2024 Road to Memorial Cup: QMJHL Round 2 preview
Photo credit: Ghyslain Bergeron
The first round of the Gilles Courteau Playoffs saw five sweeps while a no.2 seed fell in a compelling opening round in the QMJHL.
Baie-Comeau, Acadie-Bathurst, Chicoutimi, Drummondville and Victoriaville all breezed into the second round but it was the Titan’s elimination of the Halifax Mooseheads that stole the headlines.
Eastern Conference
(1) Baie-Comeau vs. (7) Acadie-Bathurst
The 53-win Drakkar made quick work of Charlottetown as they outscored the Islanders 20-7 in four games.
Matyas Melovsky led the way with nine points and sits tied second in QMJHL playoff scoring. Melovsky and Justin Poirier each had four goals in the series and sit tied for the Q lead in that category. Justin Gill (NYI) also contributed seven points while Charles-Edward Gravel sits fourth among goaltenders with a 1.50 GAA.
Baie-Comeau’s second round appearance is their first since 2015. The Drakkar have come close to a maiden QMJHL title on two occasions but fell in the championship series both times in 2013 (to Halifax) and 2014 (to Val-d’Or).
The Titan needed just four games to take down their Atlantic rivals Halifax, the no. 2 seed in the East, as they returned to the second round for the third time in the last four years.
Milo Roelens (TB) scored back-to-back overtime winners in Game’s 1 and 2 while on home ice, the Titan won 7-2 and then 3-2 to finish the series in four games.
Colby Huggan had a team high four goals and eight points in the series while Roelens and Robert Orr each tallied six points. Antoine Keller registered a 1.47 GAA, the third best among Q goalies in the first round.
Acadie-Bathurst are two-time QMJHL champions (1999, 2018) and claimed the Memorial Cup in 2018 too; a victory that kickstarted the QMJHL’s current run of four straight Memorial Cup titles.
Series schedule:
Game 1 — April 12 — BAT @ BAC — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 2 — April 13 — BAT @ BAC — 4pm ET / 1pm PT
Game 3 — April 16 — BAC @ BAT — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 4 — April 17 — BAC @ BAT — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 5* — April 19 — BAC @ BAT — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 6* — April 22 — BAT @ BAC — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 7* — April 23 — BAT @ BAC — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
*if necessary
(4) Cape Breton vs. (6) Chicoutimi
The Eagles entered the postseason on a nine-game winning streak and they parlayed that confidence into a second round appearance after a five-game series victory over Rimouski.
They outscored the Oceanic 13-5 on home ice in the first two games before they took Game 3 3-1. After a small hiccup in Game 4, where they fell 4-3, they closed the series out in Game 5 after a 4-2 win.
Cam Squires (NJ) was sensational for the Eagles as he recorded 11 points (four goals) to lead the QMJHL in first round scoring while it was also the most points by a Cape Breton player in one series in franchise history.
Niccolas Ruccia recorded a .912 save percentage in five games while Cam MacDonald led the club with five goals.
The Eagles have never won a QMJHL title but have advanced to the Conference Finals on two occasions (2002, 2007).
Chicoutimi, the no. 6 seed, also made quick work of Moncton as they swept the Wildcats.
They won Game 1 on the road 3-0 behind a 39-save shutout by Remi Delafontaine and wound up outscoring Moncton 17-8 over four games. Thomas Desruisseaux, who is eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, led the offence with eight points (two goals) while Craig Armstrong had two goals and four assists.
This year marks the Sags’ return to the second round after a two-year absence. Chicoutimi are two-time QMJHL champions (1991, 1994) and have made the postseason every year since 2001.
Series schedule:
Game 1 — April 12 — CHI @ CAP — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 2 — April 13 — CHI @ CAP — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 3 — April 16 — CAP @ CHI — 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT
Game 4 — April 17 — CAP @ CHI — 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT
Game 5* — April 19 — CAP @ CHI — 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT
Game 6* — April 22 — CHI @ CAP — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 7* — April 23 — CHI @ CAP — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
*if necessary
Western Conference
(1) Drummondville vs. (4) Sherbrooke
Drummondville, who won 48 games in the regular season, swept past the 2022 Memorial Cup champion Sea Dogs in Round 1.
The Volts scored a whopping 25 goals in the four games led by Ethan Gauthier (TB) and Peter Repcik who each notched eight points while Justin Cote had four goals in four games. Goaltender Riley Mercer recorded a .921 save percentage in the series.
The 2009 QMJHL champions, the Voltigeurs find themselves in the second round in back-to-back seasons.
Sherbrooke were taken to seven games by Blainville-Boisbriand before they prevailed to book a spot in the second round for the third straight year.
The Phoenix, who jumped out to a 2-0 series lead thanks to back-to-back overtime wins courtesy of Etienne Tremblay-Mathieu and Frantisek Dej, also held a 3-1 lead before the Armada levelled things up. However, a 3-1 win Tuesday on home ice saw the Phoenix move on.
Andrew Belchamber had eight points in the series while Olivier Dubois, Lewis Gendron and Mavrick Lachance each had three goals. However, the club will officially be without topscorer Israel Mianscum, who didn’t suit up in Round 1, for the remainder of the playoffs.
The Phoenix have yet to claim a QMJHL title but the previous two seasons made the Conference Finals. Sherbrooke has also made the QMJHL playoffs in all 12 years of existence.
Series schedule:
Game 1 — April 12 — SHE @ DRU — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 2 — April 13 — SHE @ DRU — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 3 — April 16 — DRU @ SHE — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 4 — April 17 — DRU @ SHE — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 5* — April 19 — SHE @ DRU — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 6* — April 21 — DRU @ SHE — 3pm ET / 12pm PT
Game 7* — April 23 — SHE @ DRU — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
*if necessary
(2) Rouyn-Noranda vs. (3) Victoriaville
For the second straight year, the Huskies are into the second round after a five-game series win over Gatineau.
William Rousseau set the tone early with a 22-save shutout in Game 1 as the Huskies won the first two games on home ice. They dropped a 5-2 decision in Game 3 but dominated the final two games of the series as they outscored the Olympiques 14-4.
Thomas Verdon led the club with nine points to sit tied second in QMJHL playoff scoring while Antonin Verreault, the only Q player to surpass 100 points in the regular season, had eight points (three goals). Bill Zonnon led the club with four goals while Rousseau registered a 1.80 GAA and .939 save percentage.
QMJHL champions in 2016 and 2019, Rouyn-Noranda seek a third title in eight years.
The Tigres needed the minimum to eliminate the 2022 QMJHL champion Cataractes as they moved onto the second round for the first time since their championship run in 2021.
Nathan Darveau was spectacular as the 2023 CHL goaltender of the year registered a QMJHL best .952 save percentage and 1.23 GAA in the series.
After Justin Larose won Game 1 4-3 in overtime, the Tigres conceded just two goals over the final three games of the series. Overage forwards Tommy Cormier and Maxime Pellerin led the offence with six points apiece.
In addition to 2021, the Tigres were crowned QMJHL champions in 2002.
Series schedule:
Game 1 — April 12 — VIC @ ROU — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 2 — April 13 — VIC @ ROU — 4pm ET / 1pm PT
Game 3 — April 16 — ROU @ VIC — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 4 — April 17 — ROU @ VIC — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 5* — April 19 — ROU @ VIC — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 6* — April 22 — VIC @ ROU — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 7* — April 23 — VIC @ ROU — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
*if necessary
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