For the 9th day of the Ligue Magnus, the Nice team traveled to Chamonix. Two teams with modest budgets, both starting the season very well.ย
A clash between the third and fourth in the French championship. Thatโs what awaited hockey fans at the start of this ninth day. Nice aimed to overtake the Haut-Savoyards in the rankings. An achievable goal given the quality of the Maralpin squad this season. The only drawback for Nice is that they have traveled quite poorly since the beginning of the championship (3 losses for only one win).ย ย ย
And it turns out to be true, as Nice is caught off guard right from the start. After just over 3 minutes, Chamonix takes advantage of a power play to open the scoring through Julius Persson. The start of the match is a bit tense. Frantisek Stolcโs men lack precision in the opponent’s offensive zone. At the end of the first period, Chamonix is close to doubling their lead, but the goal is disallowed by the referee for a foul by a Savoyard on Niceโs goalkeeper Nkita Bespalov.ย
Nice cracks just before the end of the second period
Nice starts the second period with intense pressure on Chamonix’s attacks. The Eagles defend very well while shorthanded. Nikita Bespalov stands out in goal. The Russian goalie allows his teammates to stay in the game.ย
Fatigue starts to set in on both sides. And itโs during a strong time for Nice that Stanislav Lopachuk scores a double in two minutes (3-0). A hard blow for captain Louis Belisleโs partners. The Chamonix players are close to being caught off guard in this very lively end of period. Nice creates two big chances but fails to get on the scoreboard.ย
The third period begins much like the previous one. Nice applies heavy pressure on the opposing goalkeeper. But after 10 minutes of play, the Chamonix Pioneers take advantage of a Nice defensive error. It’s Julius Persson who scores another double by beating Nikita Bespalov one-on-one. Thatโs where it stays in this match where the Eagles failed to capitalize on their good periods. Final score (4-0).
Next day for Nice is Tuesday, October 10 at Jean Bouin against the Angers Ducs at 8 PM.
Ligue Magnus matches can be found on Fanseat.com
