PREVIEW: Storm vs. Foreurs
by Eric Balnar, Guelphstorm.com
It’s the battle of the undefeated squads in Guelph’s second affair of the 2014 Mastercard Memorial Cup.
After dispatching the WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings 5-2, Guelph will now look to conquer the beasts from from the east – the Val D’Or Foreurs.
Val D’Or was competing near the top of the QMJHL table all season long – finishing third overall. They had to work their way through the playoffs by winning intense series including a seven-game semi over the Halifax Mooseheads and the QMJHL Championship in seven over Baie-Comeau.
The Foreurs and the London Knights entertained a packed house in the tournament opener. Anthony Mantha scored the only goal in a 1-0 contest that saw their goalie, Antoine Bibeau, stymie London by making 51 saves.
Guelph, meanwhile, engaged in a seesaw match with the Edmonton Oil Kings. After leading 3-2 after two, Guelph pulled away with two third period goals to take the opener 5-2.
Monday’s game has huge implications for both teams. A win guarantees a spot in at least the semi-finals and puts a team that much closer to a spot in the Mastercard Memorial Cup final.
Let’s see what happens. Here’s what to look for;
THE PLAYERS
Guelph: Tyler Bertuzzi – Or should we call him Tyler BerTWOzzi. The Detroit Red Wings prospect stepped up in a big way in the Memorial Cup opener by scoring two goals. He wasn’t afraid to punish the opponent by getting physical along the boards, he never shied away from trying to block a shot and sent two great shots to the back of the net in an uplifting 5-2 victory. Bertuzzi seems to have his offensive edge back. Dating back to the OHL Championship Series, Bertuzzi now has 5 points in his last 4 games – a big turn around from going pointless in his previous four. Watch ‘Bert’ play his game and get under the skin of Val D’Or in more than one way.
Val D’Or – Anthony Mantha – One of Detroit’s premier prospects has impressed all season long in any stage he’s played in. Mantha was the main offensive threat for Team Canada the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championships, he led the QMJHL with 120 points in 57 regular season games, then helped propel the Foruers to the Memorial Cup by registering 13 points in the Championship series. Of course it had to be Mantha who had the lone goal in a 1-0 win over London. The kid can score and Guelph will have to have him on lockdown to increase their chances of winning.
THE GAME
Score, Score and Score Some More – When Guelph scores at least four goals, they are nearly impossible to beat. As per Brian Taylor, Guelph is now: 61-3-1-0 (includes regular season, playoffs, Memorial Cup) when scoring 4+ goals.
Last second Magic – The Storm are not afraid to use every last second in a given period. Take a look at their clutch performances in the OHL Championship Series and beyond. The Storm needed an OT goal to win Game 1 vs. North Bay, two goals within the final 30 seconds to win Game 3, and a goal with 26 seconds left in Game 5 to advance to the Mastercard Memorial Cup. The Storm were up to their usual tricks in the opening game of the tournament by scoring a first period goal with 4 seconds left to get on the board. Never quit against the Storm.
Outrageously Offensive – It’s been well document how powerful Guelph’s attack can be, but don’t lose sight of how dominant the Foreurs can be on the score sheet. Val D’Or was the only QMJHL team to tally 300 goals as a team. Beyond Mantha, arguably one of the best players in Major Junior Hockey, the Foreurs have four other players who average well over a point a game. Keep an eye on defenseman Guilliaume Gelinas who scored 92 points in the season. That’s good for third on the team right behind Louick Marcotte who finished the year with 42 goals and 100 points.
THE FINAL WORD
Guelph did a fantastic job of matching the defensive intensity and physical prowess of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the opener. When you’re playing a team for the first time, winning those battles on the messy part of the boards are crucial, so Guelph will have to do it again.
Val D’Or just finished their QMJHL series on Tuesday night, before flying to London the following day, and playing in the highly anticipated tournament opening game vs. the host Knights.
After two days off, the Foreurs may just be a little bit fresher.
Either way, it’s all set up to be an entertaining game between two Championship clubs. Fans can catch all the action on Sportsnet at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.
