Sheffield Steelers 3 Coventry Blaze 1

The table-topping South Yorkshire club were not always at their best.

But it is satisfying, at least, to see maximum points secured when the team isn't fully clicking.

Coventry had won just two of their last six league games, yet dominated the first period.

Brust was the reason why Coventry had not shipped in one or two, particularly during three consecutive power plays awarded to the visitors.

Having said that, Blaze's finishing was poor, Alex Marsh should have done better with a two-on-one charge on Brust.

And Evan Bloodoff and Janne Laakkonen both failed on breakaways.

Sheffield's only 'Grade A' chance fell to Martin Latal on nine minutes, but his breakaway shot was stopped by C.J. Motte.

But Aaron Fox's men were far more assertive in the middle session; they were gifted a chance from David Clements in the first minute of the period.

This time it was Motte who showed off his skills, stopping Justin Hodgman, Matias Sointu, Latal and new Italian signing Tommaso Traversa, before Sheffield finally broke through.

With Dillon Eichstadt called for holding, Marco Vallerand scored at 38:02, just rewards him for his dogged efforts.

Two other workhorses, Robert Dowd and Kevin Schulze, assisted.

The game was changing. The goal bred confidence.

And at 41:33 an Evan Mosey point shot was tipped home by John Armstrong for 2-0.

Coventry battled back, Alex Forbes shot trickled just wide and Brust bewildered Johnny Curran with a no-rebound save,

Vallerand found space to put the game beyond Coventry's reach.

Brust delighted the fans by pile-driving into opponent Janne Kivilahti with four minutes left, it was his own way of revenge for being tripped seconds earlier.

The big netminder lost his shut out at 57:05, to a Dillon Eichstadt strike.

But he and the 6,311 fans were more than happy with both points.