Video: Sheffield Steelers 11-2 Edinburgh Capitals (final score)

Steelers had won 12 of their last 15 home games and they put this game to bed early.

Paul Thompson's men scored with their first shot at goal Robert Dowd (from Andreas Valdix, Levi Nelson) after 44 seconds and doubled that 11 seconds later when Caps allowed Eric Neiley to skate unopposed into a shooting late.

Two shots, two goals.

Callum Boyd paid for shooting at Brad Day - in Steelers' net for the rested Ervins Mustukovs - with a high challenge to his face from Zack Fitzgerald.

Day then saved a Mike Cazzola shot and on the counter attack Ben O Connor made it 3-0, top-shelf, at 7:12.

John Armstrong, back after recovering from a 25-game injury, assisted.

A fine Andreas Valdix tip-in from Scott Aarssen's shot and Neiley's second of the night ensured a 5-0 first period lead over bottom of the table Capitals.

Neiley's strike was the club's 2,800th goal in EIHL league division, since its inception.

The Scottish club, about to attract fresh investment after a miserable season in which they had harvested 11 points from a possible 108, looked understandably dispirited.

But they had 15 skaters compared to Sheffield's 20 - and seemed never to be at the races,

Having said that they rallied briefly.

Miika Franssila had potted Steelers sixth, but then the Scots beat Day twice, in three minutes, Sergei Banashkov and Denis Trakhanov doing the damage.

That stung Steelers pride and they responded when Cole Shudra tapped in an easy goal, nodding his appreciation to playmakers Liam Kirk and Jonathan Phillips.

That was followed by another for O'Connor and Neiley's hat-trick, for 9-2.

Caps' 15 skaters desperately tried to play for pride.

And the Arena crowd, fulsome in their applause for Jordan McLaughlin whenever he made a save had sympathy with the visitors when they conceded two more, in 28 seconds.

Mark Matheson's swerving skate up the ice opened up an opportunity for Dowd to score, before his linemate Levi Nelson also got in on the act.