The QMJHL action resumes on Tuesday night, with the presentation of the thirs games in every series. Seven of the eight matchups are 2-0, with the only surprise coming from Halifax, who won its first two games in Drummondville. Here are eight stats to remember so far.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
Moncton 2 vs Québec 0
0
Moncton had a scare in Game 1, winning in overtime, but still leads the series 2-0. The Remparts have done a good job so far of blanking Markus Vidicek, Alex Mercier and defenseman Natan Grenier, who have registered 64, 64 and 31 points respectively this season. Meanwhile, Juraj Pekarcik (67 points) and Vincent Collard (52) have only one assist each.
Rimouski 2 vs Charlottetown 0
15
The Océanic leads the series 2-0 and made it tough on the Islanders on Saturday, skating to a 10-0 win. Charlottetown led 2-1 after the first period of Game #1. It means that since then, the Océanic has outscored the Islanders 15-0! Jacob Mathieu already has eight points and Mathieu Cataford, five.
Chicoutimi 2 vs Acadie-Bathurst 0
10
The Saguenéens have a 2-0 lead, even though their power play is struggling with just one goal scored in 10 attempts. The Sags’ Top 5 regular-season scorers – Emmanuel Vermette, Maxim Massé, Thomas Desruisseaux, Félix Gagnon and Nathan Lecompte – total just one goal and two assists in two games. The Titan defense, led by goaltender Joshua Fleming (.907), is doing all it can to keep the series tight.
Baie-Comeau 2 vs Cape Breton 0
72
The Drakkar leads 2-0, despite having allowed the Eagles to fire 72 shots on net. Lucas Beckman, who should be selected in the first three rounds of the next NHL Entry Draft, allowed just three goals so far for an excellent save percentage of .958%. As for Alexis Cournoyer, he has a .863 save percentage. Could Louis Robitaille be tempted to turn to Jakub Milota for the third game?
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Halifax 2 vs Drummondville 0
3
Few would have guessed that Halifax (8th) would return home with a 2-0 lead over Drummondville (1st), thanks to two 3-2 wins. The Mooseheads have taken just three penalties and held the Voltigeurs’ power play scoreless (24% efficiency in the regular season) so far. Halifax goaltender Jacob Steinman has allowed just four goals on 82 shots (.951)!
Rouyn-Noranda 2 vs Gatineau 0
11
The Olympiques have scored just two goals in two games, largely because they are 0 for 11 on the power play. Jérémie Minville, Justin Boisselle, Julien Paillé as well as defensemen Jan Golicic and Taos Jordan, Gatineau’s top five scorers on the season, total just one goal and two assists. Samuel Meloche, the Huskies’ rookie goaltender, has turned aside 96.1% of the pucks he’s faced.
Shawinigan 2 vs Val-d’Or 0
4
The big difference in the Cataractes’ 2-0 lead is the contribution of their depth players, who’ve scored four of their eight goals. Jordan Forget already has two goals, after a season of 8 goals in 52 games. Julien Lanthier and Mathieu Plante also found the back of the net; Lanthier had only two goals in 62 games this season, and Plante three in 37!
Blainville-Boisbriand 1 vs Sherbrooke 1
12.5
This is the only series tied at 1-1. The Armada dominated the QMJHL this season with a 32.1% power play efficiency. So far, the club has scored just one goal in eight chances, for a 12.5% rating. Major difference! Between the pipes, Félix Hamel has a save percentage of .870% and Linars Feldbergs, of .933%. This series could very well need seven games…
