Sheffield Steelers netminder John Muse paid tribute to fellow goalies Ben Churchfield and Curtis Warburton for the job they did in his absence.
The 32-year-old returned to action in Tuesdayâs Elite Series Semi Final first leg win against Manchester Storm after only playing 34 minutes of the opening game over three weeks ago.
And while he admits itâs been tough to miss out on playing himself, seeing his younger colleagues go out and help the team to the top of the standings has been rewarding in its own way.
âCurtis and Ben have given the team a chance to win every night and I think thatâs the biggest thing for any goalie,â he said.
? Goalie John Muse out on the ice ahead of tonight’s game â the boys are out for warm up
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â Sheffield Steelers | #2021EliteSeries (@steelershockey) April 27, 2021
âIâve tried to help them with things here and there, whether it be stuff through video. Itâs always good to get a couple of different looks at things certainly.
âIâve been able to help them by seeing things they donât necessarily just because Iâve been around the game a little bit longer.
âI think theyâve done a great job (in my absence), theyâre fun to work with and they come in and work hard, which is half the battle.
âItâs been frustrating not to play myself, but itâs been fun to see them get the minutes and see the enjoyment they get out of playing and it makes it worthwhile for me to be around to help them out.
âI know I was where they are at one point and I knew how much it meant for me, so, heading into the back end of my career, itâs been good to see that.â
Tuesdayâs 5-4 win over Storm gives them a slight advantage before they meet again on Thursday, where the winner over the two games will progress to the best of three final series
Muse reckons a good start to the second leg is important and has served them well thus far, but warned that Ryan Finnertyâs men wonât make it easy for them.
âEvery game we try to get off to a good start and I think itâs been part of our success in this tournament,â he added.
âManchester are a good team and we saw that again on Tuesday. Thereâs no quit in them so itâll be a tough battle on Thursday.â