QMJHL Playoffs: Round 2!

The first round of the QMJHL Playoffs provided plenty of entertainment, including a pair of sweeps, a 5-OT marathon, and the upset of a #1 seed. Now it’s time to start Round 2, where the stakes are higher, and the games should be more evenly matched. 

Moncton vs Baie Comeau: The Wildcats cruised through the opening round as they did the regular season. Still the odds-on favorite, Moncton will have the chance to showcase itself against a mid-tier Baie-Comeau team that needed 6 games to get out of the first round. Still, the Drakkar shouldn’t be looked past. Who knows what lessons were learned from a  5-Overtime loss in what could have been their series clincher.

Rimouski vs Chicoutimi: Like Moncton, the Oceanic had an easy go of the first round. In Round 2 they’ll have to show they can dominate a high quality team night in and night out. The Sags weren’t a division winner, but had a solid, steady season and were impressive in their 4-1 opening round against Acadie-Bathurst.

Rouyn-Noranda vs Halifax: This one includes the round one upset team, which is now the captivating Cinderella Story. This one will be anything but an easy call. With Halifax showing some late-season, veteran-induced mettle and Rouyn-Noranda winning a not-so-great West Division (which it enjoyed again in the first round) this one is anyone’s call.

Shawinigan vs Sherbrooke: This one might be the best, yet quietest, matchup of the round. Shawinigan is far better than it’s playoff seeding. The team was neck and neck with division winning Drummondville at the end of the season, but got relegated to the middle of the pack due to not winning the division. Conversely, Sherbrooke, with it’s gutsy 4-1 series performance against the Armada, showed they’re also a better team than the season stats indicate. A steady underrated team vs a young, rising squad may come down to the performance of two veteran coaches in Daniel Renaud and Gilles Bouchard.

The fun starts tomorrow night at 7:00 AT/6:00 Eastern in Moncton. Let the fun begin.