Monday, April 3, 2017

It's either Halifax or Val-d'Or for Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs could find out who their second round playoff opponent is tonight.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's two remaining first round series - Gatineau vs Cape Breton and Halifax vs Rouyn-Noranda - could both end this evening. Cape Breton and Rouyn-Noranda lead those series 3-2, respectively.

If a Game 7 is needed in either series, it will be played on Tuesday.

Who will the Sea Dogs play in the next round? It's down to two possibilities. Saint John is the top seed, meaning they will play the lowest remaining seed throughout the playoffs. If Halifax comes back to win their series, the Dogs will play the 15th-seeded Mooseheads. If Halifax loses, the Dogs will play the 14th-seeded Val-d'Or Foreurs.

The Sea Dogs went 6-2-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season and 2-0-0-0 against the Foreurs.

The Foreurs pulled off a major upset last night, eliminating the third-seeded Shawinigan Cataractes in six games. It was one of the biggest playoff upsets in league history.
The Cataractes, who have a long history of underperforming in the playoffs, made it to the league final last season (beating Saint John in the semifinals along the way) and were one of the top teams in the QMJHL all year long.

No matter who the Sea Dogs play in the second round, games one and two will be on Friday and Saturday night, respectively, at Harbour Station.

On a side note, the Shawinigan elimination means the only way the Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders can meet in the playoffs is if they both make it to the league final.

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