Bordeaux – Gap: effective Boxers | Magnus League – Ice Hockey

A short distance from the end of the season, all points count, especially for the teams fighting for the last runners-up in the playoffs. When Bordeaux, 7th, welcomes Gap, 6th, it smells like the preliminaries of the playoffs, especially for Boxers looking for a positive dynamic near the end of the season.

This month of February was not ideal for the Bordelais, with no less than 5 defeats in 6 games, and an offensive top-6 decimated by long-term injuries. Austin Fyten and Maxime Legault, still dismissed more or less temporarily, and Alexandre Mulle, whose season is over, have not been replaced following the various turpitudes encountered by the Bordeaux management on the transfer market. If the team was quite young at the base, it is even more now that several of its executives are on the flank.

Today’s visitors remain on a home win against Mulhouse, after taking 7 in Alsace 3 days earlier, and in a mixed period with 3 wins in the last 7 games.

The Boxers are under pressure, 2 days after a 2-1 overtime defeat at Rouen, which itself followed a 2-1 defeat this time at Angers. And if Bordeaux approaches all the matches to get out of it as best as possible, this meeting was specially checked by the staff.

The start is more incisive on the side of the Raptors of Gap, which oblige Clément Fouquerel to quickly get into the bath, well helped by his defense which cleans up the first rebounds well. After several missives wiped, the Nordelais begin to get out of the rut, and will even find the post in the fifth minute.

The first third is balanced, until Bordeaux’s first numerical superiority following a hold by Arnaud Faure. The opportunity to take the advantage is there, but even if the puck circulates well, the only locks come from the blue line, without great danger for Jimmy Darier, evening porter with the injury of Julian Junca, who stayed in the Alps for the occasion.

Before returning to the locker room, Louis Belisle receives a penalty following an incorrect charge, which will put his team in numerical inferiority at the start of the following period.

A much better Bordeaux

This numerical disadvantage will however be rather well managed by Boxers, who have returned with other intentions, and a much more effective forecheck, giving rise to chances for Kevin Spinozzi, and Louis Vitou who shoot wide, or a nice one, two, three with again Louis Vitou, all alone in the enclave at the finish, but who concludes above.

Gap remains on the lookout for losses of local pucks, like on this poor control by Robin Lamboley which gives a counter which could have been assassin without the beautiful intervention of Clément Fouquerel of the glove.

Johan Lorraine then receives a penalty for a high stick, giving the Boxers a numerical superiority. A chance that Loïk Poudrier will not take long to convert with a providential skylight. 1-0 for a relatively effective Bordeaux for the occasion. François Paquin tries to double the bet in stride, without success.

It’s Louis Vitou’s turn to find himself on the penalty bench following an obstruction. Fabien Bourgeois and Arturs Mickevics will try in vain, and on his return to the ice, Vitou finds Alex Wideman, who misses the cage after a quick inside hook.

An incorrect charge by Sébastien Rohat forces him to spend 2 minutes in prison. The Bordeaux power play set in quickly, and the puck circulated well. Kevin Spinozzi lights a wick, pushed back by Jimmy Darier, which nevertheless leaves a rebound. Julien Guillaume prowls in the enclave and doubles the bet for the Boxers, whose efficiency allows them to be in front of the score, in an essential way in the race for the playoffs.

Julien Correia tries to sound the charge for the Raptors, and despite a very fast rush, it ends with Clément Fouquerel. Bordeaux seems liberated and pushes to drive the point home. Jules Boscq provokes a charge at the head of Paul Joubert.

Loïk Poudrier misses an empty goal on a one-timer, before Alex Wideman serves Kevin Spinozzi who misses the target, then finds Jimmy Darier in stride. Gap goes against after a bad management of the puck at the blue line, but the Bordeaux defense comes out miraculously, proof that the balance remains fragile despite everything.

The end of this second third is somewhat disheveled, and Bordeaux finds itself in inferiority. Julien Correia alerts Clément Fouquerel, as does Bostjan Golicic at the siren.

The Boxers scare each other

At the start of the last third, Olivier Dimet’s men resumed their merry way, still one less on the ice. Romain Gutierrez finds the post on the first attempt, Paul Joubert transplants into the enclave and sees Clément Fouquerel intervene. Gap undertakes to stay in the offensive zone, and after the spirits are a little heated following a puck blocked by Fouquy, it is Arnaud Faure who has the last opportunity of the sequence.

Visiting pressure is cut by a sting from Johan Lorraine. Loïk Poudrier and Julien Guillaume come across Jimmy Darier, as do Louis Belisle and Esteban Ragot.

The third goes at full speed and Gap pushes to come back, Fabien Bourgeois is in all the shots, and lights up Fouquerel from the blue line. Following a foul by Oleg Sasunov on Robin Lamboley, the two players dropped their gloves. The Bordelais clearly makes the giant of the Raptors centimeters taller, and manages to avoid two right hooks which could have been devastating.

The penalties are distributed, and Bordeaux finds itself in superiority. In an ideal position therefore to let time slip away until the end, but no, on a completely avoidable loss of puck, it is the Gapençais who score through Fabien Bourgeois, despite the intervention of Clément Fouquerel on the line . The referees do not use the video review and the goal is validated.

There are less than 2 minutes left and Bordeaux is under pressure. Gap throws himself on the local goals, and it takes a heroic Bordeaux goalkeeper on 3 occasions for the Boxers to manage to preserve their lead.

Despite an uncontrolled end to the match, which could have turned out badly, they manage to win. Mériadeck can breathe, and Bordeaux pockets 3 points which brings them closer to their main objective, the playoffs.

Post-match comments

Olivier Dimet (Bordeaux coach): “An important victory which is good for morale after two good performances without points in Angers and Rouen, it will give a breath of fresh air. We scared ourselves at the end, we knew since the beginning of the year that we weren’t scoring many goals, so we shouldn’t take any. Tonight, the objective was to try to make the difference and then to defend well. Our third third was slower, we knew we were going to be exposed to pressure from Gap. Despite everything, we were well in place, Fouquy made the necessary saves, and we stupidly got into trouble, especially in terms of superiority. [Encore un but de Julien Guillaume] Yes, he is having a good season, with more responsibility, he is also evolving more confidently. It was what we said to each other in the offseason, and he is able to bring more offensively. With three players from the top 6 absent, fortunately others have taken their place, and Julien is one of them. »

Bordeaux–Gap 2-1 (0-0, 2-0, 0-1)
Sunday February 20, 2022 at 4:15 p.m. at the Mériadeck ice rink. 2427 people.
Arbitration by Marie Tjana Picavet and Damien Bliek assisted by Johan Fauvel and Clément Goncalves.
Penalties: Bordeaux 13′ (2′, 6, 5), Gap 25′ (2, 14, 9).
Shots: Bordeaux 21 (8, 11, 2), Gap 30 (6, 12, 12).

Score evolution:
1-0 at 25’03: Poudrier assisted by Guillaume and Levesque
2-0 at 29’57: Guillaume assisted by Levesque and Wideman
2-1 at 58’19: Bourgeois assisted by Rohat and Robert

Bordeaux

Forwards:
Louis Vitou – Loik Poudrier – Alexandre Wideman
Julien Guillaume – Enzo Carry – Robin Lamboley
Esteban Ragot – Francois Paquin – Aina Rambelo
Vince Tartari – Matteo Caudron – Andrea Palat

Defenders:
Kevin Spinozzi – Bastien Lemaitre
Louis Belisle – Marc-André Levesque
Jules Boscq – Maxime Moisand

Guardian :
Clement Fouquerel

Substitute: Gaëtan Richard (G). Absent: Maxime Legault (wrist), Austin Fyten (hernia), Alexandre Mulle (knee).

gap

Forwards:
Arturs Mickevics – Bostian Golicic – Dimitri Thillet
Romain Gutierrez – Paul Joubert – Benjamin Lagarde
Romain Chapuis – Sebastien Rohat – Pierre Robert
Johan Lorraine – Fabien Colotti – Julien Correia

Defenders:
Fabien Bourgeois – Axel Prissaint
Oleg Sasunov – Chad Langlais
Arnaud Faure – Louis Cirgues

Guardian :
Jimmy Darer

Substitute: Kilian Guilbaut (G).