Post by reesor on Apr 15, 2013 7:46:38 GMT -4
A little round 3 preview to throw out there. Have added a poll here as well. Don't everyone pick Huskies in 4 at once now.
Round 3 preview is here. Actually seems odd to have all 3 division winners in the semi-finals. Thankfully we don't have to deal with one of them until the finals, but in the meantime we'll have our hands full with Rouyn Noranda. The Huskies are on a high, having just dumped the #5 seed Remparts in 5 games. They also beat out the #9 seed Voltigeurs in 5 games in round 1. This is the battle of the Fourniers... as little brother Dillon takes on big brother Stefan. It is also Gabriel Desjardins' return to the Metro Centre. He hasn't played here since being suspended for a hit on Brad Cuzner in the 2nd round of last year's playoffs.
Regular Season Stats:
Halifax: 58-6-3-1 120 Pts (1st in Maritimes Division, 1st Overall)
Rouyn Noranda: 40-24-1-3 84 Pts (2nd in Telus West Division, 8th overall)
Season Series: Halifax 2-0
2012-11-16 - Rouyn Noranda 3 @ Halifax 8
2013-03-01 - Halifax 5 @ Rouyn Noranda 2
Top Scorers:
Halifax: Jonathan Drouin (49GP 41G 64A 105Pts), Marty Frk (56GP 39G 45A 84Pts), Darcy Ashley (66GP 26G 52A 78Pts)
Rouyn Noranda: Sven Andrighetto (53GP 31G 67A 98Pts), Jean-Sébastien Dea (68GP 45G 40A 85Pts), Gabriel Desjardins (66GP 32G 42A 74Pts), HM Nikita Kucherov (33GP 29G 34A 63Pts)
Halifax Team Stats:
GF/Game: 5.10 (1st)
GA/Game: 2.59 (1st)
PP: 27.7% (2nd)
PK: 81.5% (4th)
Rouyn Noranda Team Stats:
GF/Game: 4.16 (2nd)
GA/Game: 3.75 (12th)
PP: 26.3% (3rd)
PK: 76.1% (14th)
Goalies:
Zach Fucale:
Wins: 45 (1st)
SO: 2 (T7th)
GAA: 2.35 (2nd)
Sv%: .909 (T3rd)
Alexandre Bélanger
Wins: 24 (10th)
SO: 1 (T14th)
GAA: 3.46 (14th)
Sv%: .875 (18th)
Rouyn Noranda Game Plan:
The Huskies are a very offensive-minded team. Their 1st line of Andrighetto - Dea - Kucherov is just as good if not better than our 1st line. They have 2 options: They could throw their 1st line out against ours and hope that they shut our 1st line down with puck posession, or they can send out Gabe Desjardins' line against our top line in a shutdown role. Either way, their top line will have to carry the majority of the scoring role. They have the talent to make Halifax pay for any mistakes they make. So pressuring our D will be a must.
Alexandre Bélanger was not one of the better goalies during the regular season. But he will have to stand on his head in this series for the Huskies to have a shot. With 2 high-power offenses going at it, one would think the games will be high-scoring. But I don't know if either team will want to all out run-and-gun with the other. Rouyn-Noranda can play an open style game with their 1st line, but if they open the game up with their 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines, it would be a critical mistake.
Halifax Game Plan:
The Moose actually have 3 options to contain Rouyn Noranda's 1st line. They can send out Drouin-MacKinnon-Frk and match skill with them... hoping that our top line will out-puck posess their top line. They can throw out Ciampini-Boudreau-Ashley against them, and hope that Darcy Ashley can work his magic on their stars. That line is probably our 3rd best defensively, so that may not be the best idea against one of the top lines in the league. We could also throw out MacAulay-Andrews-Fournier against them, and once again, beat them with puck-posession and big bodies.
Our defence will have to be on its game. The Huskies top line will burn you for every mistake. Fucale will be hung out to dry on some occasions, and will have to stay sharp. Even though we could limit the # of shots the Huskies get, their scoring chance ratio could be extremely high.
My Take:
Of course we're getting down to the nitty-gritty, and we have to continue playing great hockey. I am a little nervous with the Huskies. But really, how much better could we have had it? We could be playing Moncton right now, and I know we'd be borderline freaking.
I like playing Rouyn-Noranda for a couple reasons. #1 is defensive systems. We've had our most trouble this season playing teams that have great systems. Rouyn Noranda has many stars on their team that can break a game open. But we've shown that we can shut those types of players down this season. If they want to run and gun with us, we have the firepower to out-depth them. And I like our team D a lot more. If they want to slow the game down, we can cycle and wear them out.
#2 would be consistency. They are on a high right now, and they're stars are playing extremely well. Halifax needs to come out flying in game 1 and plant the seed of doubt. The Huskies have been in a couple funks this year, where as the Mooseheads have been by far the most consistent team. If we get on them early, we could frustrate them enough to get them off their game. And even though they do have some young energy depth guys, I think if we can frustrate Dea, Andrighetto and Kucherov, we'll control the series. I belive the Huskies will play their top line against our top line, which could be advantage us, as Desjardins playing the role of agitator could throw his own game off. So our top line might have an easier go.
These games will be even closer than the last series. It's pretty much a given that the Huskies will take at least one game from the Moose. Would not be surprised if they took 2. The key for us as fans is to not panic if the Huskies were to take one of the 1st 2 games at the Metro Centre. Halifax very well could get a wake-up call in one of these 1st 2 games. I think they will, but they will wake up, and take the series here in Halifax. Mooseheads in 5.
Go MOOSE!!!
Apr 20 | Rouyn Noranda at Halifax 7:00 PM ADT |
Apr 21 | Rouyn Noranda at Halifax 7:00 PM ADT |
Apr 23 | Halifax at Rouyn Noranda 8:30 PM ADT |
Apr 25 | Halifax at Rouyn Noranda 8:30 PM ADT |
Apr 27* | Rouyn Noranda at Halifax 7:00 PM ADT |
Apr 29* | Halifax at Rouyn Noranda 8:30 PM ADT |
May 1* | Rouyn Noranda at Halifax 7:00 PM ADT |
Round 3 preview is here. Actually seems odd to have all 3 division winners in the semi-finals. Thankfully we don't have to deal with one of them until the finals, but in the meantime we'll have our hands full with Rouyn Noranda. The Huskies are on a high, having just dumped the #5 seed Remparts in 5 games. They also beat out the #9 seed Voltigeurs in 5 games in round 1. This is the battle of the Fourniers... as little brother Dillon takes on big brother Stefan. It is also Gabriel Desjardins' return to the Metro Centre. He hasn't played here since being suspended for a hit on Brad Cuzner in the 2nd round of last year's playoffs.
Regular Season Stats:
Halifax: 58-6-3-1 120 Pts (1st in Maritimes Division, 1st Overall)
Rouyn Noranda: 40-24-1-3 84 Pts (2nd in Telus West Division, 8th overall)
Season Series: Halifax 2-0
2012-11-16 - Rouyn Noranda 3 @ Halifax 8
2013-03-01 - Halifax 5 @ Rouyn Noranda 2
Top Scorers:
Halifax: Jonathan Drouin (49GP 41G 64A 105Pts), Marty Frk (56GP 39G 45A 84Pts), Darcy Ashley (66GP 26G 52A 78Pts)
Rouyn Noranda: Sven Andrighetto (53GP 31G 67A 98Pts), Jean-Sébastien Dea (68GP 45G 40A 85Pts), Gabriel Desjardins (66GP 32G 42A 74Pts), HM Nikita Kucherov (33GP 29G 34A 63Pts)
Halifax Team Stats:
GF/Game: 5.10 (1st)
GA/Game: 2.59 (1st)
PP: 27.7% (2nd)
PK: 81.5% (4th)
Rouyn Noranda Team Stats:
GF/Game: 4.16 (2nd)
GA/Game: 3.75 (12th)
PP: 26.3% (3rd)
PK: 76.1% (14th)
Goalies:
Zach Fucale:
Wins: 45 (1st)
SO: 2 (T7th)
GAA: 2.35 (2nd)
Sv%: .909 (T3rd)
Alexandre Bélanger
Wins: 24 (10th)
SO: 1 (T14th)
GAA: 3.46 (14th)
Sv%: .875 (18th)
Rouyn Noranda Game Plan:
The Huskies are a very offensive-minded team. Their 1st line of Andrighetto - Dea - Kucherov is just as good if not better than our 1st line. They have 2 options: They could throw their 1st line out against ours and hope that they shut our 1st line down with puck posession, or they can send out Gabe Desjardins' line against our top line in a shutdown role. Either way, their top line will have to carry the majority of the scoring role. They have the talent to make Halifax pay for any mistakes they make. So pressuring our D will be a must.
Alexandre Bélanger was not one of the better goalies during the regular season. But he will have to stand on his head in this series for the Huskies to have a shot. With 2 high-power offenses going at it, one would think the games will be high-scoring. But I don't know if either team will want to all out run-and-gun with the other. Rouyn-Noranda can play an open style game with their 1st line, but if they open the game up with their 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines, it would be a critical mistake.
Halifax Game Plan:
The Moose actually have 3 options to contain Rouyn Noranda's 1st line. They can send out Drouin-MacKinnon-Frk and match skill with them... hoping that our top line will out-puck posess their top line. They can throw out Ciampini-Boudreau-Ashley against them, and hope that Darcy Ashley can work his magic on their stars. That line is probably our 3rd best defensively, so that may not be the best idea against one of the top lines in the league. We could also throw out MacAulay-Andrews-Fournier against them, and once again, beat them with puck-posession and big bodies.
Our defence will have to be on its game. The Huskies top line will burn you for every mistake. Fucale will be hung out to dry on some occasions, and will have to stay sharp. Even though we could limit the # of shots the Huskies get, their scoring chance ratio could be extremely high.
My Take:
Of course we're getting down to the nitty-gritty, and we have to continue playing great hockey. I am a little nervous with the Huskies. But really, how much better could we have had it? We could be playing Moncton right now, and I know we'd be borderline freaking.
I like playing Rouyn-Noranda for a couple reasons. #1 is defensive systems. We've had our most trouble this season playing teams that have great systems. Rouyn Noranda has many stars on their team that can break a game open. But we've shown that we can shut those types of players down this season. If they want to run and gun with us, we have the firepower to out-depth them. And I like our team D a lot more. If they want to slow the game down, we can cycle and wear them out.
#2 would be consistency. They are on a high right now, and they're stars are playing extremely well. Halifax needs to come out flying in game 1 and plant the seed of doubt. The Huskies have been in a couple funks this year, where as the Mooseheads have been by far the most consistent team. If we get on them early, we could frustrate them enough to get them off their game. And even though they do have some young energy depth guys, I think if we can frustrate Dea, Andrighetto and Kucherov, we'll control the series. I belive the Huskies will play their top line against our top line, which could be advantage us, as Desjardins playing the role of agitator could throw his own game off. So our top line might have an easier go.
These games will be even closer than the last series. It's pretty much a given that the Huskies will take at least one game from the Moose. Would not be surprised if they took 2. The key for us as fans is to not panic if the Huskies were to take one of the 1st 2 games at the Metro Centre. Halifax very well could get a wake-up call in one of these 1st 2 games. I think they will, but they will wake up, and take the series here in Halifax. Mooseheads in 5.
Go MOOSE!!!