Alex’s double can’t get the party started

TWO late goals from Alex Nikiforuk were not enough to stop the Sheffield Steelers spoiling Genting Casino Coventry Blaze head coach Danny Stewart’s 40th birthday by beating the home side 4-2 at the Skydome Arena.

The Steelers took the lead early in the first period through a wrap-around from Tanner Eberle. They then doubled their lead as the period was winding down when Eric Neiley fired home.

The middle twenty remained scoreless until Neiley fired home his second of the night.

Coventry finally broke the shutout halfway through the third period when Nikiforuk fired home. With Coventry finding themselves on a 5-on-3 powerplay late in the game, Stewart pulled netminder Matt Hackett for the extra attacker and the move paid dividends when Nikiforuk scored his second of the night at 56.49.

Stewart then pulled Hackett again in search of the equalising goal, but instead it was the Steelers who found the net, with Jonas Westerling scoring from his own defensive end.

As the clock ran down tempers boiled over, with Blaze forward Ben Lake and Eberle both receiving five plus game penalties for fighting at 59.51.

Blaze captain Kevin Morris and Neiley also both received two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.