Captain's log: Jonathan Phillips diary after Sheffield Steelers crash 5-1 to Nomad Astana

"Obviously it was not the start we wanted."They are a fast team, I think they are the fastest team we have faced this season."We had chances in the first and second periods."For one reason or another they just didn't go our way."At the end of the day that's hockey."We have got to keep our heads up, which we are doing right now."We need to learn from the mistakes we made today and roll on for tomorrow."It is a short tournament we need to concentrate on our next game and put that one in the past.

"I think we may have respected them a bit too much."I don't think we have skated as well as we normally have."We are so good when we are coming at speed in transition and we didn't do that tonight."We need to get back on that horse.""Robert Dowd got injured and knowing him he is going to be very frustrated."He was taking the puck to the net and then came the horrible hit, knee on knee."It's not looking good for him right now."The frustration is kicking in for him and us.

"But we'll come back and learn from this...

"It’s midnight here in Minsk, you can’t sleep after a game, any game win, lose or draw.Tonight is no exception, things run through your mind and you replay incidents, chances and moments in the game that maybe could have been different.Two things are in my mind right now, firstly Dowdy. A friend and a great team mate.

I’ve had the injury he has and it’s not nice. He loves playing as much as I do and he knows he will be out for a while and it will be eating away at him. We have great medical here, the Dr and Paul Teather are the best in the business but he will be wishing he was back home right now.The game tonight, it wasn’t a 5-1 game. We had chances, lots of good chances. I think all the boys will be awake now thinking what could have been.This is tournament hockey though and you never know what is around the corner, just look at the semi finals in Denmark to prove that.Tomorrow we have to dust ourselves down and go again. We will because that’s the type of group we are. Tonight we played a very good side, tomorrow we will do the same again. It’s a challenge and one we will relish.One last thing. The fans who travelled all this way. Incredible. Thank you. Speak again in the morning Sheffield