The Nice hockey season ended tonight on the ice at Rouen. Facing the favorites of this 2023-2024 edition of the Ligue Magnus, Nice put up a good fight.
It took five games for the Rouen Dragons to secure their ticket to the semi-finals. Although the result is clear-cut, Nice did not disappoint. This last game was a testament to that, as the Eagles started very well. After ten minutes of play, Jesper Larinmaa managed to outsmart the opposing goalie thanks to a nice play initiated by his compatriot Mikael Kuronen and the veteran Andrei Rychagov. It was the only goal scored in this first period, giving hope to the people of Nice for another game next week.
However, the undisputed leader of the regular season was not to be outdone. The Dragons literally decided the game in 12 minutes. Upon resumption, Christophe Boivin and then Kristaps Sotnieks brought Nice to its knees. Five minutes later, Francis Perron scored twice. Nice was living a nightmare. And Christophe Boivin further buried the hopes of Louis Belisle’s team. The outcome was clear, with Rouen heading to the locker room with a significant lead (5-1).
A strong reaction for pride
Even though their hopes were dashed, Nice started the final period of their season with a beautiful goal from Ondrej Kopta. The Czech player scored his eleventh goal in the league. The gap remained unchanged if you count the last two goals of the game by Francis Perron, who scored his third goal, and Louis Vitou, who concluded this Ligue Magnus year for the Nice Eagles. Final score (6-3) for the Rouen Dragons, who still need to wait until next week to know their semi-final opponent.
See you next September to experience new emotions with the Eagles!
