LNAH Playoff Scenarios: 6 Weekends Out

There are just 6 weekends remaining in the regular season. If the LNAH playoffs started today, the following scenarios would apply. 

Laval (1) vs Riviere du Loup (8): After another 2-win weekend, the Petroliers are rapidly skating toward locking up the #1 spot. The 3L, however, were busy at the trade deadline and are 6 points from climbing out of the cellar.  

Jonquiere (2) vs Sorel-Tracy (7): The 2-vs-7 scenario remains the same. The Marquis are hot lately at 5-2 in the last 30 days but sit just 1 point up on the #3 and #4 teams.  The Eperviers are playing .500 in their last 6 and sit just 1 point out of the #6 slot. Lots could change here.  

Saint-Hyacinthe (3) vs Thetford (6): With the Bataillon having 2 games in hand on Saint-Georges, they’ve re-taken the #3 slot. This puts us back to the potential of a technical pairing. Thetford, however, has issues with Sorel-Tracy nipping at their heels. 

Saint-Georges (4) vs Quebec (5): Whether we see the emotions of last year's upset or the Battle of the Beauce, Saint-Georges continues to tease us with great opening round matchup potential. They’re currently tied with Saint-Hyacinthe for 3rd but have played two additional games. 

6 weekends out, the case for: Quebec

A vastly improved team from last season, the National currently sit in 5th place, 5 points behind Saint-Georges and 3 points ahead of Thetford. 

The National can make their case for taking home the Gilles-Rousseau Cup with solid goaltending. Sometimes a hot goalie is all it takes, and the National seem to have a knack for finding them. When injury struck, the National were able to recruit Samuel St-Hillaire, just two years removed from the Canadian World Junior Championship Roster. Among active goalies, Hillaire is currently 2nd in the league in GAA and has shown he can carry the load, playing nearly every game since joining the team in mid-November. 

Quebec is not without offensive weapons as well with Benjamin Lagarde and Samuel Blanchet both surpassing the 30 point mark. 

Finally, we can’t talk about the National without bringing in the NHL factor. The team made waves signing Michael Chaput and William Dufour at the start of the season, with the later returning recently after a call to AHL Wilkes-Barre. Whether it’s having an NHLer behind the bench, or simply being the big market full of former NHL talent, the National have dressed more former big leaguers than any team in the league. Having them all at once for the playoffs would make them a force. 

Up Next: Riviere-du-Loup