Game Summary
Sheffield Steelers fell to an agonising overtime defeat on the road in Cardiff as the Devils edged a breathless Challenge Cup contest 3–2 at the Vindico Arena. It was another night of fine margins for Aaron Fox’s side, who responded well after falling two goals behind, forced overtime with a deserved third-period equaliser, and eventually outshot their hosts 33–30.
Mitchell Balmas earned Steelers’ Man of the Match honours with a third-period tip-in that levelled proceedings, while Dominic Cormier opened his account for the season with a thunderous powerplay strike. Netminder Eamon McAdam, making his first competitive start of the campaign, produced several key saves to keep the game in reach, but ultimately Brandon Estes’ overtime winner sealed the extra point for Cardiff.
It was a tough pill to swallow after Saturday’s opening night victory at home to Guildford, but the Steelers leave South Wales knowing their performance carried plenty of positives, with chances created in abundance and the special teams unit already showing strong signs early in the campaign.
First Period – Devils Take the Edge (1–0)
The opening twenty minutes proved to be as open as they come, with both sides trading odd-man rushes from the very first shift. Balmas and Huttula nearly combined for a dream start inside the opening minute, only for Christian Stoever in the Devils’ net to come up big. The early tempo was all Sheffield, with Juusola and Dowd also testing the Cardiff goaltender.
At the other end, McAdam was soon called into action for his first saves in competitive action, turning away efforts from Kontos and Davies. The Steelers had to weather a nervy moment at 8:52 when Davies broke clear on a fortuitous bounce, only to mishandle the puck after rounding McAdam.
The breakthrough came moments later as the Devils struck in transition. After a chance went begging at one end for Balmas, Cardiff surged forward through MacDonald, who set up Cole Sanford for a slick backhand finish to put the home side 1–0 ahead.
Steelers continued to generate opportunities, with Harper, Seitz and Pu all finding looks at goal, but the finishing touch remained elusive. By the buzzer, Cardiff held the narrow lead and a 13–9 advantage on shots, though the Steelers could count themselves unlucky not to be at least level after an end-to-end opening frame.
Second Period – Cormier Pulls One Back (2–1)
Cardiff started the second period brightly and capitalised on a Steelers line change just two minutes in. Goaltender Stoever started the play with a long outlet pass that found Lacroix, who quickly shifted the puck to Ben Davies for the finish and a 2–0 Devils advantage. It was a clinical move that punished the visitors at a key moment.
The Devils continued to push with Perlini and Sanford going close, but McAdam held firm and gave his side a chance to regroup. That chance came midway through the period when Sheffield earned their first powerplay of the night. With sustained zone time and constant pressure, the puck eventually fell to Dominic Cormier, who rifled a finish from the high slot into the top corner, halving the deficit and sparking the travelling bench to life.
Buoyed by the goal, Sheffield’s offence looked increasingly dangerous, generating another man advantage soon after through Gentile’s hard work down low. Despite some strong looks from the right wing, Stoever and the Cardiff penalty kill stood tall to preserve their lead.
As the period wore on, the physicality ramped up with both sides battling hard in the corners. The Steelers carried momentum into the intermission, having closed the shot gap to just 22–20 overall, but still trailing by a single goal heading into what promised to be a decisive third.
Third Period – Balmas Levels it Late (2–2)
The Steelers came out flying in the third period and found the equaliser within the opening minute. Harper showed great strength to protect the puck in the Devils zone before firing toward goal, where Mitchell Balmas produced the deftest of redirects to beat Stoever and tie the game 2–2.
With momentum on their side, Sheffield pushed hard for a go-ahead marker. Jasper and Pu combined for two glorious chances in quick succession, only to be denied by Stoever’s pads. Cormier came inches from a second goal when his blast from the blue line rattled the crossbar with the Devils goaltender beaten.
Cardiff had their own opportunities with a powerplay following Huttula’s slashing penalty, but the Steelers’ penalty kill unit produced an outstanding shift, even creating a short-handed chance through Ryan Tait. More drama followed when Balmas was again in the thick of things, drawing a high-sticking call on Brandt to hand Sheffield a late powerplay. Despite heavy pressure and a chaotic scramble in front, the puck just wouldn’t cross the line.
With the game finely poised, the Devils earned a late man advantage of their own, forcing McAdam into two massive saves in the final minute to ensure the Steelers took a valuable point from regulation.
Overtime – Heartbreak for Sheffield (3–2)
Carrying over 25 seconds of penalty time into the extra frame, the Devils had the perfect opportunity to strike early in sudden death. Just 26 seconds in, they did exactly that. Brandon Estes found space on the left-wing hashmarks and fired a pinpoint shot over McAdam’s blocker to seal the 3–2 win for Cardiff.
It was a cruel ending for the Steelers, who had battled back admirably from two goals down and finished the night with more shots and extended spells of momentum. Balmas’ equaliser and Cormier’s powerplay strike were just rewards for the offensive pressure Sheffield generated, while McAdam’s 27-save effort showed promise in his first competitive outing of the campaign.
Though the result went against them, the performance underlined that this Steelers team will be a threat in every Challenge Cup fixture, with resilience, depth, and scoring chances coming from across the roster. Attention now turns to next weekend, with a trip to Nottingham on Saturday night before returning home to the Utilita Arena on Sunday to host the Manchester Storm.
📸 Cardiff Devils / James Assinder