Just 24 hours after their first playoff game, the Nice Eagles were back on the ice. A second round that once again did not turn in favor of the Niçois.
There was a sense of revenge in the air. After losing yesterday in the first game of this season’s Ligue Magnus playoffs, the Niçois wanted to show more. In the rink of the Brûleurs de Loups, fully supportive of the Grenoblois, the Niçois showed what they were capable of.
Just like the day before, the Nice Eagles started the match well. Focused, the players of Pascal Margerit surprised Grenoble. Joseph Broutin surprised Matija Pintaric, benefiting from a timely rebound (0-1). Grenoble tried to get back into the game but faced a powerplay disadvantage following a foul by Christophe Boivin. In a powerplay, Nice went on the offensive, and Luka Kalan provided a great pass to Ondrej Kopta. The Czech doubled the lead for the Eagles just before the fifteen-minute mark (0-2).
Christophe Boivin Levels the Playing Field
Even if the audience present at the Polesud in Grenoble had reasons to be surprised by this start to the match, the Brûleurs de Loups quickly got back into the game. Guilty a few seconds before the Niçois’ second goal, Christophe Boivin took his revenge. The Canadian was well-positioned to deflect a shot from one of his teammates (1-2).
At the start of the second period, the Brûleurs de Loups put pressure on the Eagles’ defense. The Niçois experienced the same scenario as the day before. Grenoble was trailing but took control of the puck. Nice held on for ten minutes before conceding twice in three minutes. Jordan Southon allowed the Grenoblois to level the score before Christophe Boivin struck again to give the locals the lead (3-2). A repeat scenario for both teams. Conrad Molder once again delivered an excellent performance with 36 saves. But he could do nothing against the offensive power of Grenoble.
The final period saw tighter play but allowed the Brûleurs de Loups to extend their lead. Kyle Hardy deflected a shot from Alexis Binner, who recorded his 35th assist of the season (4-2). Despite a good spell, the Nice Eagles conceded a final goal in the 52nd minute by the man of the match, Christophe Boivin. The top scorer of the regular season achieved a hat-trick tonight (5-2), allowing his team to lead 2-0 in this playoff quarterfinal.
Now, the Eagles need to turn things around at home, hosting their opponents twice. Meet at Jean Bouin on Tuesday and Wednesday with the hope of seeing the Niçois turn their strong start into a victory. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.