No rest for the brave. While the vast majority of leagues are taking a well-deserved break, the Ligue Magnus is in full swing. For this 25th match day, Nice hosted Chamonix.
A mid-table clash awaited the spectators at Jean Bouin tonight between two teams with inconsistent results. On one side, the Eagles of Nice were coming off a defeat inflicted by the team from Grenoble two weeks ago. On the other, Chamonix had suffered two losses against heavyweights of the Ligue Magnus (Angers and Rouen).
It was a great opportunity for both teams to bounce back in what promised to be a balanced encounter. The first period confirmed this. Nice quickly took the lead through Jesper Larinmaa, but Chamonix soon equalized. The beginning of the match was quite tense with lots of fouls, allowing both teams to regularly play on the power play. Nice took advantage of this to regain the lead, thanks to Mikael Kuronen. The Eagles led (2-1) at the break.
The Eagles Scared Themselves
Returning from the locker room, the partners of captain Louis Belisle shifted into high gear. Nice scored three goals in 15 minutes (Ivan Esipov, Luka Kalan, and Jesper Larinmaa once more). The Azurites took a considerable lead (5-1) and seemed out of reach. Chamonix, however, managed to reduce the deficit just before the break, trailing only (5-2) with 20 minutes remaining.
In the final period, Nice had a scare. Chamonix went all out, and it paid off. Jari Sailio brought his team within two (5-3). With 14 minutes left, anything was still possible. Ultimately, during yet another power play, Luka Kalan outmaneuvered the opposing defense to score his second goal as well. The Pioneers slipped one last puck past Nikita Bespalov, but it didn’t change the outcome.
Nice won (6-4) in a thrilling match and moved closer to the top 8, synonymous with qualification for the playoffs. The Eagles have one more game before closing their 2023 season, with a home game against Angers next Saturday at 8 PM.
