Sheffield Steelers 0-0 Guildford Flames

Les Millie ices for Sheffield with Stevie Duncombe missing. Stuart Potts and Jozef Kohut missing for Guildford.

2613 fans witnessed a rare 0-0 game at the House of Steel and Sheffield have now failed to score for 173 minutes and 52 seconds (8 periods plus 10 minutes overtime).

Quite how the puck managed to stay out of man of the match Miroslav Bielik's net was at times nothing short of a minor miracle and the goalie had a little help from his crossbar and team-mate Juraj Durco, who took a penalty for dislodging the net to stop Erik Anderson from scoring.

That penalty came in the 29th minute, when Ron Shudra's shot rebounded off the back boards to Anderson at Bielik's far (right) post. Anderson was also the unfortunate player to hammer the bar from 8 feet 4 minutes into overtime.

Nearly 4 minutes later Mike Peron drove the crease and somehow the puck stayed out in a mass pile-up with Peron alone having 4 shots stopped in the melee.

Then with just 18 seconds left in the extra period Gerad Adams popped up on the doorstep and jinked right, but Bielik made the save, his 14th of that overtime session.

Flames also had their chance to snatch the game in the final session, David Oliver not quite getting on the end of a pass to the far (left) post.

Flames enjoyed 39 seconds of 5-on-3 in the opening minute of the middle session, but Jayme Platt was never tested.

Steelers Mark Dutiaume might reflect on how he failed to score as Stan Marple returned to the ice from his first period charging penalty, Dutiaume lurking beyond the far post, but that goalie made the stop as he kept doing all night.