardiff Devils at the Utilita Arena.
Fox will be looking for an immediate response after a night in Guildford where his side were competitive for long spells, but ultimately punished for too many costly mistakes.
Steelers vs Cardiff Devils – Saturday, 7.00pm, Utilita Arena Sheffield.