2013 Memorial Cup Preview

[reesor]

For those that are still out there.



2013 Memorial Cup Preview

London's OHL Championship winning goal with 0.1 seconds left set the field for this year's Memorial Cup.  The Country's top 3 seeds, plus host Saskatoon make up this year's field, meaning you really couldn't ask for a better 4 teams to vie for a national championship.

The Memorial Cup tournament is very hard to predict.  Last year many had Shawinigan not winning a game, and they ended up winning the whole thing.  I'm sure many do not give Saskatoon a chance this year as well.  But in short tournaments, anything can happen.  Your top guys can go cold.  You're goalie can get hot.  One or two key injuries and it could be over quick.  That's what makes this tournament so exciting.  As of right now, all four teams have an equal shot at winning.



By the Numbers (Regular season)

Halifax

Record:  58-6-3-1 (#1 in country)

Top Scorers:  Jonathan Drouin (49GP 41G 64A 105 Pts), Martin Frk (56GP 35G 49A 84Pts), Darcy Ashley (66GP 26G 52A 78Pts), Matt Boudreau (66GP 36G 39A 75Pts), Nathan MacKinnon (44GP 32G 43A 75Pts)

Goaltender:  Zach Fucale:  55GP 45Wins 2SO 2.35GAA .909Sv%


London

Record:  50-13-2-3 (#3 in country)

Top Scorers:  Max Domi (64GP 39G 48A 87Pts), Seth Griffith (54GP 33G 48A 81Pts), Alex Broadhurst (65GP 23G 40A 63Pts), Bo Horvat (67GP 33G 28A 61Pts), Chris Tierney (68GP 18G 39A 57Pts)

Goaltender:  Jake Patterson (3 of their goalies played in more than 20 games):  32GP 19Wins 3SO 2.61GAA .913Sv%


Portland

Record:  57-12-1-2 (#2 in country)

Top Scorers:  Brendan Leipsic (68GP 49G 71A 120Pts), Nic Petan (71GP 46G 74A 120Pts), Ty Rattie (62GP 48G 62A 110Pts), Troy Rutkowski (D) (72GP 20G 46A 66Pts), Oliver Bjorkstrand (65GP 31G 32A 63Pts)

Goaltender:  Mac Carruth 39GP 30Wins 7SO 2.06GAA .929Sv%


Saskatoon

Record:  44-22-2-4 (CHL Top 10 Honorable Mention)

Top Scorers:  Josh Nicholls (71GP 47G 38A 85Pts), Matej Stransky (72Gp 40G 45A 85Pts), Brenden Walker (72GP 33G 43A 76Pts), Shane McColgan (69GP 19G 47A 66Pts), Darren Dietz (D) (72GP 24G 34A 58Pts)

Goaltender:  Andrey Makarov 67GP 37Wins 7SO 2.62GAA .919Sv%


The Breakdown

Going by strictly numbers, it's easy to see why Portland would be the favorite heading into this tournament.  Their line of Leipsic-Petan-Rattie is the best line in the country.  They have very good forward depth as well (Although arguably not as good as Halifax's).  Defensively, their Jones/Wotherspoon combo could be a D pairing in the NHL.  Not to mention Derrick Pouliot and Troy Rutkowski.  Mac Carruth is the best goaltender in the tournament IMO.   Adding all those factors up, and Portland is the most complete team.  

If momentum counted for anything though, I'd say London has the most momentum heading into the tournament.  They just came back after being down 1-3 to Barrie in the OHL Championship.  Could fatigue play a factor?  Possibly, but they do have 3 days off in between games.  Actually if you want to talk fatigue, Halifax has the hardest schedule of the Memorial Cup, playing their 3 games over a 4 day span (Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday).  The well rested Blades play their 3 games over a 6 day span (Friday, Sunday and Wednesday).

The Blades get to play the role of underdogs in this tournament.  Like Shawinigan last year, they are coming into the tournament through the back door.  Except Saskatoon got swept in the 1st round of the WHL playoffs by Medicine Hat.  So they'll be out to prove that they are a suitable host team.  As mentioned, no one gave Shawinigan a chance, and they pulled through.  Statistically, the Blades would be ranked 4th in the tournament.  I'd consider their forward group to be the worst statistically.  Their D isn't as good as Portland's or London's (rival's Halifax's) Their wildcard though is Makarov.  We've seen what he can do in the World Jrs.  If he gets hot, Saskatoon could surprise.

Halifax's chances

I struggled to see where Halifax would fit into this tournament.  Their forward depth IMO is the best of the 4 teams, but since I have a more in depth knowledge of Halifax, and since I know that part of Halifax's depth includes Ciampini/Boudreau, who haven't exactly been playoff type performers, that may hinder their forward depth.  I'm sure the other teams have players that did well in the regular season, but struggled in the playoffs.  Hopefully for Halifax, the book won't be out on Ciampini/Boudreau, and they can sneak under the radar and contribute to their Memorial Cup hopes.  Halifax's goal/game output is #1 in the country, so even with Portland's top line who got 350 points this year, Halifax will be more than able to keep up offensively.

Halifax's defence IMO is 3rd best in the tournament.  It's tough to gauge, as the Moose don't have the big names on defence like Jones, Wortherspoon, Poulliot, Zadorov or Maatta.  But as a unit, the Moose have done extremely well defensively this year.  The critical mistakes will have to be minimized of course, which could be easier said than done in this tournament, as all 3 teams have better forward corps than anyone Halifax has faced so far.  Halifax's team GAA is 2nd in the tournament to Portland, so it's not like they aren't in the same league defensively.

As with all teams it could come down to goaltending.  Fucale has stolen a couple games in the playoffs so far.  The worry about Fucale might be his age/experience.  But we've talked about Fucale's "inexperience" quite often, and he is always as cool as a cucumber under pressure.  He seems to do better with more shots on him, and he'll see plenty of rubber in this tournament.  If Fucale gets hot, Halifax's offense could carry the team a long way.

I'll save my predictions for the contest.  If I had to rank the teams based on stats alone, I would go Portland, Halifax, London and Saskatoon.  But the beauty of the Memorial Cup is that the stats get thrown out the window Friday night, and it all comes down to who wants it more.  We as Moose fans just have to hope that the stars align, and that we peak at the right time.

Go Moose!!!!!

[porkchop]

Can't wait to see Halifax get some competition. The Q wants the MemCup so bad, they have the easiest playoff format to give them the best chance......should be a good one.

[sec19fan]

Best of luck to the Moose. Let's keep the Cup in the Q for the 3rd year in a row

[porkchop]

May 15, 2013 5:10:35 GMT -4 sec19fan said:

Best of luck to the Moose. Let's keep the Cup in the Q for the 3rd year in a row

don't be selfish.......I'd like to see the home town Saskatoon keep it there.

[reesor]

May 14, 2013 20:07:33 GMT -4 porkchop said:

Can't wait to see Halifax get some competition. The Q wants the MemCup so bad, they have the easiest playoff format to give them the best chance......should be a good one.

Not only will they get some competition, but IMO they aren't the favorite. Portland is. But in a short tournament anything can happen.

[porkchop]

May 16, 2013 6:42:35 GMT -4 reesor said:

May 14, 2013 20:07:33 GMT -4 porkchop said:

Can't wait to see Halifax get some competition. The Q wants the MemCup so bad, they have the easiest playoff format to give them the best chance......should be a good one.

Not only will they get some competition, but IMO they aren't the favorite. Portland is. But in a short tournament anything can happen.

for that reason, that's it's anybodies tournament, I think the Q playoffs are the real prize for the Moose. Shawinagan proved last season that you don't have to be the best in your league to win the MemCup. This is another reason why I think the Q playoffs should be a little harder format. 4 rounds of playoffs should be harder to win than a 1 week tournament.

[reesor]

May 16, 2013 12:49:16 GMT -4 porkchop said:

May 16, 2013 6:42:35 GMT -4 reesor said:

Not only will they get some competition, but IMO they aren't the favorite. Portland is. But in a short tournament anything can happen.

for that reason, that's it's anybodies tournament, I think the Q playoffs are the real prize for the Moose. Shawinagan proved last season that you don't have to be the best in your league to win the MemCup. This is another reason why I think the Q playoffs should be a little harder format. 4 rounds of playoffs should be harder to win than a 1 week tournament.

lol. We've explained to you why the format of the playoffs in the Q can't get any tougher unless they remove teams. Which they won't do because of a money grab.

Heh, and if they did remove teams, then we'd just complain about not as many rounds.

[porkchop]

May 16, 2013 13:18:38 GMT -4 reesor said:

May 16, 2013 12:49:16 GMT -4 porkchop said:

for that reason, that's it's anybodies tournament, I think the Q playoffs are the real prize for the Moose. Shawinagan proved last season that you don't have to be the best in your league to win the MemCup. This is another reason why I think the Q playoffs should be a little harder format. 4 rounds of playoffs should be harder to win than a 1 week tournament.

lol. We've explained to you why the format of the playoffs in the Q can't get any tougher unless they remove teams. Which they won't do because of a money grab.

Heh, and if they did remove teams, then we'd just complain about not as many rounds.

It can definitely get tougher......just because a bunch of Moosefans, who just had the easiest ride in history don't agree with me, doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be harder...........it was harder just 2 or 3 seasons back, when they went divisional for the first round or whatever that format was....getting old and couldn't be bothered to look it up right now.....Cape Breton and Moncton both had very good teams and met in the 1st round, with Moncton coming out on top. they've had about 4 different formats since the Titan came into the league, and most if not all were better than the current setup.

The Q has gotten tired of the weak sister comments from all over the CHL, so have made a playoff format so their top teams will have an easy ride to the MemCup. The last 2 years with the cup winner going 16-1, you can't tell me it's not too easy.

[reesor]

May 16, 2013 17:45:47 GMT -4 porkchop said:

May 16, 2013 13:18:38 GMT -4 reesor said:

lol. We've explained to you why the format of the playoffs in the Q can't get any tougher unless they remove teams. Which they won't do because of a money grab.

Heh, and if they did remove teams, then we'd just complain about not as many rounds.

It can definitely get tougher......just because a bunch of Moosefans, who just had the easiest ride in history don't agree with me, doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be harder...........it was harder just 2 or 3 seasons back, when they went divisional for the first round or whatever that format was....getting old and couldn't be bothered to look it up right now.....Cape Breton and Moncton both had very good teams and met in the 1st round, with Moncton coming out on top. they've had about 4 different formats since the Titan came into the league, and most if not all were better than the current setup.

The Q has gotten tired of the weak sister comments from all over the CHL, so have made a playoff format so their top teams will have an easy ride to the MemCup. The last 2 years with the cup winner going 16-1, you can't tell me it's not too easy.

The only scenario you can give me is 2010, when we had a sick division. Saint John, Moncton and Cape Breton were all going for it that year, and even PEI was over .500. Very few upsets that year too. The top 4 point getters all made the semi-finals. Ironic that in this "Easy" playoff format, there were 2 huge upsets and 1 minor one in the first round. If Moncton and Rimouski don't get upset in the first round, Halifax has to play Rouyn Noranda or Val D'or in round 2, then one of Moncton or Rimouski in round 3. So wasn't the format's fault we played low seeds, it was just the way it went.

Baie-Comeau was the 2nd best team in the playoffs. Halifax wasn't going to be "tested" regardless of how the playoffs went. Unless of course we played Moncton, who have the headgames factor. Although I really don't agree with them not being tested. Just because they didn't lose many games doesn't mean they weren't tested. It means they passed the test. Rouyn Noranda gave them a rough ride, and I'm glad they got practice containing a super offense. The Huskies have a better offense than Saskatoon does. The Moose will be tested in the Memorial Cup, and in my mind they aren't the best team there. So they have something to prove.

I don't care about the playoff format. The league rewards the teams that finished higher in the standings. I have no problem with that regardless of whether Halifax finishes 1st like this year or 15th like in 2011. I think too many teams make the playoffs. But I don't agree with byes so it's a necessary evil.

[porkchop]

May 16, 2013 20:28:22 GMT -4 reesor said:

May 16, 2013 17:45:47 GMT -4 porkchop said:

It can definitely get tougher......just because a bunch of Moosefans, who just had the easiest ride in history don't agree with me, doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be harder...........it was harder just 2 or 3 seasons back, when they went divisional for the first round or whatever that format was....getting old and couldn't be bothered to look it up right now.....Cape Breton and Moncton both had very good teams and met in the 1st round, with Moncton coming out on top. they've had about 4 different formats since the Titan came into the league, and most if not all were better than the current setup.

The Q has gotten tired of the weak sister comments from all over the CHL, so have made a playoff format so their top teams will have an easy ride to the MemCup. The last 2 years with the cup winner going 16-1, you can't tell me it's not too easy.

The only scenario you can give me is 2010, when we had a sick division. Saint John, Moncton and Cape Breton were all going for it that year, and even PEI was over .500. Very few upsets that year too. The top 4 point getters all made the semi-finals. Ironic that in this "Easy" playoff format, there were 2 huge upsets and 1 minor one in the first round. If Moncton and Rimouski don't get upset in the first round, Halifax has to play Rouyn Noranda or Val D'or in round 2, then one of Moncton or Rimouski in round 3. So wasn't the format's fault we played low seeds, it was just the way it went.

Baie-Comeau was the 2nd best team in the playoffs. Halifax wasn't going to be "tested" regardless of how the playoffs went. Unless of course we played Moncton, who have the headgames factor. Although I really don't agree with them not being tested. Just because they didn't lose many games doesn't mean they weren't tested. It means they passed the test. Rouyn Noranda gave them a rough ride, and I'm glad they got practice containing a super offense. The Huskies have a better offense than Saskatoon does. The Moose will be tested in the Memorial Cup, and in my mind they aren't the best team there. So they have something to prove.

I don't care about the playoff format. The league rewards the teams that finished higher in the standings. I have no problem with that regardless of whether Halifax finishes 1st like this year or 15th like in 2011. I think too many teams make the playoffs. But I don't agree with byes so it's a necessary evil.

it's not the only scenario......just the most recent. I don't care to look back and find more.......I just think the format is dumb......at least go conference, to give the illusion that you want to make it look like a challenge. This years Moose team wasn't being stopped by anyone, so getting a tougher team earlier really wouldn't have mattered, for a team that really faced no challenge.

[Matt Foley]

Looks like Mackinnon is on a mission to show the hockey world who the best junior player is in this years draft...

[porkchop]

May 18, 2013 20:47:41 GMT -4 Matt Foley said:

Looks like Mackinnon is on a mission to show the hockey world who the best junior player is in this years draft...

Since Portland was a favorite to win this, it looks to me like the other leagues may not be as strong as I thought they might be........from the results of this game, Baie Comeau could compete at the MemCup.

[matt foley]

the top q team is always in the hunt...it is whether they haveenough to finish...the moose do with mac anddrouin...the d is suspect and looked bad...the forwatrds have to play high energy forecheck or the d get exposed.

[reesor]

The Moose got a few good bounces last night. But from the 3-1 goal on, they were the better team. Started establishing that forecheck. The big D on Portland did a better job than most at containing them, but they were still able to generate chances down low.

A big test again today. Saskatoon might be considered weaker on paper, but after all the hype surrounding last night's game, gotta hope the Moose have some left for the Blades.

[porkchop]

May 19, 2013 10:43:17 GMT -4 reesor said:

The Moose got a few good bounces last night. But from the 3-1 goal on, they were the better team. Started establishing that forecheck. The big D on Portland did a better job than most at containing them, but they were still able to generate chances down low.

A big test again today. Saskatoon might be considered weaker on paper, but after all the hype surrounding last night's game, gotta hope the Moose have some left for the Blades.

Most of your post is ok, with the exception of Portland's D containing them better than most. lol......In 17 games in the Q playoffs, you scored more than 7 goals twice and one of them was against Saint John......Portland really didn't contain them that well.

The thing now is, Halifax has now become the tournament favorites, and everyone is gonna be gunning for them. You guys might just be good enough to have no/very little challenge all the way to a MemCup championship.