QMJHL Weekend Preview - Road Report from Moncton

December 2, 2010 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


Lewiston, ME (QMJHL) - On Wednesday afternoon, the Lewiston MAINEiacs learned that they had cracked the BMO CHL Top 10 Rankings for the first time since 2007. Lewiston is currently ranked tenth, entering the weekend with a 21-8-0-2 record (44 points), which is good for a third place tie in the QMJHL. The MAINEiacs have won each of their last three games, as well as 13 of their last 14. Two of the past three wins came at home last week, as Lewiston defeated Chicoutimi and Moncton. Then, on Tuesday night, the MAINEiacs picked up a dramatic 2-1 overtime win in Cape Breton, while outshooting the Screaming Eagles 51-11.

This weekend, the MAINEiacs will be tested with three games in four days, facing three opponents that have point totals greater than 35. The weekend starts on Thursday in Moncton against the Wildcats, who Lewiston defeated 3-2 in a shootout last Friday. Moncton is currently 17-9-0-3 (37 points), which is good for second place in the Maritimes Division. On Friday, the MAINEiacs will conclude their three-game road trip with a tilt in Saint John against the Sea Dogs. Saint John is 22-3-0-2 (46 points), hasn't lost in regulation at home, and currently has a 13-game unbeaten streak in regulation. Finally, the weekend finishes with a home game against the Montreal Junior on Sunday. Montreal leads the Telus West Division with a 21-4-3-1 record (46 points), and has won eight of their last ten games.

Who's Hot for the MAINEiacs

68-F-Jess Tanguy (has at least 1 point in 11 of his last 12 games)

23-F-Etienne Brodeur (has at least 1 point in 12 of his last 14 games)

3-D-Zach Evans-Renaud (has 5 points in his last 3 games)

55-D-Sam Carrier (has at least 1 point in 4 of his last 6 games)

26-F-Michael Chaput (has 3 points in his last 3 games)

31-G-Nicholas Champion (has won 11 straight games, and 17 of his last 18 starts)

Learning the Opposition (Thursday)

Moncton Wildcats

Established in 1995

2 President's Cups (2006, 2010)

Notable Alumni: Evgeny Artyukhin, Steve Bernier, Corey Crawford, Dmitri Kalinin, Johnny Oduya

NHL Draft Picks

Brandon Gormley (PHX)

Who to Watch for

21-F-Alex Saulnier (13 goals, 26 assists, 39 points in 29 games)

19-F-Allain Saulnier (13 goals, 25 assists, 38 points in 29 games)

15-F-Marek Hrivik (14 goals, 19 assists, 33 points in 26 games)

23-F-Daniel Pettersson (17 goals, 9 assists, 26 points in 29 games)

5-D-Daniel Milan (11 goals, 12 assists, 23 points in 29 games)

41-G-Shane Owen (9-7-3 record, 3.07 GAA, .911 Sv%, 1 shutout in 19 games)

Learning the Opposition (Friday)

Saint John Sea Dogs

Established in 2005

0 President's Cups

Notable Alumni: Alex Grant, Felix Schutz

NHL Draft Picks

Steven Anthony (VAN)

Simon Despres (PIT)

Stanislav Galiev (WSH)

Stephen MacAulay (STL)

Who to Watch for

11-F-Jonathan Huberdeau (19 goals, 23 assists, 42 points in 27 games)

7-F-Zack Phillips (20 goals, 18 assists, 38 points in 27 games)

10-F-Michael Kirkpatrick (8 goals, 22 assists, 30 points in 24 games)

13-F-Tomas Jurco (14 goals, 14 assists, 28 points in 27 games)

47-D-Simon Despres (6 goals, 15 assists, 21 points in 17 games)

33-G-Frederic Piche (10-1-2 record, 2.36 GAA, .917 Sv%, 2 shutouts in 15 games)

Learning the Opposition (Sunday)

Montreal Junior

Established in 2008

0 President's Cups

Notable Alumni: Jake Allen, TJ Brennan, Angelo Esposito

NHL Draft Picks

Louis-Marc Aubry (DET)

Jean-Francois Berube (LA)

Louis Leblanc (MTL)

Philippe Lefebvre (MTL - free agent)

Charles-Olivier Roussel (NSH)

Who to Watch for

20-F-Louis Leblanc (12 goals, 16 assists, 28 points in 20 games)

94-F-Philippe Lefebvre (13 goals, 15 assists, 28 points in 27 games)

18-F-Jeremy Gouchie (9 goals, 17 assists, 26 points in 29 games)

16-D-Xavier Ouellet (4 goals, 22 assists, 26 points in 29 games)

19-F-Trevor Parkes (12 goals, 13 assists, 25 points in 25 games)

30-G-Jean-Francois Berube (14-3-2 record, 2.68 GAA, .896 Sv% in 19 games)

Special Teams

Lewiston Power Play: 22-for-121 (18.2%), 12th

Moncton Power Play: 40-for-138 (29.0%), 5th

Saint John Power Play: 28-for-125 (22.4%), 6th

Montreal Power Play: 22-for-107 (20.6%), 9th

Lewiston Penalty Kill: 133-for-160 (83.1%), 4th

Moncton Penalty Kill: 95-for-121 (81.9%), 5th

Saint John Penalty Kill: 92-for-115 (80.0%), 7th

Montreal Penalty Kill: 90-for-111 (81.1%), 6th

Season Series

Lewiston 1, Moncton 0

First Meeting - Saint John 2, Lewiston 0 in 2009-10

First Meeting - Montreal 3, Lewiston 1 in 2009-10

All-Time Series

Moncton 22, Lewiston 17

Lewiston 16, Saint John 12

Montreal 5, Lewiston 2

All-Time Series on the Road

Moncton 12, Lewiston 7

Lewiston 6, Saint John 6

All-Time Series in Lewiston

Montreal 2, Lewiston 1

This Weekend in the Telus East Division

The Quebec Remparts and Lewiston MAINEiacs enter the weekend tied atop the Telus East Division with 44 points each, and both teams will take the ice three times to try to break the deadlock. Quebec will start the weekend against the team that eliminated them from the 2010 playoffs, as the Remparts visit the Victoriaville Tigres. After that, Quebec will return home for a pair of games against Shawinigan on Saturday and Cape Breton on Sunday.

The Victoriaville Tigres have grabbed sole possession of third place in the division, and will look to build on that with two games at Colisee Desjardins this weekend. The Tigres host Quebec on Friday night, before welcoming Chicoutimi to town on Sunday.

With Victoriaville now in third, that means the Rimouski Oceanic have dropped into fourth place in the division. Unlike the Tigres, the Oceanic will play both of their games on the road, with both contests coming against divisional foes. Rimouski starts things off on Friday in Chicoutimi, before taking the voyage to Baie-Comeau on Saturday.

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens have struggled to find an identity in the early season, and are currently on a four-game losing streak. The Sagueneens will play three games in three days this weekend, starting with home games against Rimouski on Friday and Cape Breton on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, the Sagueneens will close out the weekend with a visit to Victoriaville.

The Baie-Comeau Drakkar picked up their second win of the season last weekend, and proceeded to pick up three out of six possible points on the road. This weekend, the Drakkar will be back home at the Centre Henry Leonard for games against struggling Cape Breton on Friday, as well as divisional rival Rimouski on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the QMJHL

The Gatineau Olympiques have turned their season around in the Telus West Division, winning six straight games, as well as eight of their last ten. However, the Olympiques will get tested this weekend, as they will be forced to play three games in three days against the top three teams in the Maritimes Division, with all three games taking place on the road. Gatineau will begin the weekend in Moncton on Friday, continue in Saint John on Saturday, before finishing in Acadie-Bathurst on Sunday.

The Montreal Junior have a six-point lead at the top of the Telus West Division, but before they come to Lewiston on Sunday, they will have to play a home game against Shawinigan on Friday night. The Junior are currently holding off Drummondville, who will make the trip west this weekend to visit Rouyn-Noranda on Friday and Val-d'Or on Saturday.

Halifax is the other team that will go across the province, as they will face the Foreurs on Friday and the Huskies on Saturday. Rouyn-Noranda has lost 18 games in a row.

The other two games in the league this weekend will see PEI visit Acadie-Bathurst on Friday, before returning home to the Charlottetown Civic Centre to face Moncton on Saturday.



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 2, 2010


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