After a back and forth start to the first period, with the visitors taking two early penalties, the hosts went ahead. Maxim Golod got lost by the Panthers penalty kill and was excellently picked out by Mitchell Balmas to score at the far post with 7:34 played. It took the Panthers under three minutes to respond. Catching the Steelers on a line change, Logan Neilson’s pass set Sam Herr through on a 2-on-1 where the Panthers captain opted to shoot himself and found the top corner of Jere Huhtamaa’s net to level things at 9:56.
Ryan Bednard came out on top of some good Steelers passing on their third powerplay of the period to keep the Panthers ahead.
The Panthers ended period two two ahead, but arguable should have put the game to bed by the 40-minute mark. After Patrick Watling left the puck behind below his own blue line, Herr skated through and shot – Huhtamaa made the save, only for Kristof Kontos to put home the rebound 5:48 into the second. The visitors failed to capitalise on a 2-on-0 shortly after, but did go two ahead through Hugo Roy’s neat finish at 30:30. Reid Stefanson had two excellent chances to put his side 4-1 up, including one shorthanded breakaway, but was unable to convert either.
The next goal was crucial, and it was eventually the Panthers who got their fourth – captain Herr beat Huhtamaa five-hole from close range after Kontos had done well to win the puck and found Mitch Fossier in around the circle.
Four down with just over eight minutes to go, the Steelers needed something fast if they were to extend their streak to 22 wins over the Panthers. Daniel Leavens did get them one back with 2:26 to go, but it was too late. An incident in the crowd also saw a delayed restart to the game, after which the Panthers managed out the game to secure a big two points.
