For the 16th day of Ligue Magnus, Nice hosted Rouen at Jean Bouin. In front of nearly 850 spectators, the intense match saw Nice narrowly win after a fierce battle.
This victory is going to do them good. The Eagles, who had gone three games without a win, were up against Rouen again. A tough opponent who had been ruthless in the playoffs last season. Nonetheless, the Azuréens had dominated them a month ago in the championship. A performance on which Frantisek Stolc’s men built tonight.
Nice quickly took the lead in the 12th minute with a goal from Alexis Sutor, assisted by Luka Kalan and Julien Msumbu. Just before the end of the first period, Nicolas Ruel doubled Nice’s lead, leaving the Eagles ahead (2-0) at the break.
However, the Rouen Dragons responded in the second period, taking advantage of penalties given to the Nice players. The visitors narrowed the gap in the 29th minute thanks to Francis Perron, just after a power play. Well in their match, the Maralpins did not panic. While short-handed, Adam Raska managed to find the back of the net, well assisted by Hugo Proux (3-1). Shortly after, in a power play, the Rouennais closed the gap with a goal from Jared Dmytriw just before the break.
The Nice defense bends, Conrad Molder does not break
Nice did not give up, though. Despite the Dragons showing a strong offensive performance, the Eagles demonstrated impenetrable defensive solidity. This was symbolized by a match stat from Conrad Molder, who made 44 saves in this game, including 14 in the final period. Under pressure in defense, the Nice team regained some breathing room with one of their few chances, scoring a power play goal through Luka Kalan ten minutes before the end (4-2).
The Rouennais eventually managed to find the net with a goal from Daniel Glad two minutes later. The last three minutes were breathless. The Dragons took all the risks by playing with an extra attacker and no goalie. But Conrad Molder, outstanding tonight, sealed the score at (4-3).
A great performance that will boost the team’s morale before heading to Bordeaux on Friday.
