The Sheffield Steelers thrashed the Guildford Flames 9-0 to climb up to second in the Elite Ice Hockey League in a joyful Utilita Arena.
Both teams were coming off the back of a four-point weekend and shared the same objective: claiming second place of the Elite Ice Hockey League.
The Steelers did not waste any time as Joona Huttula opened the scoring after only 49 seconds of play thanks to a great assist from Patrick Watling.
As the Flames were starting to look dangerous, the Steelers intercepted one of their passes and produced a magnificent counter-attack which ended in another goal, scored by Brandon Whistle (04:20).
Guildford did not give up, and they actually managed to create some decent opportunities, which notably led to a great save by Matthew Greenfield (05:25).
The men in orange were then a man down as Mikko Juusola was issued a 2-minute penalty for high sticking (08:28). Guildford tried their best to capitalise on their power-play, but it all went wrong for them as Brandon Whistle intercepted one of their passes which left him all on his own against the opposing netminder, and he calmly slotted the puck in the back of the net, making it an early brace for him.
Sheffield continued pushing until the end of the first period and came very close to making it 4-0 with Mitchell Balmas (11:41) and Marc-Olivier Vallerand (18:32).
20.00 | End of the first period
Great opening twenty for the Steelers as they take a three goal lead into the second period.
3-0#SteelersHockey | #SHEvsGUI pic.twitter.com/OGlFBIxsuQ
— Sheffield Steelers (@steelershockey) December 11, 2024
The first period ended with a much deserved 3-goal lead for the hosts, who could probably have scored even more. The visitors must highly regret how they handled their power-play.
The second period started just like the first one with Mitchell Balmas netting after only 1 minute and 29 seconds (21:29), capping off a brilliant team goal.
This was quickly followed by a 2-minute penalty issued to Brien Diffley for hooking, which left the Steelers shorthanded for a second time. But once again, the Flames weren’t able to break the deadlock even with the one-man advantage.
The men in white gave it all in the second period. They tried in vain to open their goal tally, but they were constantly blocked by an impressive Matthew Greenfield who made two more great saves at (34:12) and (37:09).
The Flames’ number 26, Daniel Tedesco, was issued a 2-minute penalty for tripping at (38:33), which the Steelers capitalised on, as captain Kevin Tansey scored 26 seconds into the third period to make it 5-0 from distance (40:26).
Frustration began to show among Guildford’s players, leading to a 2-minute penalty for Sam Jones for delaying the game after he threw the puck out of play. Once more, Sheffield took advantage of their power-play as Sacha Guimond pretty much instantly scored from far-off (45:59).
Goal number seven followed just seconds after the sixth, with Cole Shudra finding the net as the cheers in the Utilita Arena grew even louder (46:42).
The men in orange never stopped attacking, which resulted in Ivan Bjorkly Nordstrom scoring his first ever goal for the Steelers, following a superb team effort (55:03).
The emotions of scoring your first Steelers goal 😍
What a night it was for Ivan Björkly-Nordström!! 🌟#SteelersHockey | #SteeldogsHockey pic.twitter.com/UOmrwoOyL8
— Sheffield Steelers (@steelershockey) December 12, 2024
In the dying seconds of the game, Brandon Whistle, from the right-hand side, skillfully slotted the puck into the bottom left of the goal, making it a hat-trick for himself (59:37).
The game ended in a commanding 9-0 win for the Sheffield Steelers. The Guildford Flames were no match for Aaron Fox’s men, as they delivered an impressive performance, shutting down every attack and showcasing brilliant efficiency on offense.
Interview: Post match reaction from Aaron Fox pic.twitter.com/XD1KOmk7AR
— Sheffield Steelers (@steelershockey) December 11, 2024
The Steelers move up to second in the Elite Ice Hockey League, whereas the Flames go down to fourth. Sheffield will try to build on this performance at home on Saturday against the Glasgow Clan. On the other hand, Guildford will try to bounce back away from home on Sunday, also against the Glasgow Clan.
Man of the Match: Sheffield Steelers #74, Brandon Whistle.
Featured Image Credit: @officialsteelers on Instagram
