The Eagles, favorites on paper, respected the hierarchy by winning 7-3 against Courbevoie. A match won without difficulty allows the Nice team to get back on track after last week’s defeat in Bordeaux.
From the start of the match, Nice Hockey dominated, built up plays, observed, and was rewarded after a superb team effort led by Lacheny, Mรขcon, and Aquin. Mรขcon intentionally lets the puck go, the goalkeeper is caught off guard by the bluff, and Lacheny, to the left of the goal, finishes the play (1-0, 9th minute). Nice Hockey continues to press forward and scores again through Visnak (2-0, 14th minute). He is imitated a minute later by Karri Koivu in another high-class team move (3-0, 15th minute). The Courbevoie Roosters, nonexistent in play, capitalize on a two-minute penalty against the captain, Aurรฉlien Macon, to score with a numerical advantage. Whalen’s deflected shot fools Sedlacek with 10 seconds to the buzzer (3-1, 20th minute).
“My feelings on the ice are good. I got back to skating this week. I was just a bit lost in the game with my teammates but personally, I’m doing well,” says Yoann Lacheny, absent since mid-December.
Returning from the locker room, Nice Hockey imposes the same pace as in the first period. It is now the turn of Stan Sutor’s men (coach of the Eagles) to capitalize on their numerical superiority to score another goal. Visnak intercepts a loose pass, launches Raikkonen, and Aquin just has to finish the job (4-1, 25th minute). Nice Hockey’s team coordination is well-oiled. The Nice team is successful in all their efforts, as exemplified by the fifth goal. Rare to be noted, Karri Koivu makes a mid-height center pass, well-received by Kubus, who places the puck into the top corner (5-1, 30th minute). The Nice players continue their overwhelming domination. Kubus takes advantage of his good positioning in front of the opponent’s net to score a double (6-1, 35th minute).
“The match was controlled from the start. It quickly turned in our favor with a score of 3-0 after just 15 minutes of play. We thoroughly deserved this victory,” states Lacheny, voted man of the match.
The Nice team is caught off guard in the third period. With a numerical disadvantage, they concede a goal by Menard (6-2, 41st minute). Courbevoie, lacking inspiration before this last period, takes advantage of another penalty by the Eagles to score a third goal, scored by Niko Uola (6-3, 51st minute). In total, three goals scored with numerical advantage for the Roosters. As the match nears its end, Nice Hockey finds themselves with a final opportunity in a two-man numerical superiority. A well-managed 5-on-3 and Aquin scores his second goal (7-3, 55th minute).
A match mastered from start to finish by the Nice team, who rotated their squad during the last period to give everyone some playing time. The Nice team can prepare for their trip to Neuilly next week with great serenity. Bordeaux, resting this week, leaves Nice in second place in Division 1 but with two more matches than the Girondins.
Kevin Chifflet
Photo credit and more information at news.nicehockey.fr
