Favoured teams having success in early stages of Q post-season
Despite the unusual nature of the 2020-21 QMJHL season and subsequent playoffs, the early returns from post-season action are looking much like a normal spring — much to the chagrin of the Shawinigan Cataractes.
Even with the "boom and bust" nature of major junior where aspiring contenders load up on veteran talent each year, it seems every MarchApril sees a heavyweight sidelined earlier than expected.
While the Cataractes' core is "scheduled" to peak for 2022, the Cats did make some deals to improve their overage situation — picking up sniper Isiah Campbell from Drummondville and all-star blueliner Justin Bergeron from Rimouski. But it was Bergeron's old squad that was their undoing in the most stunning development of the opening round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs.
After an opening night loss to the Océanic, it looked like business as usual when Shawinigan rocked Rimouski 7-1 in the second game, and a win in game three put the Cataractes in the driver's seat. However Rimouski locked the series at two, and then pitched a shutout (for the second time) in the series in the fifth and deciding contest.
Xavier Cormier, who went the opposite way in the Bergeron swap, assisted on both Rimouski goals and was the third star in game five. The Océanic's upset was made even more impressive given that they were playing without potential NHL first round draft pick Zachary Bolduc, out due to injury.
It's the sixth straight time (discounting the lack of a playoffs in 2020) that one of the league's top five clubs has been booted in the first round.
Moncton pulled off shockers over third-place Rimouski in 2018 and fourth-place Baie-Comeau in 2019. Going back further, a trend: thirdplace Blainville-Boisbriand was stunned by Gatineau in 2015, but pulled their own upset on second-ranked Vald'Or in 2016, who then toppled fifth-ranked Shawinigan in 2017.
Rimouski's victory was definitely an outlier on the Quebec side of the bracket. Not only were the Océanic the lone lower seed to win their series, aside from Gatineau's game one victory over Blainville-Boisbraind, they were the only underdog to win a single match.
Val-d'Or (Baie-Comeau), Chicoutimi (Sherbrooke), Victoriaville (RouynNoranda) and Quebec (Drummondville) took just the minimum three contests to skate into the league's quarter-finals.
In the Maritimes, Charlottetown was awaiting the winner of the New Brunswick double round robin. Based on the regular season, it wasn't an upset that Bathurst emerged as the winner — but they certainly did so in style.
Heading into the last weekend of the round robin, the three New Brunswick teams were tied with records of 2-2. All three of the final weekend affairs went to overtime, although the Moncton-Saint John finale was rendered moot after the Titan won both of their games.
Even though it was a round robin, the overtimes were continuous, in traditional playoff style. This created an unusual situation in which Saint John and Moncton skated in a five-on-five overtime with both knowing it was their last playoff outing of the year.
Bathurst's victories finalized a Maritime title showdown like no other. With the league planning for the final four teams to convene in La Belle Province, the process was fast-tracked and the Maritime Division final between the Islanders and Titan was shifted to Shawinigan, where the Islanders swept the series 3-0 with a 2-1 win on Tuesday. They will play the winner of Victoriaville and Blainville-Boisbriand.
In Quebec City, the other big favourites have advanced to the league semifinal. Chicoutimi swept the Remparts 3-0 (despite the unearned home ice advantage for Quebec). Meanwhile, Val-d'Or has done nothing to lose their status as league favourites: all three of their wins over BaieComeau were by three goals or more, prior to the Foreurs beating Rimouski in three straight games to advance.
The fourth quarter-final has given more hope for a traditional playoff classic — with Blainville-Boisbriand and Victoriaville trading 3-2 overtime victories to kick off their best-of-five affair, before the Tigres took Game 3, 6-4, on Tuesday. Game 4 will be played today at 8 p.m. Atlantic time in Quebec City. The Tigres lead the series 2-1.
Combined with the extra time seen in the New Brunswick playdowns, it's great to see QMJHL teams capable of delivering traditional exciting playoff hockey even in the most unusual of times.
Patrick McNeil is the play-byplay announcer with the Cape Breton Eagles.