Sheffield Steelers 3-1 Edinburgh Capitals

Sheffield ice Jonathan Tindall as back-up goalie in place of Davey Lawrence.

4700 see Sheffield come from behind as another brace from Jeff Legue (22:04 and 33:21) secured the win. Mike Stutzel opened the scoring on Edinburgh's first powerplay of the night (17:28), but with the Scots pushing hard in the final seesion for an equaliser, it was their failure to capitalise on 100 seconds of 4 on 3 with less than 3 minutes remaining that cost Edinburgh a share of the points. With goalie JF Perras withdrawn, Joey Talbot had a chance to hit the insurance marker. His shot went wide but as the nearest Edinburgh player had thrown his stick at the puck in a desperate attempt to stop the shot and the game was inside the final two minutes of play, Talbot was credited with the goal anyway (59:47).

Sheffield dominated the opening period but had nothing to show for their efforts, although Doug Sheppard was unlucky to see his shot come back off a post on 19 minutes.

Perras blanked Legue twice in 20 seconds, gloving a rising shot from the left wing and then turning aside a close-range effort. Three minutes later Dinau Bauba found Lehman's blocker and Steelers tore up the ice, Ferras padding aside Talbot's right wing shot and saving Legue's follow up with Talbot putting the second rebound wide

Doug Christiansen took the first penalty of the night but his side killed the penalty with ease as Mark Garside tested Lehman at the other end.

Back at full strength, Lehman did well to stop Kyle Horne's screened shot from the right with Ferras blanking Finnerty at the other end.

On 11 minutes Sheffield won a face-off on the right and Mark Thomas' shot was forced in, but the effort was adjudged to have been kicked in.

Steelers' second powerplay came with Bauba sitting a holding penalty, but only Rod Sarich tested the keeper. In contrast Jason Hewitt's interference minor was clincally punished. Ryan Crane's shot from the blueline was padded away and the puck went across the back of the goal with Stutzel rifling home from low on the left.

The period ended with Sheppard hitting the post and then being blanked on the doorstep.

Neil Hay was first to test the keepers in the middle session, but Sheffield grabbed the goal. With Horne sitting a hooking penalty Talbot won the draw, Sarich passed across to Legue who drilled the puck home inside the near post.

Legue was soon sitting a cross-checking penalty, though and Colin Hemingway's pass picked out Stutzel close-in but Lehman pulled off a big pad save to his right.

Halfway through the period Bauba found Hemingway arriving up the middle but again Lehman made the big save. A minute later Sheppard missed a glorious chance to give Sheffield the lead. Jonathan Phillips found him close-in, but despite seemingly out-witting the goalie he put his chance wide.

But that lead wasn't long in arriving. With a delayed penalty on Ben O'Connor, Sheffield broke up the right and Legue fired home.

Patrick Luza's slashing minor brought 2 routine stops by Ferras. Steve Munn's cross-checking penalty saw Sheppard and Phillips break out 2 on 1, Sheppard choosing to shoot from the right and Ferras made the big save.

Edinburgh threw everything at Sheffield in the final session. Just 16 seconds in Scott Hay was forcing a save and, with Munn still to return, Lehman again made two huge stops as Stutzel pounced on the loose puck at his left post before the keeper denied Hemingway at the other post, just getting just enough to force the puck over the bar.

Back at even strength the home side looked comfortable but with Ian Manzano sitting another cross-checking call, a rebound fell nicely for Hay only for Lehman to save again.

With 10 minutes remaing Jeremy Cornish slashed Adam Stefishen and the pair took fighting majors in additon to Cornish's slashing minor. At the referee's crease a scuffle between Martin Cingel and Ashley Tait saw delay of game minors to both players.

Edinburgh piled on the pressure with Lehman blanking Stutzel three times before Sheffield returned to even strength. Sheppard fired into Ferras' chest when well placed, then Hemingway forced a save from distance. Before the game could restart Hemingway and Munn were sitting roughing minors and just 20 seconds later Legue joined them for hooking.

But Edinburgh failed to get a single shot on Lehman during the 4 on 3 as Sheffield ran down the clock. Inevitably Ferras was pulled but Talbot intercepted on the Edinburgh blue line. His backhand effort sailed wide but a thrown stick gave Sheffield the insurance marker their fans craved.