Petits fours and yule logs digested, the Eagles are back on the ice this Saturday (7:15 PM) as they host Cholet. Joint leaders with Anglet and undefeated for seven weeks, Nice Hockey wants to continue their fine series and finish 2014 at the top of the standings.
A glass of champagne to close out the year 2014. For that, we will have to wait until the end of the three periods or more on the ice at Jean-Bouin. Let’s hope for a nice flute to celebrate the cemented top position. At the beginning of the season, Nice blew hot and cold, especially defensively, but for two months now, it’s been a stellar Nice Hockey sitting at the top of Division 1. The Eagles even had the luxury of easily defeating Anglet while they were the leaders (5-1 on December 6). The men of Stan Sutor and Pascal Margerit would like to conclude 2014 in the best possible way and prepare well for the clash in Bordeaux next week.
The Niçois are riding high. Undefeated since early November, the Eagles have the second-best offense and the fourth-best defense in D1. At home, the record is nearly perfect with 6 wins in 7 matches. The scorching Koivu-Aquin attack could strike again. Both Niçois players are among the top 10 scorers in the League. Meanwhile, Vojtech Sedlacek ranks fourth among goalkeepers.
But be careful, Cholet is not so easy prey. The club from Maine-et-Loire is aiming for the playoffs (top 8) and cannot be satisfied with their current 10th place (5 wins-10 losses). The Dogs have two wins in their last three matches (6-2 against Toulouse and 4-3 against Mulhouse) but suffered a heavy defeat against Anglet (9-4) last week. The most penalized team in the championship counts two quality players in its ranks: Pierre-Yves Albert (9 goals-8 assists) and Alexandre Beauregard (7 goals-10 assists). With the seventh-best attack and ninth-best defense, Cholet could be a tricky opponent just after Christmas.
“The most important match is against Cholet. We’ll think about the trip to Bordeaux afterwards. In case of a victory tonight, Nice Hockey will have a small cushion for the rest of the long season,” confides Alexandre Duyck, manager of the Nice club.
Note that in the first leg, the Niçois won 4-1. During this 16th day, Anglet, joint 1st, will face Bordeaux, 3rd. Depending on that result, with a victory against Cholet, Nice could be alone at the top or widen the gap over the third in D1. It’s up to the Eagles to offer the Jean-Bouin crowd a victory as a Christmas gift and a nice top spot before moving into 2015.
Photo credit and more information at news.nicehockey.fr
