ROU (1) vs. BBA (13)
Lorne: Led by Samuel Montembeault and
Philippe Sanche, Blainville-Boisbriand pulled off arguably the biggest upset in
QMJHL history against the very strong Val-d'Or Foreurs in round one. While the
Armada magic could lead to one - possibly two - win(s) in round two,
Rouyn-Noranda is loaded top to bottom. The Huskies steamrolled Drummondville
and are expected to continue to roll straight through to the finals. Huskies in
5.
Kevin: After a huge upset in the first
round, the Armada have been rewarded with the Huskies. If Montembeault thought
he was busy against Val-d’Or than this series might require an oxygen mask for
the netminder. This could get ugly as the Huskies have the most prolific
offense in the league along with quality goaltending and defense. Huskies in 4.
Jamie: The fact that the Armada made it this far is amazing – but they will not be going any further.
Rouyn-Noranda proved in round one that they are a dominant team, outscoring a
weak Drummondville squad 33-4. There might be a tight game or
two, but this shouldn’t be much of a challenge for the stacked Huskies. Huskies
in 4.
SHA (2) vs. CHA (9)
Lorne: Shawinigan finished atop a
relatively weak East Division but - after adding several star veterans at the trade
deadline - haven't seemed to be able to get everyone on the same page. On the
other hand, Charlottetown - led by Daniel Sprong, Samuel Blais and Mason
McDonald - have gotten stronger as their scrappy veterans adapted to each
other. An upset appears to be looming in this series. Islanders in 6.
Kevin: I'm not a fan of making too many
trades and completely revamping a roster like the Cataractes did. That being
said, I'm not confident that the Isles' defenders can handle the offensive
players from Shawinigan. These two teams could be in for some high scoring
games despite having what should be two of the better goaltenders in the
league. Cataractes in 5.
Jamie: In an odd way, I was sort of
impressed by Shawinigan in the first round. The ceiling could have easily caved
in but they held things together and pulled through against a pesky
Sherbrooke team. Charlottetown had a tough first round series, going to
overtime three times against Rimouski. I’d love to see the Isles make it to the
semifinals, but I think Shawinigan’s depth will be too much to handle.
Cataractes in 6.
Lorne: Saint John's depth and
determination was on display in a tough first round series against Bathurst. A
serious leg injury to Tampa Bay prospect Mathieu Joseph will take away a key
cog for the Sea Dogs. Cape Breton also comes off a tough series against
Chicoutimi. The Screaming Eagles can score in bunches but team defence
continues to be questionable at times. All signs point to a real
Maritimes battle. Sea Dogs in 7.
Kevin: There’s no question that the Sea
Dogs have dealt with injuries/absences throughout the season - but Joseph
brings more than just offense as one of the premier two way forwards in the
league. This loss is massive for Saint John. The Eagles added a lot of
offensive firepower at the deadline while the Sea Dogs beefed up their defense
with veteran Matt Murphy. This has the makings of one of the nastiest playoff
series this year with these two combining for 2,279 PIM during the regular
season. I'm looking for a seven game war in this one. Sea Dogs in 7.
Jamie: If Saint John is going to win
this series they need some guys to step up offensively – and do so consistently.
The loss of Joseph is huge at both ends – but particularly up front. Simply
put, the Sea Dogs need to find a way to score goals because this is an Eagles
team that will score goals. Saint John has the better defense, but as the
Daniil Miromanov show displayed, it can be broken. I just don’t have a good
feeling about this series. Sorry. Screaming Eagles in 7.
GAT (5) vs. MON (6)
Lorne: Despite only one first round loss
between them, neither Gatineau nor Moncton exactly dominated in the opening
round. Both teams have three forward lines who can score - but the
Wildcats are led offensively by superstar/superpest Conor Garland. However,
the Olympiques are deeper on the back-end. Gatineau will focus on continuing to
play tight defense - especially with an eye to pound and contain Garland. Olympiques
in 6.
Kevin: Moncton will get Kevin Klima back
for this series but will start without defenseman Jacob Sweeney. Gatineau
is as well rounded as any team in the QMJHL including the Huskies. The question
mark might be their young goaltenders - but goaltending will be a question mark
at both ends in this series. The Olympiques’ young netminders have played
well while the Wildcats will turn to the veteran Keven Bouchard. Olympiques in
5.
Jamie: Gatineau’s offense was, for the
most part, underwhelming in the opening round against a young Remparts team.
They only allowed six goals though, so there were positives. As we all know,
Moncton isn’t a team built around defense and goaltending, and I think that
will cost them in this series. The Conor Garland show stops here. Olympiques in
6.
Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation
Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation
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