Dundee Stars 2-7 Sheffield Steelers (final score)
After mixed results last weekend, the travellers were an import down because of a six-match ban handed to the now-departed Andre Deveaux, a punishment the rest of the team must suffer in his absence.
Paul Thompson’s men had six different scorers on the board - and the choice of Stars as Challenge Cup opponents in the next round seems a good one.
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Hide AdSteelers had out 21 goals past Dundee in their three previous victories this term.
And they went after them in a lively start, forcing the home side into some desperate defending as Mathieu Roy and Colton Fretter were denied on breakaways and Ben O’Connor also went close.
Steelers killed a Davey Phillips slashing minor and took the lead when Robert Dowd’s line clicked again, the Teessider’s rebound goal finishing off a Levi Nelson, Andreas Valdix move at 12:05.
Sheffield relied on Tim Wallace and Andreas Jamtin in particular on penalty kill shifts to retain their lead.
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Hide AdDefenceman Mark Matheson roamed forward to double Sheffield’s advantage (assists Jonathan Phillips, Brady Ramsay) at 24:37 - his third league goal of the season.
And Levi Nelson (unassisted) made it 3-0 just 23 seconds into the next shift.
There was joy unconfined for Tim Wallace at 35:50 when he ended a 15-match drout - and Cole Shudra recorded his second League assist of the year.
And Colton Fretter popped home number five before the second break.
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Hide AdAfter a 40 minute shut out, Stars put their back-up netminder in, Craig Holland being beaten straight away by Nelson before Mustukovs was beaten by Malcolm Gould and then Jimmy Jensen.
With 82-seconds left John Armstrong despatched the seventh to end the comfortable away win, their first in four attempts.