The Eagles face the Yetis of Mont-Blanc this Monday evening at 8 PM, for the 10th matchday of D1. After Saturday’s defeat in Tours (6-5), the Nice players need to win to not let the Top 4 slip away.
A reaction is expected in front of the fervent crowd at Jean-Bouin. On Saturday evening, Nice Hockey was defeated (6-5) on the ice of Tours, ending a fine series of three consecutive victories. After their misstep, Nice loses their 4th place and now stands at 6th place in the ranking but remains two points away from the podium. Nice Hockey will have to bounce back and push forward. Fatigue will certainly be a factor after Saturday’s match, but they will have to deal with it for the good functioning of the team.
Meanwhile, Mont-Blanc lost to Anglet 3-5.
Mont-Blanc, currently 9th in the championship, is only two points behind the Nice team. Ranked as the ninth defense in Division 1, the Haute-Savoie team will need to tighten up their defense against a Nice Hockey team that scores a lot… but also concedes many goals. Thus, it can be considered a complicated match for Nice, as a loss could see them fall behind on the podium and their chasers catching up.
Stan Sutor’s players (coach of the Eagles) know that the club’s ambition is to ascend to the Ligue Magnus in the short term and this year, the aim remains the playoffs and to finish as high as possible in this Division 1. Nice Hockey can count tonight on their forward Samuel Aquin, who scored a double in Tours and notably 4 goals and 10 assists in 8 matches. Another asset of Nice is their second forward, Alexandre Touchette with 5 goals and 6 assists in as many matches as his attacking partner. The offensive side is well present for Nice, but they will need to solidify their defensive aspect, which concedes too many goals.
On Mont-Blanc’s side, Nice will have to watch out for the Canadian, Jordan Draper and his number 82, who is having an exemplary start to the championship, with 8 goals and 3 assists in 8 matches. We can anticipate goals tonight at the Jean-Bouin rink.
Kevin Chifflet
