Match Preview vs Steelers

League Record So Far; 27 – 1 – 10, 55pts, 2nd Place

This is a tale of a classic top table clash where everything points to both opponents rightfully claiming each spot. Both teams have gone on tremendous unbeaten runs of late, with the good guys having theirs snapped midweek in Nottingham, a 12 game stretch that kept some pressure on the leaders.

The visitors, stoic, driven, classy and at times, looking unbeatable even when the chips are down and the result looks to tilt against their favour, always find a way to alter that trajectory and come away with the goods.

It isn’t even annoying at this point, it is entirely deserved and respect for that team as a whole grows week on week.

Their last loss came from the Flyers in Kirkcaldy back in January and have since gone on a 10 game unbeaten run in the league (as we don’t include a separate competition for the same league run).

Steelers will be looking to extend that to 11 games unbeaten and pull away 16 points clear, whereas the home team will look to bounce back from a missed opportunity on Wednesday and reassert themselves in the conversation, whilst exorcising their capitulation at home against their foes at the start of last month.

Stats Breakdowns

Both teams effectively lead in their respective positions across the board. None more so than goals scored, where the visitors have an 18 goal advantage and goals against they are the only team not concede 70, let alone 100. Devils are nearest to them, with 101 GA.

Steelers GF/GA – 168:68 (+100 Differential)

Devils GF/GA – 150:101 (+49 Differential)

Special Teams & Discipline

In terms of the special teams, it is rinse and repeat on the power play. Steelers lead the league with 29.57%, whilst the Devils are 2nd with 26.96%.

For the penalty kill, Steelers top the pack with 88.46% and the good guys are slowly improving back to their league leading spot, sitting at 6th currently after an abysmal collapse with 76.19%.

As far as penalties taken or drawn, both teams have drawn 115 times for the power play, with Devils having to sit 105 times, one more than Steelers at 104. So for discipline, they appear pretty close.

This is where a discernible gap opens up, with Steelers having the leagues lowest PIM/G at 8 and Devils are 2nd worst with 10.71. So, despite a similar discipline record, it goes to show it isn’t always equal, so the message will be to stay out of the box at all times.

Production & Defensive Responsibility

As far as production vs line defence goes, this is where the teams really separate for them to translate on paper during the season so far.

Steelers Shots For Avg/ Shots Against Avg – 40.16/26.32 (+13.84 Differential)

Devils Shots For Avg/ Shots Against Avg – 35.13/32.74 (+2.39 Differential)

The likelihood of Devils giving up scoring opportunities is just as high as their own production, it is almost identical, which suggests defensively there isn’t as much focus to shut down opponents, with an over reliance on attacking.

Goal Tending

Steelers meanwhile generate much more offensively and look to be more responsible for team defence, which of course has shown for the goals against and for the prolific nature of their number one goalie, Matt Greenfield, with a whopping 8 league shutouts and a 1.71 GAA.

Bowns is having his best season as Devil between the pipes, however, even being 10 games short compared to his counterpart, he has saved 836 shots, compared to Greenfields 928.

Suggesting that even though there is a 4 goal against difference between them, Bowns has iced less times and nearly at the same pace. Add another 10 games, Greenfield looks stronger, even more so.

Scoring Scenarios

Both teams boast players in the leagues top 10 point scorers and for good reason, with Steelers dominating in that category all season long. 4 of their players reside in this area, lead by Balmas, the Nova Scotia import, with 47 points so far. The road to 50 watch is firmly on for the Canadian Maritimer.

The Devils nominees feature their best points men on their roaster in Crawford (42 points) and Sanford (41 points respectively). Sanford leads the league with goals (26) and Crawford leads the league in assists (40).

Scoring is widespread across the lines of both teams, with the next nearest Devil 3 points off the rest of the top 10 Steelers in Ully and Cox with 37 points respectively.

Ones to watch on the power play are league leading PPG scorer Vallerand (9) and Sanford (7). Shorthanded, dangers are all over the ice from Davies to Ciampini respectively (2 and between the teams they have scored 15 SHG.

Expectations

Expect a tighter battle this time around in the Vindico Arena, as the 4th league match up gets underway, with Steelers leading this series 2:1, putting up a shutout and a 11:3 offensive advantage.

Last season, Devils took the series 4:2 and dominated each aspect of it. So far, it seems an insurmountable carbon opposite, so for anything to change, this is game to start it.

It is not over until that lady sings and whilst her lungs are filling up to belt out victory to the visitors for the season, the wind can always be knocked out of their sails at any point.

Now is the time to do it.