QMJHL Weekend Preview

October 21, 2010 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


Lewiston, ME (QMJHL) - After winning three straight games against Chicoutimi and Baie-Comeau, the Lewiston MAINEiacs returned home on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, Lewiston didn't receive the home cooking they were looking for, as they were blanked 6-0 by the Shawinigan Cataractes. However, the MAINEiacs will have the opportunity to put that loss behind them quickly, as they will take the ice for two games over the weekend. Both games will take place in Gatineau against the Olympiques.

Lewiston enters the weekend with an 8-6-0-2 record (18 points), which is still good for a second place tie with Rimouski in the Telus East Division. The MAINEiacs have also won each of their last three road games, giving them 10 out of 16 possible points away from home on the season. Gatineau enters the weekend with an even record of 6-6-1-1 (14 points), which places them in fifth in the competitive Telus West Division.

Who's Hot for the MAINEiacs

31-G-Nicholas Champion (has won each of his last 5 starts, stopping 118 of 128 shots)

23-F-Etienne Brodeur (6 goals, 4 assists in his last 7 games)

26-F-Michael Chaput (2 goals, 2 assists in his last 4 games)

55-D-Samuel Carrier (has at least one point in 7 of his last 10 games)

Learning the Opposition

Gatineau Olympiques

Established in 1973

7 President's Cups (1986, 1988, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2008)

Notable Alumni: Paul Byron, Claude Giroux, David Krejci, Maxime Talbot, Francis Wathier

NHL Draft Picks

Maxime Clermont (NJ)

Nicolas Deslauriers (LA)

Adam Janosik (TB)

Huber Labrie (DAL - free agent)

Tye McGinn (PHI)

Who to Watch for

11-F-Jean-Gabriel Pageau (5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points in 14 games)

7-D-Hugo Laporte (3 goals, 9 assists, 12 points in 14 games)

4-D-Nicolas Deslauriers (2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points in 10 games)

27-F-Tye McGinn (4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points in 6 games)

35-G-Maxime Clermont (5-2-2, 2.62 GAA, .890 Sv%, 1 shutout in 9 games)

Special Teams

Lewiston Power Play: 15-for-63 (23.8%), 5th

Gatineau Power Play: 13-for-70 (18.6%), 12th

Lewiston Penalty Kill: 67-for-81 (82.7%), 4th

Gatineau Penalty Kill: 39-for-52 (75.0%), 15th

Season Series

First Meeting, 2-1 Lewiston in 2009-10

All-Time Series

Gatineau 12, Lewiston 7, 1 tie

All-Time Series in Gatineau

Gatineau 6, Lewiston 3, 1 tie

This Weekend in the Telus East Division

The Quebec Remparts will put their perfect regulation record on the line three times in three days this weekend. The Remparts will start the weekend with a quick trip to Victoriaville on Friday night, before returning home to take on PEI on Saturday and Moncton on Sunday. Quebec and Moncton met up on October 3rd, with the Remparts snatching a shootout win.

The second place Rimouski Oceanic have a pair of home games against the "-ville" teams. Telus West Division leading Drummondville invades the Colisee de Rimouski on Friday, before Victoriaville makes a visit on Sunday. The Voltigeurs probably won't get the warmest welcome, as they eliminated the Oceanic in the second round of the playoffs last spring.

Along with their games against Quebec and Rimouski, fourth place Victoriaville will take the ice at home on Thursday night against the Montreal Junior.

Something will have to give in Chicoutimi on Friday night, as the Drakkar and Sagueneens are both suffering from lengthy losing streaks. Chicoutimi has lost nine straight games, while Baie-Comeau has dropped eleven straight contests. Both teams will also be in action against Moncton during the weekend, as the Wildcats travel to Baie-Comeau on Thursday and Chicoutimi on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Drakkar will have a Saturday night game in Shawinigan against the Cataractes.

Elsewhere in the QMJHL

This past week, the Halifax Mooseheads made a coaching change, replacing Cam Russell with majority owner Bobby Smith. Smith won his debut on Tuesday, and will look to make it two in a row on Friday in the Battle of Nova Scotia, as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles swoop into Halifax. On Saturday, the Mooseheads will get an even tougher test, as the Saint John is the visiting team.

Another regional battle will take place on the opposite side of the QMJHL, as nearby Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or will play a weekend home-and-home series. The first game takes place in Val-d'Or on Friday, before a rematch in Rouyn-Noranda on Saturday.

The top two teams in the Telus West Division will highlight Sunday's games, as first place Drummondville hosts second place Montreal. On September 19th at the Centre Marcel Dionne, the Voltigeurs scored with four seconds left in regulation, before defeating the Junior with 48 seconds remaining in overtime. Sean Couturier netted both goals in Drummondville's comeback win.

Acadie-Bathurst will host Saint John on Friday and Cape Breton on Sunday, while PEI travels to Shawinigan.



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from October 21, 2010


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