On Tuesday night, the Dieppe Commandos' season came to a heartbreaking end, an OT loss in Game 5 against the Woodstock Slammers in the Meek Division semi-finals. Since then, I've been thinking of how to recap the season of this club, who were not rated among the championship contenders but nonetheless looked to build off their successes of the previous season. The end result? A 27-20-1-4 record, good for 59 points on the season (and an 11 point improvement over 2011-2012) followed by the aforementioned first round defeat to the Slammers.
Despite the quick exit from the postseason, this team set out what it looked to accomplish more often than not. Even in that Game 5 defeat, with a number of variables working against them (series to that point, quality of opponent and, some would argue, officials) they came within a goal of taking the series to a sixth game back at the AJL despite being down three games to none at one point. As the season progressed, this team became more and more comfortable in virtually all game situations. They figured out on more than one occasion how to win... sometimes in conventional fashion, sometimes not. At the end of the day, it was another enjoyable season in the booth with a great group of on ice as well as off ice personalities.
Rather than go into specific details on my general thoughts on the team (read the archives of this blog for a better idea of those), I thought I'd go through a point form version of how I saw things with the Commandos in 2012-2013.
Best streak - From February 1st - March 3rd, Dieppe went 8-3-0-1 and kept themselves in the race for 2nd place in the Meek Division. Included in that span were key victories over Woodstock and Yarmouth at home.
Worst streak - Probably a 10 game span from September 29th - October 18th. During a time when divisional rivals Woodstock and Miramichi were spinning their wheels, the Commandos could not separate themselves from the pack, going 2-7-0-1 and looking particularly sloppy some nights.
Biggest strength - Much of the Commandos improvement can be traced back to their domination over teams lower then them in the standings. The seventh place Commandos went a combined 20-2 over the clubs ranked 8th -11th in the MHL, the Miramichi Timberwolves, Campbellton Tigers, Bridgewater Lumberjacks and Metro Shipbuilders respectively.
Achilles heel - It haunted them all season and right straight through into the playoffs - the inability to win a game in Woodstock. Between the regular season and playoffs, Dieppe went a combined 0-6 at the Carleton County Civic Center. In the regular season, it arguably made the difference between second and third place in the division. In the playoffs, it arguably prevented the series from being extended any further than it was.
Best game - In terms of complete, 60 minute effort, I'll go with their 5-1 victory over Miramichi back on January 6th. With both teams still neck and neck in the division race and the T-Wolves looking for revenge after a 3-2 shootout loss four nights earlier, Dieppe took control of this game early and despite the relatively close shot totals, never allowed Miramichi to gain momentum with most of those Timberwolves shots coming from the perimeter. Honorable mention goes to their 11-1 trouncing of the Lumberjacks in Bridgewater, but the Miramichi game takes precedence due to importance in the standings at the time as well as difficulty of opponent.
Most exciting game - Easy choice here... the comeback. After falling behind 6-3 in the third, Dieppe would rattle off four goals in just over ten minutes (the final three in just over four minutes) to defeat Woodstock 7-6 on January 20th. Matt Bernier's shot from the point on the powerplay - his first MHL goal - proved to be the winner.
Worst game - On December 8th, the Commandos traveled to Truro without then top scorer Danny Chiasson and key defensive dman Mathieu Martin. Suiting up with 16 skaters, the club opted to throw backup Vincent Charest into the fray and promptly got thumped 8-2 in a game in which Halifax prospect Brandon Pye dominated for the Bearcats.
Season turning point - The December 21st trade of Chiasson to the Summerside Western Capitals. It's not often that a club trades it's leading scorer and winds up more successful afterwards but that in fact was the case in Dieppe. From that point forward, the team took on more of a "winning by committee" type feel. The on-ice attitude of the team seemed to change and based solely on the win-loss record, it was a change for the better. With the Edmundston native in the lineup, Dieppe sported a record of 14-15-0-1. After the trade, the Commandos were 12-9-0-1.
Ironically, this trade, which saw Dieppe also send 5th and 7th round picks in the 2013 draft in exchange for the rights to forward Issac Jay and current Saint John Sea Dog Steven Anderson as well as 4th and 6th round picks in 2014, could wind up being the turning point of next season as well with future considerations coming across the Confederation Bridge at the MHL draft in June to finalize the deal.
Best individual performance - Three stand out here:
The first one goes to Zack Cahill and his four goal performance against Bridgewater on October 28th. Among those four goals was a breakaway tally (Cahill seemed to be good for one breakaway every game this season) as well as the game winner in the second period. Amazingly, it was his first of two four goal games against the Lumberjacks this season. The 20 year old wound up tied for the league lead in goals with 37.
Second goes to Robbie Graham. Joining the Commandos a little over six weeks into the season after beginning the year with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Graham made his home debut on November 11th against Pictou. He made his presence felt late in that game. With Crushers forward Brandon Parsons sent off on a double minor for high sticking at 18:45 of the third and the Commandos trailing 4-3, Graham would waster little time, tying the game up just 23 seconds into the first half of the minor. Not to be outdone, Graham would stuff a rebound past prone former Commando goalie Brandon Thibeau 39 seconds into the extra frame, sending Dieppe off the ice victorious and Graham on a tear that would see him score at a 2 PPG pace during his first month with the Commandos.
Finally, despite the shortened postseason, Connor Wilkinson hung around long enough to put on the most spectacular goaltending performance at the AJL this season. With Dieppe facing elimination in Game 4, the 19 year old netminder - who had struggled in nets during the first two games of the series - bounced back in incredible fashion, reading the play and tracking the puck with outstanding precision. By night's end, the game extended itself into double overtime, Wilkinson had stopped 51 of 52 drives from Slammer sticks, and Dieppe was still alive in the series, winning 2-1.
Guy I would least like to play against - There were three guys I had in mind here, but Joslin Gallant gets my vote. Obviously, I am not a player. I'm also considerably less in shape than anyone in the league (this includes all coaches and most statisticians... though I might be able to outskate Lyndon Pike). Therefore, it should be understandable why whenever I see Gallant lay someone out on the ice, my first thought is always "thank god that's not me". Plus, he's not exactly shy about answering the bell in the fight department... or ringing it, for that matter. On more than one occasion this season, Gallant has done something on the ice that I swear I felt up in the booth (not including getting hit on the back of the head by Stephane Paquette with a Diet Coke bottle). For the record, the other two players up for consideration here were Mathieu Martin and Alex Snow.
Guy who I can't wait to see back next year - I'll go with Alex Snow. The rookie from Baie-Verte, Newfoundland was sidelined with injury until November. However, once in the lineup he more than made up for lost time. As a 17 year old in a 20 year old's league, Snow more than accounted himself in all three zones, putting up 19 points in 33 games to go with 71 PIMS for the fiesty winger. On more than one occasion, Snow had more the appearance of heat sinking missile than hockey player when out on the ice. Combined with a spectacular release and excellent poise, he'll be a fan favorite in the years to come.
And with that, I thank the Commandos for another inviting season in the press box of the AJL. This is a team on the rise and with any luck, they will turn heads in the MHL in 2013-2014. JF Damphousse, Jeff Leblanc and all the staff should be proud of the results of their hard work so far.
Now to get in a few games at the Levesque (and it's awesome little press box) next season...
Sunday 31 March 2013
Saturday 30 March 2013
Exit, Stage Left
Three things to start with before I get too far along with this post.
Firstly, I was hoping to do a season synopsis for the Commandos first. However, I've been taking my time putting that together. There are a few aspects of that team that I would like to discuss and quite frankly, I'm still thinking of ways to put it all together. As for the Cats, I basically had the framework of this post thought out in about 20 minutes. That's not a good thing.
Secondly, congratulations to the Victoriaville Tigres on a well deserved playoff series win. Even though it wasn't the result most people in Moncton - myself included - desired, I do take some sort of strange personal victory out of my pre-series comments that Yannick Jean and Brandon Whitney could surprise a few people. These two individuals - as well as the team they are affiliated with - are winners. Even when Moncton did make it tough on the Tigres (which, incidentally, did not occur nearly enough) they found a way to battle through.
Thirdly, this post might very well rub alot of important people the wrong way (assuming anyoneofimportance reads this little amateur hour disguised as witty banter). To them I apologize and can only say that it's how I saw things. I'm not the only one. And I sincerely hope for better days ahead.
Now that that's over with, let's do some breaking down...
If you think I'm upset over what happened tonight, you're more wrong than right. I don't like the end result of this season. However, I didn't like alot of other results that came out of this team as well. This was a hard team to watch some nights. They were an even harder group to get behind. You always hope that at some point, the teams you follow will put it all together in spite of whatever deficiencies they possess. There have been a number of seasons in which the Cats wrapped up the season and I was sorry to see them go. Those teams gave me reason to feel that way. I can't say the same for this year's edition.
When Philippe Maillet scored 32 seconds into overtime to put this edition of the Wildcats' season to it's miserable, enigmatic end, I didn't feel a thing. I liken it to when Barry Bonds broke the all time home run record. I - like much of humanity - didn't like Bonds. Not because of anything he did or didn't do that involved steroids (as I have stated on here previously, I was - and still am - a Mark McGwire fan), but because he was just an outright vile person from my perspective. However, we all knew he was going to break the record. We didn't have to like it... but inevitably, it was going to happen. And when it did, I had no opinion. I wasn't mad. I wasn't sad. I sure as hell wasn't happy. I just was. I didn't care... just like - sadly - I didn't care all that much when tonight's game in Victoriaville ended so abruptly. This team didn't give me reason enough to feel any differently. And to me, that is the worst aspect of this season.
Why was this team so hard to grow attached to? For me, the main reason was that it seldom bore the common characteristics of a winning team. I like to think that following this franchise since it's inception has given me some insight into what constitutes a truly successful team and what is merely just a bunch of skilled players. Fans in Moncton have had the luxury of watching three great teams over the last decade - the 2004 Presidents Cup Finalists, as well as the 2006 and 2010 championship squads. If you look at the rosters of the three teams noted above and have any sense of history regarding the Q, you'll notice right away that all of those clubs were flat out deeper and more talented on paper. However, it runs deeper than that. With those three clubs, you always knew they had that fine combination of skill as well as leadership to not only succeed, but be very likable in the process. If they hit a difficult patch, they usually tried their best to rectify it. They pulled in the same direction.
This year, I didn't see that nearly as much as I would've liked. Instead, what I saw when the chips were down was alot of sooking. Whining all the way to the bench or penalty box. Needless penalties and costly meltdowns. Looking around to see if a cheap penalty could be drawn. There was no Christian Gaudet or Josh Hepditch. No Scott Brannon or David Savard, to name but a few. There really wasn't anyone with that caliber of leadership to reign in the team and get everybody on the same page.
Tonight's game was simply the last example out of many. As the third period progressed, this Wildcats team showed no particular sense of urgency. There was no full court press in Victoriaville territory. No creativity shown. No anger or intensity. If it was a regular season game, you'd look at them and say "They're playing for a point". For a team that we've heard - from more than one source - is "built for the playoffs", they would've been hard pressed to be any more the opposite. It seemed like they were simply hoping for that one lucky bounce that never came. As great as Whitney played over four of these five games - for my money, he was the unofficial MVP of the series - there were many times where Moncton made him look even better. It got to the point, particularly in this series, where once the Cats crossed the red line you could almost predict what was about to take place. And you knew it probably wouldn't work. As teenagers, these players sometimes need to hear from someone other than a coach that things as they stand are not acceptable and the pace has to be picked up. Did the Wildcats hear this enough (or at all) this season?
A few people are calling this the biggest postseason upset in recent league history. Obviously it's not from a statistical standpoint, but from a tangent perspective it could be. This year's Cat collapse draws character traits from a number of other high profile postseason misfires. Like the 2004 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, a large group of players were brought in from one team and found themselves at the epicenter of sometimes unfavorable actions and incidents at the worst possible times. Like the 2006 Chicoutimi Sagueneens, they were a group with a high skill level that ultimately didn't pay the price required to win at this level at the most important time of the year. Like the 2008 Halifax Mooseheads, their prized acquisition at the trade deadline was not at their disposal for the final game of the year (although it should be noted, Halifax's player was scratched while Moncton's was suspended). And like the 2011 Acadie-Bathurst Titan, they were unable to adapt to a team with less skill that was playing a tough system. Ironically, in the Bathurst example, the team and coach they faced was the same one that just eliminated Moncton.
After tonight's game, Danny Flynn refused to talk to the media. Some have already speculated that this is a possible sign of his impending dismissal. Personally, I hope it's not the case. Although that's not exactly popular opinion at this juncture, I have my reasons for believing that Flynn and his crew had less to do with this failure than meets the eye. I think too many people out there this evening are forgetting that this staff is only three years removed from a Memorial Cup berth. For his part, Flynn has four other Memorial Cup appearances (including one win) as well as a CIS Championship under his belt. This guy didn't just wake up one morning and forget how to build and coach a contending team. He knows what it takes. His teams always have a similar hard working trademark about them, no matter how much or how little talent they possess. This team was the least "Danny Flynn" like team I've ever seen - not just from him, from any coach in this club's history.
For these reasons, I have a hard time believing that the Cats' bench boss is the only person with his fingerprints on this team. I also think Robert Irving has been doing whatever he can to bring this organization to the pinnacle of major junior success in this country (particularly since May 29, 2011). And I also know that he has parted ways with at least one coach in the past for failing to deliver the goods after doing his best to make sure the club had as much talent at it's disposal as possible. Just ask Real Paiement how much fun it is to fall short in a contending year in Moncton.
Mr. Irving stood up in front of a group of people back in November and pledged that the organization was working around the clock to bring a squad together in this city that was capable of capturing a national championship. Perhaps he should've been expressing the need for patience and growth as well.
Where does this leave the Cats? The answer to that is, essentially, wandering the desert. I suspect this off season will bring with it alot of hard searching. Searching for answers as to how this season became unraveled. Searching for new hockey personnel, perhaps. Searching for a plan to try and make what is going to be a lengthy rebuild move along as sensibly as possible. And, once the season begins anew once more, searching for success.
Success is a fleeting thing. It can be hard to grasp. Even harder to hold onto. It can take you on an unforgettable journey, like it did to this team twice before. It can also slip through your fingers like a fist full of sand, like it did over the course of the last seven days. The key is to continue reaching. Finding new ways to grab it and hang on and enjoy the ride while it lasts.
But it's every bit as important to remember what didn't work and to avoid that method by all means necessary in the future. At the end of the day, your biggest mistake is every bit as important as your greatest success.
Firstly, I was hoping to do a season synopsis for the Commandos first. However, I've been taking my time putting that together. There are a few aspects of that team that I would like to discuss and quite frankly, I'm still thinking of ways to put it all together. As for the Cats, I basically had the framework of this post thought out in about 20 minutes. That's not a good thing.
Secondly, congratulations to the Victoriaville Tigres on a well deserved playoff series win. Even though it wasn't the result most people in Moncton - myself included - desired, I do take some sort of strange personal victory out of my pre-series comments that Yannick Jean and Brandon Whitney could surprise a few people. These two individuals - as well as the team they are affiliated with - are winners. Even when Moncton did make it tough on the Tigres (which, incidentally, did not occur nearly enough) they found a way to battle through.
Thirdly, this post might very well rub alot of important people the wrong way (assuming anyoneofimportance reads this little amateur hour disguised as witty banter). To them I apologize and can only say that it's how I saw things. I'm not the only one. And I sincerely hope for better days ahead.
Now that that's over with, let's do some breaking down...
If you think I'm upset over what happened tonight, you're more wrong than right. I don't like the end result of this season. However, I didn't like alot of other results that came out of this team as well. This was a hard team to watch some nights. They were an even harder group to get behind. You always hope that at some point, the teams you follow will put it all together in spite of whatever deficiencies they possess. There have been a number of seasons in which the Cats wrapped up the season and I was sorry to see them go. Those teams gave me reason to feel that way. I can't say the same for this year's edition.
When Philippe Maillet scored 32 seconds into overtime to put this edition of the Wildcats' season to it's miserable, enigmatic end, I didn't feel a thing. I liken it to when Barry Bonds broke the all time home run record. I - like much of humanity - didn't like Bonds. Not because of anything he did or didn't do that involved steroids (as I have stated on here previously, I was - and still am - a Mark McGwire fan), but because he was just an outright vile person from my perspective. However, we all knew he was going to break the record. We didn't have to like it... but inevitably, it was going to happen. And when it did, I had no opinion. I wasn't mad. I wasn't sad. I sure as hell wasn't happy. I just was. I didn't care... just like - sadly - I didn't care all that much when tonight's game in Victoriaville ended so abruptly. This team didn't give me reason enough to feel any differently. And to me, that is the worst aspect of this season.
Why was this team so hard to grow attached to? For me, the main reason was that it seldom bore the common characteristics of a winning team. I like to think that following this franchise since it's inception has given me some insight into what constitutes a truly successful team and what is merely just a bunch of skilled players. Fans in Moncton have had the luxury of watching three great teams over the last decade - the 2004 Presidents Cup Finalists, as well as the 2006 and 2010 championship squads. If you look at the rosters of the three teams noted above and have any sense of history regarding the Q, you'll notice right away that all of those clubs were flat out deeper and more talented on paper. However, it runs deeper than that. With those three clubs, you always knew they had that fine combination of skill as well as leadership to not only succeed, but be very likable in the process. If they hit a difficult patch, they usually tried their best to rectify it. They pulled in the same direction.
This year, I didn't see that nearly as much as I would've liked. Instead, what I saw when the chips were down was alot of sooking. Whining all the way to the bench or penalty box. Needless penalties and costly meltdowns. Looking around to see if a cheap penalty could be drawn. There was no Christian Gaudet or Josh Hepditch. No Scott Brannon or David Savard, to name but a few. There really wasn't anyone with that caliber of leadership to reign in the team and get everybody on the same page.
Tonight's game was simply the last example out of many. As the third period progressed, this Wildcats team showed no particular sense of urgency. There was no full court press in Victoriaville territory. No creativity shown. No anger or intensity. If it was a regular season game, you'd look at them and say "They're playing for a point". For a team that we've heard - from more than one source - is "built for the playoffs", they would've been hard pressed to be any more the opposite. It seemed like they were simply hoping for that one lucky bounce that never came. As great as Whitney played over four of these five games - for my money, he was the unofficial MVP of the series - there were many times where Moncton made him look even better. It got to the point, particularly in this series, where once the Cats crossed the red line you could almost predict what was about to take place. And you knew it probably wouldn't work. As teenagers, these players sometimes need to hear from someone other than a coach that things as they stand are not acceptable and the pace has to be picked up. Did the Wildcats hear this enough (or at all) this season?
A few people are calling this the biggest postseason upset in recent league history. Obviously it's not from a statistical standpoint, but from a tangent perspective it could be. This year's Cat collapse draws character traits from a number of other high profile postseason misfires. Like the 2004 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, a large group of players were brought in from one team and found themselves at the epicenter of sometimes unfavorable actions and incidents at the worst possible times. Like the 2006 Chicoutimi Sagueneens, they were a group with a high skill level that ultimately didn't pay the price required to win at this level at the most important time of the year. Like the 2008 Halifax Mooseheads, their prized acquisition at the trade deadline was not at their disposal for the final game of the year (although it should be noted, Halifax's player was scratched while Moncton's was suspended). And like the 2011 Acadie-Bathurst Titan, they were unable to adapt to a team with less skill that was playing a tough system. Ironically, in the Bathurst example, the team and coach they faced was the same one that just eliminated Moncton.
After tonight's game, Danny Flynn refused to talk to the media. Some have already speculated that this is a possible sign of his impending dismissal. Personally, I hope it's not the case. Although that's not exactly popular opinion at this juncture, I have my reasons for believing that Flynn and his crew had less to do with this failure than meets the eye. I think too many people out there this evening are forgetting that this staff is only three years removed from a Memorial Cup berth. For his part, Flynn has four other Memorial Cup appearances (including one win) as well as a CIS Championship under his belt. This guy didn't just wake up one morning and forget how to build and coach a contending team. He knows what it takes. His teams always have a similar hard working trademark about them, no matter how much or how little talent they possess. This team was the least "Danny Flynn" like team I've ever seen - not just from him, from any coach in this club's history.
For these reasons, I have a hard time believing that the Cats' bench boss is the only person with his fingerprints on this team. I also think Robert Irving has been doing whatever he can to bring this organization to the pinnacle of major junior success in this country (particularly since May 29, 2011). And I also know that he has parted ways with at least one coach in the past for failing to deliver the goods after doing his best to make sure the club had as much talent at it's disposal as possible. Just ask Real Paiement how much fun it is to fall short in a contending year in Moncton.
Mr. Irving stood up in front of a group of people back in November and pledged that the organization was working around the clock to bring a squad together in this city that was capable of capturing a national championship. Perhaps he should've been expressing the need for patience and growth as well.
Where does this leave the Cats? The answer to that is, essentially, wandering the desert. I suspect this off season will bring with it alot of hard searching. Searching for answers as to how this season became unraveled. Searching for new hockey personnel, perhaps. Searching for a plan to try and make what is going to be a lengthy rebuild move along as sensibly as possible. And, once the season begins anew once more, searching for success.
Success is a fleeting thing. It can be hard to grasp. Even harder to hold onto. It can take you on an unforgettable journey, like it did to this team twice before. It can also slip through your fingers like a fist full of sand, like it did over the course of the last seven days. The key is to continue reaching. Finding new ways to grab it and hang on and enjoy the ride while it lasts.
But it's every bit as important to remember what didn't work and to avoid that method by all means necessary in the future. At the end of the day, your biggest mistake is every bit as important as your greatest success.
Thursday 28 March 2013
We'll Win Tomorrow... Unless We Lose, Of Course
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| This will definitely happen in Game 5 |
I don't know what to expect Friday night. I know what I'd like to see happen but what I like has been conflicting with reality quite a bit the last couple nights. Actually, there's been issues there since September but I'll wait a while before getting into that spiel.
There are no excuses anymore. This is a sixth place team taking on an eleventh place team. On paper, this series is a mismatch. The Victoriaville Tigres are a team that the Moncton Wildcats can defeat three times in a row. Everyone is in the lineup and therefore healthy enough to play and contribute. Enough with the "weak calls" and the "we ran into a hot goaltender" and "they play a very strong system" and "goaltending let us down" that I've heard from all corners since Friday night. If you are the Cats, here is what you do. You forget the last four games ever took place. Go out there, press them like you can, play to your proven compete level and get a god damned win. No farting around, no wasted time (because if you hadn't noticed, you don't have much of that anymore) no "coulda, shoulda, woulda". Just. Win. The. F***ing. Game!
Or go for option B... lose. Become the poster children for monumental failure in the playoffs. Sit in unison with the likes of the 2004 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, the 2006 Chicoutimi Sagueneens and the 2008 Halifax Mooseheads. All were powerful teams brought together with one sole purpose in mind - to win championships on both the league and national levels. All had the look of champions on any given night. And all came up embarrassingly short in their ultimate goal, with nothing but dysfunction and finger pointing left in their wakes.
At this point, it's one or the other. And... just like at virtually every other time this season, your guess is as good as mine as to what team will come hopping off the visiting bench in Victoriaville tomorrow night. Again, I know what I want to see. I want to have to clear my schedule on Monday and Tuesday night next week (well, I originally wanted those nights free if only because I wanted this series wrapped up in favor of the Wildcats by the end of Easter weekend but I digress). I can't say I'm confident that I'll get the chance to do that. But I'm also not confident that I won't have to do it, either.
I understand there are alot of unknown variables in sports. However, good teams usually have one thing in common. You can count on them to win and be consistent. There's nothing more frustrating in hockey that a good group of players who play bad as a team (and if that isn't the most frustrating thing, it's a close second behind Glenn Healy). This team has been nothing if not frustrating. All day long I have been asked "What are the Cats going to do tomorrow". My standard answer is "Either win 7-1 or lose 2-0". This is the most skilled unpredictable team I've ever seen.
So, Cats... figure it out. Figure out how to win. Figure out how to capture that consistency that's eluded you all season long. Figure out what you need to do to put it all together. It's either that, or I figure out what day next week I bring my unused tickets back to the Cats office.
Oh, and to update the above, Phillip Danault is suspended for Game 5. If that doesn't scream "foreshadowing", I don't know what does. All I can do is echo Gerry Green's comment: "Serenity now!!!"
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Just To Be Clear...
For those keeping track, this was probably that one "easy" game for the Cats in this series. That was fun while it lasted. Glad to see some things haven't changed. Or anything, for that matter. Hey, at least they figured out the key to solving Whitney!
As well, congrats to the Woodstock Slammers on advancing to the Meek Division Finals after defeating Dieppe 5-4 in overtime in Game 5. Dieppe dug deep to keep their season alive and despite the subpar results to start the playoffs, have set the table nicely heading into next season. More on them in the coming days.
Time to listen to an OT period that shouldn't happening.
Diving Back Into the Fray
Cats are in Victoriaville tonight for Game 3. Still waiting to hear of all these suspensions to be handed down for the many Wildcat transgressions bestowed upon Yannick Jean's squad on Saturday night (I'll give him the Jaskin hit in OT but much of the rest of his commentary can be filed under the category of "maniacal rant"). For that matter, I'm waiting to see if anything will come Jean's way. According to Gilles Courteau and his crew, his comments are being reviewed. I would be shocked if nothing comes the way of Victoriaville's coach in terms of supplementary discipline. For as much flack as the officials in this league get, there should be someone coming to their defense.
As an aside, if Moncton wins tonight I would have no issue with it being on a powerplay in overtime once again, if only for the outstanding reading material it will conjure up.
Tonight's game almost feels like it could turn into a chess match. What strategy will the Tigres employ to combat a Moncton team that successfully found an answer to Victoriaville's stifling defensive system? If not for Brandon Whitney, Game 2 probably doesn't go to overtime. Will Victoriaville still try to clog up the zone as much as possible? Will they open up a bit (I doubt they play a wide open offensive game as that's just asking for trouble)? Will Jean's posturing as well as the hometown crowd have enough of an effect to again put Victoriaville ahead in the series? Did Brandon Whitney eat that three week old shellfish that was anonymously left by his locker after Saturday's game? All questions that will be answered soon enough.
I found a comment made by Quebec based personality Pascal Levesque on twitter over the weekend to be rather funny. Roughly translated, he jokingly stated that Carl-Antoine Delisle was not returning to Victoriaville with his teammates as was going to travel alongside Dimitrij Jaskin instead. What I found even more humorous was that the Tigres twitter guy actually retweeted this. To that I say, good for you twitter guy! Most teams in most leagues these days have a twitter account. Too many of the people behind them don't seem to have the open mindedness to laugh at their own expense from time to time. Levesque's comment was clearly made with no ill intent and to see the Tigres organization recognize it as such was a breath of fresh air... something you wouldn't expect from a team in the midst of a tense playoff series.
Welcome back Ross Johnston! Danny Flynn's comments in today's Times&Transcript indicated that he - rightfully - expects Johnston to be a tad rusty in his first game action since February 16th. As long as he stands in front of the net and makes life miserable for the aforementioned Mr. Whitney, he can shake the rust off at his earliest convenience. Fight size with size. And if you're the rest of the team, play more like the Game 2 Cats, less like the Game 1 Cats. Just a thought...
Dieppe Commandos try to stave off elimination tonight in Woodstock. It's been three long years since Dieppe tasted victory in venerable old barn known as the Carleton County Civic Center. Tonight would be a great time to start. After all, Dieppe put forth their best five on five play of the series and thanks as well to the outstanding netminding of Connor Wilkinson, they managed to stay alive in Game 4. Now the Slammers get Pedro in Game 5, Schilling in Game 6 and in Game 7, anything can happen! Ummm... on second thought, scratch that last part (and credit the legendary Kevin Millar for the quote).
After watching the highlights of Game 1 and 3 and being there in person for Game 2, the one thing that jumped out at me the most is that Woodstock did a very good job of beating Dieppe at their own game. The Slammers' speed was never more prevalent as it has been in this postseason. The jump that the Commandos frequently show through the neutral zone and in attacking territory is exactly how Woodstock has managed to generate their offence. If Dieppe can prevent the strong legged Slammers from coming off the wall or down the middle with force, there's a good chance I'll have to PVR that riveting Supermarket Sweep marathon I'm so looking forward to in lieu of calling a game at the AJL on Thursday night.
If there's one guy who I'd like to see play the role of "unsung hero" for the Commandos tonight, it would have to be Jeff Krichew. Since coming over from the Ramblers organization at New Years (he was actually playing Jr.B at the time of that trade), he has proven to be a solid, 10-15 minute a night guy on the backend for Dieppe and a virtual lock to make the high percentage play every time he's out there. In Game 4 however, I couldn't help but Krichew not only get a bit more ice time, but make the most of it. He was a bit more involved in the play at times, not taking huge risks but not playing it ultra-safe, either. He earned his ice on Sunday night. It would be fitting for him to earn a crucial point or two tonight.
That being said, I'll take a big night from anybody. I wouldn't mind another night (or more) behind the mic.
As an aside, if Moncton wins tonight I would have no issue with it being on a powerplay in overtime once again, if only for the outstanding reading material it will conjure up.
Tonight's game almost feels like it could turn into a chess match. What strategy will the Tigres employ to combat a Moncton team that successfully found an answer to Victoriaville's stifling defensive system? If not for Brandon Whitney, Game 2 probably doesn't go to overtime. Will Victoriaville still try to clog up the zone as much as possible? Will they open up a bit (I doubt they play a wide open offensive game as that's just asking for trouble)? Will Jean's posturing as well as the hometown crowd have enough of an effect to again put Victoriaville ahead in the series? Did Brandon Whitney eat that three week old shellfish that was anonymously left by his locker after Saturday's game? All questions that will be answered soon enough.
I found a comment made by Quebec based personality Pascal Levesque on twitter over the weekend to be rather funny. Roughly translated, he jokingly stated that Carl-Antoine Delisle was not returning to Victoriaville with his teammates as was going to travel alongside Dimitrij Jaskin instead. What I found even more humorous was that the Tigres twitter guy actually retweeted this. To that I say, good for you twitter guy! Most teams in most leagues these days have a twitter account. Too many of the people behind them don't seem to have the open mindedness to laugh at their own expense from time to time. Levesque's comment was clearly made with no ill intent and to see the Tigres organization recognize it as such was a breath of fresh air... something you wouldn't expect from a team in the midst of a tense playoff series.
Welcome back Ross Johnston! Danny Flynn's comments in today's Times&Transcript indicated that he - rightfully - expects Johnston to be a tad rusty in his first game action since February 16th. As long as he stands in front of the net and makes life miserable for the aforementioned Mr. Whitney, he can shake the rust off at his earliest convenience. Fight size with size. And if you're the rest of the team, play more like the Game 2 Cats, less like the Game 1 Cats. Just a thought...
Dieppe Commandos try to stave off elimination tonight in Woodstock. It's been three long years since Dieppe tasted victory in venerable old barn known as the Carleton County Civic Center. Tonight would be a great time to start. After all, Dieppe put forth their best five on five play of the series and thanks as well to the outstanding netminding of Connor Wilkinson, they managed to stay alive in Game 4. Now the Slammers get Pedro in Game 5, Schilling in Game 6 and in Game 7, anything can happen! Ummm... on second thought, scratch that last part (and credit the legendary Kevin Millar for the quote).
After watching the highlights of Game 1 and 3 and being there in person for Game 2, the one thing that jumped out at me the most is that Woodstock did a very good job of beating Dieppe at their own game. The Slammers' speed was never more prevalent as it has been in this postseason. The jump that the Commandos frequently show through the neutral zone and in attacking territory is exactly how Woodstock has managed to generate their offence. If Dieppe can prevent the strong legged Slammers from coming off the wall or down the middle with force, there's a good chance I'll have to PVR that riveting Supermarket Sweep marathon I'm so looking forward to in lieu of calling a game at the AJL on Thursday night.
If there's one guy who I'd like to see play the role of "unsung hero" for the Commandos tonight, it would have to be Jeff Krichew. Since coming over from the Ramblers organization at New Years (he was actually playing Jr.B at the time of that trade), he has proven to be a solid, 10-15 minute a night guy on the backend for Dieppe and a virtual lock to make the high percentage play every time he's out there. In Game 4 however, I couldn't help but Krichew not only get a bit more ice time, but make the most of it. He was a bit more involved in the play at times, not taking huge risks but not playing it ultra-safe, either. He earned his ice on Sunday night. It would be fitting for him to earn a crucial point or two tonight.
That being said, I'll take a big night from anybody. I wouldn't mind another night (or more) behind the mic.
Sunday 24 March 2013
Working Overtime
Well, that was about 41 more minutes spent in a rink than what I expected this weekend.
First, there was last night. Does anyone out there still think this series with Victoriaville will be a cakewalk? Even if you break through their 1-3--------1 (the last one is the guy behind the Tigres net) you still have that large mass of humanity (and one hell of a goalie) named Brandon Whitney to contend with. Just to keep score, that's a shutout loss and a win in OT... on a powerplay goal no less. Again, I ask... anyone see a dominating Moncton win coming anytime soon? I just hope to see a win in Victo between now and Friday to get the series back to Moncton.
I mentioned before this series that if something was to happen to Dimitrij Jaskin, this series would become infinitely more difficult for the Cats. When I said that, I was thinking something along the lines of injury or suspension (which ironically, could be coming as I'll discuss in a little bit). I wasn't expecting the piece of Velcro posing as a hockey player known as Carl-Antoine Delisle to enter the equation. Yannick Jean has his team playing very systematic hockey. So systematic in fact that when the Cats won a defensive zone faceoff in the first period last night, the Tigres retreated into the 1-3-1 immediately as if the linesman had dropped a grenade instead of a puck in the faceoff circle. Another part of the plan was for Delisle to pull a page from the book of Kory Baker and follow Jaskin around the ice like a lost puppy dog. Essentially, thanks to this ploy, Jaskin is not a factor, although I would love to see the big guy start to gravitate more towards the middle of the ice, taking a second Tigre check with him as well as creating more room out there for a puck carrier like Danault or Veilleux, as he did at least once in the first period. That doesn't happen alot, though. And look at the results. It's not hard to figure out who the key cog on the Wildcats roster is. Yannick Jean just happens to be the first coach to key in on him to this degree.
Speaking of Yannick, he's apparently not happy with the refs or the Wildcats game play over the course of the first two games. I have to admit, he has a point to a degree. The game was not well officiated, with a couple of very dangerous plays not penalized in order to seemingly make up for earlier, borderline calls. As well, I wouldn't be surprised if Jaskin is suspended for some amount of time after the run he took at a Victoriaville player (who it was exactly escapes me at the moment) in overtime. The hit was high and clearly charging. It was actually very reminiscent of the hit Jaskin laid out on Ryan MacKinnon against Rimouski last month, except this one wasn't from behind. With all that being said, Jean is off the mark in three regards. The amount of "head hunting" the Cats are "employing" is not nearly as severe as he makes it sound. Although the officiating was subpar, it was subpar for both clubs. Finally, his comments that Whitney "had to be good" because of the powerplay chances afforded Moncton is clearly the remarks of a person who is not thinking before he speaks. Case in point: the overtime period. Before the eventual winner (admittedly on the powerplay), the Cats were pressing very heavily in Victoriaville territory while playing five on five. In one sequence, I counted six Wildcat shots on goal and no less than three quality chances in a continuous even strength sequence that lasted about a minute and a half. Of the 16 Wildcat shots in overtime, I'll take a guess and say at least 12 came while even up and 8-10 were of the "dangerous" variety.
Jean is a great coach who's come a long way in this league. However, there are still times when he has to remember to hold his tongue. I can understand at least part of his frustration and in a few regards, his complaints are justified. That being said, he went too far with his comments. If he's trying to deflect attention away from his team's loss, he's going about it the wrong way. The league should - and no doubt will - step in a reprimand the Tigres bench boss accordingly.
Game 3 goes down Tuesday night at the hockey rink that looks from the outside like it should be housing a furniture store, le Colisee Desjardins. Play like they did last night and the Wildcats should control their own destiny. As well, catching Brandon Whitney on an off day would go a long way... I'm not particularly holding my breath on that, though.
Meanwhile in Dieppe, the Commandos were such a fan of overtime, they decided to play it for the better part of two periods. They were also a fan of not going home for the summer either, as Mark Simpson proved to be the hero of the day on offense, accounting for all of the Commandos scoring in their 2-1 victory over Woodstock in Game 4. This series has been a Bizzaro World of sorts for Dieppe, a team that was full marks in five on five situations all season long while dealing with sometimes inconsistent special teams play. In this series, five on five action has made all the difference. And until today, it was not a positive difference for the Commandos.
Today was just a good old fashioned playoff battle, a thoroughly entertaining contest for those who made their way to the rink. The Commandos proved to themselves all over again that they could hang with the Slammers on even terms, working their man on man defensive assignments with great effectiveness. Special teams remained a strong point however, as Dieppe ran their penalty kill to a perfect 16/16 in the series, boxing out Woodstock in outnumbered situations with precision. Like the Wildcats, they too were afforded a powerplay opportunity in overtime (actually, a 5 on 3, the first time I've ever seen that happen to a team that deep into overtime) and made no mistake when given the chance.
Then there was the effort between the pipes.
I think most people felt before this series that if there was one thing the Commandos didn't have to worry about, it was the play of Connor Wilkinson. Unfortunately, over the course of the first two games, it became the primary concern. So much so, that Alex St-Arnaud got the start for game 3 in Woodstock on Friday night. Today, it was back to Connor... and for Connor, it was back to business. The 19 year old simply put up his best game of the season. The guy who was in nets for Game 2 was fighting a losing battle... as well as fighting the puck. He was not reading the play well and was having a very tough time tracking the puck. He just didn't look comfortable out there. Today, Connor Wilkinson looked like he could've gone five overtimes. Facing elimination, trying to redeem himself and his teammates and up against a formidable counterpart in Simon-Pier Chamberland (who was no less brilliant for the Slammers today), to say the Commandos netminder had a tall order to fill today would be an understatement. It wasn't pretty at times, but it was effective. And it was more than enough. And if he can do the same on Tuesday night in Woodstock, maybe I have to leave my Thursday night open.
I can't say that would bother me. I'd probably just be sitting at home with a rum and coke otherwise anyway.
First, there was last night. Does anyone out there still think this series with Victoriaville will be a cakewalk? Even if you break through their 1-3--------1 (the last one is the guy behind the Tigres net) you still have that large mass of humanity (and one hell of a goalie) named Brandon Whitney to contend with. Just to keep score, that's a shutout loss and a win in OT... on a powerplay goal no less. Again, I ask... anyone see a dominating Moncton win coming anytime soon? I just hope to see a win in Victo between now and Friday to get the series back to Moncton.
I mentioned before this series that if something was to happen to Dimitrij Jaskin, this series would become infinitely more difficult for the Cats. When I said that, I was thinking something along the lines of injury or suspension (which ironically, could be coming as I'll discuss in a little bit). I wasn't expecting the piece of Velcro posing as a hockey player known as Carl-Antoine Delisle to enter the equation. Yannick Jean has his team playing very systematic hockey. So systematic in fact that when the Cats won a defensive zone faceoff in the first period last night, the Tigres retreated into the 1-3-1 immediately as if the linesman had dropped a grenade instead of a puck in the faceoff circle. Another part of the plan was for Delisle to pull a page from the book of Kory Baker and follow Jaskin around the ice like a lost puppy dog. Essentially, thanks to this ploy, Jaskin is not a factor, although I would love to see the big guy start to gravitate more towards the middle of the ice, taking a second Tigre check with him as well as creating more room out there for a puck carrier like Danault or Veilleux, as he did at least once in the first period. That doesn't happen alot, though. And look at the results. It's not hard to figure out who the key cog on the Wildcats roster is. Yannick Jean just happens to be the first coach to key in on him to this degree.
Speaking of Yannick, he's apparently not happy with the refs or the Wildcats game play over the course of the first two games. I have to admit, he has a point to a degree. The game was not well officiated, with a couple of very dangerous plays not penalized in order to seemingly make up for earlier, borderline calls. As well, I wouldn't be surprised if Jaskin is suspended for some amount of time after the run he took at a Victoriaville player (who it was exactly escapes me at the moment) in overtime. The hit was high and clearly charging. It was actually very reminiscent of the hit Jaskin laid out on Ryan MacKinnon against Rimouski last month, except this one wasn't from behind. With all that being said, Jean is off the mark in three regards. The amount of "head hunting" the Cats are "employing" is not nearly as severe as he makes it sound. Although the officiating was subpar, it was subpar for both clubs. Finally, his comments that Whitney "had to be good" because of the powerplay chances afforded Moncton is clearly the remarks of a person who is not thinking before he speaks. Case in point: the overtime period. Before the eventual winner (admittedly on the powerplay), the Cats were pressing very heavily in Victoriaville territory while playing five on five. In one sequence, I counted six Wildcat shots on goal and no less than three quality chances in a continuous even strength sequence that lasted about a minute and a half. Of the 16 Wildcat shots in overtime, I'll take a guess and say at least 12 came while even up and 8-10 were of the "dangerous" variety.
Jean is a great coach who's come a long way in this league. However, there are still times when he has to remember to hold his tongue. I can understand at least part of his frustration and in a few regards, his complaints are justified. That being said, he went too far with his comments. If he's trying to deflect attention away from his team's loss, he's going about it the wrong way. The league should - and no doubt will - step in a reprimand the Tigres bench boss accordingly.
Game 3 goes down Tuesday night at the hockey rink that looks from the outside like it should be housing a furniture store, le Colisee Desjardins. Play like they did last night and the Wildcats should control their own destiny. As well, catching Brandon Whitney on an off day would go a long way... I'm not particularly holding my breath on that, though.
Meanwhile in Dieppe, the Commandos were such a fan of overtime, they decided to play it for the better part of two periods. They were also a fan of not going home for the summer either, as Mark Simpson proved to be the hero of the day on offense, accounting for all of the Commandos scoring in their 2-1 victory over Woodstock in Game 4. This series has been a Bizzaro World of sorts for Dieppe, a team that was full marks in five on five situations all season long while dealing with sometimes inconsistent special teams play. In this series, five on five action has made all the difference. And until today, it was not a positive difference for the Commandos.
Today was just a good old fashioned playoff battle, a thoroughly entertaining contest for those who made their way to the rink. The Commandos proved to themselves all over again that they could hang with the Slammers on even terms, working their man on man defensive assignments with great effectiveness. Special teams remained a strong point however, as Dieppe ran their penalty kill to a perfect 16/16 in the series, boxing out Woodstock in outnumbered situations with precision. Like the Wildcats, they too were afforded a powerplay opportunity in overtime (actually, a 5 on 3, the first time I've ever seen that happen to a team that deep into overtime) and made no mistake when given the chance.
Then there was the effort between the pipes.
I think most people felt before this series that if there was one thing the Commandos didn't have to worry about, it was the play of Connor Wilkinson. Unfortunately, over the course of the first two games, it became the primary concern. So much so, that Alex St-Arnaud got the start for game 3 in Woodstock on Friday night. Today, it was back to Connor... and for Connor, it was back to business. The 19 year old simply put up his best game of the season. The guy who was in nets for Game 2 was fighting a losing battle... as well as fighting the puck. He was not reading the play well and was having a very tough time tracking the puck. He just didn't look comfortable out there. Today, Connor Wilkinson looked like he could've gone five overtimes. Facing elimination, trying to redeem himself and his teammates and up against a formidable counterpart in Simon-Pier Chamberland (who was no less brilliant for the Slammers today), to say the Commandos netminder had a tall order to fill today would be an understatement. It wasn't pretty at times, but it was effective. And it was more than enough. And if he can do the same on Tuesday night in Woodstock, maybe I have to leave my Thursday night open.
I can't say that would bother me. I'd probably just be sitting at home with a rum and coke otherwise anyway.
Saturday 23 March 2013
Got Any Other Bright Ideas?
Earlier this week, I touched upon the fact that regular season hockey and playoff hockey are two very different animals. If you were at the Coliseum last night, you got a first hand look at this theory. The Wildcats played their opening game of the playoffs in regular season mode. And the final result was a reflection of that.
The most amazing part of this game for me was that the style Victoriaville employed last night was nearly identical to systems used the last time the two teams met at the Coliseum. They are systematic. They play the 1-3-1 very well. When the game is tied or the Tigres are otherwise on the attack, they seldom enter the offensive zone three wide - it's usually a two man entry. When they have a lead, they may switch to a more traditional trap, with four men stationed on the red line. Bottom line, you generally have a good idea in terms of what you can expect.
So, a team employing an almost identical game plan in two separate contests. That can only mean that it was the Cats who switched things up.
And how they switched things up was by playing with less urgency, not hitting the attacking blueline with speed, playing the dump and chase when that tactic was simply not going to be a viable option and failing to move the puck with much precision or strength. The Tigres simply waited for an opportunity and when that opportunity presented itself, they took full advantage.
The aspect that concerns me the most is that Yannick Jean's team has been in this exact same situation before. That was in 2011. Victo was an 11th place team in the regular season that year as well. They played Bathurst in the first round. They employed a similar style. The results? Surprising to most.
Will this Wildcats team fall into the same trap as the Titan two years ago? I'm leaning towards no... but how the first ten minutes play out in Game 2 will go a long way towards swaying my opinion one way or the other. If Moncton comes out with speed, force their way through the neutral zone clogging Tigres system and force Victo into changing their style to the type of game they are ill suited to play, the mood and momentum of this series will shift quickly. Long story short, the Cats have to do something in Game 2 that they didn't do in Game 1: make things tough for the Tigres. Although Victoriaville was full marks for last night's victory, that doesn't mean they didn't look like a beatable team.
So now we wait for this evening. And the same question I've been asking since the fall crops up once again - what Moncton Wildcats team will show up? It's a question I can never seem to get a consistent answer to.
Meanwhile in Woodstock, the Dieppe Commandos left the rink even deeper in the hole, down three games to none after a 6-2 Slammers victory. Jake Wright, Brennan Saulnier, EJ Faust and Ian Lewis posted two points each as Woodstock jumped out to a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes and never looked back. One of the most bizarre aspects of this series has to be the fact that Dieppe is actually winning the special teams battle by a decent sized margin after three games. Despite being outscored by an aggregate of 18-5, they are a perfect 11/11 on the penalty kill while going 3/11 on the powerplay, good for first and second overall respectively among the teams in the MHL playoffs to this point. To say that five on five play has been the Commandos' Achilles heel would definitely be an understatement.
It becomes even more of a shift by shift scenario for Dieppe as they head back to the AJL for Game 4 on Sunday at 2:30. The Commandos are capable of extending this series. Now more than ever is the time for capabilities to translate into results.
Thursday 21 March 2013
Predictions are for Gypsies... And Bloggers With Too Much Time on Their Hands
The first round of the QMJHL playoffs get underway this evening, with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan visiting the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in Game 1 of that series. All other series will commence tomorrow night. Some will be over before the next episode of Survivor is aired in it's entirety (assuming Game 4 in Saint John doesn't go too long). Others should prove to be downright entertaining. Here's a look at how I see things shaking down. Regular season point totals are in parenthesis after each team name.
#1 Halifax Mooseheads (120) vs. #16 Saint John Sea Dogs (47)
Having the 16th place team participate in the QMJHL playoffs is akin to teams like Denmark and Norway in the top division of the World Junior tournament. Ten out of ten times, you know the outcome. I love how on the Q site's (admittedly pretty handy) head to head profile page you can see what the season series between these two teams were this year... as well as last year! How the Sea Dogs did against Halifax in 2011-12 (Saint John won that season series 7-1, for the record) has about as much bearing on this series as who would win a bear baiting competition between Brett Gallant and Jody Shelley (Joel Theriault would beat both of them, for the record).
One positive to this series is that there's no real need to provide a detailed breakdown, thus allowing me to concentrate harder on the matchups that will undoubtedly be much more closely contested. The Sea Dogs are about to get smoked. The End.
Prediction - Halifax in 4
Saint John could win if... A nuclear device strikes HRM. Or the CHLPA successfully pulls off a swift uprising and the entire Mooseheads roster goes on strike. For the record, I'd bet on the former happening far sooner than the latter.
#2 Baie-Comeau Drakkar (93) vs. #15 Sherbrooke Phoenix (51)
This series should prove to be twice as close as the Moose/Sea Dogs series. Sadly, that's not saying much. The Phoenix actually fared pretty darned well on the year, all things considered. Their 22 wins are particularly impressive considering it took eight games for them to capture their first one. However, the Drakkar are quick, talented and quite well balanced. Led by euros Petr Straka and Valentin Zykov, the Drakk possess five 20 goal men and five point-per-game players, while Philippe Cadorette provides solid if understated goaltending. Like the previously mentioned series, look for this one to end as quickly as possible, affording Baie-Comeau just their second series win since the 2003 Conference Finals...hey, remember Conferences???
Prediction - Baie-Comeau in 4
Sherbrooke could win if... It's not happening. However, I could very easily see goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard stealing a game in this series for the Phoeix or at the very least taking a game to OT. That's about where it ends, however.
#3 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (90) vs. #14 Acadie-Bathurst Titan (59)
The Armada are a team that haven't really gotten much respect this season. Halifax has stolen most of the headlines. Rimouski and, to a lesser extent, Baie-Comeau have been credited for their strong seasons. However, the Armada have quietly prodded along in the weaker West Division, piling up wins and putting them in prime position to perhaps surprise a few teams along the way. One of the defensive forces of the league, guys like Xavier Ouellet, Samuel Carrier and Etienne Marcoux will hold their own against opposing shooters while up front it will most likely be scoring by committee.
The return of Stefan Matteau Jr. will only help spread the offense around on team that would probably consider it's play in the attacking zone to be it's Achilles heel.
Prediction - Blainville-Boisbriand in 5
Acadie-Bathurst could win if... The Armada's offense totally dries up and the Titan's scoring stars take over. These are two very different teams facing off against one another, but in the end the team commitment to defense on the Armada trumps such high flyers as Zach O'Brien, Michel Beaudry and Marc-Olivier Brouillard. As well, Marcoux outduels Jacob Brennan probably 9 times out of 10. This is a series in which most are predicting a five game win for the Armada, but probably can't see this series get extended to even a sixth game.
#4 Rimouski Oceanic (91) vs #13 Gatineau Olympiques (63)
If not for a plethora of injuries to l'Oceanic, there's a very good chance the Drakkar occupy this spot (as it was, there was only a two point differential between the two clubs). Instead of the expansion Phoenix, Rimouski now faces a Gatineau team in which it's biggest wildcard stands behind the bench. Over the years, Benoit Groulx has developed this sort of mystique as a guy who can get it done in the postseason. Be it an unexpected championship (2003) or crazy series upset (2006 vs. Chicoutimi). Unfortunately, Groulx hasn't had the same touch in his second stint behind the O's bench. Even if he still did, this series appears to be a mismatch.
This Rimouski team won't wow you like the Lecavalier/Richards/Crosby teams did. However, they get the job done. Serge Beausoleil's guys can pretty much play it any way you wish - high scoring, grind 'em out defensive, wide open or very controlled. They are one of the more adaptable teams in the league, which in turn makes them a troublesome foe come playoff time.
Prediction - Rimouski in 5
Gatineau could win if... Their best players play over their heads and take full advantage over a Rimouski team still nursing some bodies. Guys like Hyka and Reway can change a game on their own. They have a solid group of two way forwards in Taylor Burke, Adam Champman and Emile Poirier. If they stay out of the box (which they haven't all year) and tighten up defensively (which they haven't all year), they could make things interesting. It's an extreme longshot, however. A six game loss is possible. Taking Rimouski to seven would be phenomenal.
#5 Quebec Remparts (89) vs #12 Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Remember when this used to be the series we all hoped for? Saint Patrick vs. King Richard? The gamesmanship? The fireworks? Ironically, when it did happen, it was a non-event on the scoreboard and a huuuuuuuuge event in another sense. Nowadays, it's just another series. A Quebec team that was expected to nip at Halifax's heels (or even finish first overall outright) by many only to fall short of the mark versus a Chicoutimi team that has seemingly spun it's wheels for much of the last decade.
There's some great individual talent on both sides but at the end of the day Quebec is simply better. The Remps offensive weapons (Adam Erne, Anthony Duclair, Logan Shaw, Mikael Grigorenko et al) against Chicoutimi's defensive corps plus a marked advantage behind the bench makes all the difference in this one.
Prediction - Quebec in 5
Chicoutimi could win if... Quebec stinks up the joint. Let me take you back to January 27th of this year. Remparts at Wildcats. Quebec basically came out and failed to execute in a way I had not yet seen under the Roy regime. The end result was this. As good as this Quebec team is, they've laid their share of eggs during the regular season. As well, Chicoutimi has some impressive names on their bench with the likes of Charles Hudon, Laurent Dauphin, Guillaume Asselin and Mathieu Gagnon. As well, Christopher Gibson is as good between the pipes as anyone in the league when he's on. However, the odds of the Remparts playing subpar for four out of seven are long. The recent return of Grigorenko from the Buffalo Sabres is just another nail in the Sags' coffin.
#6 Moncton Wildcats (87) vs. #11 Victoriaville Tigres (73)
Moncton should win. They should hold the advantage offensively. They should have the advantage on the backend. They should be able to outcoach their opposition. They should get good enough goaltending to outlast their opponent. However, this year's Wildcats squad has been inundated with "shoulds" since day one. The offensive depth the Cats contain alone should make this series a forgone conclusion. There's noone on the Tigres that can match up against the pairing of Jonathan Narbonne and Jonathan Racine when those two are dialed in. And Alex Dubeau has steadily picked up his play throughout the season to the point where he can be counted on to keep his team in close games.
Of course, Dubeau is a bit of a question mark going into the opening game of this series. In this morning's Times & Transcript, the goaltender said he was ready to go. Danny Flynn said "We'll have to wait and see". Of course, Danny is one of those hockey guys where if you asked him what he had for breakfast, the answer will invariably be "We'll have to wait and see".
I say barring something totally unexpected, #31 will be back between the pipes for Moncton tomorrow night. And barring something slightly less unexpected, he'll be back for round two as well.
Prediction - Moncton in 6
Victoriaville could win if... Well, first off, if Dimirtij Jaskin was forced out of the lineup for any substantial amount of time, all bets are most definitely off right then and there. If Moncton totally looses it's composure and go on one of their patented streaks of inconsistency and Victo is able to take advantage, things could get dicey for the Wildcats. Yannick Jean's boys play a strong systematic game while still keeping things open enough to make guys like Angelo Miceli, Phillipe Halley, Phillipe Maillet and the ultra underrated defenseman Petr Sidlik very dangerous with puck on stick. As well, Brandon Whitney is as steady as they go in nets, his big frame more than capable of winning a couple games in itself. This Wildcats team is nearly unstoppable when on. If they stay on, the "what ifs" become a non-factor and this series gets even shorter. Oh... and I would have no issue seeing copious amounts of a line with Yannick Veilleux, Dimitrij Jaskin and Phillip Danault by the way. I'm sure Veilleux agrees.
#7 PEI Rocket (86) vs. #10 Val d'Or Foreurs (76)
I can recall the last time the PEI Rocket were in Round 2. To put that in perspective, I had gotten engaged the previous Christmas (my wife and I have been married seven and a half years), I was living in a basement apartment (I've lived in my current house for eight and a half years), I was well removed from my on-air debut as a commentator (I'm wrapping up my eighth season behind the mic). I traveled to the Charlottetown Civic Center for Game 6 of their second round series against Moncton with my future wife and a small group of friends. One of the topics of conversation on the way over was would the Red Sox finally win a World Series that year (they have since won two). The main topic on the way back home was how the Cats would contain Sidney Crosby and Rimouski in round three (the answer was Ryan Salvis). The date was April 12th, 2004. When James Sanford scored on Jonathan Boutin 8:23 into OT, it marked the last moment to date in which the PEI Rocket were a participant in the second round of the QMJHL playoffs.
I feel that will change in a couple weeks' time.
These two teams are remarkably similar in many ways. They can both provide flash and dash offensively, led by offensive catalysts on either side (PEI has scoring leader Ben Duffy and Josh Currie, Val d'Or has 50 goal man Anthony Mantha and Anton Zlobin). They can bang bodies (Dunn, Henley, Poudrier, Gelinas, meet Oligny, Vance, Graves) and they have solid if unspectacular netminders in Antoine Bibeau and Francois Tremblay. I give PEI the edge based on coaching (I'm a big fan of Gordie Dwyer and his systems) and a stronger overall commitment to defense. However, it's not a huge stretch.
Prediction - PEI in 7
Val d'Or could win if... They score one more goal, pretty much. This has all the makings of a tight, hard fought affair. Get PEI in the box and Mantha, Zlobin and Brandon Hynes could turn the offensive zone into their own personal playground. Val d'Or has a roster full of guys usually referred to as "character players" This is code for "pain in the posterior region to play against". As the season wound down, I came to the conclusion that PEI could make life tough for any team in the league not located in Halifax (of course, that could be because I've been well versed in the Rocket's ability to consistently hand the Wildcats their lunch thus leaving me overly impressed, but I digress). However, of all teams for them to draw in round one, the Foreurs might be the most challenging - if only because Val d'Or is probably the team most capable of beating PEI at their own game. This could very well be the most entertaining series of the first round.
#8 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (84) vs. #9 Drummondville Voltigeurs (80)
The Huskies find themselves in a position to realistically win their first playoff series since 2008. They are a pesky little team that likes to play wide open, as their second ranked offense and 12th ranked defense can attest. At times I'm sure Andre Tourigny feels like he's aged five years while trying to get results out of such a run and gun outfit, but the Huskies came out of the season with 40 wins in their back pocket - certainly a fair consolation for playing an oft-criticized style. The Huskies boast five players with 29 or more goals and the league's leading scorer among blueliners in Mathieu Brisebois. Defense is supposed to win games - especially in the playoffs - but in this case, there's just too much offense on the side of Rouyn-Noranda for Drummondville to keep pace.
Prediction - Rouyn-Noranda in 6
Drummondville could win if... The Huskies defense and goaltending let them. From the blueline back, the Volts have a clear advantage. In fact, they even have a pretty decent reply to the offense of Brisebois in Nikolas Brouillard and Jordan Murray. Up front, there aren't any big name guys, but there are some pesky ones. A guy like Jerome Verrier is the epitome of frustrating. He'll score a goal (which he did 35 times this year) and take a psychological advantage from you at the same time. Guys like Verrier, Jeremie Malouin, and Matthew Boudens are simply not fun to play against. As quick as the Huskies are, if you bottle up their speed, they become alot less impressive. In nets, rookie Louis-Phillipe Guindon quietly put together an impressive season and as a result, holds the upper hand among netminders between both clubs entering the series. If Mario Duhamel's troops can stay patient, retain that netminding advantage, keep the Huskies to the outside and start getting them well acquainted with the boards, Drummondville could very well find themselves in round two.
Oh and I stopped playing proline years ago because I never won anything. So keep that in mind after reading all this.
#1 Halifax Mooseheads (120) vs. #16 Saint John Sea Dogs (47)
Having the 16th place team participate in the QMJHL playoffs is akin to teams like Denmark and Norway in the top division of the World Junior tournament. Ten out of ten times, you know the outcome. I love how on the Q site's (admittedly pretty handy) head to head profile page you can see what the season series between these two teams were this year... as well as last year! How the Sea Dogs did against Halifax in 2011-12 (Saint John won that season series 7-1, for the record) has about as much bearing on this series as who would win a bear baiting competition between Brett Gallant and Jody Shelley (Joel Theriault would beat both of them, for the record).
One positive to this series is that there's no real need to provide a detailed breakdown, thus allowing me to concentrate harder on the matchups that will undoubtedly be much more closely contested. The Sea Dogs are about to get smoked. The End.
Prediction - Halifax in 4
Saint John could win if... A nuclear device strikes HRM. Or the CHLPA successfully pulls off a swift uprising and the entire Mooseheads roster goes on strike. For the record, I'd bet on the former happening far sooner than the latter.
#2 Baie-Comeau Drakkar (93) vs. #15 Sherbrooke Phoenix (51)
This series should prove to be twice as close as the Moose/Sea Dogs series. Sadly, that's not saying much. The Phoenix actually fared pretty darned well on the year, all things considered. Their 22 wins are particularly impressive considering it took eight games for them to capture their first one. However, the Drakkar are quick, talented and quite well balanced. Led by euros Petr Straka and Valentin Zykov, the Drakk possess five 20 goal men and five point-per-game players, while Philippe Cadorette provides solid if understated goaltending. Like the previously mentioned series, look for this one to end as quickly as possible, affording Baie-Comeau just their second series win since the 2003 Conference Finals...hey, remember Conferences???
Prediction - Baie-Comeau in 4
Sherbrooke could win if... It's not happening. However, I could very easily see goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard stealing a game in this series for the Phoeix or at the very least taking a game to OT. That's about where it ends, however.
#3 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (90) vs. #14 Acadie-Bathurst Titan (59)
The Armada are a team that haven't really gotten much respect this season. Halifax has stolen most of the headlines. Rimouski and, to a lesser extent, Baie-Comeau have been credited for their strong seasons. However, the Armada have quietly prodded along in the weaker West Division, piling up wins and putting them in prime position to perhaps surprise a few teams along the way. One of the defensive forces of the league, guys like Xavier Ouellet, Samuel Carrier and Etienne Marcoux will hold their own against opposing shooters while up front it will most likely be scoring by committee.
The return of Stefan Matteau Jr. will only help spread the offense around on team that would probably consider it's play in the attacking zone to be it's Achilles heel.
Prediction - Blainville-Boisbriand in 5
Acadie-Bathurst could win if... The Armada's offense totally dries up and the Titan's scoring stars take over. These are two very different teams facing off against one another, but in the end the team commitment to defense on the Armada trumps such high flyers as Zach O'Brien, Michel Beaudry and Marc-Olivier Brouillard. As well, Marcoux outduels Jacob Brennan probably 9 times out of 10. This is a series in which most are predicting a five game win for the Armada, but probably can't see this series get extended to even a sixth game.
#4 Rimouski Oceanic (91) vs #13 Gatineau Olympiques (63)
If not for a plethora of injuries to l'Oceanic, there's a very good chance the Drakkar occupy this spot (as it was, there was only a two point differential between the two clubs). Instead of the expansion Phoenix, Rimouski now faces a Gatineau team in which it's biggest wildcard stands behind the bench. Over the years, Benoit Groulx has developed this sort of mystique as a guy who can get it done in the postseason. Be it an unexpected championship (2003) or crazy series upset (2006 vs. Chicoutimi). Unfortunately, Groulx hasn't had the same touch in his second stint behind the O's bench. Even if he still did, this series appears to be a mismatch.
This Rimouski team won't wow you like the Lecavalier/Richards/Crosby teams did. However, they get the job done. Serge Beausoleil's guys can pretty much play it any way you wish - high scoring, grind 'em out defensive, wide open or very controlled. They are one of the more adaptable teams in the league, which in turn makes them a troublesome foe come playoff time.
Prediction - Rimouski in 5
Gatineau could win if... Their best players play over their heads and take full advantage over a Rimouski team still nursing some bodies. Guys like Hyka and Reway can change a game on their own. They have a solid group of two way forwards in Taylor Burke, Adam Champman and Emile Poirier. If they stay out of the box (which they haven't all year) and tighten up defensively (which they haven't all year), they could make things interesting. It's an extreme longshot, however. A six game loss is possible. Taking Rimouski to seven would be phenomenal.
#5 Quebec Remparts (89) vs #12 Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Remember when this used to be the series we all hoped for? Saint Patrick vs. King Richard? The gamesmanship? The fireworks? Ironically, when it did happen, it was a non-event on the scoreboard and a huuuuuuuuge event in another sense. Nowadays, it's just another series. A Quebec team that was expected to nip at Halifax's heels (or even finish first overall outright) by many only to fall short of the mark versus a Chicoutimi team that has seemingly spun it's wheels for much of the last decade.
There's some great individual talent on both sides but at the end of the day Quebec is simply better. The Remps offensive weapons (Adam Erne, Anthony Duclair, Logan Shaw, Mikael Grigorenko et al) against Chicoutimi's defensive corps plus a marked advantage behind the bench makes all the difference in this one.
Prediction - Quebec in 5
Chicoutimi could win if... Quebec stinks up the joint. Let me take you back to January 27th of this year. Remparts at Wildcats. Quebec basically came out and failed to execute in a way I had not yet seen under the Roy regime. The end result was this. As good as this Quebec team is, they've laid their share of eggs during the regular season. As well, Chicoutimi has some impressive names on their bench with the likes of Charles Hudon, Laurent Dauphin, Guillaume Asselin and Mathieu Gagnon. As well, Christopher Gibson is as good between the pipes as anyone in the league when he's on. However, the odds of the Remparts playing subpar for four out of seven are long. The recent return of Grigorenko from the Buffalo Sabres is just another nail in the Sags' coffin.
#6 Moncton Wildcats (87) vs. #11 Victoriaville Tigres (73)
Moncton should win. They should hold the advantage offensively. They should have the advantage on the backend. They should be able to outcoach their opposition. They should get good enough goaltending to outlast their opponent. However, this year's Wildcats squad has been inundated with "shoulds" since day one. The offensive depth the Cats contain alone should make this series a forgone conclusion. There's noone on the Tigres that can match up against the pairing of Jonathan Narbonne and Jonathan Racine when those two are dialed in. And Alex Dubeau has steadily picked up his play throughout the season to the point where he can be counted on to keep his team in close games.
Of course, Dubeau is a bit of a question mark going into the opening game of this series. In this morning's Times & Transcript, the goaltender said he was ready to go. Danny Flynn said "We'll have to wait and see". Of course, Danny is one of those hockey guys where if you asked him what he had for breakfast, the answer will invariably be "We'll have to wait and see".
I say barring something totally unexpected, #31 will be back between the pipes for Moncton tomorrow night. And barring something slightly less unexpected, he'll be back for round two as well.
Prediction - Moncton in 6
Victoriaville could win if... Well, first off, if Dimirtij Jaskin was forced out of the lineup for any substantial amount of time, all bets are most definitely off right then and there. If Moncton totally looses it's composure and go on one of their patented streaks of inconsistency and Victo is able to take advantage, things could get dicey for the Wildcats. Yannick Jean's boys play a strong systematic game while still keeping things open enough to make guys like Angelo Miceli, Phillipe Halley, Phillipe Maillet and the ultra underrated defenseman Petr Sidlik very dangerous with puck on stick. As well, Brandon Whitney is as steady as they go in nets, his big frame more than capable of winning a couple games in itself. This Wildcats team is nearly unstoppable when on. If they stay on, the "what ifs" become a non-factor and this series gets even shorter. Oh... and I would have no issue seeing copious amounts of a line with Yannick Veilleux, Dimitrij Jaskin and Phillip Danault by the way. I'm sure Veilleux agrees.
#7 PEI Rocket (86) vs. #10 Val d'Or Foreurs (76)
I can recall the last time the PEI Rocket were in Round 2. To put that in perspective, I had gotten engaged the previous Christmas (my wife and I have been married seven and a half years), I was living in a basement apartment (I've lived in my current house for eight and a half years), I was well removed from my on-air debut as a commentator (I'm wrapping up my eighth season behind the mic). I traveled to the Charlottetown Civic Center for Game 6 of their second round series against Moncton with my future wife and a small group of friends. One of the topics of conversation on the way over was would the Red Sox finally win a World Series that year (they have since won two). The main topic on the way back home was how the Cats would contain Sidney Crosby and Rimouski in round three (the answer was Ryan Salvis). The date was April 12th, 2004. When James Sanford scored on Jonathan Boutin 8:23 into OT, it marked the last moment to date in which the PEI Rocket were a participant in the second round of the QMJHL playoffs.
I feel that will change in a couple weeks' time.
These two teams are remarkably similar in many ways. They can both provide flash and dash offensively, led by offensive catalysts on either side (PEI has scoring leader Ben Duffy and Josh Currie, Val d'Or has 50 goal man Anthony Mantha and Anton Zlobin). They can bang bodies (Dunn, Henley, Poudrier, Gelinas, meet Oligny, Vance, Graves) and they have solid if unspectacular netminders in Antoine Bibeau and Francois Tremblay. I give PEI the edge based on coaching (I'm a big fan of Gordie Dwyer and his systems) and a stronger overall commitment to defense. However, it's not a huge stretch.
Prediction - PEI in 7
Val d'Or could win if... They score one more goal, pretty much. This has all the makings of a tight, hard fought affair. Get PEI in the box and Mantha, Zlobin and Brandon Hynes could turn the offensive zone into their own personal playground. Val d'Or has a roster full of guys usually referred to as "character players" This is code for "pain in the posterior region to play against". As the season wound down, I came to the conclusion that PEI could make life tough for any team in the league not located in Halifax (of course, that could be because I've been well versed in the Rocket's ability to consistently hand the Wildcats their lunch thus leaving me overly impressed, but I digress). However, of all teams for them to draw in round one, the Foreurs might be the most challenging - if only because Val d'Or is probably the team most capable of beating PEI at their own game. This could very well be the most entertaining series of the first round.
#8 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (84) vs. #9 Drummondville Voltigeurs (80)
The Huskies find themselves in a position to realistically win their first playoff series since 2008. They are a pesky little team that likes to play wide open, as their second ranked offense and 12th ranked defense can attest. At times I'm sure Andre Tourigny feels like he's aged five years while trying to get results out of such a run and gun outfit, but the Huskies came out of the season with 40 wins in their back pocket - certainly a fair consolation for playing an oft-criticized style. The Huskies boast five players with 29 or more goals and the league's leading scorer among blueliners in Mathieu Brisebois. Defense is supposed to win games - especially in the playoffs - but in this case, there's just too much offense on the side of Rouyn-Noranda for Drummondville to keep pace.
Prediction - Rouyn-Noranda in 6
Drummondville could win if... The Huskies defense and goaltending let them. From the blueline back, the Volts have a clear advantage. In fact, they even have a pretty decent reply to the offense of Brisebois in Nikolas Brouillard and Jordan Murray. Up front, there aren't any big name guys, but there are some pesky ones. A guy like Jerome Verrier is the epitome of frustrating. He'll score a goal (which he did 35 times this year) and take a psychological advantage from you at the same time. Guys like Verrier, Jeremie Malouin, and Matthew Boudens are simply not fun to play against. As quick as the Huskies are, if you bottle up their speed, they become alot less impressive. In nets, rookie Louis-Phillipe Guindon quietly put together an impressive season and as a result, holds the upper hand among netminders between both clubs entering the series. If Mario Duhamel's troops can stay patient, retain that netminding advantage, keep the Huskies to the outside and start getting them well acquainted with the boards, Drummondville could very well find themselves in round two.
Oh and I stopped playing proline years ago because I never won anything. So keep that in mind after reading all this.
Diggin' a Hole
All season long, whenever the Woodstock Slammers came to the AJL, win or lose, I was left underwhelmed. Great group on paper, strong organization, a coach who has a wealth of big game experience... but still, a beatable team.
Last night that all changed... for the last forty minutes at least.
The expectation in any sport is that good teams turn it up a notch when things really count. The Slammers were that team last night, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win 6-3 in Game 2 of their Meek Division semi-final series against Dieppe. The Commandos - who lost 6-0 in Game 1 on Saturday night - were full marks in the first period, overcoming an early goal from Woodstock's Ian Lewis and pumping three past Simon-Pier Chamberland. They were seeing alot of ice those first twenty minutes... so much so that the score could've been even more lopsided. The Commandos did a fine job of making things tough on Chamberland - who looked a bit shaky in the first period - jamming into high scoring areas, winning puck battles and forcing the Slammers defense further and further back in their own zone. The were sharp on the breakout as well, with Zack Cahill coming close to widening the Dieppe lead only to miss wide on a breakaway opportunity.
Everything was going well... until the bottom fell out.
The Slammers are good enough in that that they can turn it off and on with the greatest of ease... and once EJ Faust scored on a Dieppe defensive breakdown late in the first, the tide immediately turned in favor of the visitors. The second and third periods saw the Slammers put on an impressive display of the game in all three zones. They used their speed, played through and supported the puck effectively and were about as airtight as you would ever want a team to be in their own zone. The Commandos simply could not adjust. Breakouts weren't as clean, puck support disappeared and the dump and chase - a favorite for Dieppe when entering the offensive zone - was taken away from them at every turn. As the game wore down, so did they. Five unanswered goals (including one empty netter) and a disparity in overall play later and Woodstock was back on the Trans Canada with a comfortable series lead.
So this is where we stand. The Commandos knew going into this series that in order to win four out of seven they would have to defeat Woodstock in their own building at least once... something they could not do during the regular season. Now, they have to do it twice in order to advance. And they have to start with Friday night's game.
I've done alot of thinking regarding this Dieppe squad. I go back in the Fasthockey archives and also replay things in my (admittedly, not always sharp) memory. One of the aspects of this team that always comes to mind is that during the earliest parts of the season, they were still learning to lose in order to learn how to win. During the latter half of the season, I saw a team trying to refine their ability to win... something they became rather efficient at. Now that the playoffs are here, the learning curve gets adjusted again. The overall play is more intense. The compete level ratchets up. And a team at this time of year may not look as beatable as it did in November or December...or even February.
That being said, this game wasn't without it's share of positives for the Commandos. As previously stated, their first period was strong. They were a cohesive unit coming through the neutral zone and into offensive territory. They were backing one another up. There were a few great individual efforts as well, and not just from the guys who's names you always hear, either. Alex Clark (who's skating ability is about as smooth as you could want) was as good in the first period as he was all year. Despite the score, Mathieu Newcomb put together a couple of very impressive shifts towards the end of the game. At the end of the day, you cut your losses and take the good along with you and get ready for the quick turnaround.
Finally, although they are the least experienced of the two teams, I'll say this much. Once the Commandos figure out how to do something, they usually don't forget (doesn't mean they always execute, as seen last night, but they remember). If they can find a way to win Game 3 on Friday night on the road, they can turn this series around. The old adage is that the fourth game is the hardest to win... well, sometimes the third game isn't too damned easy, either. Dieppe has to find a way to make it hard for Woodstock to win. They have to make the Slammers feel some adversity... and not just for 20 or 30 or even 50 minutes. They have to control a game from start to finish. And they have to adjust when needed... just like Woodstock did last night.
The Commandos are facing a team they have beaten this year... and stayed competitive with all throughout the regular season. Now it's time to carry that over to the postseason. The playoffs are a totally different animal in that there's not much time to find a way. Hopefully for Dieppe, two days will be time enough.
Last night that all changed... for the last forty minutes at least.
The expectation in any sport is that good teams turn it up a notch when things really count. The Slammers were that team last night, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win 6-3 in Game 2 of their Meek Division semi-final series against Dieppe. The Commandos - who lost 6-0 in Game 1 on Saturday night - were full marks in the first period, overcoming an early goal from Woodstock's Ian Lewis and pumping three past Simon-Pier Chamberland. They were seeing alot of ice those first twenty minutes... so much so that the score could've been even more lopsided. The Commandos did a fine job of making things tough on Chamberland - who looked a bit shaky in the first period - jamming into high scoring areas, winning puck battles and forcing the Slammers defense further and further back in their own zone. The were sharp on the breakout as well, with Zack Cahill coming close to widening the Dieppe lead only to miss wide on a breakaway opportunity.
Everything was going well... until the bottom fell out.
The Slammers are good enough in that that they can turn it off and on with the greatest of ease... and once EJ Faust scored on a Dieppe defensive breakdown late in the first, the tide immediately turned in favor of the visitors. The second and third periods saw the Slammers put on an impressive display of the game in all three zones. They used their speed, played through and supported the puck effectively and were about as airtight as you would ever want a team to be in their own zone. The Commandos simply could not adjust. Breakouts weren't as clean, puck support disappeared and the dump and chase - a favorite for Dieppe when entering the offensive zone - was taken away from them at every turn. As the game wore down, so did they. Five unanswered goals (including one empty netter) and a disparity in overall play later and Woodstock was back on the Trans Canada with a comfortable series lead.
So this is where we stand. The Commandos knew going into this series that in order to win four out of seven they would have to defeat Woodstock in their own building at least once... something they could not do during the regular season. Now, they have to do it twice in order to advance. And they have to start with Friday night's game.
I've done alot of thinking regarding this Dieppe squad. I go back in the Fasthockey archives and also replay things in my (admittedly, not always sharp) memory. One of the aspects of this team that always comes to mind is that during the earliest parts of the season, they were still learning to lose in order to learn how to win. During the latter half of the season, I saw a team trying to refine their ability to win... something they became rather efficient at. Now that the playoffs are here, the learning curve gets adjusted again. The overall play is more intense. The compete level ratchets up. And a team at this time of year may not look as beatable as it did in November or December...or even February.
That being said, this game wasn't without it's share of positives for the Commandos. As previously stated, their first period was strong. They were a cohesive unit coming through the neutral zone and into offensive territory. They were backing one another up. There were a few great individual efforts as well, and not just from the guys who's names you always hear, either. Alex Clark (who's skating ability is about as smooth as you could want) was as good in the first period as he was all year. Despite the score, Mathieu Newcomb put together a couple of very impressive shifts towards the end of the game. At the end of the day, you cut your losses and take the good along with you and get ready for the quick turnaround.
Finally, although they are the least experienced of the two teams, I'll say this much. Once the Commandos figure out how to do something, they usually don't forget (doesn't mean they always execute, as seen last night, but they remember). If they can find a way to win Game 3 on Friday night on the road, they can turn this series around. The old adage is that the fourth game is the hardest to win... well, sometimes the third game isn't too damned easy, either. Dieppe has to find a way to make it hard for Woodstock to win. They have to make the Slammers feel some adversity... and not just for 20 or 30 or even 50 minutes. They have to control a game from start to finish. And they have to adjust when needed... just like Woodstock did last night.
The Commandos are facing a team they have beaten this year... and stayed competitive with all throughout the regular season. Now it's time to carry that over to the postseason. The playoffs are a totally different animal in that there's not much time to find a way. Hopefully for Dieppe, two days will be time enough.
Monday 18 March 2013
Hey I Heard You Missed Us We're Back!
Greetings... who turned down the frigging heat???
Well, let's see what I missed. For a detailed list of outlandish crap I predicted a couple weeks back, go here.
- The Commandos proved me wrong (losing the appeal against Patrick Bryne as well as their regular season finale in Miramichi), right (unfortunately, losing game 1 of the Meek Division semis in Woodstock 6-0) and undecided (predicting this series to do the distance).
On Wednesday night, the Commandos host the Slammers in Game 2. Which Dieppe team shows up? The one that fought tooth and nail with the Slammers virtually the entire regular season or the one that fell off the rails at the Carleton County Civic Center this past weekend? History says it should be the former before it's the latter.
Another question worth throwing out there is if Conor Wilkinson starts (which I can't see him not doing... dance with who brung you), how long will his leash be? I'm a big Wilkinson fan... great kid, right attitude, has helped win a number of games during the season. However, Alex St-Arnaud recovered from a couple of rocky outings after coming back from the Q to string together a handful of quality starts going down the stretch. He was also solid in relief in Game 1. If it appears that Wilkinson (who I might point out was far from the only person at fault for the Commandos opening game stumbles) is headed for another rough night (either by his own doing or the team as a whole), does St-Arnaud enter the fray as a way to stem the tide and try to shake things up for Jeff Leblanc and company? Again, I don't expect this to come into play as Wilkinson has an entire season of bounce back games to his credit. The team as a whole has done the same. However, having a guy like St-Arnaud on the bench gives the Commandos not only goaltending depth, but a potential momentum shift if needed in what will be a very tough series where every decision - no matter how big or small - could make a difference.
7:30PM start at the AJL. Be there. Seriously, what else do you have to do? That day pass is only good for 24 hours, remember.
- The Wildcats basically did nothing as I expected... oh wait, they defeated Saint John and Bathurst (and lost to Halifax) and otherwise did nothing as I expected. Injuries notwithstanding, it was still ugly at times, with tough losses against Cape Breton and PEI (twice) forcing the Cats into sixth place overall to end the regular season and a date with the Victoriaville Tigres. Why am I not looking forward to facing Victo? Revisit this post... it pretty much sums up why the Tigres concern me as a first round opponent for Moncton. And if you've been reading this blog and following the team all season, you probably know why the Cats concern me as well. If the "circa November or January" Cats show up, this series could end in a sweep. If the "October/December" edition makes an appearance, all bets are off. If Dimitrij Jaskin gets hurt again, I will officially refuse to watch the remainder of the series without a drink in my hand. I'll save an official prediction of any kind for my playoff preview post sometime later this week.
As for the rest of my "fearless" predictions from earlier this month (I use the term "fearless" since I knew at least half would be wrong).
- Truro did indeed defeat Woodstock in their final regular season game, clinching first in the Eastlink Division and facing off against mini-series winners Pictou County. What may not have been so expected was Pictou's opening game victory at the Rath Eastlink Center. Although I'm sure Truro will rebound, the game was certainly food for thought for Shaun Evans' Bearcats.
- Jaskin came within four goals of 50 and one point of the century mark. Had injuries not robbed him of a number of games the past two weeks, I may have been onto something here. I was dead on with my point prediction for Drouin and three off for Peter Trainor (100 instead of 103) and did not in any way expect Ben Duffy to go all Bruce Banner on the season's last day to outdistance everyone else and finish with an outstanding 110 points.
- The Transcript hasn't hired a proofreader... this is simply an educated assumption. God speed, Neil.
- The Bruins are not in first place in the East... but it probably still is PK Subban's fault... or maybe Joe Vitale's.
- Bang on for the first regulation loss for the Blackhawks prediction, right here! They're still my favorite for the Cup as well. Plus, they were the subject of this great little article a couple months back which I plucked off the twitter feed of Dieppe head coach Jeff Leblanc but had overlooked. Pretty crazy when you put it all together, really.
Well, let's see what I missed. For a detailed list of outlandish crap I predicted a couple weeks back, go here.
- The Commandos proved me wrong (losing the appeal against Patrick Bryne as well as their regular season finale in Miramichi), right (unfortunately, losing game 1 of the Meek Division semis in Woodstock 6-0) and undecided (predicting this series to do the distance).
On Wednesday night, the Commandos host the Slammers in Game 2. Which Dieppe team shows up? The one that fought tooth and nail with the Slammers virtually the entire regular season or the one that fell off the rails at the Carleton County Civic Center this past weekend? History says it should be the former before it's the latter.
Another question worth throwing out there is if Conor Wilkinson starts (which I can't see him not doing... dance with who brung you), how long will his leash be? I'm a big Wilkinson fan... great kid, right attitude, has helped win a number of games during the season. However, Alex St-Arnaud recovered from a couple of rocky outings after coming back from the Q to string together a handful of quality starts going down the stretch. He was also solid in relief in Game 1. If it appears that Wilkinson (who I might point out was far from the only person at fault for the Commandos opening game stumbles) is headed for another rough night (either by his own doing or the team as a whole), does St-Arnaud enter the fray as a way to stem the tide and try to shake things up for Jeff Leblanc and company? Again, I don't expect this to come into play as Wilkinson has an entire season of bounce back games to his credit. The team as a whole has done the same. However, having a guy like St-Arnaud on the bench gives the Commandos not only goaltending depth, but a potential momentum shift if needed in what will be a very tough series where every decision - no matter how big or small - could make a difference.
7:30PM start at the AJL. Be there. Seriously, what else do you have to do? That day pass is only good for 24 hours, remember.
- The Wildcats basically did nothing as I expected... oh wait, they defeated Saint John and Bathurst (and lost to Halifax) and otherwise did nothing as I expected. Injuries notwithstanding, it was still ugly at times, with tough losses against Cape Breton and PEI (twice) forcing the Cats into sixth place overall to end the regular season and a date with the Victoriaville Tigres. Why am I not looking forward to facing Victo? Revisit this post... it pretty much sums up why the Tigres concern me as a first round opponent for Moncton. And if you've been reading this blog and following the team all season, you probably know why the Cats concern me as well. If the "circa November or January" Cats show up, this series could end in a sweep. If the "October/December" edition makes an appearance, all bets are off. If Dimitrij Jaskin gets hurt again, I will officially refuse to watch the remainder of the series without a drink in my hand. I'll save an official prediction of any kind for my playoff preview post sometime later this week.
As for the rest of my "fearless" predictions from earlier this month (I use the term "fearless" since I knew at least half would be wrong).
- Truro did indeed defeat Woodstock in their final regular season game, clinching first in the Eastlink Division and facing off against mini-series winners Pictou County. What may not have been so expected was Pictou's opening game victory at the Rath Eastlink Center. Although I'm sure Truro will rebound, the game was certainly food for thought for Shaun Evans' Bearcats.
- Jaskin came within four goals of 50 and one point of the century mark. Had injuries not robbed him of a number of games the past two weeks, I may have been onto something here. I was dead on with my point prediction for Drouin and three off for Peter Trainor (100 instead of 103) and did not in any way expect Ben Duffy to go all Bruce Banner on the season's last day to outdistance everyone else and finish with an outstanding 110 points.
- The Transcript hasn't hired a proofreader... this is simply an educated assumption. God speed, Neil.
- The Bruins are not in first place in the East... but it probably still is PK Subban's fault... or maybe Joe Vitale's.
- Bang on for the first regulation loss for the Blackhawks prediction, right here! They're still my favorite for the Cup as well. Plus, they were the subject of this great little article a couple months back which I plucked off the twitter feed of Dieppe head coach Jeff Leblanc but had overlooked. Pretty crazy when you put it all together, really.
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Fighting the Power, and Bold Predictions For the Next Week and a Half
The Dieppe Commandos spent a good portion of their day challenging what they felt was unjust authority yesterday. They lost on one front and are still awaiting the outcome of the other.
First, they issued an appeal to the MHL relating to the Patrick Byrne suspension. The Miramichi forward orchestrated an ugly incident early in the first period of the T-Wovles/Commandos game Sunday afternoon at the AJL. After jostling along the boards with Dieppe forward Alex Murray by the Miramichi bench, Byrne ripped off his gloves and delivered a series of punches to the head of the defenceless Murray. This was the second incident between the two players in the past month, as Byrne attempted to enter the Commando dressing room in a game at the AJL on February 7th in an attempt to fight Murray after both players were sent off with misconducts late in the game. As a result of the latest outburst, Byrne was assessed an aggressor minor, fighting major and game misconduct on the play while Murray was sent to hospital for what was originally believed to be precautionary measures. It is now apparent that whatever injuries sustained by the Commandos winger are more severe than originally thought as Murray was not dressed for last night's contest against Woodstock and there is as of yet no timetable set for his return.
Yesterday, the MHL handed down a three game suspension to Byrne (he had been suspended two games for the previous altercation involving Murray). The Commandos feel this punishment is not harsh enough as there was obvious malicious intent, an injury was sustained on the play and Byrne has a history of aggressive behaviour in games against Dieppe this season. The Commandos are still preparing to present their case in the matter and a decision should be rendered shortly following that presentation.
In the evening meanwhile, the Commandos set out to face their pre-determined first round opponent in round one of the MHL playoffs, the Woodstock Slammers. It was a must win game for Dieppe as anything less than a victory in regulation would allow the Slammers to clinch second place in the Meek Division and home ice in their upcoming playoff series. In the end, the Slammers would send the Commandos off disappointed as they would pump three goals home after a scoreless first and second period to win 3-2. However, it was the work of Lyndon Pike that would send the Commandos off incredibly frustrated.
Through 40 minutes, noone had managed to bulge the twine behind Commandos goalie Connor Wilkinson or Slammers netminder Simon-Pier Chamberland. It was a back and forth affair with excellent defensive work, hard hitting, decent scoring opportunities and outstanding goaltending... and only two minor penalties. It literally felt like a chess game being played out on the ice surface. Even the shots were equal after two period... 18 per side.
Sometime between the second and third periods, The guy who was skating around as an obvious impostor for referee Pike was replaced by the genuine article. The result? The game became a show for the head official, a number of borderline at best infractions were called and as a direct result, a couple of deserved penalties out of frustration on the part of Dieppe soon followed. Three powerplay goals, a game misconduct for Commandos head coach Jeff Leblanc and one attempted Dieppe comeback later and the final buzzer had sounded with Woodstock in second place for good.
All of this is not to say that the Slammers didn't play well enough to win. In essence, both teams did that. As well, the Commandos could've done a better job in certain circumstances to hold their emotions in check. However, none of this takes away from the fact that what should've been - and for two periods, was - the most exciting game of the season should never have been decided in the manner that it was. Because one person on the ice - who isn't even a player - couldn't keep up with the action, a potential instant classic was tarnished.
One last point regarding last night's events - it should not take away from the fact that these two teams are about the face off in what will be a wildly entertaining playoff series. Of all the potential first round matchups that are starting to form, this could be the best of them. All bets are off when these two teams collide - except to say you always get your money's worth when they face each other. All the best to the coaches, players and fans on both sides who are going to be participating in and enjoying this series. My only hope is that the players and coaches are the ones who get to decide the victor.
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And with that, I'm outta here for a while. While I'm taking the time to soak up the sights and sounds of the sunny south, alot of hockey will be played and even more excitement will fast approach. Here are just a few things I boldly predict will take place during the next week and a half.
- The Commandos will win their appeal in the Partick Byrne case, and the suspension will be lengthened to around 5-7 games. They will defeat Miramichi in the last game of the regular season on Friday night, sweeping that season series.
- Truro - still fighting to clinch first in the Eastlink division - will defeat Woodstock in their final game, giving them a first round date with the Pictou County Weeks Crushers who will handily defeat Bridgewater in their 3 game "mini-series".
- Dieppe will lose Game 1 of their series on the road. I will be back in time for Game 2 (most likely) and will get the chance to call an OT victory for the Commandos which will even the series. I will not pick a winner, but this series will go the full 7 based on this logic. If I'm wrong (again) and Dieppe wins game 1, I suspect they win the series in 6.
- The Wildcats - who play six times over the next 11 days - will go 5-1 over that stretch, defeating Cape Breton (road), Halifax (road... yes, you read that right), Saint John (home), PEI (road) and Bathurst (road) while losing at home to the Moose. They will finish in 5th place overall and by the time I'm wearing a new tan will be getting set to face the Gatineau Olympiques in round one of the QMJHL playoffs, a series Moncton wins in 5.
- Dimitrij Jaskin will reach both the 50 goal and 100 point plateaus on the season but will finish third in league scoring behind Jonathan Drouin (105 pts) and Peter Trainor (103 pts).
- The Times-Transcript will not hire a proofreader for their newspaper articles, however fans will continue to be amazed at the play of rookie Corey Garland.
- The Bruins will be in first place in the Eastern Conference (not even going to talk about the forgone conclusion that is Chicago in the West) by the time I touch Canadian soil again (March 16th, for the record). They will lose in round two of the playoffs, however. Their defeat will come at the hands of a revitalised New York Rangers team. Claude Julien will somehow blame PK Subban.
- Speaking of those pesky Blackhawks, they will lose in regulation in the next week. Pencil me in for Friday night's game in Colorado. They are my - and many others - favourite to win the Stanley Cup this year. Corey Crawford will win the Jennings with Ray Emery, then find himself a finalist for the Vezina (finishing third in voting behind Carey Price and Tuuka Rask). For the amount of time the 'Hawks stuffed him down in the minors, he deserves the bloody Masterton as well.
Enjoy your time away from this place, folks... I'll be sure to have one for all of you.
First, they issued an appeal to the MHL relating to the Patrick Byrne suspension. The Miramichi forward orchestrated an ugly incident early in the first period of the T-Wovles/Commandos game Sunday afternoon at the AJL. After jostling along the boards with Dieppe forward Alex Murray by the Miramichi bench, Byrne ripped off his gloves and delivered a series of punches to the head of the defenceless Murray. This was the second incident between the two players in the past month, as Byrne attempted to enter the Commando dressing room in a game at the AJL on February 7th in an attempt to fight Murray after both players were sent off with misconducts late in the game. As a result of the latest outburst, Byrne was assessed an aggressor minor, fighting major and game misconduct on the play while Murray was sent to hospital for what was originally believed to be precautionary measures. It is now apparent that whatever injuries sustained by the Commandos winger are more severe than originally thought as Murray was not dressed for last night's contest against Woodstock and there is as of yet no timetable set for his return.
Yesterday, the MHL handed down a three game suspension to Byrne (he had been suspended two games for the previous altercation involving Murray). The Commandos feel this punishment is not harsh enough as there was obvious malicious intent, an injury was sustained on the play and Byrne has a history of aggressive behaviour in games against Dieppe this season. The Commandos are still preparing to present their case in the matter and a decision should be rendered shortly following that presentation.
In the evening meanwhile, the Commandos set out to face their pre-determined first round opponent in round one of the MHL playoffs, the Woodstock Slammers. It was a must win game for Dieppe as anything less than a victory in regulation would allow the Slammers to clinch second place in the Meek Division and home ice in their upcoming playoff series. In the end, the Slammers would send the Commandos off disappointed as they would pump three goals home after a scoreless first and second period to win 3-2. However, it was the work of Lyndon Pike that would send the Commandos off incredibly frustrated.
Through 40 minutes, noone had managed to bulge the twine behind Commandos goalie Connor Wilkinson or Slammers netminder Simon-Pier Chamberland. It was a back and forth affair with excellent defensive work, hard hitting, decent scoring opportunities and outstanding goaltending... and only two minor penalties. It literally felt like a chess game being played out on the ice surface. Even the shots were equal after two period... 18 per side.
Sometime between the second and third periods, The guy who was skating around as an obvious impostor for referee Pike was replaced by the genuine article. The result? The game became a show for the head official, a number of borderline at best infractions were called and as a direct result, a couple of deserved penalties out of frustration on the part of Dieppe soon followed. Three powerplay goals, a game misconduct for Commandos head coach Jeff Leblanc and one attempted Dieppe comeback later and the final buzzer had sounded with Woodstock in second place for good.
All of this is not to say that the Slammers didn't play well enough to win. In essence, both teams did that. As well, the Commandos could've done a better job in certain circumstances to hold their emotions in check. However, none of this takes away from the fact that what should've been - and for two periods, was - the most exciting game of the season should never have been decided in the manner that it was. Because one person on the ice - who isn't even a player - couldn't keep up with the action, a potential instant classic was tarnished.
One last point regarding last night's events - it should not take away from the fact that these two teams are about the face off in what will be a wildly entertaining playoff series. Of all the potential first round matchups that are starting to form, this could be the best of them. All bets are off when these two teams collide - except to say you always get your money's worth when they face each other. All the best to the coaches, players and fans on both sides who are going to be participating in and enjoying this series. My only hope is that the players and coaches are the ones who get to decide the victor.
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And with that, I'm outta here for a while. While I'm taking the time to soak up the sights and sounds of the sunny south, alot of hockey will be played and even more excitement will fast approach. Here are just a few things I boldly predict will take place during the next week and a half.
- The Commandos will win their appeal in the Partick Byrne case, and the suspension will be lengthened to around 5-7 games. They will defeat Miramichi in the last game of the regular season on Friday night, sweeping that season series.
- Truro - still fighting to clinch first in the Eastlink division - will defeat Woodstock in their final game, giving them a first round date with the Pictou County Weeks Crushers who will handily defeat Bridgewater in their 3 game "mini-series".
- Dieppe will lose Game 1 of their series on the road. I will be back in time for Game 2 (most likely) and will get the chance to call an OT victory for the Commandos which will even the series. I will not pick a winner, but this series will go the full 7 based on this logic. If I'm wrong (again) and Dieppe wins game 1, I suspect they win the series in 6.
- The Wildcats - who play six times over the next 11 days - will go 5-1 over that stretch, defeating Cape Breton (road), Halifax (road... yes, you read that right), Saint John (home), PEI (road) and Bathurst (road) while losing at home to the Moose. They will finish in 5th place overall and by the time I'm wearing a new tan will be getting set to face the Gatineau Olympiques in round one of the QMJHL playoffs, a series Moncton wins in 5.
- Dimitrij Jaskin will reach both the 50 goal and 100 point plateaus on the season but will finish third in league scoring behind Jonathan Drouin (105 pts) and Peter Trainor (103 pts).
- The Times-Transcript will not hire a proofreader for their newspaper articles, however fans will continue to be amazed at the play of rookie Corey Garland.
- The Bruins will be in first place in the Eastern Conference (not even going to talk about the forgone conclusion that is Chicago in the West) by the time I touch Canadian soil again (March 16th, for the record). They will lose in round two of the playoffs, however. Their defeat will come at the hands of a revitalised New York Rangers team. Claude Julien will somehow blame PK Subban.
- Speaking of those pesky Blackhawks, they will lose in regulation in the next week. Pencil me in for Friday night's game in Colorado. They are my - and many others - favourite to win the Stanley Cup this year. Corey Crawford will win the Jennings with Ray Emery, then find himself a finalist for the Vezina (finishing third in voting behind Carey Price and Tuuka Rask). For the amount of time the 'Hawks stuffed him down in the minors, he deserves the bloody Masterton as well.
Enjoy your time away from this place, folks... I'll be sure to have one for all of you.
Sunday 3 March 2013
Every Game's a Playoff Game at the AJL
And the race for second place continues...
The Dieppe Commandos - who have seemingly been playoff hockey since around December - did their part, defeating Miramichi 6-2. It was pretty much as decisive a win as you could ask for... definitely one of those games where the shot total reflected how the play unfolded (53-28 Commandos, for the record). Six different goal scorers found the back of the twine for a Commandos team that essentially got the job done in all three zones.
First off, there was the play in the offensive zone. It seemed for prolonged stretches that every decision the Commandos made in Miramichi territory was the right one. They constantly worked the play to create clear passing and shooting lanes and their positioning around the net was as sound as it's been at any point this season. Going 3/6 with the man advantage never hurts either, as their distribution on the powerplay was both quick and accurate. They were persistent in their ability to force the T-Wolves into mistakes at their own blueline and the offensive distribution (five different players with two points) meant that there was a good chance for fireworks no matter who jumped over the boards. If not for the play of Julien Daigle in the T-Wolves cage, the score could've easily reached double digits.
Defensively, the Commandos have been a work in progress all season. However, that work is paying off as the regular season quickly comes to a close. Since the season began, it's obvious to see the oft-referred to "little things" that produces wins are being properly executed more and more by Dieppe in their own zone. Patience along the wall, effectively going stick on stick against opponents, closing the gaps, angling off oncoming foes and shutting opponents down at the defensive blueline... it's happening more and more consistently for the Commandos. Today, Dieppe forced the play to the outside and simply blocked off the lanes as best they could. At virtually no point in the game did they over-commit on a play in their own zone. At most turns, they forced Miramichi to play the game at a pace they simply can't play. The Commandos allowed the game to play directly into their hands, thereby dictating the flow of the game from start to finish. When required Conor Wilkinson was there, making a handful of key stops when the game was close during one of those tougher games in which he was overly tested.
Unfortunately, they couldn't totally avoid some stupid stuff.
For a game that as a whole was relatively tame in terms of physicality and extracurricular activity, there was one rematch stemming from the last tilt between the two teams. During that game, Alex Murray and T-Wolves forward Patrick Byrne were involved in a heated exchange. After being escorted off the ice, Byrne decided he wanted an impromptu tour of the Commandos dressing room and hurriedly made his way down the connecting hallway to make these arrangements with Murray... or something like that. That was just stupid... today's antics were both stupid and dangerous.
With about three and a half minutes gone in the first, Byrne and Murray found themselves on the ice at the same time. Once again, they started to mix it up. Unlike last time however, the gloves actually came off... well, Byrne's did at least. A couple sucker punches and some general cementhead behavior later and Murray was being helped off the ice, headed to the hospital for precautionary reasons while Byrne was the proud new owner of 19 minutes in penalties including an aggressor minor and game misconduct. The Commandos - awarded a rare seven minute powerplay - would essentially feed off this series of events, scoring twice on the extended man advantage and not looking back.
Simply put, there's something there when it comes to Patrick Byrne and the Commandos. The T-Wolves rookie has 95 penalty minutes on the season... and a staggering 56 have come in three games against Dieppe (not including the 17 he piled up against the Commandos in an exhibition game). If all this kid wants to do is go around acting like some snot nosed punk and put his team at a disadvantage, the Wolves might as well trade him as soon as possible while the getting is still good - preferably to a non-Meek Division team where the "big, bad Commandos" won't stick in his craw so often. It would be of great benefit to Dieppe as well, since they would probably appreciate not having to play some kid solely looking to wreak havoc against their top players quite as much.
Expect Byrne to be called to the carpet once again by league officials - his third such foray as a result of an incident against the Commandos.
Moving on to more important topics, Dieppe plays their penultimate game on Tuesday night at home against Woodstock. Not to be outdone by the performance at the AJL this afternoon, the Slammers kept pace with a 4-1 win at home against Cambellton. The gap between second and third remains three points in favor of Woodstock. Dieppe wins on Tuesday and they stay in the race for home ice. Lose, and the Commandos start their first round series with Woodstock at the Carleton County Civic Center - a building they haven't won in since the 2008-2009 season. To anyone who has read and enjoyed this blog over the last few months - if you have not made your way to a game at the AJL this season and have an interest in doing so, this would be a good time to make the trip. These are two clubs that almost always put on a great show no matter where they play. Allow yourself to be introduced to this exciting young team in our back yard as they take on the defending national finalists in a preview of what should be an outstanding playoff series. If you appreciate good, clean, exciting hockey and you have nothing else to do Tuesday night, go to this game. You will thank yourself.
The Dieppe Commandos - who have seemingly been playoff hockey since around December - did their part, defeating Miramichi 6-2. It was pretty much as decisive a win as you could ask for... definitely one of those games where the shot total reflected how the play unfolded (53-28 Commandos, for the record). Six different goal scorers found the back of the twine for a Commandos team that essentially got the job done in all three zones.
First off, there was the play in the offensive zone. It seemed for prolonged stretches that every decision the Commandos made in Miramichi territory was the right one. They constantly worked the play to create clear passing and shooting lanes and their positioning around the net was as sound as it's been at any point this season. Going 3/6 with the man advantage never hurts either, as their distribution on the powerplay was both quick and accurate. They were persistent in their ability to force the T-Wolves into mistakes at their own blueline and the offensive distribution (five different players with two points) meant that there was a good chance for fireworks no matter who jumped over the boards. If not for the play of Julien Daigle in the T-Wolves cage, the score could've easily reached double digits.
Defensively, the Commandos have been a work in progress all season. However, that work is paying off as the regular season quickly comes to a close. Since the season began, it's obvious to see the oft-referred to "little things" that produces wins are being properly executed more and more by Dieppe in their own zone. Patience along the wall, effectively going stick on stick against opponents, closing the gaps, angling off oncoming foes and shutting opponents down at the defensive blueline... it's happening more and more consistently for the Commandos. Today, Dieppe forced the play to the outside and simply blocked off the lanes as best they could. At virtually no point in the game did they over-commit on a play in their own zone. At most turns, they forced Miramichi to play the game at a pace they simply can't play. The Commandos allowed the game to play directly into their hands, thereby dictating the flow of the game from start to finish. When required Conor Wilkinson was there, making a handful of key stops when the game was close during one of those tougher games in which he was overly tested.
Unfortunately, they couldn't totally avoid some stupid stuff.
For a game that as a whole was relatively tame in terms of physicality and extracurricular activity, there was one rematch stemming from the last tilt between the two teams. During that game, Alex Murray and T-Wolves forward Patrick Byrne were involved in a heated exchange. After being escorted off the ice, Byrne decided he wanted an impromptu tour of the Commandos dressing room and hurriedly made his way down the connecting hallway to make these arrangements with Murray... or something like that. That was just stupid... today's antics were both stupid and dangerous.
With about three and a half minutes gone in the first, Byrne and Murray found themselves on the ice at the same time. Once again, they started to mix it up. Unlike last time however, the gloves actually came off... well, Byrne's did at least. A couple sucker punches and some general cementhead behavior later and Murray was being helped off the ice, headed to the hospital for precautionary reasons while Byrne was the proud new owner of 19 minutes in penalties including an aggressor minor and game misconduct. The Commandos - awarded a rare seven minute powerplay - would essentially feed off this series of events, scoring twice on the extended man advantage and not looking back.
Simply put, there's something there when it comes to Patrick Byrne and the Commandos. The T-Wolves rookie has 95 penalty minutes on the season... and a staggering 56 have come in three games against Dieppe (not including the 17 he piled up against the Commandos in an exhibition game). If all this kid wants to do is go around acting like some snot nosed punk and put his team at a disadvantage, the Wolves might as well trade him as soon as possible while the getting is still good - preferably to a non-Meek Division team where the "big, bad Commandos" won't stick in his craw so often. It would be of great benefit to Dieppe as well, since they would probably appreciate not having to play some kid solely looking to wreak havoc against their top players quite as much.
Expect Byrne to be called to the carpet once again by league officials - his third such foray as a result of an incident against the Commandos.
Moving on to more important topics, Dieppe plays their penultimate game on Tuesday night at home against Woodstock. Not to be outdone by the performance at the AJL this afternoon, the Slammers kept pace with a 4-1 win at home against Cambellton. The gap between second and third remains three points in favor of Woodstock. Dieppe wins on Tuesday and they stay in the race for home ice. Lose, and the Commandos start their first round series with Woodstock at the Carleton County Civic Center - a building they haven't won in since the 2008-2009 season. To anyone who has read and enjoyed this blog over the last few months - if you have not made your way to a game at the AJL this season and have an interest in doing so, this would be a good time to make the trip. These are two clubs that almost always put on a great show no matter where they play. Allow yourself to be introduced to this exciting young team in our back yard as they take on the defending national finalists in a preview of what should be an outstanding playoff series. If you appreciate good, clean, exciting hockey and you have nothing else to do Tuesday night, go to this game. You will thank yourself.
Saturday 2 March 2013
Winning, Winning and More Winning
Can't the Wildcats just play on Sportsnet every game? I'm willing to put up with Damien Cox and Nick Kypreos every night if this is the usual result.
I nominate last night's 4-2 win as most impressive on the season. Better than the 3-0 win vs Halifax because the Moose played one of their worst games of the season that afternoon. Better than the 3-0 win vs. Blainville because this Rimouski team is better than that Armada squad was in my opinion. And this latest win came on the road. Road games have been less than kind to the Cats at times this season.
Simply put, last night's game had the intensity of a playoff game and commanded a high compete level as well as precise execution. That's what Moncton brought to the table. Their defensive awareness was outstanding, keeping Rimouski to the outside with regularity. Their puck support was as strong as it's been all season. Their distribution in both even strength and powerplay situations was very impressive. They received big saves when required. In a game in which everyone needed to bring their best... and their best players needed to be their best players (that term really is more than a cliche), both occurred. At the end of the day, it's games like last night's that give me hope for the rest of the season. If they come up with performances like this in the postseason, things could get very interesting, indeed.
Make it five straight for the Cats, who head up to road to the ultra awesome house of hockey known as the Colisee Pepst to face the Remparts. Can someone call up Sam Cosentino and get him to just sit in the press box or something?
A couple hours south of Rimouski, the Dieppe Commandos took great strides towards securing their fate in the MHL playoffs, officially clinching at least third in the Meek division with a 5-3 win in Campbellton. Dieppe overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 respectively to pull out win number 26 on the season. Mark Simpson led the way offensively with two goals and an assist... speaking of which.
This Commandos team is an offensive force. As a result, sometimes individual performances can go unnoticed. Mark Simpson is one of those guys who I find goes under the radar... or as much "under the radar" as a 6'5" can go. He's still getting used to life in the MHL and possibly beyond... but he's getting more and more comfortable all the time. He wins faceoffs with alarming frequency. He is very tough to move from in front of the opposing net. Just as important however, he doesn't panic with the puck very easily. And in the midst of all this, the rookie from Saint John is playing some of his best hockey at just the right time, as his seven points in the last five games can attest to.
Simpson and his Commandos are guaranteed a first round date with the Woodstock Slammers... all that remains to be seen is where that series will start. Woodstock remains two points ahead of Dieppe with a game in hand. The Miramichi Timberwolves will play a huge part in who will get that home ice advantage. After playing host to the Slammers tonight, they travel to the AJL tomorrow afternoon for a 2:30 tilt. It's gonna be a very interesting week in the MJL indeed. I highly suggest you come down to the rink and take it all in.
I nominate last night's 4-2 win as most impressive on the season. Better than the 3-0 win vs Halifax because the Moose played one of their worst games of the season that afternoon. Better than the 3-0 win vs. Blainville because this Rimouski team is better than that Armada squad was in my opinion. And this latest win came on the road. Road games have been less than kind to the Cats at times this season.
Simply put, last night's game had the intensity of a playoff game and commanded a high compete level as well as precise execution. That's what Moncton brought to the table. Their defensive awareness was outstanding, keeping Rimouski to the outside with regularity. Their puck support was as strong as it's been all season. Their distribution in both even strength and powerplay situations was very impressive. They received big saves when required. In a game in which everyone needed to bring their best... and their best players needed to be their best players (that term really is more than a cliche), both occurred. At the end of the day, it's games like last night's that give me hope for the rest of the season. If they come up with performances like this in the postseason, things could get very interesting, indeed.
Make it five straight for the Cats, who head up to road to the ultra awesome house of hockey known as the Colisee Pepst to face the Remparts. Can someone call up Sam Cosentino and get him to just sit in the press box or something?
A couple hours south of Rimouski, the Dieppe Commandos took great strides towards securing their fate in the MHL playoffs, officially clinching at least third in the Meek division with a 5-3 win in Campbellton. Dieppe overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 respectively to pull out win number 26 on the season. Mark Simpson led the way offensively with two goals and an assist... speaking of which.
This Commandos team is an offensive force. As a result, sometimes individual performances can go unnoticed. Mark Simpson is one of those guys who I find goes under the radar... or as much "under the radar" as a 6'5" can go. He's still getting used to life in the MHL and possibly beyond... but he's getting more and more comfortable all the time. He wins faceoffs with alarming frequency. He is very tough to move from in front of the opposing net. Just as important however, he doesn't panic with the puck very easily. And in the midst of all this, the rookie from Saint John is playing some of his best hockey at just the right time, as his seven points in the last five games can attest to.
Simpson and his Commandos are guaranteed a first round date with the Woodstock Slammers... all that remains to be seen is where that series will start. Woodstock remains two points ahead of Dieppe with a game in hand. The Miramichi Timberwolves will play a huge part in who will get that home ice advantage. After playing host to the Slammers tonight, they travel to the AJL tomorrow afternoon for a 2:30 tilt. It's gonna be a very interesting week in the MJL indeed. I highly suggest you come down to the rink and take it all in.
Friday 1 March 2013
Le Colisee de Rimouski... Where (Mostly) Bad, Bad Things Happen
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| Don't let the happy demeanor fool you... he's probably packing heat. |
Think back... way back. 15 long years ago, to be exact. That spring, the Cats were in the playoffs for the first time ever. They vanquished the higher ranked (and - on paper, at least - more talented) Chicoutimi Sagueneens in six games. Off to round two! And who awaited them in round two? The Rimouski Oceanic... as well as the Quebec Remparts... all intertwined in what can only be described as Satan's gift to playoff hockey, the round robin. No matter. The Wildcats defeated first place Quebec in game one (despite being badly outshot... and outplayed). Unfortunately, the ride would soon come to an end as the Cats would lose the next three games of the round robin and Quebec would "miraculously" come from behind in the final round robin game in eliminate the need for a tie-breaker game and send both the 'Nics and the Remps to the league semi-finals. Oh well... Rimouski was a tough opponent... but the Cats were on the upswing. They'll get them whenever they get the chance to face them in the playoffs again.
They got their chance the following year. With home ice, to boot. Here's what happened:
Not
Too
Damned
Much
Five days after it started, it was over. Two blown leads at home and two outright blowups on the road and Rimouski was advancing once again on the backs of the Moncton Wildcats.
However, the following year, the Cats would be even stronger! A powerhouse, in fact! Plenty of big names, tons of valuable playoff experience and this time with enough momentum to take down Bathurst in a four game first round sweep before coming from behind in Game 7 to vanquish the ultra-sketchy Quebec Remparts in the conference (remember conferences??) semi-finals. To the third round we went!
And who was there?
Oh yes... Rimouski.
Did the same thing happen as before?
Oh yes...
And was it the most gut-wrenching defeat yet?
Read this and decide for yourself. Pay particular attention to when the last two Rimouski goals were scored.
In this case, it wasn't just the loss (this was Game 2 of the series, by the way... and it put Moncton down 0-2 in that series)... it's what the loss represented. When Juraj Kolnik's shot deflected off the trapper of Simon Lajeunesse and into the bottom left corner of the net with less than a minute to go in the game, the Wildcat's dream season effectively ended. Until that steamy Sunday afternoon in May, 2006, this was the most demoralizing moment in franchise history. In some ways, this Rimouski loss was still the worst of the two, if only because the organization had not yet tasted any tangible success on which to hang it's hat on. As well, the Memorial Cup final loss didn't have nearly the same far reaching ramifications as this loss - both this one game and the series as a whole - did. They had built for five seasons for this chance (unlike the Wildcats, I actually include the Alpines). They knew after this chance it would be a while for the franchise to reach the top of the mountain again. And it all blew up. Two years of purgatory and four years with a playoff series victory ensued. And where was the final nail hammered in the coffin? Le Colisee, of course!
Revenge eventually does come to those who wait.
2004... still one of my all time favorite years as a sports fan. First off, I'm a Red Sox fan... so that part is pretty self-explanatory. Then there was Montreal's inspired series win against Boston in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Finally, the Moncton Wildcats - who seemed to muddle along like a fractured kind of lot with what some felt was a questionable head coach - were back on top again... sort of.
This wasn't the big, bad powerhouse team many had envisioned. Yes, they were big (one of the toughest teams in franchise history in fact, led by Thierry Douville and featuring Nathan Saunders, Cody Doucette and Luke Pelham and scores of other lads who could hold their own). And some nights, oh lord, were they bad. But when all was said and done, they just weren't the fearsome bunch that many had suffered for the better part of four years to cheer on. They were really good, yes. Just not great.
Sometimes really good can take you pretty darned far, though.
After sweeping Baie-Comeau and taking out an ultra tough PEI Rocket team, Round 3 of the Q playoffs beckoned. And who was there?
The entity that by that time was widely refered to as "Sidney Crosby and the Rimouski Oceanic"... like they were a friggin swing band, complete with bandleader or something!
Simply put, alot of people outside Moncton - and even a few within city limits - wanted to see Moncton lose that series (if only to see Crosby win). If history was any indicator, there was a good possibility those people could've gotten their wish. However, this was one year in which the Cats were solid favorites to beat Rimouski. To do so, they would have to accomplish something they had not done going into that series - win a playoff game at Le Colisee.
Game 1 took care of that. It was a pretty big moment. First, it was the fact that the team had gone ahead 1-0 in a league semi-final series for the first time. Then there was symbolism of that ever-elusive first playoff win in Rimouski. Finally, the conclusion of this game marked the one and only time in my life that I - from my apartment in Moncton - performed the Homer Simpson "floor spin"
Moncton would win two of the next three, setting up Game 5 in Rimouski. A trip to the finals would be on the line for Moncton. All they had to do was win in a building they now had a 1-7 career playoff record in. No biggie.
Any of the fans who were there for Game 5 will never forget it. A tension, pressure packed chess match style game ensued. 60 minutes of ulcer inducing glory. It was all worth it as Kevin Glode's shot off a rebound found it's way past Guillaume Lavallee in the latter stages of the third to give the Cats a 2-1 lead and - minutes later - their first berth in the QMJHL finals.
It's ironic how situations and history play out. Since that night - April 26, 2004 - the Cats have not won another playoff game in Rimouski. They went 0-2 in 2009. Their lifetime record in that building in the postseason stands at 2-10. Some regular season games have been pretty forgettable as well. A number of times, the Cats have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory there. It was a bloodbath of a game in Rimouski that spelled the end of the line for Christian Larue (okay, maybe it wasn't all bad).
Sometimes though, one win can atone for alot of losses. As tough as the sledding has been for the Wildcats in the city of Rimouski, because of one single solitary game, I will always have fond memories of the place. I - as well as a handful of others from this neck of the woods - saw something special there.
And the poutine is outstanding, too.
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