On the 18th day of the Ligue Magnus, Nice was defeated on the Bordeaux rink (3-0). After their heavy defeat against Chamonix (1-5), the team from Nice suffered a second consecutive loss.
Overwhelmed by Bordeaux, the Eagles never managed to find a way through the well-organized Bordeaux defense. Despite their defeat, Kopta’s teammates consolidated their second place.
The match took time to open up as both teams tried to set their pace, with few significant actions. Penalties on both sides hindered the offensive efforts of the Nice team, which was, however, much more enterprising than against Chamonix. The forwards attempted to break through the Bordeaux defense at the end of the first period but without success, they carried out three actions to finally enliven the match, but to no avail. The score remained goalless after 20 minutes of play.
Back on the ice, the red and black continued with their dynamic, with the defense, one of the best in the league, holding firm. The more energetic Bordeaux team failed to score despite their 15 shots. However, on a counterattack, Bordeaux’s Boxers perfectly caught Nice off guard, with Canadian forward Poudrier scoring the first goal for Bordeaux (1-0). The Nice team struggled to get back into the match and made many errors.
Unfortunately, it was not enough, as Bordeaux’s actions eventually paid off and the Nice defense broke, with another Canadian, Desjardins, scoring at two meters from the goalkeeper to complete the offensive move (2-0). The Nice team cracked again halfway through the match, with an expected reaction not forthcoming; the Eagles were only defending and couldn’t regain possession of the puck.
Eagles without Response
Everything is going wrong. After just four minutes, the Bordeaux team extended their lead with Canadian Labelle scoring the third goal (3-0). The Canadians were a significant problem for Nice. The Nice goalkeeper initially stopped the puck before Labelle followed up and outsmarted Stojanovic (3-0). The Nice team faltered, having no significant actions ten minutes into this last period. Meanwhile, the Bordeaux team managed the end of the match well and maintained possession, making the game dull. The Nice team disappointed once again, despite being the runner-up to an unassailable Rouen. The Eagles did not live up to their second-place status, resulting in enormous disappointment. A reaction will be mandatory in the next match against Grenoble on Friday, February 12th.
