QJMHL playoff Predictions Round 1 As Per Scout, Rick Springhetti
Hockey scout for Mckeen's Hockey and friend of The Franchise, Rick Springhetti gives us his predictions for the first round of the QMJHL 2011 playoffs. Rick has watched many games in the "Q" and has a book on most of the team's top players, so his insight is shared in the following rundown. Enjoy.
Saint John versus Cape Breton
This should be a short series but will have some interesting players to look at for Montreal Canadien fans and hockey fans in general. For Cape Breton, Habs prospect Morgan Ellis is the Screaming Eagles captain and has done a very good job keeping a young team focused while also logging a ton of minutes himself in all kinds of situations. For Saint John, Jonathan Huberdeau could be a top 5 pick at this years NHL entry draft, Nathan Beaulieu should be a first round pick later on, Thomas Jurco and Zack Phillips could also sneak in there, and Scott Oke, Ryan Tesink, Gabriel Bourret and Aidan Kelly may just hear their names called in the later rounds.
Prediction: Saint John in four.
Montreal versus Halifax
The Montreal Juniors have been fighting off injuries all season and were hoping to get everyone healthy, but it looks like they will have to do it without Viktor Hertzberg who went down with his third concussion this year. Even with Hertzberg gone, however, they still have very strong depth and Pascal Vincent and his coaching staff will make sure that everyone adheres to the system. For Halifax, they have some very talented youngsters at the wings but are lacking that top-line centre that can break the game open. Defensively, they are very big, but they lack the mobility to play a very effective transition game and that plays right into the Montreal Juniors hands.
Prediction: Montreal in five
Quebec versus Val D’Or
Can a team that plays an offensive style win in the playoffs? The Quebec Rempart will try proving to everyone that the answer is yes. The Rempart’s top 4 defensemen can produce offense from the back end and their top line can be difficult to contain when they’re at the top of their game. For the Foreur, they are a young team that is not afraid to give youngsters a chance to improve and to their credit, many of the young players like Jean-Francois Leblanc, Artem Sergeev and Olivier Archambault have done so, but their go-to guy is Jonathan Hazen, a sniper who just signed a 3 year deal with Florida this past week. At the end of the day, Patrick Roy is a master manipulator who will probably be able to do something to get in the head of his opponents.
Prediction: Quebec in five
Drummondville versus Chicoutimi
Drummondville is one of the good teams in the QJMHL but it’s not the dominant squad it once was either. Sean Couturier is obviously the big star of the team but his supporting cast, specifically their defensemen, are not the type of players who can take hold of a game so a lot will fall on the shoulders of the young Couturier. The Sagueneens, coached by Guy Carbonneau, have a lineup stacked with 17 and 18 year old players. Two players to keep a close eye on are Christopher Gibson who may be the first goaltender picked at the next NHL entry draft and 16 year-old Charles Hudon, who plays a very mature offensive game for a player of his young age. At the end of it, Drummondville will take this one but Chicoutimi will put up a fight.
Prediction: Drummondville in 6 closer than expected games
Gatineau versus Rimouski
I expect Gatineau to be the big-time spoilers in this post-season. They’ve been ravaged by injury all season long and are now back in business. Their top four of Labrie, Deslaurier, Janosik and Gagnon is among the best in the league and with the holiday acquisition of Philippe-Michael Devos, they also have the league’s leading scorer. As for Rimouski, this year has been a bust. Their veterans have all pretty much underperformed and no youngster has been able to step up and become an impact player. Furthermore, there are a lot of rumors of dissension in the team and coach Clement Jodoin may be on his way out.
Prediction: Gatineau in five
Acadie-Bathurst versus Victoriaville
The Acadie-Bathurst Titans are a team that plays a tight defensive game. Add in the fact that they have probably the best goaltender in the league in Olivier Roy and opponents know that they won’t be able to put up too many points on the board. Victoriaville is an example of what a good QJMHL organization should be, drafting very well not only locally but also at the import draft. Their captain, Philippe Danault, is considered a possible second round pick at this year’s entry draft and plays with a ton of heart. At the end of the day, expect the Titan to wear out a younger Victoriaville team.
Prediction: Acadie-Bathurst in six
Shawinigan versus P.E.I.
Fans in P.E.I have been waiting for year for their team to get near the top of the QJMHL standing but every year, the organization, run by Serge Savard jr, neither rebuild or go for it making them constantly average. Shawinigan is loading up for next season as they are trying to get the Memorial cup presented in their city. If Shawinigan manages to their leader, Habs prospect Michael Bournival back in their lineup for the playoffs, and rumors are that they will, I think they will be able to defeat P.E.I. fairly easily.
Prediction: Shawinigan in 5
Lewiston versus Moncton
You’ve got to feel for defending Presidents Cup champions Moncton. They’ve not only had to deal with losing a lot of veteran players this season, they’ve also been hit hard by injuries, including an incredible, and slightly disturbing, 9 concussions to their players. Lewiston is a team with a lot of offensive firepower, including leading goal-scorer of the QJMHL, Etienne Brodeur. This could be a tough series as both teams play a very physical game but the cost may be an exit in the next playoff round for the winner. The story to watch for is going to be Kirill Kabanov. Kabanov, who joined the Moncton Wildcats last season, aggravated management and its players so much due to what they felt was a serious attitude problem, that the team traded him to Lewiston earlier in the season. Interesting part is that he’s just been named a finalist for the QJMHL humanitarian player of the year award.
Prediction: Lewiston in 7
Rick Springhetti has been QJMHL scout for Mckeen’s hockey for the last 3 seasons and has also contributed scouting reports for prospects all over the world. For more information on Mckeen’s hockey and to order the 2011 Mckeen’s Draft Guide, please visit http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/. Rick can be reached at rick1042@hotmail.com
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