Sheffield Steelers 2-4 Nottingham Panthers

Steelers missing Stevie Duncombe (concussion) and Mike Peron. Panthers' Brandin Cote returned to action as club captain Calle Carlsson is de-registered.

The biggest rivalry in British hockey was resumed in front of 5886 fans and Panthers won comfortably, their 5th win in 5 meetings against Steelers this season. Panthers made their powerplays count twice and forced home two rebounds against the home side's young and inexperienced third line.

Few chances early on, and Sheffield failed to test Curtis Cruickshank on the game's first powerplay when Stefan Sjorgen took a holding penalty. Just 34 seconds after returning to full strength Cote fired in from the left and Blaz Emersic outmuscled his marker to squeeze the rebound under Jody Lehman's stick from 8 feet (5:53).

Steelers' man of the match Martin Masa burst over the Nottingham blue line and hit a bullet straight at Cruickshank, but Steelers were level on his next shift. Warren Tait fired in from the right and Paul Sample deflected Ron Shudra's follow up just wide. Masa collected the loose puck low on the left and picked out Sample at the back post for a tap-in (9:26).

Player-coach Dennis Maxwell blasted a good chance wide soon after, and with Steelers pressing Cruickshank cross-checked Maxwell for the next penalty.

Emersic broke away to force a stop before the Panthers' goalie was called into action. Back at 5-on-5, Maxwell's bullet was gloved high, then Lehman did well to freeze Sjorgen's shot with Emersic waiting for the rebound.

When Jonas Lennartsson took an interference penalty Panthers' powerplay unit were brutally efficient in finding the net. Jeff Sebastian and Curits Bowen passed the puck between themselves at the top of the slot, Bowen eventually firing in and Shaun Sutter despatched the rebound from close-in (16:40).

Cote's interference penalty early in the second produced a scramble from Mark Dutiuame's shot, but the penalty was again killed comfortably and Sheffield were in trouble when Rod Sarich took a slashing penalty with Masa already in the box. Panthers had 96 seconds of 5-on-3, but only needed 82 seconds to score again, Joe Carderelli bagging another rebound from Dion Darling's right wing shot (25:53).

The home side raised their game and Kent Simpson got away to force a stop. Masa flew down the left and in on goal to be hauled back by Sebastian and on the resulting powerplay Masa halved the deficit, firing home from an acute angle low on the right after Dutiaume had shot wide (28:31).

Sheffield kept working Cruickshank without looking threatening, and then killed another powerplay as Sebastian and Bowen both forced saves from the top of the slot.

But Panthers wrapped up the scoring when Richard Wojciak drove the net from the left and, with Lehman on the floor, Brad Patterson was first to the loose puck to lift it home (36:41).

Few good chances emerged in the final session, though with less than 10 minutes remaining Lennartsson stepped over the blue line to ring Panthers' left post. Any hope of Sheffield reducing the arrears for an edge-of-your seat finale disappeared when Maxwell took a high stick penalty in the final 3 minutes of the game.