Single goal-game sees Sheffield Steelers sneak win at Fife Flyers
Colton Fretter’s goal with six minutes left decided the battle of goaltenders.
Sheffield without forwards Andreas Jamtin (paternity) and Mathieu Roy (compassionate leave) are looking for the best possible seed-place.
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Hide AdScoring has not always come to Sheffield easily this season and Sheffield failed to hit the net in the first two periods although they enjoyed a clean sheet in their own end, too.
Todd Dutiaume’s team looked on the verge of breaking Steelers down at times - Shayne Stockton engineering a chance for Charlie Mosey.
But neither could execute on their Power Plays in the middle stanza, Fife’s former Steeler Russ Moyer taking a slashing call at 27:48 followed by a hook from the giant stick of Joonas Ronnberg at 33:34.
Goaltender Ervins Mustukovs - who attracted a few enemies in the crowd for some reason - had previously complimented his team for conceding the fewest goals in the Erhardt Conference.
And they did well to contain Flyers danger men.
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Hide AdRefe Alan Craig disallow a Peter LeBlanc goal for high sticks though, after a video review.
And Carlo Finucci struck Mustukovs’ post.
Up front for Steelers, Jonas Westerling teed up Mark Matheson, but Jordan Marr stopped the puck. Jonathan Phillips also had a sniff at goal.
With just six minutes and eight seconds left of regulation, the deadlock was broken.
And it was Steelers who were celebrating after Fretter finished off an Eric Neiley move, his first strike in four games.
There were some finger-nail chewing moments as Tim Wallace took two minutes for slashing. It was killed though and Wallace came close to adding an empty netter.