STATION NATION ROUND ONE PREVIEW

It’s playoff time in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

With the playoff format as dumb as it is, there are only two to three series’ that might be anywhere near entertaining. But hey, you never know, a meteor could hit Drummondville, right?

With that, we present a preview of the first round of the 2010 Presidents Cup Playoff run. With, of course, our predictions.

All stats were issued by the Sea Dogs' FiberOp playoff report.

SAINT JOHN (1) vs. P.E.I. (8)
Regular Season Series: Won by the Sea Dogs 5-3
Regular Season Records: Sea Dogs: 53-12-1-2 (1st Atlantic, 1st QMJHL); Rocket: 35-25-2-6 (4th Atlantic, 8th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Sea Dogs: PP - 24.3% (5th); PK - 78.8% (10th); Rocket: PP - 19.6% (10th); PK - 81.0% (7th)
Leading Scorers: Sea Dogs: Mike Hoffman (56GP-46G-39A-85P); Rocket: Samson Mahbod (52GP-20G-44A-64P)
Goaltenders: Sea Dogs: Marco Cousineau (25-19 record, 2.82 G.A.A., 0.919 SV%); Rocket: Evan Mosher (21-13 record, 3.13 G.A.A., 0.904 SV%)
What You Need to Know: One fourth of the Sea Dogs’ 12 regulation loses of come against the Rocket.
Prediction: Not even Guardian reporter Charles Reid’s live blog can save the Rocket. Sea Dogs win in five.

MONCTON (5) vs. CAPE BRETON (7)
Regular Season Series: Won by the Wildcats 5-3
Regular Season Records: Wildcats: 48-14-2-4 (2nd Atlantic, 3rd QMJHL); Screaming Eagles: 41-22-2-3 (3rd Atlantic, 7th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Wildcats: PP - 27.0% (1st); PK - 83.0% (4th); Screaming Eagles: PP - 20.6% (9th); PK - 82.4% (5th)
Leading Scorers: Wildcats: Nicolas Deschamps (64GP-39G-57A-96P); Screaming Eagles: Luke Adam (56GP-49G-41A-90P)
Goaltenders: Wildcats: Nicola Riopel (19-5 record, 2.06 G.A.A., 0.918 SV%); Screaming Eagles: Olivier Roy (32-21 record, 2.62 G.A.A., 0.908 SV%)
What You Need to Know: This series will feature 13 NHL drafted players.
Prediction: Les Stoodley and Ken McNeil get in a massive fist fight in the Centre 200 press box. Wildcats take it in six.

DRUMMONDVILLE (2) vs. LEWISTON (16)
Regular Season Series: Won by the Voltigeurs 7-1
Regular Season Records: Voltigeurs: 51-15-0-2 (1st Telus Central, 2nd QMJHL); MAINEiacs: 23-42-0-3 (4th Telus Central, 16th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Voltigeurs: PP - 22.6% (7th); PK - 80.4% (8th); MAINEiacs: PP - 15.3% (17th); PK - 73.1% (18th)
Leading Scorers: Voltigeurs: Sean Couturier (68GP-41G-55A-96P); MAINEiacs: Pierre-Olivier Morin (67GP-20G-45A-65P)
Goaltenders: Voltigeurs: Jake Allen (29-14 record, 2.20 G.A.A., 0.922 SV%); MAINEiacs: Adrien Lemay (23-35 record, 3.87 G.A.A., 0.896 SV%)
What You Need to Know: Drummondville finished the season on a 16 game winning streak.
Prediction: Jake Allen vomits everywhere. The Volts score close to 30 goals and win easily in four – again.

VICTORIAVILLE (6) vs. SHAWINIGAN (10)
Regular Season Series: Won by Tigres 8-0
Regular Season Records: Tigres: 46-19-1-2 (2nd Telus Central, 4th QMJHL); Cataractes: 31-29-3-5 (3rd Telus Central, 10th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Tigres: PP - 25.6% (2nd); 85.8% (1st); Cataractes: PP - 22.0% (8th); PK - 75.9% (16th)
Leading Scorers: Tigres: P-M Devos (68GP-35G-48A-93P); Cataractes: P-A Vandall (55GP-31G-44A-75P)
Goaltenders: Tigres: Kevin Poulin (35-16 record, 2.63 G.A.A., 0.916 SV%); Cataractes: Marc-Antoine Gélinas (30-15 record, 2.60 G.A.A., 0.915 SV%)
What You Need to Know: Despite the lower seeding, Victoriaville is considered a major contender for the league title.
Prediction: Victoriaville wins in four. Following the series, Marc-Antoine Gelinas moves back to Saint John and buys a playoff ticket package.

QUEBEC (3) vs. ACADIE-BATHURST (14)
Regular Season Series: Won by Remparts 2-0
Regular Season Records: Remparts: 41-20-3-4 (1st Telus East, 5th QMJHL); Titan: 25-37-3-3 (5th Atlantic, 14th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Remparts: PP - 25.1% (4th); PK - 79.2% (9th); Titan: PP - 17.8% (14th); PK - 77.5% (11th)
Leading Scorers: Remparts: Dmitri Kugryshev (66GP-29G-58A-87P); Titan: Éric Faille (68GP-31G-46A-77P)
Goaltenders: Remparts: Louis Domingue (20-17 record, 2.68 G.A.A., 0.906 SV%); Titan: Guillaume Nadeau (10-21 record, 4.39 G.A.A., 0.875 SV%) & Francis Lacerte (11-13 record, 3.92 G.A.A., 0.884 SV%)
What You Need to Know: Bathurst averaged a league worst 1,390 fans per game. Quebec averaged a league high 12,088 fans per game.
Prediction: Patrick Roy breaks another toilet just because he can. Remparts win in four.

RIMOUSKI (9) vs. CHICOUTIMI (13)
Regular Season Series: Won by Océanic 5-3
Regular Season Records: Océanic: 34-27-5-2 (2nd Telus East, 9th QMJHL); Saguenéens: 26-33-4-5 (3rd Telus East, 13th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Océanic: PP - 25.2% (3rd); PK - 76.5% (14th); Saguenéens: PP - 18.2% (11th); PK - 75.3% (17th)
Leading Scorers: Océanic: Félix Lefrançois (66GP-39G-44A-83P); Saguenéens: Domenic Jalbert (68GP-14G-49A-63P)
Goaltenders: Océanic: Matthew Dopud (22-18 record, 3.59 G.A.A., 0.885 SV%); Saguenéens: Robin Gusse (16-19 record, 3.67 G.A.A., 0.881 SV%) & Christopher Gibson (8-19 record, 3.50 G.A.A., 0.884 SV%)
What You Need to Know: Rimouski has the third best power play in the league. Chicoutimi has the second worst penalty kill.
Prediction: Richard Martel takes a bench minor in overtime of game five, giving Rimouski a power play. Oceanic win in five.

ROUYN-NORANDA (4) vs. VAL-D'OR (15)
Regular Season Series: Won by Huskies 8-2
Regular Season Records: Huskies: 41-21-2-4 (1st Telus West, 6th QMJHL); Foreurs: 22-38-6-2 (4th Telus West, 15th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Huskies: PP - 22.7% (6th); PK - 83.8% (2nd); Foreurs: PP - 18.1% (13th); PK - 75.9% (15th)
Leading Scorers: Huskies: Gabriel Lévesque (67GP-24G-58A-82P); Foreurs: Alexandre Quesnel (57GP-27G-36A-63P)
Goaltenders: Huskies: Nicholas Champion (26-21 record, 2.96 G.A.A., 0.907 SV%); Foreurs: Raffaele D'Orso (12-24 record, 3.86 G.A.A., 0.883 SV%)
What You Need to Know: The Huskies were named the dark horse of this year’s playoffs by Rogers Sportsnet.
Prediction: Will the Foreurs break out of their season long slump? Will they have a full lineup? Will more than 2,000 fans show up at the Air Creebec Centre? Nope. Huskies in four.

MONTREAL (11) vs. GATINEAU (12)
Regular Season Series: Tied 4-4
Regular Season Records: Juniors: 31-30-2-5 (2nd Telus East, 11th QMJHL); Olympiques: 30-33-1-4 (3rd Telus East, 12th QMJHL)
Special Teams: Juniors: PP - 14.6% (18th); PK - 83.1% (3rd); Olympiques: PP - 18.2% (11th); PK - 82.1% (6th)
Leading Scorers: Juniors: Jérémy Gouchie (67GP-25G-40A-65P); Olympiques: Tye McGinn (50GP-27G-35A-62P)
Goaltenders: Juniors: J-F Bérubé (17-23 record, 3.03 G.A.A., 0.897 SV%); Olympiques: Maxime Clermont (24-31 record, 2.81 G.A.A., 0.897 SV%)
What You Need to Know: Montreal is 2-1 against Saint John this year and Gatineau is 0-3.
Prediction: Gatineau fails to get a shot on goal in the second period of game seven, and it proves costly. Montreal wins in seven.