Saint John vs Baie-Comeau series preview
Baie-Comeau Drakkar general manager Steve Ahern was the head coach the last time his team faced the Saint John Sea Dogs in the playoffs.
The Sea Dogs had four future NHLers in their lineup, including Jonathan Huberdeau, Charlie Coyle, Tomas Jurco and Nathan Beaulieu. Saint John swept the second-round series in four straight en route to winning its second straight QMJHL championship.
“We were competitive in the third and fourth games (in Baie-Comeau), but Saint John had a great lineup,” Ahern said. “It was a good experience for our younger players. It’s a different situation this year, but we finished seventh and Saint John finished 10th.
“The difference between the two teams is not the same as three years ago. This year it will be a good series.”
Time will tell. The first-round battle begins Friday night in at the Centre Henry-Leonard, also the site of Game 2 on Saturday. The best-of-seven series switches back to Saint John’s Harbour Station for the third and fourth games on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. A fifth game, if necessary, will also be in Saint John.
Things have changed a lot since the teams last met in the playoffs. After their second straight league championship and Memorial Cup appearance, several Sea Dogs graduated to the pro ranks.
In Baie-Comeau, the organization used the 2012 playoff experience as a springboard for future success. The Drakkar advanced to the QMJHL final in both 2013 and 2014, losing to Halifax two years ago before suffering a seven-game defeat to Val-d’Or last year.
Post-season success is now expected in the city along the St. Lawrence River. A key to Baie-Comeau’s success this season was a trio of 20-year-old forwards who combined for 230 points.
Maxime St-Cyr scored a league-leading 54 goals and added 30 assists for 84 points. Luca Ciampini notched 33 goals and 77 points, while Frederic Gamelin tallied 12 goals and 69 points.
Nineteen-year-old goalie Philippe Cadorette, who played in the 2012 series against Saint John, posted a 3.20 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Saint John netminder Sebastien Auger also recorded a .901 save percentage and a tidy 3.07 goals-against average.
“I think they look like us a bit,” Auger said of Baie-Comeau. “They’re pretty rough, they have a lot of skill up front, a good goalie and pretty good defence. I’m pretty sure it will be a good matchup.”
Ahern agrees, noting the league’s competitive balance.
“The parity of the Q is very good this year,” the GM said. “It’s a good thing for the Q.”
Although just four points separated Baie-Comeau and Saint John in the standings, Sea Dogs head coach Ross Yates considers his team the underdog.
“Baie-Comeau is the favourite, there’s no doubt about it,” the bench boss said. “That’s good for us. We’re just going to take it game by game and give it our best shot.
“I’m confident that if we play hard and give our best, we can upset Baie-Comeau. They have the pressure of the first two games being up there, knowing that the next three are (in Saint John).”
Yates will be opposed by Marco Pietroniro, an assistant last year with Val-d’Or. Both men honed their coaching skills in the minor pro ranks, with Yates working for the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch and Pietroniro guiding the Central Hockey League’s Arizona Sundogs.
The Sea Dogs and Drakkar split their two regular-season games, with each club winning on home ice. But they weren’t done with each other after the contests had ended.
A mid-season trade saw Baie-Comeau send power forward Bokondji Imama to Saint John for a second-round pick in the 2015 QMJHL draft, along with a first-rounder in 2016. Friday’s series opener marks Imama’s first trip back since the deal.
“I want to show that the Sea Dogs made a really good trade, and the reverse, too,” he said. “I’ll make Baie-Comeau understand it wasn’t a good trade for them.”
Regardless, nothing can take away Imama’s memories from Baie-Comeau, where he broke in as a 16-year-old in 2012-13. The big winger will never forget last year’s playoff run.
“It was a really fun experience,” Imama said. “The group of guys on that team was special, and so was the support of the fans. In Baie-Comeau, they really stick with their team. Their team is everything.”
Head to Head Stats
| Head to Head Record 2014-15 | Regular Season | Baie-Comeau 1-1-0-0 | Saint John 1-1-0-0 |
| Head to Head Record 2013-14 | Regular Season | Baie-Comeau 2-0-0-0 | Saint John 0-2-0-0 |
| Last 5 Years record between teams | Baie-Comeau 4-8-0-0 | Saint John 8-4-0-0 |
| Baie-Comeau vs. Saint John Last 5 Years record at Baie-Comeau | Baie-Comeau 3-3-0-0 | Saint John 3-3-0-0 |
| Baie-Comeau vs. Saint John Last 5 Years record at Saint John | Baie-Comeau 1-5-0-0 | Saint John 5-1-0-0 |
| Previous Meetings This Season | Saint John 1 @ Baie-Comeau 3 (Nov 15 2014) Final | |
| Baie-Comeau 2 @ Saint John 6 (Oct 25 2014) Final | ||
Team Stats
| Saint John | Baie-Comeau | |
| Team Record | 32-26-4-6 — 74 points | 35-25-5-3 — 78 points |
| Division Ranking | 3rd Maritimes | 4th East |
| Conference Ranking | 10th QMJHL | 7th QMJHL |
| League Ranking | 10th | 7th |
| Past 10 Games | 3-6-1-0 | 4-6-0-0 |
| Streak | 1-0-1-0 | 1-0-0-0 |
| Last Game | 4-1 W @ Halifax (Mar 21 2015) Final | 3-2 W vs Chicoutimi (Mar 21 2015) Final |
| Home Record | 20-9-2-3 | 26-5-1-2 |
| Away Record | 12-17-2-3 | 9-20-4-1 |
| GF | 237 | 227 |
| GA | 241 | 237 |
| PP (Overall) | (59/346) 17.1 | (62/299) 20.7 |
| PP (Home) | (35/184) 19.0 | (36/153) 23.5 |
| PP (Away) | (24/162) 14.8 | (26/146) 17.8 |
| PK (Overall) | (75/389) 80.7 | (69/342) 79.8 |
| PK (Home) | (28/184) 84.8 | (26/160) 83.8 |
| PK (Away) | (47/205) 77.1 | (43/182) 76.4 |
| Leading Rookie (PTS) | Marsh (24-20-44) | Chevrier (11-13-24) |
| Most PIM | Imama – 137 | Leblond – 164 |
| Team PIM/GM | 19.2/Game | 19.2/Game |
| Leading Scorers (PTS) | Noel (24-38-62) | St-Cyr (54-30-84) |
| Smallman (23-33-56) | Ciampini (33-44-77) | |
| Marsh (24-20-44) | Gamelin (12-57-69) | |
| Joseph (21-21-42) | Grégoire (20-21-41) | |
| Chabot (12-29-41) | Karabacek (17-23-40) | |
| Leading After 1st | 16-3-1-1 | 20-4-2-0 |
| Leading After 2nd | 22-4-0-2 | 24-0-2-1 |
| Tied After 1st | 9-7-1-2 | 11-6-3-0 |
| Tied After 2nd | 4-4-3-2 | 10-4-3-0 |
| Trailing After 1st | 7-16-2-3 | 4-15-0-3 |
| Trailing After 2nd | 6-18-1-2 | 1-21-0-2 |
| Out Shooting Opponents | 19-9-3-3 | 14-7-1-1 |
| Out Shot by Opponents | 11-17-1-3 | 19-16-4-2 |
| 1-Goal Games | 10-6-4-6 | 13-4-5-3 |
| 2-Goal Games | 7-6-0-0 | 9-2-0-0 |
| 3-Goal Games | 7-4-0-0 | 5-9-0-0 |
