Hundreds of people singing in a packed Jean Bouin Ice Rink, it had only happened once this season. It was during the French Cup against Grenoble, one of the giants of national hockey.
On this Saturday, March 29, more than just a simple game awaits the spectators in Nice. Indeed, Nice Hockey Côte d’Azur was hosting Lyon in the Division 2 first-leg final, aiming to secure a spot in the upper division.
The principle of this championship is simple: twenty teams were split into two pools, the East pool, which included the two finalists, and the West pool. The top eight teams from each group qualified for the playoffs, with Lyon and Nice finishing first and second in their group respectively.
Four rounds later, the two teams meet in the championship final in the quest for the title, the sole qualification for Division 1.
At Jean-Bouin, the teams traded blows, and the players from Nice, driven by a spirited crowd led by the BSN, led 1-0 at the end of the first period and 4-1 in the second period before conceding a damaging goal preceding another break. Eventually, the Lyon team managed to slip the puck into the Nice nets twice at the start of the third period. The score would remain unchanged, 4-4 in this last match of the season in Nice.
Therefore, a victory is essential for the Eagles to win the trophy. A draw at the end of sixty minutes would take Augustin Gilardin and Pascal Margerit’s team to overtime with sudden death, while a defeat would send them home with another year to spend in Division 2.
The answer will come Saturday night around 10 pm.
Photo credits: www.nicehockey.com
