Sheffield Steelers looking to put New Year's Day defeat behind them this weekend

Sheffield Steelers may have taken three points from their new year's games against Nottingham Panthers but they don't flatter themselves that they were the better team.
Jonas LiwingJonas Liwing
Jonas Liwing

Defenceman Jonas Liwing was honest enough to assess the two festive season games by saying: "I think Nottingham have been the better team, they have had more puck (possession,) more offensive zone."

Sheffield's players had been battling in both games but wanted maximum points and fell short, he said.

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Team mate Lucas Sandstrom agreed that the team did not come out as strong as they had planned in New Year's Day's 2-3 home defeat to Panthers.

"They played better than us...but it is a huge point for us, we came back we had our chances to even win the game."

Sheffield hope to put the defeat behind them by beating fifth-place Guildford Flames at the Arena on Saturday night.

It will be Liwing's fourth game since coming back from a horror injury at the end of September.

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Recalling that match against Cardiff Devils, he said: "There was a situation in front of the net, I was hit on the elbow and it dislocated, (there were) three months with rehab, a lot of work off the ice, but I am happy to be back.

"It's been tough but I decided right away I was going to do my best to come back and there was no point feeling sorry for myself just because I was injured."

Liwing said Cardiff currently had games in hand against Sheffield adding: "But they have to win them...we just got to focus on our games and not what they are doing."

The 36-year-old Swede has had a lot of time to watch Aaron Fox's team evolve, with new players coming in to patch up the injury hit roster.

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"We slowly got better during the year here, we won a bunch of games in a row and just (have to) keep on working hard and hopefully we can get back on the winning side again."

Winning the title is the team's goal and Sheffield have to play Cardiff three times more, he said.

As for the job security of imports, he added: "I can only worry about my own situation, do my best to come back and play my best. Then if I am playing or not it is up to the coach. The best team must play."