Apr 08 QMJHL 2011 Round 2 Playoff Predictions as per Scout Rick Springhetti

Hockey scout for Mckeen's Hockey and friend of The Franchise, Rick Springhetti is back with his QMJHL 2011 Round 2 playoff predictions. Rick was pretty bang on with his 1^st round predictions and continues to share his insight in the following rundown. Enjoy.

Montreal / Lewiston

The importance of this playoff series will be found at center ice. On one hand, you have the Montreal Juniors who are very good at playing a trapping style and can get in opponents faces quickly and on the other hand, Lewiston, a team that is very good at taking advantage of mistakes to quickly get the puck to the net. For Montreal to win this playoff round, they will need to establish their forechecking game by getting the puck deep in the Lewiston territory and going after it hard and they will also need a few veterans to pick-up their play, especially Louis-Marc Aubry and Charles-Olivier Roussel. For Lewiston, they will have to make quick and effective breakout passes to prevent the Juniors from establishing their trapping game and they will have to stay disciplined which is not always easy for them.

At the end of the day, I believe Montreal’s overall depth and experience gives them the edge.

Prediction: Montreal in 6.

 

Saint John / Victoriaville

Saint John have been dominant all year and in the first round and I don’t see anything changing yet besides maybe that on a game to game basis, the Tigres will give them more of an opposition than Cape Breton did. The key for Saint John to win this round is just to continue doing what they best: Play hockey. They’re a team with no important weaknesses who can beat you in many ways. For Victoriaville, a lot of pressure will fall on the shoulders of youngster Phillip Danault (top scorer and team captain), Philippe Maillet (1^st line center) and David Honzik (goaltender). All of three of them have impressed, especially in the second half of the season and into the playoffs but asking them to take on a machine like the Sea Dogs is a little too much to ask.

Prediction: Saint John in 4.

 

Shawinigan / Quebec

What would a Quebec Remparts post-season be without Patrick Roy saying something to stir the pot? Earlier this week, he said in interviews that, unlike other teams, his top defensemen see time on the PK, an obvious jab at Ryan Kavanaugh of the Cataractes. I said at the start of the playoffs that Quebec is a team that worry me a little. They rely a lot on their top line, their goaltending is very inconsistent and a few of their forwards tend to disappear for a few games at a time. For Shawinigan, rumors are running rampant that they will be awarded the Memorial cup next year so they’re trying to build a team that will peak next season. But, for now, they have a good top four on defense and solid goaltending. The issue for the Cataractes will be on offense where they have some good young talent but their veterans have been inconsistent. Having disposed of P.E.I in 5 games was big for them as their best player and team leader, Habs prospect Michael Bournival has been battling an upper-body injury and he didn’t seem to be at 100% upon his return. Having had a few days off might make a big difference for him and by extension, Shawinigan.

Prediction: Shawinigan in 6.

 

Gatineau / Drummondville

This will be the series to watch for in my opinion. Finishing the regular season within two points of each other, they are evenly matched in many ways. The main factor will be the performance of their top centers: Philippe-Michael Devos for Gatineau and Sean Couturier for Drummondville. Both can change the course of a game both offensively and defensively. The difference is that Gatineau has had to contend with a lot of injuries during the regular season but now they’re healthy and that will make a huge difference. I expect that Gatineau will try to match-up defenseman Nicholas Deslauriers against Couturier as much as possible and I just don’t think that the Voltigeur have an answer to that. What could go wrong for Gatineau is that this is team that can get into penalty issues but coach Benoit Groulx commands respect and he can settle them down if need be.

Prediction: Gatineau in 6.

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 visit http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/. Rick can be reached at rick1042@hotmail.com

 

Tags: Drummondville Voltigeurs \ Gatineau Olympiques \ Lewiston MAINEiacs \ Montreal juniors \ playoff predictions \ QMJHL \ Quebec Remparts \ Seadogs \ Shawinigan Cataractes \ victoriaville Tigres

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