The Eagles of Nice fell 5-2 on Hormadi Anglet’s ice for game 3. Nice Hockey just used their first wildcard and will be back on the ice tonight (8 PM). With 2 wins to 1 and a possible fifth game at home, the Eagles still hold the cards.
It was to be expected. After two consecutive losses on Nice’s ice, the Anglet players were eager to redeem themselves in front of their supporters. Now, it’s done. Away from their land, they are fragile. At home, they are solid.
Penalties as an excuse
A game where the Nice team was severely punished by penalties. In the first period, Anglet scored the only goal of the third on a power play by Lukas Zeliska (1-0, 7’43’’).
Returning from the locker room for the second period, the Nice team conceded a goal after 23 seconds, by Mathieu Andre (2-0, 20’23’’). Less than five minutes later, the Basques added two more goals on a power play by Thomas Rubes for 3-0 (23’20’’) and Iivo Hokkanen for 4-0 (24’27’’). During the same minute, Nice, still shorthanded, reduced the gap with a goal by Milan Varga (4-1, 24’59’’). Midway through the second period, captain Aurélien Macon gave his team hope (4-2, 31’13’’).
Slovak, a penalty that almost cost dearly
Less than 30 seconds into the third period, Martin Slovak violently hit an Anglet player. He received a 5 + 20-minute penalty and was ejected. Nice played 4 against 5 for 5 minutes without conceding. Towards the end of the match, Anglet put the puck into the net one last time by Xavier Daramy, into an empty net (5-2, 57’01’’).
The Eagles, certainly with their minds on the title, will need to refocus today (game 4) for a cup they are eager to lift. Anglet is a rink they know well; they have already won this season with a score of 5-2. The feat is not too far away; they need to believe until the end.
C.B & K.C
