Nice Hockey claimed a 5-4 victory after overtime in Mulhouse this weekend, marking their seventh win in the last eight games. Karri Koivu was the star of the evening with 4 goals. The match against Anglet, the leader of Division 1, on Saturday at Jean-Bouin promises to be thrilling.
Impossible is not Nice. The record of four defeats for only one victory against Mulhouse could have intimidated Nice Hockey. When facing their nemesis, it’s best to step onto the rink with confidence and true character. Said and done by the Eagles.
In a first choppy period, marked by penalties (9 in total), Nice struggled to impose its game and saw Mulhouse open the scoring 12 minutes into the game. Jurik took advantage of a pass from Kapicka, a former Nice player.
In the second period, there was nothing to bite into until the 10th minute. The Mulhouse Scorpions advanced thanks to Vigners (2-0, 31st). But Nice has been showing resilience for several weeks now. Less than two minutes after the Mulhouse goal, Karri Koivu reduced the score. His first of a long series of goals (2-1, 33rd). A guilty lapse from the Nice side on the following play. It took only eighteen seconds for Mulhouse to create another gap (3-1, 33rd). The match was far from being over because the “Flying Finn” from the Côte d’Azur, Koivu, scored his double and put the Eagles back in the game (3-2, 35th).
“We physically responded to the challenge proposed by Mulhouse. Our attacking line with Martin Slovak and Vladimir Kubus was very effective (9 points between them: 5 goals and 4 assists). I really enjoyed this match,” confessed Karri Koivu on the official Eagles website.
The third and final period begins perfectly for the Eagles who equalize on a power play through Vladimir Kubus after a pass from Brejka and Koivu, once again (3-3, 42nd). 10 minutes to the end of the game, Nice Hockey takes the lead for the first time in the match thanks to the inevitable Karri Koivu for his hat-trick (3-4, 50th). But with 5 minutes to go, Mulhouse responds and equalizes (4-4, 55th). It’s all to play for, and Nice heads into a second overtime after the one won at Courbevoie.
A stressful overtime that nevertheless ensures the Niçois at least one point. In the 7th minute, Niçois Aubert receives a penalty for boarding with the stick. Two minutes in power play that come at the worst time. It’s here that savior Karri Koivu adds a line to his already exceptional game. He capitalizes on a defensive error to capture the puck and delivers victory to the entire Nice team. With four goals and one assist, the 23-year-old Finnish forward is the standout player in this match against Mulhouse, who is now the former nemesis of Nice Hockey.
“On the overtime goal, I saw I had a counterattack to play. The puck bounced into my skates in the neutral zone. In my head, I only thought about scoring and luckily I managed to,” Koivu rejoices.
A victory driven by courage, with a huge heart that gives great confidence before facing the leader, Anglet, on Saturday for the first match of the second half of the season. At mid-season, Nice is 3rd with 18 points just two points behind the leader.
Photo credit and more information on news.nicehockey.fr
