The Nice Eagles will host the Mulhouse Scorpions this Saturday (7:15 PM) for the last home game of the regular season. With one win and two overtime losses in their last three games, Nice is struggling but can secure a Top 4 position with a win. It promises to be intense on and off the ice.
The loyal crowd at Jean-Bouin should be in attendance for the final regular season game before the play-offs begin in two weeks. The Eagles team will need the support of the people of Nice as they have been struggling for the past three weeks. The defeat against Tours (3-6) at the end of January was a hard blow, and the negative spiral continued at Mont-Blanc with an overtime defeat (3-2). The glimpse of hope seen against Nantes with a suspenseful victory (4-3 OT) put Nice Hockey back on track before another slip against Reims (defeat 4-3 OT).
Yes, the Eagles have earned 4 points in three games, but during this time, Nantes and Mulhouse, direct competitors for the Top 4, have shown more success.
Still without their top scorer Karri Koivu, Nice is expected to rely on the in-form trio of Kubus (9 goals-19 assists), Klimek (2 goals in Reims), and Slovak (3 assists in the last three games). For the Eagles, the stakes are simple: a win will ensure they finish among the top four, a goal stated at the beginning of the season. Even better, if Nantes falters at Cholet, Nice Hockey will secure third place, which would mean a “more manageable” opponent in the first round.
But on the other side, the Mulhouse Scorpions are also aiming for the Top 4 despite being three points behind Nantes, who are in fourth place. The second-best offense in Division 1 is proving game after game that they are back in form. With a wide victory in Toulouse (8-3) and a triumph against Anglet (3-1), the Mulhousians are back in the race for the play-offs after a disappointing start to the season. Last week, they also experienced a setback with a 5-3 loss on their ice against Tours (7th). The main threat comes from the duo Mrna-Kapicka, who have scored a total of 34 goals this season.
In the first fixture, Nice Hockey won after overtime 5-4 thanks to a quadruple from Finnish goal-scorer Karri Koivu. Against one of the most penalized teams in the Division, the Eagles will need to be efficient in front of the Mulhouse net, especially during power plays, a weak point for Stan Sutor’s men.
Photo credit: news.nicehockey.fr
