Steelers complete season Grand Slam with play-off win
- Published
Sheffield Steelers have completed the Elite League Grand Slam by defeating the Belfast Giants 3-1 in the Play-off final at the Motorpoint Arena.
The Steelers took the lead on the power play when Daniel Ciampini netted in the opening period and Mikko Juusola made it a quickfire double.
Blake Speers pulled one back for the Giants at the end of the second period, but Sheffield secured the win when Kevin Tansey slotted into an empty net late on.
The Steelers also won the regular season title and the Challenge Cup, to emulate the Giants' achievement of last season.
It is only the fourth Grand Slam in Elite League history after Coventry Blaze in 2005, Nottingham Panthers in 2013 and the Giants last year.
Penalty call decisive in Steelers win
The final promised to be a tight contest and that's how the game began but momentum turned in the Steelers favour after a penalty call on Greg Printz.
The Giants forward was assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding on the Steelers Patrick Watling.
The call was disputed by Giants coach Adam Keefe.
"In this type of game, a one-off playoff game, there's not a single chance that's a five-minute major," said Keefe afterwards.
"It's just unfortunate, but it is what it is. We can't make excuses. We had our chances on the power play. We didn't capitalise to tie it up.
"But I mean, that certainly changed the game."
The Steelers took full advantage by scoring twice.
Ciampini beat Giants netminder Jackson Whistle for the game's first goal and then just 35 seconds later Juusola doubled that advantage.
The Steelers controlled the second period, right up until the final few seconds when the Giants scored on a powerplay of their own.
With Scott Allen in the box for roughing, Speers rifled home his second goal of the weekend to set up an exciting final period.
The Giants pressed for an equaliser that would never come and Tansey secured the Grand Slam for the Steelers with an empty net goal a minute from the end of the game.