Sheffield Steelers 6-4 Cardiff Devils

Sheffield missing Steve Duncombe.

Sheffield stay 3 wins clear at the top of the table with these sides meeting in the Challenge Cup Semi-Finals next week.

4220 saw Cardiff deservedly take a 2 goal lead, only for the visitors to fall apart in a torrid 5 minute spell which saw 4 goals get by Jason Cugnet.

James Manson took an early penalty. Cugnet made one stop from Bolibruk before Bronsard made a double save from Romaniuk and Matulik. But a giveaway in their own end let Romaniuk in on the net, and Phillips put away the pieces (3:06) for a short-handed strike.

Patterson and Bronsard clashed soon after, then Adams took a high sticks minor. With Devils on the powerplay Phillips sent Ware down the right and his pass across to the left was netted first time by Matt Myers (7:33).

Devils continued to create the chances as they used their superior size to go to the net and scramble the puck home. Sheffield started to create chances of their own. Steelers' Joel Irving received a pass from the left corner to net from 8 feet (15:49).

Devils quickly restored the two goal margin early in the second. A scramble behind the net saw Ware emerge with the puck to net at point-blank range (21:23). Darling tested Cugnet but Myers and Matulik kept Bronsard busy.

A spate of penalties gave Devils 31 seconds of 5-on-3 and Brown's blue-line blast was padded away. But Phillips took a tripping minor for 4-on-4 and Cardiff were soon to fall apart.

From a face-off on the right, Anderson went to the net and the same player collected the loose puck and exchanged passes with Peron for Peron to net (32:09). Peron was blanked again soon after. With the pressure on Cardiff, Bolibruk stepped up to lash home (33:07). Bobyck got away to force a save. Then Dutiaume got away down the right. His effort was saved but he teed up Darling to put Sheffield ahead (35:00).

Just 15 seconds later Irving fired home from the right and Devils were forced to call a time out. But Sheffield weren't finished and Adams converted a pass from the right corner (36:59).

Cardiff's chances hampered in the final period when Sacratini clashed with LeFebvre and he talked his way to a 10 minute misconduct in addition to the double roughing minor.

Devils kept plugging away however and when Myers found Hill at the back door he made no mistake (52:32) and suddenly the game was nicely balanced again. But for all the huff and puff Devils couldn't get any closer, despite lifting Cugnet with 84 seconds remaining.

After the game Steelers coach Mike Blaisdell said his priority next weekend was to win the league game against Coventry rather than those Semi-Finals.