Santa must bring Sheffield Steelers some goals!

Apart from their recent 4-2 win over Dundee Stars, Sheffield have lost their other three matches and scored only five times.

That lack of firepower must not show itself tonight and tomorrow when Steelers take on Coventry Blaze home and away in the Elite League.

The failing in turning attacks into goals is the only thing troubling Thompson, who is otherwise impressed by their performance levels.

“I can’t fault the team’s general play, speed and transition, there are not many teams that can live with us in full flight.

“But the area we have to improve is in being ruthless around the opposition net.

“We know we have come up against some hot goaltending recently, but we will do this week and then against Nottingham Panthers immediately after Christmas. We just have to get better and executing all the chances that we have been creating. Then we will get back on track.”

Thompson knows the arrival of three new players to his old club will make them significantly more dangerous than the team that started the season.

Tonight’s game is at Sheffield Arena, rather than iceSheffield- which attracted just 1,246 fans for the Dundee match a week ago.

“The Arena is where we do our best stuff” said club official Dave Simms.

“We haven’t had the rub of the green in some of our recent games, particularly against Cardiff Devils, but hopefully we will put that right in our next four big games.

“We know the areas that has been preventing us getting the results we deserve and we are working hard on them

Steelers have sold around 9,000 tickets for the Boxing Day match against Nottingham Panthers - around 300 remain for a sell-out.