Leeds Knights extend winning streak over Sheffield Steeldogs to create small buffer at top of NIHL National standings
YOU have to go back to Valentine’s Day 2023 for when Sheffield Steeldogs last got the better of Leeds Knights.
Since then it has been a one-way street and on Saturday night at Ice Sheffield, there was little sign of that dynamic changing.
The first period saw little to choose between the Yorkshire rivals - Leeds edging it in terms of chances and zone time – but the visitors, having also won 7-0 at Elland Road two weeks ago, ultimately emerged deserved winners, thanks in large part to a clinical second period.
Ahead of Sunday night’s games, the 5-2 win in South Yorkshire put slightly more daylight between the Knights and their closest rivals, Milton Keynes and Hull edged out in overtime by Peterborough and Swindon respectively.
The Knights’ bid for a third straight regular season NIHL National league title still has an awful long way to go - but they have made a promising start in realising their ambitions.
In a keenly-fought first period at Ice Sheffield, it was Noah McMullin who opened the scoring with an absolute piledriver from distance through traffic at 11.50 which eluded Daniel Crowe.
After good work by Walker Sommer down the left, Jonathan Phillips was on hand at the back post to respond with a power play marker at 15.12 while Krisjanis Fulganis was in the box on a holding call.
But it was the second period where the game was effectively won and lost.
Phillips and former Knights defenceman Thomas Barry were still in the box due to minor misdemeanours in the final minute of the first when Matt Barron finished off a precision move from a tight angle at 20.58 following good work by Matt Bissonnette and Kieran Brown.
Two goals in as many minutes just after the halfway mark put further distance between the teams.
Good work by Ethan Hehir and Innes Gallacher below the goal-line saw the latter find Finley Bradon, who finished off neatly from the bottom of the right circle to make it 3-1 at 31.38.
It was an almost carbon copy move that saw captain Brown make it 4-1 just 75 seconds later with Bissonnette again involved, this time with Bow Neely..
The third period was a more sedate affair with chances harder to come by. Sam Gospel produced one stunning point-blank save to deny the hosts and it took a 52nd minute power play strike from Bradon to put the game beyond the hosts.
Nathan Ripley grabbed a late consolation with a fierce shot at 56.41.