QMJHL Weekend Preview

Published on January 27, 2011 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


Lewiston, ME (QMJHL) - For the first time in two weeks, the Lewiston MAINEiacs are getting ready to take the ice for a game at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. After going 2-2 in four games away from home, the MAINEiacs will now play seven of their next eight games on home ice, beginning with two this weekend. Last weekend, Lewiston came out on the short end of a 6-3 score against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, before rebounding to defeat the Rimouski Oceanic 3-1 the next day. The MAINEiacs enter this weekend with a 31-16-0-2 record (64 points), which is good for second place in the Telus East Division and seventh place overall. Lewiston is within one point of Gatineau for sixth, three points of Acadie-Bathurst for fifth, and four points of Drummondville for fourth, while leading Shawinigan by three points.

This weekend will start with a rematch between the MAINEiacs and Oceanic. Rimouski has been in action since Sunday, allowing four straight goals in the third period of a 5-4 loss to the Quebec Remparts on Wednesday. The Oceanic currently own a 24-24-0-2 record (50 points), which puts them in fourth place in the Telus East Division, as well as 11th place overall. Lewiston and Rimouski split a pair of games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on opening weekend, and the MAINEiacs have won twice at the Colisee de Rimouski since.

The second game this weekend will also be a divisional showdown, as the MAINEiacs will welcome the Chicoutimi Sagueneens to town. Sunday will be the third game in four days for Chicoutimi, who will visit Gatineau on Thursday and Victoriaville on Friday. The Sagueneens' current record is 16-21-4-6 (42 points), which puts them in fifth place in the Telus East Division, as well as 13th place overall. Lewiston and Chicoutimi have met three times so far this season, with the home team winning all three. The Sagueneens started with a 5-4 shootout win on September 18th, before the MAINEiacs responded with a 3-1 win on October 13th and a 7-4 win on November 24th.

Who's Hot for the MAINEiacs

23-F-Etienne Brodeur (has at least 1 point in each of his last 5 games and 7 of his last 8 games)

44-D-Olivier Dame-Malka (has at least 1 point in 7 of his last 8 games)

26-F-Michael Chaput (has at least 1 point in 6 of his last 8 games)

55-D-Sam Carrier (has at least 1 point in 6 of his last 7 games)

1-G-Andrey Makarov (has won 5 of his last 6 decisions, stopping 152 of 166 shots)

Learning the Opposition (Friday)

Rimouski Oceanic

Established in 1995

2 President's Cups (2000, 2005)

Notable Alumni: Ryane Clowe, Sidney Crosby, Michael Frolik, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards

NHL Draft Picks

Jakub Culek (Ottawa)

Gleason Fournier (Detroit)

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc (Buffalo)

Petr Straka (Columbus)

Who to Watch for

71-F-Felix Lefrancois (22 goals, 31 assists, 53 points in 47 games)

63-F-Alex Belzile (21 goals, 31 assists, 52 points in 47 games)

6-D-Jerome Gauthier-Leduc (8 goals, 25 assists, 33 points in 43 games)

20-F-Alex Emond (18 goals, 14 assists, 32 points in 38 games)

64-F-Jarrad Struthers (17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points in 49 games)

14-D-Gleason Fournier (8 goals, 21 assists, 29 points in 41 games)

43-G-Carl Hozjan (10-9-1 record, 3.75 GAA, .877 Sv% in 21 games)

Learning the Opposition (Sunday)

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

Established in 1973

2 President's Cups (1991, 1994)

Notable Alumni: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Guy Carbonneau, Marc Denis, David Desharnais, Felix Potvin

NHL Draft Picks

None

Who to Watch for

38-F-Guillaume Asselin (21 goals, 33 assists, 54 points in 47 games)

10-F-Charles Hudon (15 goals, 22 assists, 37 points in 42 games)

19-F-Alexandre Lavoie (15 goals, 18 assists, 33 points in 42 games)

15-F-Jonathan Bonneau (15 goals, 17 assists, 32 points in 42 games)

24-D-Nicolas Therrien (10 goals, 20 assists, 30 points in 47 games)

37-G-Christopher Gibson (9-9-7 record, 2.18 GAA, .927 Sv%, 2 shutouts in 25 games)

Special Teams

Lewiston Power Play: 37-for-198 (18.7%), 12th

Rimouski Power Play: 59-for-222 (26.6%), 3rd

Chicoutimi Power Play: 33-for-199 (16.6%), 16th

Lewiston Penalty Kill: 202-for-249 (81.1%), 5th

Rimouski Penalty Kill: 180-for-228 (78.9%), 9th

Chicoutimi Penalty Kill: 124-for-161 (77.0%), 13th

Season Series

Lewiston 3, Rimouski 1

Lewiston 2, Chicoutimi 1

All-Time Series

Lewiston 18, Rimouski 15, 1 tie

Chicoutimi 16, Lewiston 15, 1 tie

All-Time Series in Lewiston

Lewiston 8, Rimouski 8, 1 tie

Lewiston 11, Chicoutimi 6

This Weekend in the Telus East Division

The Quebec Remparts will finish their current four-game homestand with two more tilts this weekend. On Friday night, Quebec welcomes the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and their nine-game winning streak to Colisee Pepsi. Then, on Sunday, it's a divisional battle, as the Remparts take on the Victoriaville Tigres.

The Victoriaville Tigres have a pair of games on the docket this weekend, and both will be played against divisional opponents. On Friday night, the Tigres will be at home to face the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Then, on Sunday, Victoriaville will take their show on the road to Quebec for a meeting with the Remparts. The Tigres have won each of their last six games against the Remparts, dating back to last year's playoffs.

The Rimouski Oceanic have a relatively quiet weekend ahead, as they will only take the ice once. That game comes on Friday night against the Lewiston MAINEiacs at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens are unlike Rimouski, as they will be faced with three games in four days, with all three taking place on the road. The Sagueneens will start off in Gatineau on Thursday, move over to Victoriaville on Friday, and finish in Lewiston on Sunday.

The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are in the midst of four straight games in the Maritimes Division, after losing the opener of the trip, 4-1 in Sydney on Wednesday. The journey will get tougher as it continues for the Drakkar, who will visit Halifax on Friday, before facing the league-leading Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday and Sunday. Saint John has yet to lose in regulation at Harbour Station this season (21-0-1-1).

Elsewhere in the QMJHL

Scoreboard watchers will be looking towards Drummondville this weekend, as the fourth place Voltigeurs will play host to two teams that are close to them and the MAINEiacs in the standings. On Saturday, Drummondville will face Acadie-Bathurst in the second game of the Titan's road trip. Then, on Sunday, the Shawinigan Cataractes will venture into Centre Marcel Dionne. Shawinigan could be carrying a six-game winning streak into Drummondville, depending on Thursday night's result in Val-d'Or.

Following their tilt with the Cataractes, the Val-d'Or Foreurs will visit the rival Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Friday night. The Gatineau Olympiques might want to watch that battle, as they will travel to both cities this weekend - taking on the Huskies on Saturday and the Foreurs on Sunday.

The Montreal Junior are headed out to the Maritimes Division for three games in four days. The Junior will start their journey on Thursday against the PEI Rocket, before playing a two-game weekend series against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.

Thanks to Mother Nature, the Moncton Wildcats and Saint John Sea Dogs saw their game moved from Thursday to Friday. That sets up a back-to-back scenario for the Wildcats, who will host Halifax on Friday. The Mooseheads will be in action on Sunday, playing on the road against the PEI Rocket.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 27, 2011


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