Sheffield Steelers 2-4 Edinburgh Capitals

Dan Tessier returned for Steelers but Jonathan Phillips was missing. Edinburgh without Brits Iain Beattie, Ross Dalgleish, Steven Lynch and Daniel McIntyre.

2667 cheered Edinburgh and booed the home side at the final hooter as Capitals helped themselves to their 4th victory over Sheffield this season in as many attempts. The sides meet again in Scotland next Saturday and Sheffield appear to have no answer to the faster skating Capitals, led by the impressive Lou Dickenson and some inspired goal tending from Stephen Murphy.

A slow start by the visitors saw Phil Hill flip home a powerplay strike at Stephen Murphy's left post (16:18) as Patrik Luza sat a tripping penalty. Shawn Maltby doubled the lead when he buried the rebound after Murphy blanked Dan Tessier at the back post (23:48).

Hill's interference penalty was punished as Andrej Rajcak beat Maltby at the face-off. The puck found Gregor Slak on the far side and his shot was padded straight to Martin Cingel who netted into the far corner from the left wing (26:20).

Brett Clouthier took exception to a Luza challenge on Tessier taking 4 minutes for roughing for his troubles and Mathew Craig put away the rebound from Lou Dickenson's left wing shot on the powerplay (31:13).

The visitors then saw off a tripping penalty against Neil Hay before Silverthorn picked out Slak 10 feet in front of the net and his crisp first-time shot won the game (34:58).

Sheffield called a timeout straightaway, but with Capitals' Dino Bauba sitting a delay of game penalty for firing the puck over the plexi, Peter Janik's long pass released Dickenson behind the home defence and his powerful shot squeezed between Jody Lehman's pads (45:47).

The home side rallied to at last exert pressure on the visitors goal but Murphy shut the door and Sheffield never looked like getting back into the game. Indeed, Capitals fired the puck down the ice into the unguarded net but the buzzer went first to spare Steelers further embarrassment.

How differently this game began, with Sheffield seemingly finding space in the Edinburgh defence with ease.

An early hooking penalty against Rod Sarich saw only one save from Luza. As Sheffield returned to full strength Jason Hewitt fired in from the right and Capitals did well to scramble the puck clear.

After a lengthy spell with no clear chances, Warren Tait popped up on the doorstep but Murphy made the save.

Rajcak and Dickenson began to emerge into the game, however, testing Lehman at every opportunity. Hill had just missed a chance at Murphy's right post but emerged at the other post to flick home Sarich's shot.

Slak should have have done better than fire into Lehman's chest from the left wing, but 2 minutes before the first interval Maltby missed a golden chance when Shane Johnson's long pass sent him clear. He went in close and backhanded his shot but Murphy blanked him.

Three minutes into the middle session, Maltby picked out Hewitt at the far post but the youngster failed to get a shot away. However the second wasn't long in coming. Clouthier trailed Tessier down the right and found the Sheffield marksman at the back post but Murphy made a fabulous pad save. The puck fell nicely for the on-rushing Maltby who lifted the puck home.

Slak and Janik forced saves as Edinburgh stepped up their game. A needless interference penalty by Hill was punished when Cingel's shot took a deflection en route to the far bottom corner of the net, after Lehman had turned aside Slak's right wing shot.

Just 13 seconds later Hay took a high sticking penalty but Sheffield failed to land a single shot on goal and instead Cingel was forcing a save at the other end.

Clouthier flattened Luza who offered no resistance for his 4 minute roughing penalty. Lehman did well to stop Bauba's screened shot from the left and later Luza's big shot from right of centre. But with 61 seconds of the penalty still to go, Dickenson's shot was padded to Craig who made no mistake from close in.

Again Hay took a penalty soon afterwards, this time for tripping, and again Sheffield couldn't test Murphy whilst Dickenson tried a wrap-around at Lehman's left post.

A minute after Hay returned, Slak fired past Lehman and Dave Matsos had little choice but to call a timeout.

With Cingel sitting a hooking penalty, Tessier fed the puck out to Sarich but Murphy blocked the first-time shot.

The visitors took 3 delay of game penalties in the final session as they seemed to have trouble keeping the puck below the plexi when clearing their own end.

Kyle Horne took the first one, but again Dickenson got away up the left to force a big pad save and Sarich had little choice but to take an interference penalty. With the sides skating 4 on 4, Sutter was foiled on the doorstep and Johnson and Tessier both forced saves with Craig and Dickenson doing likewise at the other end.

Bauba's delay of game saw Murphy make a great double stop from Maltby close-in on the right, after Johnson's cross-ice pass picked out his captain. Tessier's right wing shot was padded aside and Janik threaded the puck up to Dickenson who showed how to finish with a bullet shot low through Lehman's pads.

Steelers stepped up their game but Murphy had no trouble dealing with their shots which were coming from distance.

Janik flattened Tessier into the boards from behind for a tripping penalty, but again Dickenson was forcing Lehman into a save. Ian Manzano's tripping penalty left the sides 4-on-4 and Scott Ricci found Mark Thomas with time and space on the left, but again Murphy made a double save to thwart Thomas.

With the sides back at full strength, Edinburgh survived a couple of big scrambles at their net from right wing shots by Hewitt and Clouthier.

But Sheffield couldn't lift Lehman for the extra skater until just 40 seconds remained as they struggled to control the puck and Edinburgh's owner Scott Neil was one win closer to winning his bet with Dave Simms that the Scots would win all 6 games against Sheffield this season.