Sheffield Steelers 4-2 Coventry Blaze

Steelers borrow Mark McCoy as Ron Shudra and Mark Dutiaume return from injury, Blaze missing Steve Carpenter and James Pease.

Sheffield go 3 wins clear of second-placed Nottingham with both sides having played 38 games.

Blaze had no answer to the speed of Sheffield's forwards as Steelers' highest point scorer Mark Dutiuame sat on the bench but never needed to ice.

Coventry made Sheffield work hard on their defensive game but somehow Jody Lehman was always the busier until late in the game. And it has to be said it would have been more but for his inspired stops.

Steve Ellis got away early on to test Lehman whilst Joel Poirier forced saves from Pasi Raitnenen from both wings. Mike Peron was twice denied then Lehman pulled a good double-save from Sheffield defencemen Bolibruck and DeWaele.

The first ended goalless but Steve Ellis was blanked twice and set-up DeWaele for another good save from Lehman around 26 minutes in. 3 minutes later and the evergreen Ron Shudra's shot from a right wing face-off was converted by Steve Ellis after a scramble (29:03). Seconds later Erik Anderson burst through down the right, jinking across the front of the goal to net high (29:34).

Steve Chartrand and Russ Cowley forced a scramble in front of the Sheffield goal that produced penalties for Hilton Ruggles (high sticks) and Kirk DeWaele (roughing). There was no goalmouth action during the 4-on-4 and the period ended with Jody Lehman producing an excellent point-blank glove save from Gerad Adams.

That man Steve Ellis bagged the game winner from close-in early in the third (41:56), but Blaze were far from finished.

With Kevin Bolibruck sitting a holding the stick minor, Steve O'Brien twice forced saves before Joel Poirier fired high into the far corner from the left wing with the goalie unsighted (49:35).

Sheffield then created the better chances until Erik Anderson added his second with a wonderful jump inside a defender and a classy finish (55:37).

Brent Bobyck's hooking penalty was punished when Steve O'Brien burst down the right wing, danced inside and laid the puck back for Steve Gallace to score glove side (57:38).

Blaze called a timeout and lifted their goalie with 63 seconds left but the home defence held firm.