Glasgow Clan could face a backlash when gutted Sheffield Steelers visit Braehead on Wednesday (7.30) as the men from The House of Steel saw their dream of winning the Premier Sports Elite League title vanish at the weekend.
They were edged 2-1 after a shootout by Belfast Giants in front of nearly 8,000 fans in Yorkshire which allowed the Northern Irish team to add the league title to the Challenge Cup.
Aaron Fox’s men now only have the play-off title available and they are determined to hit a winning streak ahead of the end-of-season showdown.
Glasgow, however, are bidding to improve their play-off seeding and, by virtue of the tie-break rules, Clan can only end fifth at best.
Currently, Clan, sponsored by Aspray Glasgow West, are in the eighth with 47 points from 51 games. Steelers are second with 80 points from 52 fixtures.
The English combine have scored 198 goals, the second best behind Giants, and let in 131, the third best total in the ten-strong table.
Clan have scored 137, the second lowest total in the division behind bottom club Fife Flyers, and let in 177, the seventh worst total and only three goals ahead of the misfiring Kirkcaldy club.
Sheffield have won four of the five meetings between the sides so far this term, with Glasgow’s solitary win coming on February 16 thanks to a 5-3 success at Braehead.
Clan won that night despite being outshot 40-35 thanks to goals from five different players, Mitch Jones, Jordan Buesa, Braylon Shmyr, Mikko Vainonen and Guillaume Gauthier.
Coach Malcolm Cameron (pictured) is relieved to have qualified for the play-offs in his first season in charge and admitted it has been stressful.
Now the focus is to win every game left in the regular season before the play-offs and, after Sheffield, Clan entertain Fife on Saturday (19.00) and visit Kirkcaldy in the return on Sunday (18.00).
Cameron stressed: “We need to make teams earn goals, not have us give give them goals and hand them easy opportunities to score goals.”
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