Is home ice advantage non-existent in the Magnus League final?

There are two stories in the Magnus League final which resumes on Saturday evening. One: the Bordeaux Boxers, who are playing the first final in their history, are standing up to the Rouen Dragons, one of the ogres of French ice hockey (17 times French champion). Two: both teams, fighting fiercely for the title, only win when they are away from home. Bordeaux got the ball rolling by winning twice in Rouen (3-2, 4-2) last weekend. Then the Normans relaunched, returning twice victorious from Gironde (6-3, 2-1 ap) in the middle of the week. So logic would dictate that on Saturday evening the Boxers win, and get closer to a first title of champion of France (four victories are necessary to be titled)…

However, there is no home defeat syndrome. “The matches were quite close, it came down to details,” declared Kévin Dusseau, one of the Bordeaux defenders, about the four matches against Rouen. In fact, it’s mainly winning on the move that seems easier now. 46% of play-off victories have been this way this season, and 48% during the season
regular.

“Playing against opposing supporters motivates”

Anthony Rech, Rouen Dragons striker

Philippe Bozon, player then coach in the Championship, before taking charge of the French team since 2019, goes in this direction: “It has less importance now. All the teams are super prepared. Everyone works on this psychological aspect (of winning on the move). There was a time when travel was an impactful phenomenon. But today, the teams leave the day before. » Anthony Rech, the Dragons striker, scorer of the winning goal in overtime on Wednesday in Game 4, also says that “some players like to play outside. We’re at the hotel, all together, it’s a team. And playing against opposing supporters motivates you. » In his career, during his stay in Germany, he experienced gigantic ice rinks, with more than 10,000 seats, like in Berlin or Cologne. “There can be intimidation by the prestige of the place,” he says. But, whether it’s in front of two or ten thousand people, you have to know how to manage. »

Dusseau, who played for many Ligue Magnus clubs before returning to Bordeaux this season, recalls that with the long regular season (44 matches), “we go everywhere twice, so we know what to expect. At times, you have to speak louder to call plays, but that doesn’t necessarily destabilize. » For Philippe Bozon, “the only downside is when there is a match 7”, in a series. There, the support must be stronger for the receiving team and it is perhaps more difficult for those who travel. If there were to be a seventh match in the final (the sixth is set for Bordeaux on Monday), it would take place in Rouen next Wednesday. Advantage to the Dragons finally?

2024-04-13 05:54:00
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