Three more games and the long regular Magnus League ice hockey season will come to an end to make way for the playoffs. Amiens is guaranteed to play in the quarter-finals and already knows that the opponent will be Cergy-Pontoise. But by March 11, the two teams will go head-to-head for fourth place, which gives home ice advantage in the series. For the moment the Gothics are fifth before facing Chamonix, Anglet then Gap. Amiens coach Anthony Mortas talks about his state of mind before this most intense period of the season.
France Bleu Picardie: We imagine that the objective of the last three regular season matches is to do everything to recover fourth place, even if it also depends on the results of Cergy?
Anthony Mortas: there is a double objective, it is to recover this fourth place, but it is above all to prepare for the playoffs. We have three matches to prepare for this duel against Cergy. You have to have these two beautiful objectives in your sights. We will do everything this week to prepare well.
What are the reasons for satisfaction on the series of close matches that you have just played?
We played eight matches in twelve days, which is a bit too much. But we played pretty well in this series. We won five, lost three. The last one was perhaps one match too many (5-1 defeat in Chamonix) and the facts of the game at the start of the match were not in our favor so we lost ourselves a bit. But it’s also a good opportunity to tell the players that it can happen in the playoffs, a failed start to the game, a contrary referee’s decision, little things that can interfere with the behavior of the players. There it happened before the playoffs and it is ultimately rather a good thing for the learning of the players.
You have sometimes been heard critical, even after major victories in recent weeks. What remains to be improved?
We can always improve and that’s what I ask the players to always push further. Offensively we are a little more successful, so that is more their playground, we are quite calm. On the other hand, we want to tighten up in defense, concede very few goals, give very few chances to our opponents and that’s still what we’re going to work on this week.
What can we expect from the Gothics in these playoffs?
Many things ! We saw it during the season, there were good things, others not so good, but I think that as the season progressed, we erased the little mistakes. Of course, I always tell them that the perfect match does not exist, that there will always be adjustments to be made, but above all you have to be focused, pay attention to the small details. In the quarter-finals we know very well that it will be very tight, it’s a duel fourth against fifth, it’s not the leader against the eighth so it can give a duel in seven matches. This year we have a little more bench depth, so that can make the difference. Everyone will have to play the game because with four lines, the players play a little less. Don’t be selfish and think long term.
Have you set a goal?
It’s a bit of a stretch to say that we want to go as far as possible, but what we’ve kept repeating to the players as the season progresses is that we really have a great team. And I think they weren’t always aware of it. For a few years now, all of French hockey has been saying that there are three teams above and that the rest are fighting for the place of honor. I think the team clicked when we won in Rouen. Since we beat Grenoble, we had a big series without losing. Maybe the players saw for themselves that there was a good group, capable of doing good things.
What do you fear from the Cergy Jokers?
A lot of things, they are very effective at five against four. They have an offensive strike force which is very interesting. In defense, they are a little more permeable. So here it is, we will have to avoid taking prisons, play aggressive but within the rules to avoid their numerical superiority as much as possible.
Are you surprised to see them at this level?
No, they have had the same coach for a long time, the same group as well, which is refined from year to year. It is a stable team and club. They are progressing every year. This is not at all a surprise to me.
This will be your first playoffs as number one. Does that change anything?
It does not change anything. I didn’t feel like number one or number two when I was with Mario. I worked the same way, I prepared for the playoffs the same way. So it’s not going to change, I’m always going to be ready to help the team.