Leeds Chiefs happy to win ‘ugly’ to keep pressure on playoff rivals

READ MORE – Leeds Chiefs out to mark historic night with winning home start

The historic occasion of the Yorkshire derby is not lost on Chiefs’ player-coach Sam Zajac but, ultimately, he is more interested in taking two valuable points to boost his team’s hopes of making the NIHL National playoffs.

In order to do that, squaring the eight-game head-to-head series against the Steeldogs would certainly help, the Chiefs currently trailing 4-2 with the final meeting between the two after tonight scheduled for Leeds on Sunday, February 23.

And with two one-game weekends ahead of them, Zajac said it was vital for the Chiefs to maintain their recent run of form in order to not let playoff rivals Raiders and Bracknell Bees get any further ahead of them.

“To square the series against Sheffield would be a massive boost for us,” said Zajac. “They are the kind of team that we need to be beating if we want to make the playoffs, you need to at least tie the series with the teams in and around you.

“Sheffield are sat seventh and a few points ahead of eighth place, so it is going to be unlikely that we can catch them - but they are a team we see ourselves as not being too far off.”

The last time the two met was on New Year’s Eve in Ice Sheffield, an early afternoon face-off resulting in a short-benched Chiefs being hammered 9-2. Given the additions made to his roster in recent weeks, Zajac is confident Friday night’s game will be a lot closer.

“The New Year’s Eve game was a humbling one for us, but we’re going to be a different animal this time around,” he added. “This is going to be very competitive and we are both teams who try to play the right way, play good exciting hockey.

“We’d love to make it exciting for the fans that have waited this long to watch us, but if it takes a 1-0 win in overtime and it is ugly, then we’re more than happy to take that.”

Veteran defenceman Steve Duncombe is missing from the Chiefs line-up having picked up an injury last weekend in the 4-1 win against Milton Keynes Lightning in Coventry. Leeds-born Bobby Streetly is racing to be fit after a two-month layoff and, even if he is not ready to play a significant role, will still dress

To cover for Duncombe, Steven Moore – scorer of a hat-trick in the 6-5 overtime defeat against Swindon Wildcats last Sunday - will fall back on the back-end, with the arrival of Scottish forward Caly Robertson and addition for one last night of Hull Jets winger Richie Haggar giving Zajac further options up front.

“Bobby’s a local guy, he’s desperate to be involved and if he can’t play a full part then we’d like to get him involved in some way we can keep him on the bench for a bit of moral support and make sure he is a part of it all,” said Zajac.

“Steve Moore said after his hat-trick last Sunday against Swindon that he’s scored all his goals for the season now and he’s happy to play on D for us!

“He’s played on the back end a few times for us, on penalty kills when we’ve been a bit short, he’s not out of place he’s a great skater and that is half the battle when you get forwards dropping back on.”

Teenage pair Tyler Nixon and Dylan Hehir will also be on the bench to provide additional defensive cover.