2025 QMJHL Playoffs | Océanic vs. Saguenéens Preview

It’s an all-East Division clash in round two as the Rimouski Océanic take on the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in a battle between the veteran Memorial Cup hosts and one of the top developing rosters in the league. The action resumes Friday night in Rimouski.

The Océanic not only took the minimum four games to dispatch the Charlottetown Islanders in round one, they left nothing to chance, outscoring the Isles 24-3 in the process. Every player with at least three games played in the series recorded at least one point, led by Jacob Mathieu, Mathieu Cataford and Jonathan Fauchon who combined for 26 points. Pier-Olivier Roy showed the value of his now 42 games of playoff experience by averaging a point per game and providing a commanding presence all over the ice. Olivier Théberge, one of the rearguards called into extra duty with the loss of Spencer Gill, also proved to be a driving force. Between the pipes, Mathis Langevin proved nearly unbeatable by posting shutouts in half of his starts. Meanwhile, the ‘Nics dominated special teams, scoring 10 power play tallies while allowing just one goal on the PK, less than two minutes into the series opener. The Océanic is aiming for its first trip to the league Semi-Final since 2019, when it lost to Rouyn-Noranda.

The Sags eliminated the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in five games, all but the clincher decided by two goals or less. Much like the Océanic, Chicoutimi received contributions up and down the lineup, led in points by veteran defenseman Loïc Usereau. Familiar faces such as Maxim Massé, Thomas Desruisseaux and Emmanuel Vermette found their way onto the scoresheet, while one of the most clutch players proved to be Memorial Cup Champion Kassim Gaudet, who scored two game-winning goals, including the overtime winner in Game 3. Between the pipes Raphaël Précourt quietly put together a masterful string of performances, including a 24-save shutout in Game 2. His performance, as well as the units in front of him, contributed to a perfect 12/12 result on the PK in round one. This is the second straight season the Sags have earned a trip to the Quarter-Final. The last time Chicoutimi found itself in Round 3 was in 2021 when the Sags fell to Val-d’Or in the “bubble” playoffs.

The Océanic won five of the eight regular season games against its rival from Chicoutimi, but that number is misleading; seven of those games were determined by two goals or less, one went to overtime and three to shootouts. These two clubs have met seven times in postseason competition with Rimouski winning the last six of those encounters, most recently a five-game first-round victory in 2019. The Saguenéens only triumph against the Océanic came back in 1997, a four-game victory in a best-of-five first round clash.

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Team Comparison (Regular Season):