Game Summary
Another incredible victory for the Sheffield Steelers in Champions Hockey League action tonight as they overcame top level European opposition once again, this time Sparta Praha who play in the Czech Extraliga.
The two Finns in Janatuinen and Juusola combined put the Steelers up by two after the first period before Sparta hit back in the second to make it a one goal game. However, a major penalty towards the end of the second period set the Steelers on their way to regain the two-goal lead early in the third through Daniel Leavens. That was finished off with two empty netters in the final minutes by Dominic Cormier and Marco Vallerand.
All props also to Steelers netminder, Matthew Greenfield who saved 45 shots from 46 faced to take the Man of the Match award.
First Period [2-0]
A Finnish one two for the Steelers in the first period as they took an early lead and doubled it shortly afterwards to take a two-nil lead into second period as the Steelers fired away from the first minute in another impressive CHL period of hockey.
Less than two minutes on the clock at (1.49) when Joel Janatuinen got the Steelers on the board. Picking up the puck around the left-wing circle in his own zone, he put on the burners to take the puck around his man as he crossed the zones to the right-wing offensive circle and somehow find a gap short side on the Sparta Praha netminder who went on to face another ten shots in the period.
Matthew Greenfield, the Sheffield Steelers starter at the other end would face seventeen shots and turn them all away to keep a 100% save record throughout the first twenty minutes. That including seeing off a powerplay when Steelers #44 Sacha Guimond was sent to the box for interference.
It took only a short time after the first for the Steelers to double their lead with (3.50) on the clock and on the powerplay as the Steelers rushed from behind their own goal to take the offensive zone and find Mikko Juusola in the slot who’s one-timer was just enough to beat Jakub Kovar as the puck trickled over the line.
The Steelers would then finish the period on a double powerplay when the visitors, Miklis was called for a double minor on the same play.
Second Period [2-1]
A blow for the Steelers at the start of the second period as the second minor was cancelled out at (22.18) as the visitors got themselves on the scoresheet with a short-handed effort from Ondrej Najman. A clearance from behind their own net was jumped onto first by Hyka at the other end, spinning and finding Najman in the slot area who made no mistake finding the space over the catcher of Greenfield.
Greenfield seeing off another nine shots before the period was out, with some spectacular netminding and back-to-back saves in the middle of the period keeping the Steelers in the lead.
A crazy passage of play then ensued in the last ten minutes as the teams exchanged major penalties. The first of those penalties being handed to Steelers #65 Brien Diffley as he was sent back to the changing rooms early for a check to the head as he caught his man heading across him around the blue line of his defensive zone.
A real effort from the Steelers penalty killers who saw off the major with no damage as they worked tirelessly to keep Sparta Praha to the outside and give Greenfield the best possible sight of the puck.
The Steelers major would carry over in the third period as Patrick Watling was boarded around the penalty boxes by Kystof Hrabik and after review joined Brien Diffley in the locker rooms. No damage able to be done in the 45 seconds remaining in the period as the Steelers took a one goal lead into the final period of regulation.
Third Period [5-1]
Utterly unbelievable from the Steelers in the final period who ran out clear winners adding three unanswered goals in the final twenty minutes. That included a goal being wiped out by the officials only 46 seconds into the period as it was called offside after a very lengthy review by the linesmen.
Adding to the Sparta Praha woes to start the third was another man heading to the box for the Czech visitors putting the Steelers on a five on three powerplay. Ondrej Miklis being called for another boarding hit on Mikko Juusola in the corner of the offensive zone.
Daniel Leavens taking full advantage of the extra space at (41.40) as Balmas found Ciampini at the backpost who slid it across the blue paint and left a full open goal for Leavens to finish easily.
Both teams then killed off minor penalties as Sparta Praha began to up the intensity to get back into the game. That coincided with Sparta’s netminder leaving the ice for the extra skater with three minutes left on clock.
However, it was the Steelers who made full use of the final minutes, adding two empty net goals through Dominic Cormier and Marco Vallerand to pull off one of the best victories in the Steelers history, backing up the victory over Vaxjo Lakers on Saturday.
That now puts the Steelers in 10th place in the Champions Hockey League as we come back to CHL action again on Sunday night, this time against Skellefteå AIK from Sweden.
Man of the Match awarded to the incredible Matthew Greenfield who sent away 45 shots out of the 46 saved for an incredible 97.83% save percentage.
