Sheffield Steelers coach hopes to build on landslide Cup win

Has Steelers' latest goal fest against Dundee Stars helped to bring back the key, missing ingredient of confidence to the team?
Steelers celebrate against DundeeSteelers celebrate against Dundee
Steelers celebrate against Dundee

Sheffield slaughtered the Scots 6-1 on Wednesday evening, to secure passage through to the Challenge Cup semi finals.

It was the sixth time they had inflicted a heavy beating on them this season - in all they have put the puck in their net 41 times.

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That string of successes hasn’t always guaranteed wins and a surge of confidence in the next game, we have seen that in the defeats that have followed three of those previous five victories.

But coach Paul Thompson says the latest positive result is part of “a process.”

He and Jerry Andersson have had to rebuild the team in the face of criticism of their League displays.

And Thompson admitted the players had been nervous and quiet before Wednesday’s game.

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The coaching staff have a central philosophy right now: “Criticism has galvanised us - through adversity we have got to come together.”

And while Thompson admits Dundee are not the same calibre as the Erhardt Conference opposition they have been dropping results to, he hopes they can carry that winning momentum into Saturday’s League game at home against Braehead Clan.

Thompson has been trying to unlock more goals from his forwards, which is why he moved puck-controller Mark Matheson from defence into a central forward role on Wednesday. He also spoke of young Brit Liam Kirk out-playing some imports.

Braehead, meanwhile, have their own problems.

They play Cardiff Devils the night before travelling south.

Currently, Clan are limping along after five successive League defeats and are third from bottom.

* Steelers will face the winner of the Guildford v Cardiff quarter final.