QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — In this second preview of the 2011-12 Memorial Cup tournament, let’s have a look at the two teams representing the QMJHL the Shawinigan Cataractes and the President Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs.
Eliminated from the QMJHL playoff on April 17 against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Shawinigan will enter the tournament being out of action for one month. The team coached by Eric Veilleux will open the tournament facing the Western Hockey League champion Edmonton Oil Kings on May 18.
If all other participant teams have identified their main guy in goal, the Cataractes did not identified one man to go with since both saw action in the first two rounds before being eliminated.
Alex Dubeau is the one seeing most action playing seven games with a goals against average of 2.08 with a 0.919 save percentage. Veteran Gabriel Girard saw actions for 5 games with a 2.86 goal-against-average and 0.866 save percentage. The question here is will Shawinigan head coach Veilleux go with more experience even if his veteran showed less interesting statistics? Or will Veilleux go with younger Dudeau the future of the organization in net? You will have to wait until May 18 to get your answer.
On defense, Shawinigan made three great acquisitions at the trading deadline. Morgan Ellis 11 points (4g-7a) in 11 games, Brandon Gormley 7 points (5g-2a) and Jonathan Narbonne 1 points (1g-0a) in 9 games represent the Cataractes key men from the blue line. Gormley played only 7 of team 11 games in playoff, Narbonne played only 9. How many will be in perfect condition to offer plain potential? Question mark.
Jonathan Racine 6 points (1g-5a), Justin Hache 1 points (1g-0a), Dillon Donnely 1 point (0g-1a) in 7 games, Mathieu Gagnon 1 point (0g-1a) in 6 games and rookie Dylan Labbe 1 point (0g-1a ) in 4 games completes the Shawinigan defensive units. Lots of work will await other defensemen if one of the three previous kingpins won’t be at hundred percent.
Offensively, With 47 goals scored in 11 games, forwards will have to be at their best and try to give their team the lead as soon as possible in the game, to have a chance to win games in tournament. Because if not the host team in the tournament will run after trouble if they can’t count on their goaltender to make key saves.
Russian Kirill Kabanov is the Cataractes’ offensive leader with 13 points in 11 games (4g-9a). Center Michael Chaput 12 points in 11 games (4g-8a), left winger Yannick Veilleux 11 points in 11 games (5g-6a), center Loik Poudier 10 points in 11 games (6g-4a), Anton Zlobin 10 points in 11 games (3g-7a), Pierre-Olivier Morin 8 points in 11 games (4g-4a) and captain Michael Bournival 7 points in 11 games (1g-6a), Vincent Arseneault 6 points in 11 games (4g-2a),Mitchell Maynard 6 points in 11 games (2g-4a), Maximilien Le Sieur 3 points in 11 games (0g-3a), Peter Sakaris 3 points in 11 games (0g-3a). Two rookies end the forwards contingent Alexandre Grandmaison 2 points in 3 games (1g-1a) and Frederick Gaudreau 1 points in 8 games (1g-0a) represents the offensive force for Cataractes coach Veilleux.
Entering the QMJHL playoff as the favorite to repeat as the President Cup champion, the Saint John Sea Dogs enter the Memorial Cup with a serious chance to repeat also as the best junior team in Canada for second consecutive years.
Going through the QMJHL playoff losing only once, the team coached by Gerard Gallant will enter the tournament with confidence they can do it again. But before holding the Memorial Cup for a second year in a row, they will have to face tough competition from three other teams.
In goal, often pointed as the team weak link, Mathieu Corbeil did a very good job defending the Saint John net. With a 2.18 goals against average and 0.917 save percentage in 17 games the Montreal Qc. native is the second best goaltenders in the QMJHL in playoff behind Alex Dudeau who just played seven games. Playing all Sea Dogs games in QMJHL playoff Corbeil’s only loss came in overtime at the hands of Chicoutimi Sagueneens in third games of that series by the score of 5-4.
On defense, Nathan Beaulieu 15 points in 17 games (4g-11a), Charles-Olivier Rousell 15 points in 17 games (3g-12a), and Kevin Gagne 15 points in 17 games (2g-13a) represents the three best offensive defensemen for head coach Gallant.
Pierre Durepos 5 points in 17 games (1g-4a), Jason Seed 4 points in 17 games (1g-3a), Ian Saab 3 points in 12 games (0g-3a) and Spencer MacDonald 2 points in 3 games (1g-2a), Jason Moore played only 4 games with zero point completes Sea Dogs defensive units.
Offensively, players who formed the first two lines are the one leading Saint John offense. Stanislav Galiev 34 points in 17 games (16g-18a), Charles Coyle 34 points in 17 games (15g-19a), Zack Phillips 32 points in 17 games (9g-23a), Tomas Jurco 29 points in 16 games (13g-16a), Danick Gauthier 21 points in 17 games (13g-8a) and Jonathan Huberdeau 21 points in 15 games (10g-11a) are the first six forwards representing the offensive force against whom other teams will have to find a way to stop, to have a chance to win against the Sea Dogs.
Ryan Tesink, 13 points in 17 games (7g-6a), Stephen MacAulay 13 points (6g-7a), Maxime Villemaire 3 points in 13 games (0g-3a) and Jason Cameron 1 points in 15 games (0g-1a) are the tree players used to play against other team offensive force.
Prediction: Trying to predict which teams will go to the final is always a risky thing to do, but don’t be surprised if the 2011-12 Memorial Cup final will see the London Knights facing the Saint John Sea Dogs. At the end, Saint John should prevail due to their strong offense. Experts often say offense wins championship, defense the Cup. Why not, for once, the offense wins the cup.
Enjoy the tournament.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
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