As the stretch drives rolls along in the Q, thoughts begin to turn towards the playoffs. With roughly ten games to go for all teams, those that have secured their place in the post season are no doubt keeping at least half an eye on potential first round opponents. I think the general consensus among anyone with either an affiliation or an affinity for the Q is that there are two groups of playoff teams entering the month of March - the Halifax Mooseheads, and everyone else. Let's take the Moose out of the equation for a moment as I also feel they appear to be in a class by themselves at this point. After them, I see five teams in particular of whom I would not want to face in these upcoming playoffs. For a variety of reasons, the following teams are - in my (very) amateurish estimation - quite capable of frustrating almost every potential opponent.
Rimouski Oceanic
Okay, this isn't exactly a shocker. However, there are three big reasons why Rimouski will be a team to watch this spring. A great combination of depth, systematic play and previous experience.
The highest profile guys on their roster are names you probably know already. Guys like Peter Trainor, Francis Beauvillier, Alexandre Lavoie and Kevin Gagne are known by most fans throughout the league. However, this team is capable of throwing out their fair share of additional talent, some of which gets overlooked. Guys like Scott Oke and Frederick Gauthier are having solid seasons, while on the back end Jan Kostalek and Maxime Gravel represent two of the more underrated blueliners in the league. Goaltending has been less than impressive at times, but Robin Gusse and Phillipe Desrosiers nonetheless give the 'Nics the luxury of a 1/1A goaltending tandem that could keep either netminder well rested and playoff ready come the third week of March.
Beyond that, however, is how this team comes together. I'll preface this by saying that the one time I had the chance to see them - two weeks ago in a 2-0 Oceanic win at the Coliseum - Rimouski looked like a beatable team. However, they also looked like a structured team (albeit one that failed to impress all that much). Of all the teams in the league, Serge Beausoleil's troops might possess the most controlled breakout plays. They aren't necessarily going to be up the ice in 2 passes and three strides like Halifax, but they will systematically push their way forward in any number of ways. They can move it up the wall. They can effectively execute the stretch pass up the middle. You may even know what's coming, but they stick to - and know - the system so much and so well it's still tough to defend against. They may not be as flashy as the Moose, but they are still very effective. It's this style that took them all the way to the finals last season. Speaking of which...
Despite more roster turnover than your standard issue contender (only six players on this year's squad were on the roster during the Q finals last spring), there are still key players (including Trainor, Beauvillier and Oke) who saw key minutes during that playoff run. In addition, Oke has a Memorial Cup ring in his back pocket thanks to his time spent with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Although you can make the argument that this sort of experience is more of an asset to pro teams, it can't be totally disregarded at this level, either.
Oh... and they play at one of the toughest rinks for a visiting team in the league. During the depths of an emotional playoff series, the Colisee de Rimouski is not for the faint of heart.
Moncton Wildcats
If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you'll quickly come to the realization that I'm not what you'd call a "homer". Those who know me may even be surprised to see the Cats on this list. Well, they aren't here because I wanted to list five teams and this seemed like as good an idea as any. There are certain characteristics I see with this team that puts them on this list of potentially dangerous playoff opponents.
First off, let's talk about the unpredictable. I've been saying it all season long... you do not know what team is going to come out through that big cat from one night to the next. However, since New Year's (a couple hiccups notwithstanding) this team has been able to improvise, adapt and overcome even when not playing their best. Saturday night against PEI was only the most recent example. They trailed the entire way, they had difficulty stringing a breakout pass together for stretches and when they did, PEI had the neutral zone clogged to death. There was so much red between the bluelines, it looked like a murder scene. No matter. A strong third period, forcing the play along the wall, a more effective dump and chase and a fortunate call late and suddenly, the Cats win in OT and Gordie Dwyer is putting composite to board in frustration. I don't care if it was an ugly win against an eighth place team, it was how they found a way that impressed. The swing of unpredictable play has shifted from "either really great or really bad" to "either really great or still good enough to win with a tweak here or there".
Secondly, Bob MacKenzie made a comment during last season's first round series between second place Boston and seventh place Washington. "Beware the team with the bad regular season record". Of course "bad" was a subjective term in that example... much like it is in this. That being said, it still rings true. Both the Caps and the Cats sputtered early on in the season - in the case of Washington, it cost Bruce Boudreau (former NB Hawk might I add) his job. In Moncton, it just caused alot of PO'd people. However, that Caps team picked the best time of the year to put it all together. They battled down the stretch to make the postseason before riding that momentum past the B's in seven games all the way to within a goal of a trip to the conference finals. This Moncton team reminds me alot of that Washington team. The talent is there... the experience is there... all that needs to happen now is for the stars to properly align. It's not as big a stretch as you might think.
Lastly, I've been saying one thing about this team all year long. Win or lose, for better or for worse, I like this team's odds with the staff behind the bench. I've seen too much success from Danny Flynn, Fabien Joseph and Darryl Seward to be skeptical of them now. These guys think on their feet with the best of them at this level and so long as they can get the message through to the guys on the bench, they will more often than not find a way to win.
Just start beating the Moose with more regularity, okay guys? And maybe the Sea Dogs, too... it's just getting ridiculous now.
PEI Rocket
It's been a while since I've been able to put the words "Rocket", "playoffs" and "threat" in the same sentence (except for when the team is a threat to miss the playoffs) so I'm taking advantage of it now. It's not a frivolous exercise, either. If I were most teams in the league, these guys would cause me concern.
There's enough offensive skill up front to force mistakes and stretch the ice out. It's not all Duffy and Currie, either. Guys like Louick Marcotte and Victor Provencher have put up quietly successful campaigns. Add in Yan-Pavel Laplante - finally back after a serious training camp injury and, for my money, the best player on Coliseum ice for the Rocket last weekend - and there's a group of guys up front that runs a bit deeper than it's top two forwards would lead you to believe.
On the blueline, there is plenty of skill mixed with grit. At first glace, it may not be a star studded back end but I ask this: if you were a player in the Q, would you find it an easy challenge to go up against a quartet of Jimmy Oligny, Tomas Pavelka, Troy Vance and Alex Micalef? If you say "no", you're kidding yourself. These are four guys that can come to kill you in a variety of ways. And if you get past them, you have Antoine Bibeau or Maxime Lagace. To be honest, I would be less excited at the prospect of facing Bibeau. Of the two, he's proven the most (for me at least) that when he's on, he's a very frustrating guy to play against.
Most importantly however is the direction in which this team is headed. Simply put, the Rocket finally have direction. That direction is forward. Gordie Dwyer has got his guys buying in to his systems and though it's not pretty at times (once again, refer to Saturday night at the Coliseum), it's more often than not effective. Out of the 10 editions of the PEI Rocket that I've seen, this is the one that feels the most like a team. Very little individual play. More controlled than ever. And, not coincidentally, successful. Hopefully for the fans in Charlottetown, this success is built upon in the post-season.
Val d'Or Foreurs
Ever watch the Q plays of the week on the league website? I recommend you do. Not only to hear Ray The Sports out of Quebec or that crazy singing play by play guy in Rouyn-Noranda. Check and see how many times the Val d'Or Foreurs make the highlight reel. It happens alot. And they make it look easy.
This team is scary good offensively. In a season in which seemingly everything is all Drouin and MacKinnon and Jaskin, Anton Zlobin and Anthony Mantha are plying their trade with less fanfare up in the Abitibi region. It's not just them, either. The Henley boys (Samuel and Cedrick) as well as Vincent Dunn keep showing opponents night in and night out why they are among the toughest guys in the league to play against. Oh, and since his trade out of Bathurst, Brandon Hynes has averaged well over a point a game with the Foreurs. Like I said, scary good.
It's not just that, however. This is a surprisingly well balanced, physical team. Guillaume Gelinas, Artem Sergeev and Randy Gazzola and Loik Poudrier bring a fine mix of offensive skill, grit and - in the case of Sergeev and Gazzola, at least - size. And much like Rimouski, they posses a solid - if not star studded - goaltending tandem in Francois Tremblay and Phillipe Trudeau. As utterly impressive as the offensive showcase has been at the Centre Air Creebec all season long, it's the fact that this team can also leave a very physical mark on it's opponent that makes them the sort of team opponents won't exactly be lining up to face come late March.
Victoriaville Tigres
Sounds crazy, eh? The Tigres are in 11th place. They sold off two of their key components in Phillip Danault and Troy Vance at the deadline. Why do they make the list? It's all because of two guys.
The first person is Brandon Whitney. Want to know how many games this guy has won for his club so far this year? 24 (out of 27 for the Tigres as a whole, I might point out). How many of those wins did he play a huge role in obtaining? Quite a few, friends and neighbors... quite a few. Of all the goalies in the league, with the exception of Zach Fucale and perhaps Etienne Marcoux, he's the one I'd least like to face in the playoffs. He's big. He plays big. When he's on his knees, he still covers about as much of the net as a number of goalies do while standing. In a year in which the big name goalie isn't as prevalent in the Q, he's the guy that I feel is most capable of stealing a series all by himself.
The second person is Yannick Jean. To get a greater idea of my regard for the bench boss in Victo, click here. The guy has come a long, long way since his baptism by fire in PEI. He's grown up, he's learned alot and he's now the kind of coach who - much like a Danny Flynn or a Patrick Roy - has the wherewithal to both do the homework and make the in game adjustments required to get the absolute most out of his club. Speaking of getting the most, have you seen his roster? With all due respect to the Victoriaville lineup, it's not exactly an all-star cast (save their goaltender). Yet there they are, sellers at the deadline, still hanging in there around the middle of standings, not going away on any given night. You have to respect a club like that... and more importantly, you have to tread carefully if locked in a best of 7 with them.
For all those looking at the Moose and immediately seeing little in the way of excitement in this year's post season, I say look beyond first place. You just might find a team or two that'll surprise you - and everyone else, for that matter.
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