After a major upset in the first round when the Rimouski Oceanic surprised the Saint-Jean Sea Dogs, the logic was respected in the second round of the QMJHL playoffs. Now it’s time for the four ace and even if the first two teams in the general classification are still in the race, nothing is won for the Quebec Remparts and the Charlottetown Islanders. Let’s try to predict who will reach the grand final of the President Cup.
The series between the Remparts and the Océanic in the second round was anything but a walk in the park for Patrick Roy’s men and left some marks, especially on captain Théo Rochette who is clearly not 100% and whose the duo with Zachary Bolduc was well contained by Serge Beausoleil’s troupe. The Cataractes didn’t have it easy against the Gatineau Olympiques either, even though they swept the series. Both teams have top-notch forwards in the league and there is no doubt that every little mistake could be fatal due to the strike force on either side. Sign of fate, or not, the Remparts have won three of the five clashes against Shawi this season.
► Prediction: Ramparts in 5 parts
THE CONFRONTATION TO FOLLOWLouis Crevier C. Mavrik Bourque
The great defender of the Remparts has been a real defensive wall since the start of the playoffs. With his partner Evan Nause, who has also been playing inspired hockey for a few months, Crevier will have the heavy task of containing the Bourque trio, completed by Xavier Bourgault and Olivier Nadeau.
The Islanders were uninhibited in the second round against an Acadie-Bathurst Titan who was coming off an emotional series against the Halifax Mooseheads. Jim Hulton’s squad have allowed just seven goals in six playoff games so far, led by a mature defensive squad and a Francesco Lapenna who has a .951 save percentage since the start of the playoffs. On the Phoenix side, they also swept their second-round series against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, but they will have to show more consistency than they did in the first two rounds if they want to defeat the Islanders.
► Prediction: Islanders in 4 parts
THE CONFRONTATION TO FOLLOWXavier Simoneau C. Joshua Roy
The series between Charlottetown and Sherbrooke will pit two Canadian hopefuls against each other. So far, Roy has the upper hand offensively over Simoneau with 16 points in 7 games, compared to 7 points in six games for Simoneau. The latter, however, brings much more than offense and, in his last season in the junior ranks, he is aiming for nothing less than the big trophy.
► Our results after two rounds: 11 in 12
