GAME DAY
2011 President’s Cup Final
Gatineau Olympiques vs Saint John Sea Dogs
Tonight, May 5, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Harbour Station
PREVIEW
For the second straight season, the Saint John Sea Dogs enter the President’s Cup final as the No. 1 seeded team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Last year’s final didn’t go the way the Sea Dogs had planned, losing in six games to the rival Moncton Wildcats.
This year, their opponent is a longer drive away. The Gatineau Olympiques came back from a 3-1 series deficit in the semifinals against the Quebec Remparts to advance to their first President’s Cup final since 2008 where they defeated the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to win the trophy.
The Olympiques have had a tougher ride to the final than Saint John has. They needed five games to beat the Rimouski Oceanic in round one and then they climbed out of a 2-0 hole in round two against the Drummondville Voltigeurs to win it in six games. Gatineau then defeated the No. 3 seeded Remparts to advance to the final.
Gatineau certainly knows how to battle adversity and are a team that won’t die easily.
Saint John had an easier ride to get here – but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been tested. After wrecking the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the first round, they had their problems with the Victoriaville Tigres in the second round, needing five games to dispose of them. In the semifinals, although the Dogs swept them, the Lewiston Maineiacs gave Saint John a good run in a couple of games before eventually falling.
Now the question becomes who has the advantage going into tonight’s Game One at Harbour Station – the well rested Sea Dogs or the Olympiques who are still riding high from their Game Seven victory on Tuesday?
The Sea Dogs are the favourites entering this series. Not only are they the No. 1 seed, but they had one of the greatest seasons in QMJHL history. Saint John has an incredible record of 70-8-1-2 in the regular season and playoffs combined.
Saint John fans have been waiting for this series for a year now. We’re just hours away. Buckle up.
REGULAR SEASON NUMBERS
| Gatineau | Saint John | |
| Record | 43-17-3-5 (3rd West) | 58-7-1-2 (1st Maritimes) |
| Home Record | - - - | 32-0-1-1 |
| Road Record | 20-8-2-4 | - - - |
| Streak | 9-0-0-0 | 2-0-0-0 |
| Last 10 | 9-1-0-0 | 8-2-0-0 |
| Goals For | 243 | 324 |
| Goals Against | 193 | 165 |
| Goals/Game | 3.57 (9th) | 4.76 (1st) |
| Goals Against/Game | 2.84 (5th) | 2.43 (1st) |
| Shots/Game | 28.03 (13th) | 36.81 (1st) |
| Shots Against/Game | 24.78 (1st) | 26.96 (5th) |
| Overall PP | 22.3% (10th) | 25.1% (6th) |
| Home PP | - - - | 24.4% (8th) |
| Road PP | 23.3% (8th) | - - - |
| Overall PK | 79.2% (10th) | 83.7% (1st) |
| Home PK | - - - | 86.1% (1st) |
| Road PK | 79.8% (9th) | - - - |
| PIM/GAME | 12.5 (16th) | 13.1 (13th) |
SERIES SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Game 1 - Thu May 5 | 7:00 PM | Gatineau @ Saint John
Game 2 - Sat May 7 | 7:00 PM | Gatineau @ Saint John
Game 3 - Mon May 9 | 8:30 PM | Saint John @ Gatineau
Game 4 - Wed May 11 | 8:30 PM | Saint John @ Gatineau
Game 5 - Fri May 13 | 7:30 PM | * Gatineau @ Saint John
Game 6 - Sun May 15 | 8:00 PM | * Saint John @ Gatineau
Game 7 - Mon May 16 | 7:00 PM | * Gatineau @ Saint John
*If necessary
Maxime Clermont is expected to start in goal for the Olympiques. Clermont, a 19-year-old from Montreal, Quebec, is playing in his fourth QMJHL season with the Olympiques. A New Jersey Devils prospect selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Clermont leads the QMJHL with a 2.09 goals-against-average and .925 save percentage in 15 playoff games. He has a record of 9-6-0-0.
For Saint John, 20-year old Jacob DeSerres is expected to start. DeSerres has a record of 8-1-0-0, a 2.24 GAA, and a 0.911 save percentage in 10 playoff games.
KIRKPATRICK UPDATE
The Cape Breton Post provides an update on Michael Kirkpatrick’s ‘upper-body injury’:
The North Sydney native was expected to be out for at least three weeks. He’s since been upgraded to day-to-day and skated with the team on Wednesday.Kirkpatrick was injured in Game Four of the semifinals against Lewiston. He has three goals and 10 assists in 10 post-season games.
“It’s getting better every single day,” he said. “I’m just hoping when it’s right, I can get back into the lineup.
“I’m just starting to get mobility back. I don’t know when I’ll be back, so whenever the doctors clear me, I guess I’ll be back.”
THE SEASON SERIES
Saint John went 2-0 against Gatineau in the regular season. The Sea Dogs beat the Olympiques 5-2 on December 4 at Harbour Station and 4-3 on February 25 in Gatineau.
Highlights from the December 4 game:
Stanislav Galiev had a team high five points – two goals and three assists – in the season series. On the other side, Philip-Michael Devos and Christian Ouellet each had three points against Saint John.
ANOTHER CHANCE
Sea Dogs forward Steven Anthony battled injury throughout last year’s playoff run, but now, he is getting his chance to have an impact role.
"It was very tough," Anthony said to the Telegraph-Journal. "I always kept a good face around the guys. I was always being positive because the team was doing so well, but individually it was pretty tough on me. It was a special year and then after Christmas I got hurt and it didn't really heal as well as I had hoped, and from there it went downhill."
"I just want to do everything I can to help the team. Some games you might not have the hands to make a play or you might not get the (scoring) chances, but I've been trying to contribute with blocking shots, winning faceoffs, hitting guys and just playing any role (head coach) Gerard (Gallant) wants me to."
BATTLE OF THE COACHES
Last year’s final featured a great coaching battle between Gerard Gallant and Danny Flynn. This year, Gallant takes on one of the most successful coaches in the league in Benoit Groulx. The Lewiston Maineiacs’ newsletter provides preview of that aspect of the game.
GROULX SPEAKSBenoit Groulx of the Olympiques has created quite the legacy as a head coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Groulx took over as the head coach of the club during the 2001-02 season, and aside from a two-year stint with the AHL's Rochester Americans, has been there ever since. After Groulx took over in 2001-02, the Olympiques won 21 of 30 regular season games, as well as one round of the playoffs. Hull/Gatineau has won at least 33 games in each of his seven full seasons behind the bench, as well as 40-plus games on three different occasions. Groulx has three President's Cup titles on his resume as well. The Sea Dogs' Gerard Gallant has only been in the QMJHL for two seasons, but is quickly on his way to joining Groulx as one of the elite bench bosses in the league. Gallant led his squad to the Jean Rougeau Trophy in back-to-back years for the most points during the regular season, while also taking Saint John to the President's Cup Final in back-to-back years.
Olympiques head coach Benoit Groulx speaking about playing the Sea Dogs.
"We haven't thought about Saint John yet," Groulx said to the Ottawa Citizen following Game Seven. "We know how good they are, but we also know that we can play, and it's comforting, as a coach, facing Saint John and knowing that your team can compete."
"They're a well-balanced team," Groulx added to the Canadian Press. "We have to make sure we don't give them anything for free.
"We know they have three good lines and they have depth on defence and up front. Our positioning on the ice will have to be very good."
TICKETS
There are still tickets available for tonight’s game according to the Harbour Station website. The website has listed ticket availability as “limited” for a few days now.
According to the Telegraph-Journal, roughly 900 tickets remain.
THE RINK
Venue: Harbour Station
Capacity: 6,297
Reg. Season Average Attendance: 4,478
Playoff Average Attendance: 4,786
QMJHL Arena Guide
MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Telegraph-Journal, Lewiston Sun Journal, Maine Hockey Journal
Live Coverage: Follow Station Nation on Twitter (www.twitter.com/station_nation) or follow the Live Blog on this site for live coverage of tonight’s game.
AFTER THE BUZZER
Game Two of the President’s Cup final is Saturday at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station.
Photo Credits: Some card site, Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Olympiques website, La Nouvelle Union
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