Monday, April 3, 2023

Notebook: Playoffs off to entertaining start

HALIFAX - It wasn't a great opening weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs but, for the most part, the first round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs are off to a very entertaining start.

Six games went to overtime this weekend with three requiring double OT.

Three of the QMJHL's eight first round series - Baie-Comeau/Moncton, Drummondville/Victoriaville and Shawinigan/Rouyn-Noranda - are tied 1-1. Quebec, Halifax, Rimouski, Sherbrooke and Gatineau all carry 2-0 series leads.
The Mooseheads erased a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Eagles on Saturday night. Alexandre Doucet's game-tying goal, which came at 18:50 of the third period, was controversial. It was called a goal on the ice and it stayed that way after a review.

The Eagles even retweeted the below video.
All eight series resume on Tuesday.

MORE TITAN TROUBLES
Here we go yet again.

Steve Turcotte of Le Nouvelliste reports that Steve Leal is still trying to finalize a purchase of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Turcotte reports that Leal's first deal to purchase the club was rejected by the QMJHL but a new arrangement could be approved by June's Entry Draft.

It's been long believed that Leal, the president and CEO of Fix Network World, would like to purchase the Titan and eventually move them to the Montreal suburbs. The Titan have been rumoured to be relocating for about 15 years so... we'll wait and see what happens.

A major question/concern about a Titan move is how the division alignments will be impacted.

MHL FINAL FOUR
The division finals are underway in the Maritime Hockey League.

The South Division Final is already underway with the Yarmouth Mariners leading the Truro Bearcats 1-0 in the best-of-seven series. Game 2 is Monday night in Truro.

The Mariners feature former Sea Dogs defenseman Benjamin Roode while the Bearcats have forwards Carter McCluskey and Cael MacDonald. McCluskey has four goals and two assists in four playoff games.

The North Division Final will see the the Edmundston Blizzard take on the Summerside Western Capitals. That series begins Wednesday in Edmundston.

The Blizzard feature former Sea Dogs defenseman Brandon Casey.

GOALIE GOAL
A goalie goal for former Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer.
Mayer, 33, is 17-5-2 with a 2.31 goals against average and a .913 save percentage in 25 games with the Swiss National League's Genève-Servette HC this season.

CHL AWARDS
Some CHL awards are making a return this year.
OTHER THINGS
  • The Memorial Cup host Kamloops Blazers are looking good. The Blazers won their first two playoff games, defeating the Vancouver Giants 8-0 and 6-1, respectively.
  • Shane Wright and the Windsor Spitfires are in trouble. The Spitfires, who finished first in the OHL's Western Conference, lost the first two games of their first round series with the Kitchener Rangers, who had 22 fewer points than the Spits. The next two games will be played in Kitchener.
  • The Spitfires were shutout 4-0 by the Rangers on Saturday - the first time Windsor has been shutout in four years.
  • It's going to be fascinating watching how far Connor Bedard can carry the Regina Pats in the WHL playoffs. Bedard has five goals and three assists - including a five-point performance in Game 2 - and the Pats have a 2-0 series lead over the Saskatoon Blades. The next two games will be played in Regina.
  • Attendance in Saskatoon for Regina's past four visits: 14,768; 14,768; 10,265; and 10,598.
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