Sheffield Steelers 3-6 Belfast Giants

Sheffield missing Gavin Farrand, Belfast missing Shane Johnson.

Belfast were always the sharper side and ran away with this one taking advantage of the home side's frustrations. But sadly for Giants, Coventry beat London at home to clinch the Elite league title.

3333 fans saw Jayme Platt's incredible 4 game shut-out end at 12:19 of this game, some 277 minutes and 33 seconds since Bracknell beat him. Todd Kelman got it, bursting through right of centre and went left on Platt with Steelers' defenceman Dave Cousineau sitting an interference penalty.

That tied the scores after Jeff Christian flicked the puck home (8:09) in front of Martin Klempa's right post just 6 seconds after Frederik Nasvall joined Jason Bowen in the penalty box (tripping and hooking respectively). Klempa had earlier made 4 stops when Leigh Jamieson took a holding penalty in the fifth minute.

The momentum shifted to the visitors and when Marc Lefebvre took a needless high sticks penalty, Belfast went 5-on-3 themselves 31 seconds later when Gerad Adams took a cross-checking penalty behind his own goal line.

Giants took 68 seconds to make the two man advantage count, Tony Hand firing home (16:56).

Belfast had the better of the middle session always looking the more dangerous, but Sheffield surprisingly tied the game late in the session. Giants had just killed a holding the stick penalty on Roman Gavalier when Erik Anderson fired home (37:29).

Ron Shurda's error allowed Curtis Huppe to burst through in the 42nd minute and Platt made a fine pad save to his right, but the goalie was at fault when Mark Levers beat him soon after (42:29). Exactly 5 minutes later Mel Angelstadt's right wing shot left Platt sitting on the deck and the puck reached Nasvall who made no mistake.

George Awada forced two saves before Mike Peron did likewise at the other end. Ref Andy Carson signalled a delayed holding penalty call on Leigh Jamieson after he man-handled Mike Peron, but Erik Anderson fired the puck home high across Klempa (53:29).

But any hopes of a comeback were lost when Dion Darling dragged Awada down as the Giant got behind the home defence. Carson called a penalty shot which Awada duly missed, firing wide from left of centre. But Carson ruled goalie Platt had left his crease before the Awad touched the puck, and so Awads had a second chance. This time he cut in from the right and netted between the goalie legs (54:54).

Seconds later Sheffield were again undone when Curtis Bowen burst down the right and slid the puck across to Angelstadt who netted at the back post (55:28).