Glasgow Clan 8 Steelers 5: Sheffield outgunned in crazy game

Robert Dowd makes his presence known in Glasgow

Zack Fitzgerald's men were super-efficient offensively, while Steelers were again hit by discipline problems - Anthony DeLuca and Brendan Connolly getting into trouble at key times.

Yet Steelers played their part in a bizarre 13-goal spectacle.

On Saturday, Clan had shown an Achilles heel; they had been 2-0 up at Fife Flyers only to limp out of Kirkcaldy with a 6-4 loss.

But they have a game-in-hand over Sheffield and were determined to stretch their advantage.

They rocked Steelers from the start, scoring two in seven minutes. Jack Musil opened the scoring, in the right place to steer the puck past Tomas Duba at 1:57.

They doubled their lead with Scott Pitt finished off a swift moving play.

Sheffield, comfortable 4-1 winners on Saturday against Coventry Blaze, halved the deficit with a back-hander from Robert Dowd under goalie Patrick Killeen, the GB winger's 15th success of the season.

But with Aaron Brocklehurst penalised for cross-checking, Clan's Chad Rau scored on the Power Play.

Steelers remained in the hunt though and potted their second of the evening, a goal which illustrated the importance of a focused Connolly to the team - his strike coming against the club he quit in the Summer.

Clan almost nicked another goal, this time short-handed, but Duba's glove denied Rasmus Bjerrum. It seemed an important save as DeLuca's fourth goal in six matches followed it, tying things up at 3-3 at 21:27.

Clan responded with savage efficiency, though, scoring three times in less than three minutes. First Travis Erhardt converted a shot to the roof of the net, on a four-v-four play.

Erhardt then turned provider as Bjerrum gave Glasgow a 5-3 lead, at the back post. Duba was hit for six at 30:22 when Mikael Lidhammar got the puck past him.

In a game where defences had turned to jelly, Tanner Eberle almost put Sheffield back in it, but his effort hit the post.

And there was a bigger set-back when DeLuca was awarded a 2+10 penalty for checking to Matt Haywood's head.

Clan players remained ruthless when it came to chances, Pitt making it 7-3 with 11 minutes left.

Steelers then launched an improbable comeback, they scored a fourth, Nikolai Lemtyugov dispatching on the power play at 50:12, and a wraparound fifth from Lucas Sandstrom two minutes later.

But an empty net goal from Bjerrum confirmed an 8-5 win for the Scots.