Stuttering Sheffield Steelers ‘good enough’ to turn form around

Marek Pinc, should start for Sheffield Steelers against Cardiff Devils on Wednesday night. Picture: Dean Woolley.

PAUL THOMPSON has backed his Sheffield Steelers team to pull themselves out of their current defensive malaise.

After a promising start to the campaign, the Elite League defending champions have stuttered of late, defensive frailties being exposed all too often, losing three of their last six games.

The latest setback came in a 4-1 home defeat to Nottingham Panthers, 24 hours after they had been involved in a “crazy” shoot-out win at Braehead Clan, which saw the Steelers eventually prevail 9-8.

But while recent form has attracted the expected criticism from some fans, Steelers’ head coach Thompson – ahead of tonight’s Ice Sheffield clash with Cardiff Devils (7.30pm) is confident his team will get things right sooner rather than later.

CONFIDENT: Sheffield Steelers' head coach Paul Thompson. Picture: Dean Woolley.

“It was a crazy night in Braehead on Saturday – team defence went out of the window for both of us,” admitted Thompson.

“But we know where we’re going wrong and we know where we need to change things. It’s a case of drumming it home in practice and during matches.”

After conceding just 20 goals in the first 10 games of he domestic campaign, the Steelers have shipped 43 in the last 10.