Overall Summary
Returning Grand Slam Steeler Mark Simpson was not enough to get the Steelers back to winning ways as they suffered a 4–2 home defeat to arch-rivals Nottingham Panthers in midweek Challenge Cup action at the Utilita Arena.
The Steelers were undone by a sharper and more clinical Panthers side, who took their chances at key moments and displayed greater composure in both zones.
Eamon McAdam was back between the pipes for Sheffield, replacing Matthew Greenfield, while Jack Dougherty came into the lineup with Kevin Tansey moving forward to bolster the fourth line. Sam Tremblay sat out as part of the rotation.
It was a frustrating night for the hosts, who generated more shots overall (64–37) and outshot Nottingham 33–22 on goal, yet found Kevin Carr in fine form as the Panthers’ netminder turned away 31 of 33 attempts for an impressive 93.9% save percentage. The result keeps the group standings tight, with Sheffield still in the mix but needing to bounce back quickly in Sunday’s road fixture against Coventry Blaze.
First Period – Steelers 1–1 Panthers
The Panthers opened the stronger of the two teams, hemming the Steelers in their own zone for much of the opening 90 seconds. McAdam was called into action early, producing a quick double-pad save to deny former Steeler Finlay Ulrick, before stopping a rising effort from Matthew Marcinew with his right shoulder.
Sheffield grew into the game midway through the period. They thought they had opened the scoring at 7:44 when Robert Dowd bundled the puck over the line, but the goal was disallowed as the net had come off its moorings. The incident sparked the Steelers into life, with Mitchell Balmas and Nick Seitz both testing Kevin Carr as momentum began to shift.
The breakthrough came at 15:31. A brave block from Joona Huttula turned defence into attack as Evan Jasper broke down the left wing on a two-on-one. His well-timed feed through the defenceman’s legs found Robert Dowd, who fired emphatically into an open net for 1–0.
However, Nottingham levelled late in the period through Tim Doherty, whose sharp-angle shot banked in off McAdam at 18:45, assisted by Mitchell Fossier. After twenty minutes, the sides were tied at one apiece, with Sheffield leading the shot count 11–8 but ruing missed opportunities.
Second Period – Steelers 1–2 Panthers
The middle frame proved a frustrating one for the home side. Despite outshooting Nottingham 20–16 through forty minutes, the Steelers struggled to find fluency, with passes missing their mark and zone entries often broken up by the Panthers’ disciplined defensive shape.
Evan Jasper and Brien Diffley both went close early on, the latter testing Carr low to the blocker side, but Sheffield’s rhythm was frequently disrupted by turnovers and neutral-zone congestion. At the other end, McAdam remained busy, turning aside efforts from Jordan Kelsall and Marcinew as the visitors’ forecheck caused problems.
The decisive moment of the period arrived at 35:43 when Kelsall found Nolan Volcan in space, and the winger made no mistake with a precise blocker-side finish to give the Panthers a 2–1 lead. Brendan Harris collected the secondary assist on the play.
The Steelers pushed late in the period, but the Panthers’ defensive core held firm. Heading into the final frame, Sheffield faced a one-goal deficit and the need for greater sharpness in the offensive zone.
Third Period – Steelers 2–4 Panthers
Any hopes of an early Steelers comeback were dented just over two minutes into the third when defenceman David Noel, joining the rush, fired past McAdam from the high slot after a pullback from Marcinew to make it 3–1 Panthers.
Sheffield continued to press, with Ryan Tait and Huttula both forcing stops from Carr, but Nottingham looked increasingly confident and dangerous on the counter. The crowd was lifted at 50:35 when the Steelers finally broke through; Dowd winning the draw cleanly for Diffley to blast home from the point, cutting the deficit to 3–2.
A tense final ten minutes followed. McAdam made a series of sharp saves to deny Fossier, while Kevin Tansey produced a vital goal-line clearance to keep the Steelers alive. The hosts came within inches of an equaliser as a Nottingham shot clipped the crossbar, but the Panthers’ persistence paid off at 57:56 when Zsombor Garát hammered home through traffic to seal a 4–2 victory.
The Steelers pulled McAdam for the extra attacker in the dying moments but were unable to close the gap. Tempers flared briefly at the buzzer, but it was Nottingham who skated off with two valuable Challenge Cup points.
Post-Game
Captain Robert Dowd, named Man of the Match for Sheffield but Head Coach Aaron Fox will, however, be disappointed with the team’s lack of execution and puck management during key stretches.
With three games remaining in the Challenge Cup group stage, the Steelers still have their fate in their own hands but will need a positive response this Sunday when they travel to the Skydome to face Coventry Blaze. A bounce-back performance will be crucial as the team looks to find momentum in both Cup and league campaigns.
