QUEBEC CITY P.Q. — Victoriaville faced Saint John twice during 2009-2010 regular season with one win and one loss. The Tigres won in Saint John 5-2 and lost against the Sea Dogs 5-3 in front of Victoriaville fans in le Colisee Desjardins. Offensively Victoriaville came out scoring eight goals while yielding seven.
Trying to predict a winner by the numbers can certainly be a difficult task. On the other hand, it can also help. Before going deeper in the analysis position by position, let’s look at the statistics aspects between the two teams.
Overall, Victoriaville scored five of their eight goals on 13 power plays for 38.5 percent efficiency. In shorthanded situations, the team coached by Yanick Jean allowed only two goals in 11 shorthanded situations for 81.1 percent efficiency.
Saint John scored only two of their seven goals on eleven power plays for 18.2 percent efficiency. In shorthanded situations, the Sea Dogs allowed five goals in 13 chances for 61.5 percent efficiencies.
What do these numbers tell you at first sight? If you look Victoriaville efficiency with a man advantage Saint John should avoid the penalty box, because it could cost them in this series. On the other hand Saint John must take advantage of every opportunity to beat Tigres goaltender Keven Poulin because Victoriaville plays very well a man short.
Special units will certainly play big role for one team or the other at the end of this series.
Now let’s try analyzing position by position which team could have the advantage on the other.
In goal: This series will give fans in both cities the chance to see two excellent goaltenders. On one side, you will have Keven Poulin. The Victoriaville goaltender played a key role in against Quebec making stellar saves whether to prevent the Remparts to take a lead in in the series or being almost perfect in critical situations.
Having to face Saint John will be another opportunity for the New York Islanders prospect to prove to the organization who drafted him in fifth round in 2008 he has the talent and earn the right to sign his first professional contract. To try to stop the best team in the entire QMJHL during the regular season over 62 games won’t be an easy task, the Montreal native will have lots of pressure on him to continue to do the job.
Statistically, Poulin played ten games in the playoffs winning eight and losing twice. His average is 1.86 and his save percentage show 0.943.
In Saint John, the Sea Dogs put all their confidence in veteran Marco Cousineau hho began his junior career in Baie-Comeau, traded to Drummondville last year and played a major role in Voltigeurs ride throughout last year’s playoff. Last summer Drummondville traded Cousineau to the Prince Edward Island Rocket and the Rocket traded him to the Sea Dogs this year.
The les Cedre native has experience in what Saint John is about to live through in the upcoming series. He will be counted on heavily to face the challenge against Victoriaville.
With Saint John in playoffs, Cousineau played nine games winning eight times losing once. Cousineau his another goaltender who can stay calm in critical situations, can keep his concentration and will certainly enjoy to face the challenge to try to help his team going through their next opponent. He has a goaltender average of 2.10 and a save percentage of 0.918.
These promise to be great battles, two experienced goaltenders, one looks to end a great junior career helping his team to go as far as they can and prove to the organization that drafted him (Anaheim) he can do the job, the other who will look to prove to himself and to others that he can do the job and to the Islanders, he deserves the trust of the Islanders organization.
Considering all issues both would like to help their teams to the next round.
Slight edge to Saint John goaltender due to his experience.
Defensively with Joel Chouinard 9 points in 10 games (2g), Samuel Groulx 5 points in 10 games (1g), Emanuel Boudreau 5 points (0g), Olivier Jannard 2 points in 8 games (0g), Keven Dupont who just came back in the last game of the preceding series 1 points in 1 game (1g) and Pierre-Luc Pelletier 1 point in10 games (0g) Victoriaville is able to count on six defensemen.
Chouinard played the role of quarterback on first power play unit, Groulx who was acquired from Quebec brought experience, defensive stability, Dupont is the veteran who can play tough game when it count and Pelletier is young defenseman who can bring some offense and can play good defensively.
In Saint John, the Sea Dogs’ defensive unit isn’t bad either. Simon Despres 10 points in 9 games (0g), Nathan Beaulieu 8 points in 9 games (5g), Yann Sauve 5 points in 9 games (1g) young 16-year old Pierre Durepos 2 points in 9 games (1g), Kevin Gagne 1 point in 5 games (0g), Gabriel Bourret another young 16-year old with 1 points in 8 games (0g) and Christian Morin who didn’t have any points in 9 games complete the six defensemen who will be charged with stopping the Tigres’ offense.
Despres and Sauve are the two best Saint John defensemen. It will be a great challenge for these two young defensemen to work against Victoriaville offense.
The defensive edge goes to the Sea Dogs
Offensively it will be interesting to see how Victoriaville players will react against a more mature team on defense. Besides the Tigres’ first line who will be able to upheld their play and be able to bring their contribution offensively? Players like Philip-Michael Devos, 16 points in 10 games (6g), Joel Champagne 11 points in 10 games (6g), Travis McIsaac 11 points in 10 games (6g) and Tomas Kubalik 11 points in 10 games (3g) will have to continue offensively if Victoriaville hopes to see their team alive after this series.
Players on the other lines, Guillaume Goulet, Yanni Gourde who brought very important contribution in other series Philip Danault, Brandon Hynes who missed several games in preceding series and Chris Doyle will have to find ways to improve their contributions to the scoreboard.
The Sea Dogs offered a well balance team on offense. Players like Michael Kirkpatrick 17 points in 9 games (6g), Nicholas Pettersson 15 points in 9 games (4g) next three are three young 16 years old Jonathan Huberdeau 14 points in 9 games (9g), Tomas Jurco 12 points in 9 games (5g) and Stanislav Galiev with 11 points in 9 games (5g) and veteran Mike Hoffman with 10 points in 9 games (4g) brought excellent contributions offensively to Saint John.
The offensive edge goes to the Saint John Sea Dogs.
The team that will get contributions from the second, third and occasionally fourth line, and win the battle of special units will have the best chance to win this series.
And since you took the time to read the entire article you certainly would like to know which team we think will win this series.
Prediction: Saint John in six.
Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.