THE success-starved fans of Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team were left chanting "Easy, Easy" as Mark Garside fired home his side's sixth goal to leave Sheffield Steelers' coach Dave Matsos with much to ponder on the overnight bus trip back to Sheffield.
The Yorkshire side, which won the Elite League and play-off titles last season, were well and truly blitzed 6-2 by rampant Capitals.
Matsos has admitted to having sleepless nights as his misfiring team have struggled to come to terms with life in
the Elite League this season.
It's unlikely the likeable Matsos will have risked dropping off on the bus home as it could have induced a nightmare.
The rout was started by Andrew Sharp, who was released by the Steelers in the close season and Jeff Hutchins, snapped-up by Edinburgh at the weekend after being cut by Matsos, bagged a glory double.
The comprehensive victory was Capitals' third in four days. Two of them have been against Sheffield and coach Doug Christiansen's men have claimed 12 goals against seven in reply.
The fired-up Capitals squad head for Belfast Giants tonight on league business looking to continue the winning run which has pumped huge doses of confidence into a side which is still under-strength.
Last night's win leaves Edinburgh on four points in Challenge Cup, Group A, after five games. Belfast have already qualified and Sheffield have four points from three starts.
Upbeat Capitals' netminder Cody Rudkowsky, who had another fine game, savoured the moment. "Three in a row. That's something and it's hard to do in this league.
"It's great to get a flow going and everybody's confidence is up. We'd love to keep it going in Belfast, but they're a very good team."
Capitals were humbled 9-2 on their last visit earlier this month and the stopper said: "We had an off-night and things didn't go so well. We'll be working to make sure that does not happen this time."
Matsos mood was in direct contrast as he raged: "We go from having the best goals against last year conceding just over two goals against in a 54-game season to giving up five and six a night. That includes 12 in two games against Edinburgh."
He added: "I thought Cody (Rudkowsky] played great and made saves when he needed to. My goaltender was getting exposed but it is just not good enough.
"If they're not going to listen there is a problem here. My time in management will be short-lived if the guys won't respond to what I'm trying to teach them. Make no mistake about it, I'm not sleeping at night right now.
"That was the worst display of defence I've seen and I've been around hockey a long time. I've been on the up side with a winning team as a player and a coach and we now it's the down side.
"We need to win a few games."
It started badly for Steelers when Sharp fired home from near the hash marks after 12 minutes and Capitals went 2-0 ahead when Hutchins' one-timer flew past netminder Andrew Verner for the home side's second with 65 seconds left on the first-period clock.
Steelers pulled one back on the power play in the 29th minute when Jeff Legue netted via a deflection leaving Rudkowsky with no chance and Capitals looked rattled.
Hutchins, however, profited from the swift movement of the puck while Mark Thomas sat in the sin bin for cross-checking. The man of many clubs rifled the rubber home in Capitals' first attack in the power play and he lifted his arms in celebration in the 32nd minute.
Sheffield replied only 28 seconds later when Robert Dowd scored from a wrap around with Rudkowsky flat on the ice.
But worse was to come and Capitals' fourth, scored by quicksilver Simon Lambert short- handed, was the final nail in Steelers' coffin.
Rod Sarich was robbed near the centre line and Lambert raced for goal leaving Verner grasping air as the puck flew into the net.
The goal after 67 seconds of the final stanza was followed by a fifth from Mark Smith in the 46th minute and No.6 followed seven minutes later when rising star Garside fired home from the right wing.
