Sheffield Steelers 1OT1 Nottingham Panthers

Nottingham missing Dan Ceman (knee).

5295 were treated to a classic Sheffield-Nottingham derby game. Steelers failed to take their chances through the first two periods, only Mark Dutiaume finding the net with a powerplay marker at the back post. With Kent Simpson unable to ice in the third period and Panthers pushing Blaz Emersic up front, the visitors dominated that period and should have bagged more than Shaun Sutter's equaliser after Emersic's dash down the left and perfect pass inside.

In overtime Panthers' captain Dion Darling blasted two glorious chances wide, before Mike Peron might have buried a chance in front of Nottingham's left post but Curtis Cruickshank made the save.

Martin Masa set the tone catching Cruikshank behind his net in the opening seconds as the much-improved home side pressed from the start, but the visitors restricted them to shots from distance. Cruickshank saved from Shudra and Sjogren as Sutter sat a hooking penalty.

When Gavin Farrand took an interference penalty Panthers moved the puck around well but only David Clarke forced a save.

Matt Myers' holding penalty put Steelers back on the powerplay and just 25 seconds later they took the lead. Simpson fired in from the right and when Cruickshank turned the shot aside Dutiaume potted the rebound (11:33).

With Darling and Ron Shudra sitting slashing penalties, Cruickshank blocked a fierce shot from Sjogren and his defence scrambled the puck to safety.

With Peron sitting a hooking penalty, Panthers again looked dangerous. Calle Carlsson low on the right was blanked by Lehman and Clarke's right wing shot was turned aside.

The middle period opened with Simpson getting away down the left, and then at the other end Sutter popping up on the doorstep, but both goalies were playing well.

Rod Sarich skated to the left post but his backhand was easily frozen. Shudra's found the goalie's blocker from the left wing, but back came Nottingham with Jeff Sebastian, Brandin Cote and Clarke forcing saves.

Sheffield went back on the offensive starting with Masa driving the net. Cruickshank dropped his stick saving Mark Thomas's right wing shot but still blanked Shudra's long range effort.

Joe Carderelli whistled the puck just past Lehman's right post but the chances were coming much less frequently now.

Lehman did well to turn aside Sebastian's screened shot, before Simpson limped off with a leg injury. With Patterson sitting a holding penalty, Cruickshank turned aside Masa's fierce shot from the right wing.

Panthers came out much stronger after the second interval. Sutter again got to the doorstep and from the face-off Patterson tested Lehman from low on the left.

At the other end Sarich's shot was dropped but the goalie recovered to freeze the puck. Emersic broke down the left wing and slammed on the brakes, wriggling free from his marker to slot the puck across to Sutter who span and fired home between the goalie's pads (44:06).

With Masa taking a tripping penalty soon after, Panthers had Steelers penned in their own end but Lehman only had two saves to make as his defence worked hard in front of him.

Chances were much less frequent now. Curtis Bowen found the pads from the right with Masa firing into Cruickshank's body at the other end.

In the final three minutes Clarke had two chances, but was outmuscled by his marker both times. With 95 seconds remaining Panthers called a time-out at a face-off at their own end and cleared the danger, with Emersic spinning off the left boards to force a stick save.

And so we had overtime. Panthers started strongly. 25 seconds in Cote fired in from the right and before the minute was up Darling pushed up the middle to blast wide of Lehman's left post. The puck came back to him close in on the right and this time he blazed his shot wide of the far post.

Carderelli forced a good stop and with 70 seconds remaining Sheffield called a time out at their end.

Inside the final minute Mike Peron's right wing shot was deflected out but play came back outside the zone as Dutiaume was judged to be in the goal crease. Steelers took play back into the Nottingham end and with a delayed penalty called on Darling for boarding, the Panthers team intelligently declined to play the puck to run the clock down. The puck reached Peron at Cruickshank's left post with seconds remaining but the goalie made the save.

Play restarted with just 2 seconds remaining and with Lehman withdrawn Shudra blasted in from the right, but it was all too late.