Coventry Blaze got a valuable two points in the Challenge Cup to move into third in Group A and keep their hopes of making the next round very much alive.
Sheffield start the first period on the front foot with a couple of close chances for Kevin Tansey and then Mark Simpson. Skating 5-on-3, Sacha Guimond put the Steelers ahead with 10:33 played with a blast on a rebound.
The Blaze levelled just over three minutes later through an Alessio Luciani tip on a Chase Gresock shot at 13:55 to tie the game.
Sheffield went back ahead with the third straight powerplay goal of the game, a Mitchell Balmas came back off the post only for Mikko Juusola to put it home and make it 2-1 with 1:53 left in the period.
A fairly uneventful second frame opened with a flurry of chances for the Blaze, but without success. At the other end, Marc-Olivier Vallerand found Robson’s crossbar denying him a third for the hosts. A rebound breaking to Zach Heintz at 34:48 saw the Blaze tie the game with another powerplay goal.
Coventry should have taken the lead before the buzzer, but Marco De Filippo came out the better on a 2-on-0 rush.
Vallerand finished nice passing involving Brandon Whistle and Guimond to make it 3-2 to the Steelers with 5:47 left to play, but Brandon Alderson hit straight back just 68 seconds later to bring the Blaze level for a third time.
Neither side found a winner in regulation and overtime followed. The Steelers, aware that Belfast had got a point and thus secured top seeding, opted to go with the empty net in overtime with the result no longer important to them. Kim Tallberg found the empty cage from his own zone 3:18 into OT to give the Blaze a vital win.
Sheffield Steelers – Coventry Blaze 3:4 OT Coventry Blaze Sheffield Steelers
Photo by Dean Woolley
With EIHL match report
Â