2023 Road to the Memorial Cup: QMJHL Round 3 preview
The Big Four remain.
The Gatineau Olympiques, Halifax Mooseheads, Quebec Remparts and Sherbrooke Phoenix are, as expected, the last four standing in the QMJHL.
It should come as no surprise; the four clubs were the Q’s best from the get-go. They combined for 202 wins with the Olympiques the lone club not to reach the 50-win mark (although they ended the season as the no. 1 ranked club in the Kia CHL Top 10 rankings).
The four clubs have gone a combined 32-2 in the postseason; Quebec and Sherbrooke have yet to lose while Gatineau needed five games in the first round while Halifax needed one more than the bare minimum in Round 2.
Halifax will face Sherbrooke in the QMJHL’s semi-finals while Gatineau will take on Quebec.
(1) Sherbrooke vs. (2) Halifax
After they scored 22 goals in the first round against Blainville-Boisbriand, the Phoenix found the back of the net 24 times as they took out Drummondville in four games. Joshua Roy (MTL) was simply dominant in the series as he recorded 11 points (five goals), that included a six-point effort (3G, 3A) in Game 2, while Jacob Melanson (SEA) played at a two-point-per-game pace. Adam Olivier kept his perfect record intact between the pipes as he registered a 1.75 GAA over four games.
Roy’s 21 points are tied for the third most in the CHL in the playoffs while Olivier’s 1.75 GAA throughout the postseason is the fifth best. It’s the second time in franchise history that the Phoenix have reached the QMJHL’s semi-finals, a feat they also achieved last year.
The Mooseheads, who swept Cape Breton in the first round, needed five games to take out Moncton in Round 2. After a 4-1 loss on home ice in Game 1, Halifax rattled off four straight wins in which they scored seven times in two of those outings (Game’s 2 and 5). Josh Lawrence and Zachary L’Heureux (NSH) each had nine points in the series, the latter also scoring six times, while Jordan Dumais (CBJ) tallied eight points. Mathis Rousseau played every minute of the series where he posted a 2.00 GAA and recorded a 25-save shutout in Game 4.
Lawrence, who won a Memorial Cup with Saint John last season, leads the Mooseheads with 19 playoff points while Rousseau’s .930 save percentage is the third best in the QMJHL. After the second 50-win season in franchise history, Halifax is seeking its second Q title (2013).
Season series: Series tied 1-1-0
Schedule:
Game 1 — April 29 — SHE @ HAL — 6pm ET / 3pm PT
Game 2 — April 30 — SHE @ HAL — 3pm ET / 12pm PT
Game 3 — May 2 — HAL @ SHE — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 4 — May 4 — HAL @ SHE — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 5* — May 6 — SHE @ HAL — 1pm ET / 10am PT
Game 6* — May 7 — HAL @ SHE — 5pm ET / 2pm PT
Game 7* — May 9 — SHE @ HAL — 6pm ET / 3pm PT
*if necessary
(1) Quebec vs. (2) Gatineau
After a first round sweep of Charlottetown, the Remparts made quick work of Chicoutimi in Round 2 as well. Quebec scored 19 goals in their sweep of the Sagueneens where they won both home games by a combined 11-4 scoreline. Pier-Olivier Roy scored the overtime winner in Game 3 before the Remparts finished off Chicoutimi in Game 4. Justin Robidas (CAR) paced the Remparts with seven points while Nathan Gaucher’s (ANA) four goals were a team high. William Rousseau tabled a .909 save percentage in the series.
Robidas, who was acquired from Val-d’Or over the Christmas break, leads all Quebec skaters with 15 postseason points while 50-goal, 100-point man Zackary Bolduc (STL) has a team best six goals. Rousseau’s 1.60 GAA is the third best in the CHL through two rounds. Quebec continue to seek their first Q title as this iteration of the Remparts.
Winners of 30 of their last 32 games, the Olympiques steamrolled Rouyn-Noranda in Round 2. Francesco Lapenna recorded back-to-back shutouts in Game’s 1 and 2 before 7-3 and 6-1 victories finished the series off on the road. Zach Dean (STL) had 10 points in the series while 50-goalscorer Alexis Gendron (PHI) scored four goals. Lapenna recorded a ridiculous 1.00 GAA and .964 save percentage throughout the series.
Dean’s 23 points are tied for the most in the CHL this postseason while Lapenna leads the league in GAA and save percentage. Gatineau is on the hunt for a third QMJHL title and first since 2008.
Season series: Quebec won series 3-1-1
Schedule:
Game 1 — April 28 — GAT @ QUE — 6pm ET / 3pm PT
Game 2 — April 30 — GAT @ QUE — 3pm ET / 12pm PT
Game 3 — May 2 — QUE @ GAT — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 4 — May 3 — QUE @ GAT — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 5* — May 5 — GAT @ QUE — 1pm ET / 10am PT
Game 6* — May 7 — QUE @ GAT — 5pm ET / 2pm PT
Game 7* — May 9 — GAT @ QUE — 6pm ET / 3pm PT
*if necessary