The 28th day of the Ligue Magnus saw Nice host the Rapaces de Gap. An important match in the battle for playoff spots that was decided in the last seconds.
Dominating doesn’t mean winning. The Eagles of Nice experienced the harsh truth of this saying tonight. Unlike Tuesday in the French Cup against Angers, the team from Nice had the tools to win tonight. Although the Rapaces de Gap were 16 points behind their opponent before the kick-off, the team from Gap was coming off an encouraging victory against Cergy. Enough to bring hope to a team that isn’t known for performing well away from home.
This was evident in the first few minutes. Nice took control of the puck and created the best chances… but couldn’t score. In this context, the standout performer was the Rapaces’ goaltender, Antii Karjalainen. The Finnish player made 37 saves during the match. A problem for the team from Nice, which faced a wall tonight. Despite the encouragement of the 1100 supporters present at Jean Bouin, Nice was unable to succeed.
The match opens up
In the second period, Gap seemed to regain momentum. More incisive offensively, the Hauts-Alpins even managed to score during gameplay. Jan Dalecky, well assisted by Brayden Sherbinin and Léo Faure, managed to deceive the vigilance of Conrad Molder (0-1).
Nice was in a tough spot as they started the third period. The Eagles took control but, as at the beginning of the game, were thwarted by Gap’s goalkeeper. Until the 55th minute, when an insight from Teemu Loizeau (1-1) brought hope. At that moment, it seemed like the Gap defense wall would crumble under the pressure of Nice’s attacks. But it wasn’t meant to be. Both teams entered a five-minute overtime. And, in a suspenseful finish, it was the Rapaces who gained the definitive advantage 15 seconds before the end. Julien Correia sealed the fate of the Azuréens, who ultimately lost (1-2).
A bad operation for Nice, bringing them within range of Cergy Pontoise (8th place). Everything is still up for grabs in this Ligue Magnus season. The next episode of the series is this Sunday. The Eagles of Nice will travel to Chamonix for another high-stakes match.