Sheffield Steelers blaze to must-win home and away victories

Such is the excellent level of EIHL competition that anyone in the top four could be crowned champions.

However, Steeler wins at Nottingham Panthers (4-3; Saturday) and a 4-1 Sunday victory over Coventry Blaze certainly gave the fans what they have been asking for after a dodgy recent run.

Sunday was a match Sheffield simply had to win to placate concern among the fan base.

And in the end, the margin of victory was more than adequate.

Fifth-place Coventry, who hammered Cardiff Devils 6-0 on Saturday, had played their part in a goalless first period, which could easily have featured goals for either side.

Robert Dowd powered against an upright, on-form Martin Latal had a decent backhander saved and there were big shots from Scott Allen and Marco Vallerand, playing in his first home game since his move back from HK Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia.

Blaze, when they weren’t killing three consecutive penalties, could have sneaked ahead, Ross Venus shooting at Matt Petgrave with the goal at his mercy and Marly Quince failed to bury a rebound off Matt Greenfield.

In goaltender Paavo Hölsä, Blaze have a goalie of undoubted quality and he was inspiring confidence amongst his skaters, especially with his side unable to emulate the home side’s shot count.

Matt Petgrave had his head in his hands after Hölsä grabbed his shot out of the air.

But the Finn was sprawling on the ground when the puck fell to Martin Latal, who tapped Sheffield ahead.

Brady Norrish has three chances on a Coventry power play but the only skater to pull the trigger successfully was Steeler Brett Neumann on a power play just before the second interval.

Blaze halved their deficit with a power play reply from Peyton Frantti, but then Sheffield wrestled back the initiative.

Brandon McNally scored a cracking goal from the left wing before Latal’s effort took a bizarre, almost-comic deflection off an opponent’s stick to ring up 4-1 on the scoreboard.

*On Saturday, against a Nottingham team that had lost its last three games, Steelers and Panthers got off to a quick fire-start with Vallerand scoring at 1:51 and Mike Hammond equalising 53 seconds later.

Sheffield grabbed the lead again when Latal flashed down the left and fired top-shelf.

But Nottingham seized the initiative when Jonathan Phillips was called for tripping.

Albin Lindgren scored on the power play and then Adam Brady put them in the lead with a deflected shot just 22 seconds later to win the period 2-0.

Nine minutes were on the clock when Daniel Ciampini finally found the 3-3 equaliser to set up the drama of overtime.

And Scott Allen claimed the sudden death winner with a majestic sweeping shot for the visitors, not long after Matt Greenfield had denied Jeremy Welsh at the other end. A wild night for the 6,796 supporters, as Sheffield coach Aaron Fox rightly said.