As part of the 7th day of the French D1 championship, Nice Hockey is traveling to Courbevoie. Currently in 8th place but with a game in hand, the team from Nice would be well-advised to win to avoid falling behind in the standings.
After playing 6 matches, the results for the Courbevoie Roosters are balanced with 3 wins and 3 losses. The team from Courbevoie holds 4th place in the ranking with 6 points, tied with the Eagles who are in 8th place. Both the Roosters and the Nice Eagles are coming off victories on the road: 6-4 on the ice in Anglet, while the Nice team won 4-1 in Cholet, the last-place team.
Thus, this seventh-day match is important for both teams. The Nice team aims to secure a victory to surpass their opponent in the standings and rekindle their race for the Top 4. Meanwhile, Courbevoie, the most penalized team in D1, wants to stay in the upper half of the table.
In the meantime, Nice Hockey was honored after being eliminated in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, 4-1 on Tuesday against Briançon, who plays in the Magnus League.
As the Japanese proverb says, “One learns little from victory, but much from defeat.” This prestigious match was constructive for Stan Sutor’s players (coach of the Eagles). Although logic was indeed upheld, the Nice team gained experience, enjoyment, and maturity and will be able to continue progressing throughout the season to aim for the playoffs, and perhaps even promotion to the Magnus League in the short term. It should be noted that Nice Hockey will be without Martin Slovak, who is suspended for 2 games after headbutting a Briançon player on Tuesday night.
Kevin Chifflet
