Why Brendan Connolly is planning to leave Sheffield Steelers on a high

The Star revealed yesterday that the veteran is to hang up his EIHL skates at the end of the season.

Connolly wants to go out on a high.

And that will mean his team must not slide back to the form which saw them trounced at Belfast Giants last Friday.

After that 8-2 battering, coach Aaron Fox said he'd had to question the team's character for the first time considering the scale of the defeat and the inconsistency in other matches.

Fox later said he thought his team rediscovered their true potential and team spirit in Sunday's Arena win over Cardiff Devils.

Connolly certainly finds it hard to accept that the team lacks in personality.

Asked about the difficult times Sheffield have endured, he said: "It is tough to say (it's about) character.

"I feel we have a good group of guys and I think the guys' hearts are in the right place."

He thought the Giants' loss was "more about making the right decision at the right time rather than a necessarily a reflection of character.

"Every guy in that room wants to win and wants to do the best they can every single time they are called on to go on the ice."

There was a hard lesson learned on having to make better reads and being responsible for the puck.

Connolly, who has been a Kelly Cup, Danish Cup and Challenge Cup champion, reflected honestly on the drop in form Sheffield suddenly exhibited in the New Year.

It was a dip that meant the title will now be going to Belfast or Guildford Flames.

"It is tough to put your finger on one certain thing, I think it's a multitude of things" he said.

"We fell into a bad spell offensively.

"People who score can go into scoring slumps, that's part of playing hockey.

"It felt like everybody went in one all at the same time and then we were pushing maybe a little too hard to create offence and givin gup to much on the defensive end."

He said they had emphasised the need to focus on the "small details" of eqach game.

"We are trying to ramp up for the play off push and making sure every time we set foot on the ice we are taking care of these little things."

Giving examples of the factors required to be successful, he said: "Situational awareness, recognising when you are playing against the top line, manage the shift, are you going to chip it in deep and make them play a 200 feet game not taking the risk you would normally take?

"Recognising who you are on the ice against.

"Making sure we are not giving up odd man rushes, we are being smart with our pinches...making sure we are not trying to push offence letting it come more organically and making sure the details on the defensive side of the game are taken care of."