Sheffield Steelers wary of Christmas surprise package Manchester Storm

And Manchester Storm recently provided such a present to eight of their EIHL partners by twice defeating league leaders Guildford Flames.

Nobody was more grateful than Sheffield Steelers, who took advantage by chiseling away Flames' lead at the top to a single point.

Ten days into December, Sheffield had been 11 points behind the high-riding southerners, so the closing of the gap has been a spectacular one.

While Storm's wins have been welcomed on the east side of the Pennines, everybody at the Arena is aware that Manchester are next on Steelers' dance card, (Saturday 4pm and Sunday 5.30pm.)

Earlier in the season Storm were victorious at Nottingham Panthers and Belfast Giants before putting those 13 goals past Guildford in the two Christmas matches.

"They have done good against good teams," says Sheffield skater Evan Mosey.

"They are playing a lot better than they were at the beginning, it is one of those teams that you cannot take lightly.

"Manchester is a tough place to go into and we have got to be prepared for those two games."

He noted that title rivals had hoped Guildford would drop some games after being "on a roll."

"Looking at the schedule I think we play them quite a bit at the end of the season," he said.

"The season is a tale of two halves, December-on is the big push.

"Obviously we have got to keep on what we are doing. We cannot really control too much except the games we are playing and we have got to get wins and chip away like we have been doing."

The utility player has missed 20 games through injury this season.

He said he was slowly getting to where he wanted to be in terms of fitness.

"Every day is a little bit better, which is a positive thing.

"In the last couple of games I have been able to contribute a little bit more and help out and play some better hockey.

"It is good to get back in the swing of things."

In the New Years's Eve game, Mosey said it would be important that Sheffield played better than they did in their last home game, against Nottingham.

"The (Christmas) break threw a monkey wrench into the system," he said, admitting they were lucky to be 0-0 and 1-1 before winning 3-2. "But good teams find a way to win."

Mosey said the locker room would miss the departed Czech forward Adam Raska.

"It's not the most pleasant situation but obviously Raska has got to do what is best for Raska. The guys don't fault him at all.

"He is going to a really good league in Czech and to a team (HC Kometa Brno) where he grew up playing for and watching.

"It is one of those situations where it kind of sucks to see a guy go. He is such a good guy and you want him to stay but it's a tough position because everyone wants to play and be in the game and with how many guys we have somebody has got to sit out.

"I don't want to say it's unfair, it's part of the game.

"He is a great guy and he is going to be missed."

Steelers hope to take their winning streak to 10 straight wins on Saturday night. Fans would love to see them emulate their 12-game streak in the EIHL in 2009. The longest time they had in the Elite League without a defeat was back in 2004.