For the fourth playoff match, Nice once again hosted Rouen at home. Tonight, the Nice Eagles had the chance to tie the series at two wins each.
Rouen, the favorite, was leading 2-1 in this playoff series against Nice. At home, the Eagles managed to come back to 2-1 thanks to their overtime victory last night (4-3). Thus, this fourth playoff game was crucial: either Nice would equalize at two wins each, or Rouen would take a strong lead.
The first period started off fast-paced at Jean Bouin. You definitely didn’t want to arrive late at the rink. Just 25 seconds into the game, Rouen opened the scoring with a goal by Christophe Boivin. Dominated, the Nice Eagles conceded another goal just two minutes later. On a counterattack, Christophe Boivin scored a double. Far from being defeated, the players from Nice managed to narrow the gap in the 8th minute through Mikael Kuronen. This first period ended with a score of 1-2 in favor of the Rouen team.
A Match Under High Tension
Back on the ice, the two teams exchanged blow for blow. The puck shifted from one end to the other. However, neither Nice nor Rouen managed to find the goal in this second period. There were too many inaccuracies on both sides, causing frustration. A fault by Nice on the Rouen goalkeeper led to a fight among some players in the 9th minute. It took time to assess the situation and for the referees to establish penalties, causing the match to be interrupted for about ten minutes. You could say there was tension in the air. No goals were scored in this second period, leaving everything possible for Nice with just a one-goal difference.
The third period was much like the rest of the match. Nice tried hard to come back into the game. Both teams had their strong moments. With a numerical advantage, Rouen scored their third goal through Marcel Hascak. The gap was now entrenched. Although things became increasingly difficult for the Eagles, they still had more than ten minutes to score at least two goals. The Nice players paid for their lack of offensive efficiency. Too many opportunities were missed, and they were unfortunately punished for it.
Five minutes from the end, Louis Vitou recovered the puck. Going alone on a counter, he managed to deceive the Rouen goalkeeper and score a brilliant goal. Nice found themselves back in the game by cutting the lead to (2-3). Alas, the Dragons crushed the Eagles with less than two minutes remaining. As the Niçois did everything to equalize and removed their goalkeeper, Francis Perron scored on a counterattack, securing Rouen’s victory (2-4).
In this playoff series, Rouen now leads (3-1). The next match is scheduled for Saturday at 8 PM. Nice will travel to Normandy for the fifth game of these quarter-finals.
