On the 25th matchday, Nice hosted the league leaders Lyon at their Jean-Bouin venue. The encounter ended with a victory for the team from the Côte d’Azur in the final seconds.
Right from the start, the Eagles were under pressure. They let their opponent come at them and relied on a solid performance from Khoroshun. However, Lyon remained patient and Nice received two 2-minute penalties.
Physical intensity was apparent, the atmosphere was electric, and the Jean-Bouin crowd reacted as expected to support their team. Returning to full strength on the ice, the Red and Blacks got back on track and launched an offensive against the Rhone goals. Though they posed several threats, they lacked precision in the final move.
The debates balanced out, and the Eagles even gained the upper hand. After a few minutes of strong play, they were caught off guard, and the Lions opened the scoring (0-1, 15’21). Penalties kept accumulating (seven in total), and the checks were getting tougher.
Upon returning from the locker rooms, neither team created much danger. The hockey players were less physically engaged and mostly passed the puck around. In a burst of activity, Stan Sutor’s men tried to revive this period, but Kubus and Hamrak missed back-to-back face-offs.
After lengthy minutes with little excitement, Nice broke through the Lyon defense, and Romand deceived the opposing goalkeeper (1-1, 39’07). The Eagles had one last opportunity with seconds to go in the third period, but the Lions’ goalie deflected the shot heading for the top corner.
In the third act, a slight tension was palpable on the ice. The precision of passes and shots was lacking compared to the previous two periods. The Lyon players created chances that sent shivers through the stadium.
As for the team from Nice, they remained silent. They repelled the leader’s assaults one by one, with Khoroshun delivering acrobatic saves. Nice introduced danger with counter-attacks, and Bajaruns came very close to scoring his team’s second goal.
The Lions did not relent and were even close to retaking the lead, but the puck hit the crossbar. In the final minute, Aurélien Macon and his teammates launched an inspired attack on the Lyon defense, and their efforts paid off.
After a brief maneuver behind the goals, Birzins sealed the victory, and Jean-Bouin erupted (2-1, 59’22). Nice took down the leader and claimed their eighth victory of the season.
On Sunday, the team from the Côte d’Azur will travel to the Mériadeck ice rink in Bordeaux. They had previously triumphed there with a 5-3 victory on November 15th.
by Florent Larios
