Nice Hockey wins 6-2 in Tours and can qualify for the semi-finals as early as next Saturday. Stan Sutor’s men confirmed their current form thanks to an explosive second period (5-1). Next Saturday, in the cauldron of Jean-Bouin, the Eagles could reach the last four for the second time in their history.
One good thing done! And yet, it was not such a simple task. Third in the regular season, Nice Hockey faced the Tours Remparts as their first opponent in the play-off quarter-finals. A team that had twice beaten the Azuréens in the regular season.
Not much to chew on in the first period between two evenly matched teams. The first play-off game is always destabilizing, with both teams observing each other and offering a balanced but goalless match.
In contrast, the second period is completely different. In less than fifteen seconds, the home team opens the scoring through Petr Domin (21st, 1-0). But straight away, Nice equalizes through Milan Varga (22nd, 1-1). Action and reaction for the red and black. Waves of Nice attacks crash on the Tours’ cages and it eventually pays off. In two minutes, Martin Slovak and Milan Varga score to create an initial significant gap (28th, 1-2 and 30th, 1-3). In the last minutes of the period, the Eagles accelerate and it pays off. The returning Karri Koivu (injured for 5 weeks) takes advantage of a misunderstanding in the Remparts’ defense to score Nice’s fourth goal (35th, 1-4). Two minutes later, Samuel Aquin extends the lead even further (36th, 1-5). Tours has no answer.
As in the second period, Tours starts very strongly and reduces the score through Czech forward Domin, the game’s first scorer (41st, 2-5). On the following play, Vladimir Kubus also scores, restoring a four-goal lead (41st, 2-6). At the end of the match, Samuel Aquin had the chance to score a penalty shot but the Tours goalkeeper made a good save.
An impressive victory for the Niçois, who now need just one more win next Saturday to secure their semi-final ticket. In play-offs, everything moves very quickly. Nice will need the same energy and efficiency to avoid a do-or-die match the following day.
Photo credit: Nice Hockey
