Sheffield Steelers 4-0 Belfast Giants (Play-Offs)

Sheffield missing Gavin Farrand, Les Millie ices. Belfast missing Shane Johnson.

2509 saw Giants lose their discipline and throw away this game in the middle session in which they racked up 70 penalty minutes. With Sheffield already leading through Mike Peron, Erik Anderson bagged two powerplay goals, Peron another, as Sheffield enjoyed two spells against just 3 skaters whilst 3 Giants players earned 10 minute misconduct penalties. Frederik Nasvall even got himself ejected for continuing comments to the referee.

The first period had been so different. Both sides failed to take advantage of a single powerplay each, though Anderson really should have opened the scoring, missing a golden chance at the back post on Mark Dutiaume's breakaway. Team-mate Gerad Adams was sitting a hooking penalty at the time.

Eleven minutes into the game Todd Kelman collided with home goalie Jayme Platt chasing a rebound and the keeper required treatment before resuming.

Mike Peron broke away down the left wing from his own end, skating across the doorstep to net high (14:41). The rest of the period was one-way traffic to the Belfast net with Anderson forcing two good stops and Martin Klempa doing well to glove Dave Cousineau's right point blast.

With 75 seconds remaining in the period, Mel Angelstadt took a tripping penalty and right on the buzzer Jason Bowen was called for roughing. So Sheffield commenced the second period with 45 seconds of 5-on-3 and Dion Darling's left wing shot fell for Anderson to score at the back post (20:29).

Curtis Huppe took a hooking penalty 2 minutes later and Anderson had time and space 10 feet out to net high to Klempa's right (23:21). Frederik Nasvall talked his way to a misconduct penalty before the restart and his continuous verbal volley from the penalty bench saw him ejected with a game misconduct 17 seconds later.

Sheffield were really flying and Bowen was back in the box just before 26 minutes with a 2+10 checking to the head penalty. But Giants were the team to create the chances with George Awada firing in a couple from the right wing.

Within 4 minutes Angelstadt had also taken a 2+10 checking to the head penalty and Giants were now three players short. But they survived relatively comfortably.

Late in the period, Huppe and Darling clashed for roughing penalties and Tony Hand joined them 12 seconds later on an interference call, much to the glee of the home crowd. Sheffield dominated the 4-on-3 play, Peron netting the rebound from Anderson's shot 70 seconds later (37:40).

And before the game could restart, Awada took a 10 minute misconduct.

A relatively quiet goalless final period followed though Giants never stopped chasing their lost cause.