Despite the setback due to a structural ice problem (which transformed the Marseillaise into a new unofficial anthem for their supporters), the Rouen Dragons regained a foothold in this final. Irrelevant in the first match in Grenoble then beaten in the second, they managed to come back up to par in the series, with two wins everywhere, boosted by their public in an atmosphere on Île Lacroix always conducive to the exploit. But the hardest part begins for them: transposing this grain of madness put into the series and this propensity for the extraordinary in the opponent, at the Polesud ice rink in Grenoble.
However, precisely, this enclosure has become accustomed to the ordinary: the victory of the Burners of Wolves, in all circumstances and in all scenarios. This invincibility at home that Grenoble has been so keen to preserve throughout the championship, it is undoubtedly its best asset to not doubt when Rouen comes to shake up the favorite to put him under pressure. This will allow him to acquire a lot of confidence.
Rouen is clearly weakened by the absence of two centers, including number 1 François Beauchemin, caught up in the injury he has been dragging since the day before the play-offs. The Grenoble residents lost Damien Fleury who railed against the referees the day before yesterday when they left the ice: he took 1 firm match and was suspended for 5 matches. The veteran is replaced on his line by Flavian Dair. Junior international Mattias Bachelet (19) completes the fourth line for his first play-off match. Czech goalkeeper Jakub Stepanek is back in the Isère cages and we are waiting for a reaction from him as he had expressed his frustration at being knocked out during the game the day before yesterday.
The match begins in a cautious way, unrelated to the extraordinary spectacle of the previous confrontation. Both teams are in place and concede nothing. Pierre Crinon – whose return allows Grenoble to play 7 defenders – creates the first break by crossing the Rouen lines in the fifth minute, as if his new fatherhood gave him wings. Matija Pintaric succeeds shortly after with a nice mitt save on a mid-range shot from Sacha Treille.
A clearance conceded by Flavian Dair caused a first highlight for Rouen after nine minutes, allowing Kelsey Tessier’s line to put the Champagne block under pressure and raise the temperature on Stepanek’s cage. In the following minute, Christophe Boivin signs a superb entry into the zone in control then serves in the right timing Vincent Nesa left alone towards the cage, but the French winger misses his shot.
Grenoble regains control. Chakiashvili managed a fine defensive return to prevent a counterattack from Flavian Dair. After the first fault whistled against Mallet (hang), the Brûleurs de Loups remain installed for two minutes with good sequences (in particular a play in a triangle and a technical festival of Treille near the cage) but they are imprecise in their shots, in particular Nicolas Deschamps who was in a good position.
Charlie Dodero enters the changing rooms before the other Rouennais after having accumulated the annoyances: he slipped in the corner towards a strong shock in the boards after a check from Lamarche, then took the puck in the face when his stick deflected a shot by Dair (the Canadian will return in the second period after changing his bloody jersey). One minute from the break, there remains a good possibility for the RHE when the Grenoble fourth line concedes a forbidden clearance against its first block. Niclas Lucenius then managed to win the puck at the back of the zone and pass it back to Mallet in the slot, but the young Matias Bachelet took the puck away from him and saved his camp. We therefore remain at 0-0 after twenty relatively balanced minutes (5 shots to 4).
The Grenoble residents return to the ice with the visible intention of starting strong. They settled immediately in the offensive zone, Maxim Lamarche feigned Chakiachvili and tested Pintaric with a backhand. In four minutes, Grenoble already has 4 shots on target and as many blocked (Bastien Maia returned to the locker room after sacrificing himself against the formidable slap of Brent Aubin).
This is not yet enough for a lasting trend to emerge. The half-match is indeed more favorable to the Dragons who spend most of the time in the offensive zone for several minutes, even if they do not manage to complete the decisive pass at the far post. Very clear chances remain rare, a well-placed angled shot from Kelsey Tessier is pushed back from the shoulder by Stepanek.
The first penalty against Grenoble comes in the thirty-sixth minute. It’s a beastly excess, three seconds of absence which are very expensive. Unlike their opponents in the first period, the Dragons are struggling to settle, they are out of the offensive zone twice. But the third attempt is the right one. Alexandre Mallet comes to place himself backwards in the slot – without opposition from Bobby Raymond behind him – to deflect a cross from Kelsey Tessier (0-1).
Rouen insists and returns to put pressure in the enclave, where Lamarche is sanctioned for harshness. The Norman power play has gained confidence and is working hard, the Grenoble defense also defends its slot more fiercely but Crinon’s stick breaks (Champagne lends him his). When the puck comes out for Sacha Guimond, his hidden throw ends up in the back of the net (0-2). In the space of a minute and a half, the RHE tipped the match with a 100% power play. The Grenoble residents are knocked out and end the third time under pressure in their area. The siren is a deliverance for Jyrki Aho must be eager to lecture and / or revive his team in the locker room.
Les Brûleurs de Loups approach the third period with clear objectives and a few zone entries are an illusion. But very quickly, they lose the thread and experience a lot of waste because they face a very serious Rouen team which leaves them no space and which most often blocks them in the neutral zone. However, his best defender of the moment – Aleksi Elorinne – did not return to the ice (perhaps due to a charge from Treille at the end of the second period).
At 47’06, crash: Joël Champagne is penalized 2’+2′ for a stick high in the face. Something to tremble when you know how the previous penalties ended. However, Dylan Fabre wakes up South Pole when he grabs a puck in front of Sacha Guimond and goes on the counterattack. The feint of the twirling best prospect is pretty but Pintaric still manages to repel his shot (picture above). The Dragons’ power play is nothing short of transcendent. The second penalty ends with… an engagement in Rouen’s defensive zone. Joël Champagne wins this face-off and a sending of the blue of Lucien Onno is deflected between the circles by Brent Aubin (1-2). A shorthanded goal that can change the famous momentum…
The game at 5 against 5 nevertheless resumes its previous course, as if nothing had happened: the Grenoble residents still come up against an opponent who does not let them put down their game and presses each carrier of the puck by reducing the distances. The Dragons are present in the duels and eat the clock very well. In short, the Burners of Wolves have nothing to put under their fangs, until these two shots from Flavian Dair less than four minutes from the end. The first, on the ice, is returned by Pintaric and the second is not on target.
A dramatic change at 57’09: while Rouen seems to be applying the instructions to perfection, the game plan is cracked by the indiscipline of Vincent Nesa who has a bad gesture on Aubin far from the game. Jyrko Aho immediately takes out his goalkeeper to play 6-on-4. Kyle Hardy serves Gunner Brent Aubin from behind the left circle but Pintaric is on the parry, from the mitt, halfway up. The Slovenian goalkeeper also blocks Aubin’s next attempt, and catches Hardy’s shot without rebounding, entering the offensive zone on the right side. Mallet then manages to steal the puck from Aubin and lets Leborgne get the puck out of his zone. Dodero clears one last time and the numerical superiority ends with… a clearing forbidden by Grenoble.
The Grenoble executives are a little burned by the two minutes spent on the ice and the Rouennais have a head start in the duels. But after a forbidden clearance from Bedin, the Burners of Wolves still have three face-offs in the offensive zone in the last 16 seconds. Master in the engagement circle this evening, Joël Champagne offers a last throw of the blue, but the last stop is for Pintaric.
Rouen won a very different victory from the previous two, in a completely different environment. Without the vibrations of his supporters, without the good vibes of Lacroix Island, the Dragons did not build their success this time on moments of full offensive success, but on a solid defensive performance. It was more “classic” play-off hockey: hard work, blocked shots, small details that make the difference, and decisive special teams.
The more expected game configuration was therefore not enough for Grenoble. This evening the Brûleurs de Loups were unable to raise the tempo above their opponents, the Rouennais responded with skating and intensity. With courage, the Dragons seem ready to topple the mountain. They took the impregnable Polesud fortress and can therefore be titled Friday in Normandy, with the hypothesis of Beauchemin’s return (on one leg?) which could be an additional psychological boost even if he will in any case be far from be at 100% of his means.
The end of home invincibility is a bitter pill for Grenoble to swallow, as it comes at the worst possible time. Mentally, this can be a huge swing. The Brûleurs de Loups lost their four games in Rouen during the season. It would therefore be logical to make the Dragons the new favorites for this final, now that they have recovered the advantage of the ice. But Grenoble still has all the weapons to be champions, they haven’t faded in a week. In two days, we will know if this confidence so much put forward over the course of the season was a false certainty or a real resilience. Only one thing is certain: whatever the scenario, this final between the two sacred monsters of the Magnus League will write the history of French hockey.
Designated players of the match: Dylan Fabre for Grenoble and Alexandre Mallet for Rouen.
Grenoble – Rouen 1-2 (0-0, 0-2, 1-0)
Wednesday April 12, 2023 at 8:30 p.m. at Pôle Sud. 4208 spectators.
Referees: Geoffrey Barcelo and Jérémy Rauline assisted by Quentin Ugolini and Nicolas Constantineau.
Penalties: Grenoble 8′ (0′, 4′, 4′); Rouen 4′ (2′, 0′, 2′).
Shots: Grenoble 20 (5, 5, 10); Rouen 18 (4, 6, 8).
Score evolution:
0-1 at 36’58: Mallet assisted by Tessier and Guimond (num. sup.)
0-2 at 38’29: Guimond assisted by Tessier (num. sup.)
1-2 at 51’04: Aubin assisted by Onno and Crinon (inf. num.)
Grenoble (2′ for excess)
Forwards:
Sacha Treille (+1) – Joël Champagne (C, 4′) – Aurélien Dair
Flavien Dair – Nicolas Deschamps (A) – Brent Aubin (+1)
Dylan Fabre – Adel Koudri – Julien Munoz
Matias Bachelet – Quinton Howden – Timothé Quattrone
Rears:
Kyle Hardy – Maxim Lamarche (2′)
Bobby Raymond – Jere Rouhiainen
Pierre Crinon (+1) – Lucien Onno (+1)
Janne Jalasvaara (A) – [Rouhiainen]
Guardian :
Jakub Stepanek [sorti de 57’09 à 59’09 et de 59’22 à 60’00]
Substitute: Raphaël Garnier (G). Absent: Markus Poukkula (injured) and Damien Fleury (suspended).
Rouen
Forwards:
Loïc Lampérier (C) – Kelsey Tessier (A, -1) – Rolands Vigners
Christophe Boivin – Niclas Lucenius – Alexandre Mallet (2′)
Joris Bedin – Vincent Nesa (2′) – Quentin Tomasino
Bastien Maïa – Kaylian Leborgne (-1) – Tommy Perret (-1)
Rears:
Florian Chakiachvili (A) – Aleksi Elorinne
Sacha Guimond – Charlie Dodero
Dylan Yeo (-1) – Enzo Cantagallo (-1)
Guardian :
Matija Pintarič
Substitute: Tonin Caubet (G). Absent: François Beauchemin and Valentin Claireaux (injured).
