Video: Sheffield Steelers boss plots revenge mission at Belfast Giants

Sheffield Steelers need to "kick back" on Friday against a team that has dominated them so far in the Elite League.
Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against  at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against  at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.
Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.

Paul Thompson's men have lost all four games with Belfast Giants, three of them at home.

But two wins over another Erhardt Conference side, Nottingham Panthers, and against a background of six straight successes, Sheffield are better placed to take something back on Friday and Saturday's games over the Irish Sea.

Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against  at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against  at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.
Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.

Thompson is full of respect for Belfast saying they are an "excellent" side.

"They have a lot of quality, great speed, I think they have a solid defence, a real good back-end, you have got to win the battles, you know you have to get inside.

"You have got to go to the paint, you have got to go to the hard areas against the Belfast Giants and we haven't done that enough against them."

But he added: "I feel that going into these games we are a bit of a different animal now."

Steelers v GiantsSteelers v Giants
Steelers v Giants

Thompson said the plan was to carry their present form into Belfast "which we know isn't going to be easy but I like the way we are going."

So far, he said: "They have been a better team than us. We have got four games left against them and we have got to kick back."

Steelers will hand a debut to Eric Neiley, who should show some of the determination in the "hard areas" that Thompson has identified as missing.

Neiley was -13 in his plus-minus record at Adirondack Thunder, an affiliate of the New Jersey Devils in the ECHL, yet was sixth top scorer at the club before he moved to the Elite League.

Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against  at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against  at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.
Levi Nelson celebrates a rare success against at the SSE Arena. Pic: William Cherry/Presseye.

He was joint top goal scorer in the Atlanta Gladiators’ team during the ECHL 2016-17 season; he netted a career-high 47 points (27-20-47) in 61 games.

Steelers will also have Tim Wallace back from suspension on Friday.

Sheffield hope that Jonas Westerling will have recovered from what looked like a painful leg injury.

Giants are two points ahead of Sheffield, in second place, but have a game in hand.