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Sheffield Steelers coach Paul Thompson blasted his teams ‘pathetic’ performance and has conceded: “Devils will be League champions.”
Second-placed Manchester Storm, who have earned nine successive wins, and Belfast Giants are likely to argue with Thompson’s view as they try to chase down the Elite League leaders.
Coach Andrew Lord and his Cardiff Devils team won 3-0 against Steelers away to extend their lead at the top to 10 points with 10 fixtures to play.
Storm are the closest challengers to Devils, while Fife Flyers have four games in hand on the top team.
Coach Ryan Finnerty and his Storm team play Devils at home on Saturday and believe a win could give them hope.
Manchester can earn a points total of 83 if they win their last 10 games – that would involved beating Cardiff home and away – while Belfast can earn a maximum 80 points.
Flyers could total 86 with a 100 per cent record between now and the end of the season, while Devils are currently on 73 points and play two of their biggest rivals this weekend.
DEVILS WIN!
A shutout 0-3 win in Sheffield tonight after first period goals by @JoeyMartin14 @MarvinHotham and @poperov and a shutout by @bownsy21 means we take both points back to Cardiff! #LetsGoDevils pic.twitter.com/AMbGgMVYIG— Cardiff Devils (@cardiffdevils) February 21, 2018
Their trip to Manchester is followed by a home clash with Belfast Giants at Ice Arena Wales on Sunday which is already sold out (6pm).
Thompson, though, has no doubts after being his team dismantled by Devils during the first period in Sheffield, saying: “Devils are the best team in Elite League by a country mile.
“If you give a team like that a 3-0 lead and make recreational hockey player decisions in terms of positioning, puck possession and running around teams like that are going to push you.
“So disappointing to give a team like that a three goal lead. We have to be focused going in. Normally we are strong away from the puck, but we were chasing like rabbits in headlights.
“Pathetic. We pushed back hard in the second, but didn’t score a goal. The Roy ‘goal’ should have counted. The referee ruled that Matt Marquardt had interfered with goalie Ben Bowns, but he was cross-checked into Bowns.
“We were coming hard at that point, but we didn’t score.
“We know what Devils are about. They don’t cut corners, they don’t take nights off. That’s why they are going to win the league.
“We are not going to win the League. It was so easy for them to score against us.
“Our team earned three wins last week, but then we didn’t play Cardiff Devils.”
ELITE LEAGUE STANDINGS
Regular 2017/18
| Rk | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | WPCT | Pts |
| 1 | Cardiff Devils | 46 | 35 | 8 | 1 | 2 | .793 | 73 |
| 2 | Manchester Storm | 46 | 29 | 12 | 3 | 2 | .685 | 63 |
| 3 | Belfast Giants | 46 | 29 | 15 | 2 | 0 | .652 | 60 |
| 4 | Fife Flyers | 42 | 28 | 12 | 1 | 1 | .690 | 58 |
| 5 | Sheffield Steelers | 45 | 27 | 15 | 2 | 1 | .633 | 57 |
| 6 | Guildford Flames | 45 | 23 | 15 | 4 | 3 | .589 | 53 |
| 7 | Nottingham Panthers | 42 | 24 | 15 | 2 | 1 | .607 | 51 |
| 8 | Braehead Clan | 47 | 19 | 23 | 4 | 1 | .457 | 43 |
| 9 | Coventry Blaze | 46 | 17 | 24 | 4 | 1 | .424 | 39 |
| 10 | Dundee Stars | 44 | 17 | 23 | 3 | 1 | .432 | 38 |
| 11 | Milton Keynes Lightning | 46 | 17 | 28 | 1 | 0 | .380 | 35 |
| 12 | Edinburgh Capitals | 45 | 5 | 39 | 0 | 1 | .122 | 11 |
