This year’s Memorial Cup festivities start tonight in Vancouver. The participating teams are the Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL), the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), the Plymouth Whalers (OHL) and the Vancouver Giants (Host).
This year, the Giants, who were already guaranteed a spot based on their grant of hosting team, made it to the WHL finals to battle the Medicine Hat Tigers in a 7 game series for the WHL title. The series ended in double OT as the Tigers were able to capture the win. Brennan Bosch had a goal and an assist including the game winner.
The Lewiston MAINEiacs come to the Memorial Cup as odds on favorites. Only losing two games total in the playoffs, both to Halifax, the MAINEiacs charged through the ranks on the shoulders of goaltender Jonathan Bernier, defenseman Chad Denny, and fowrads David Perron and Marc-Andre Cliché.
The Plymouth Whalers ousted the Sudbury Wolves in OT of Game 6 to capture the OHL title and will make their first Memorial Cup appearance since 1995. Along the way, Plymouth easily dispatched the London Knights 4 games to 1.
Players to watch:
Plymouth: LW James Neal – C Evan Brophey – RW Dan Collins
Medicine Hat: G Mike Keetley – C Brennan Bosch – C Darren Helm
Lewiston : D Chad Denny – G Jonathan Bernier – C David Perron
Vancouver: C Wacey Rabbit – LW Michal Repik – LW Kendall McArdle
Prediction:
Lewiston over Vancouver
Schedule:
Friday, May 18, 2007
Game #1: Plymouth @ Giants
Pacific Coliseum
6:00pm PST / 9:00pm EST
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Game#2: Medicine Hat @ Lewiston
Pacific Coliseum
1:00pm PST / 4:00pm EST
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Game #3: Giants @ Lewiston
Pacific Coliseum
1:30pm PST / 4:30pm EST
Monday, May 21, 2007
Game #4: Medicine Hat @ Plymouth
Pacific Coliseum
Victoria Day (Canada)
5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Game #5: Lewiston @ Plymouth
Pacific Coliseum
5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Game #6: Giants @ Medicine Hat
Pacific Coliseum
7:30pm PST / 10:30pm EST
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Tie Breaker Game (if required) Pacific Coliseum Game Time:
7:30pm PST / 10:30pm EST
Friday, May 25, 2007
Semi Final Game Pacific Coliseum
5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST
Saturday, May 26, 2007
DAY OFF
Sunday, May 27, 2007
MasterCard Memorial Cup @ Pacific Coliseum
1:00pm PST / 4:00pm EST
Featured Story
Friday, May 18, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Lewiston Has Val d’Or In Stranglehold
The MAINEiacs are for real, and as good as the Val d’Or Foreurs are, they might need another miracle.
Foreurs head coach Eric Lavigne will have to find a way to rally his troops again, this time against almost insurmountable odds.
Lewiston has won 3 straight against the Foreurs, 2 of which have been in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion.
After a Game 1 shutout, Val d’Or had a huge swing of momentum in game 2 and tied it heading into the third period before Lewiston brought the home crowd to its feat by beating Foreurs goalie Jeremy Duchense with under a minute remaining in regulation time.
Last night, the Foreurs got an early jump from Penguins prospect Kristopher Letang scored his 12th of the Playoffs early in the first. After trading goals, the Foreurs took a 3-2 lead into the third period.
After a total breakdown defensively, the Foreurs fell behind and lost, giving up three unanswered goals for a 5-3 Lewiston win. Both Chad Denny and Marc-Andre Cliche scored for the MAINEiacs.
Lewiston goaltender Jonathan Bernier has now extended his impressive playoff streak to a 15-1 record with a 2.43 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
Game 4 is tonight in Val d’Or at 7:00 P.M. The game can be streamed live at www.telus.com/qmjhl
If Lewiston wins, they advance to the Memorial Cup in Vancouver.
Foreurs head coach Eric Lavigne will have to find a way to rally his troops again, this time against almost insurmountable odds.
Lewiston has won 3 straight against the Foreurs, 2 of which have been in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion.
After a Game 1 shutout, Val d’Or had a huge swing of momentum in game 2 and tied it heading into the third period before Lewiston brought the home crowd to its feat by beating Foreurs goalie Jeremy Duchense with under a minute remaining in regulation time.
Last night, the Foreurs got an early jump from Penguins prospect Kristopher Letang scored his 12th of the Playoffs early in the first. After trading goals, the Foreurs took a 3-2 lead into the third period.
After a total breakdown defensively, the Foreurs fell behind and lost, giving up three unanswered goals for a 5-3 Lewiston win. Both Chad Denny and Marc-Andre Cliche scored for the MAINEiacs.
Lewiston goaltender Jonathan Bernier has now extended his impressive playoff streak to a 15-1 record with a 2.43 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
Game 4 is tonight in Val d’Or at 7:00 P.M. The game can be streamed live at www.telus.com/qmjhl
If Lewiston wins, they advance to the Memorial Cup in Vancouver.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Telus, QMJHL Ink Webcast Deal
Telus inked a five year deal with the QMJHL yesterday that will broadcast all 650 games, including playoffs, on the web next year. Junior hockey enthusiasts everywhere will now have the chance to view their favorite teams and prospects on the web in this new and innovative partnership.
That includes this years playoffs. The President’s Cup series will be available online starting tonight at telus.com/qmjhl.
"We are very proud to use our technology to promote awareness of Quebec amateur sport and to support the QMJHL”, a spokesman for Telus said yesterday in a joint statement on the QMJHL website. By all accounts we’ve heard, this novelty will be free of charge, giving the QMJHL a huge boost heading into next season. Add that in with the fact that regardless who the winner of the President’s Cup is, the QMJHL will be well represented at the Memorial Cup, Jakub Voracek, top flight talent for this years draft played in Halifax all season, and you can see it’s been a monumental year for the “Q”.
Check out www.telus.com/qmjhl tonight for Game 1 of the QMJHL President’s Cup Final.
President’s Cup Schedule:
Friday, May 4, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
Saturday, May 5, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
Tuesday, May 8, 7:00 pm - Lewiston at Val-d'Or
Wednesday, May 9, 7:00 pm - Lewiston at Val-d'Or
Friday, May 11, 7:30 pm - Lewiston at Val-d'Or
Monday, May 14, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
Tuesday, May 15, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
That includes this years playoffs. The President’s Cup series will be available online starting tonight at telus.com/qmjhl.
"We are very proud to use our technology to promote awareness of Quebec amateur sport and to support the QMJHL”, a spokesman for Telus said yesterday in a joint statement on the QMJHL website. By all accounts we’ve heard, this novelty will be free of charge, giving the QMJHL a huge boost heading into next season. Add that in with the fact that regardless who the winner of the President’s Cup is, the QMJHL will be well represented at the Memorial Cup, Jakub Voracek, top flight talent for this years draft played in Halifax all season, and you can see it’s been a monumental year for the “Q”.
Check out www.telus.com/qmjhl tonight for Game 1 of the QMJHL President’s Cup Final.
President’s Cup Schedule:
Friday, May 4, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
Saturday, May 5, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
Tuesday, May 8, 7:00 pm - Lewiston at Val-d'Or
Wednesday, May 9, 7:00 pm - Lewiston at Val-d'Or
Friday, May 11, 7:30 pm - Lewiston at Val-d'Or
Monday, May 14, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
Tuesday, May 15, 7:00 pm - Val-d'Or at Lewiston
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Presidents Cup: Val d’Or Foreurs vs. Lewiston MAINEiacs.
It’s a match-up of two number one seeded teams and regardless of the winner the QMJHL will be well represented at the Memorial Cup in Vancouver, BC. Let’s take a look inside the numbers.
Val d’Or met the MAINEiacs twice this season and dropped both games, 4-2 and 4-3 respectively.
For Val d’Or, they will have to get the puck into the Lewiston zone with speed and crash the net. Val d’Or cannot let Lewiston slow the pace of the game down defensively, they need to constantly be in motion and activating their defense. They need to wear down Chad Denny and the Lewiston defense and fire as many pucks on net as possible. Val d’Or will have to win the trench battles and go at the net kamikaze style to disrupt the discipline of the Lewiston MAINEiacs.
Key Players for the Foreurs:
- Kristopher Letang – Kris will have to be firing pucks at the net constantly and activating himself into the play. He will see the matchup against Marc-Andre Cliché and David Perron. He will have to play with the heart and tenacity he did against Cape Breton. However, if his performance against James Sheppard for Cape Breton and David Desharnais from Chicoutimi are any indication of his level of play against high-powered forwards, Letang will be fine.
- Jeremy Duchesne – Duchense was amazing in the Cape Breton series and will have to continue his hot streak. He currently boasts a .914 save percentage and will have to continue to stay atop his game.
- Jerome Samson – Samson will have to match the intensity of fellow forward Brad Marchand. Marchand currently boasts an insane 35-point total in the playoffs and if Samson can return to regular-season form, the Foreurs will have three of the deadliest offensive players in the QMJHL operating at full speed. They key for the Halifax Mooseheads 2 wins in round two against Lewiston was the explosiveness of Jakub Voracek. Samson needs to bring that intensity to the rink.
For the MAINEiacs, it’s all about the system. Stick to team defense and take your chances as they come. The patient game of the MAINEiacs is what got them this far, they lull you to sleep and then attack with power-forwards who can snipe the puck from anywhere. The MAINEiacs will have to play smart and get some quality scoring chances on Jeremy Duchesne.
Key Players for the MAINEiacs:
- Chad Denny – Denny is an intimidating physical presence with a windmill slapshot that has been clocked at 95 MPH. If Val d’Or takes penalties, Denny will be the primary threat on the power-play. Denny will need to use his frame on the Val d’Or forwards and prevent them from crashing the net.
- Jonathan Bernier has had a great playoff run in goal. He boasts a 2.53 GAA and has answered the bell at every call. He will need to do so again as Val d’Or throws a ton of pucks on goal and will continue to do so.
- David Perron – The rookie makes his first appearance in the President’s Cup an early one. Perron scored 39 goals in the regular season and was a +37. He will need to rise to the occasion and take Duchesne by storm in order to secure victory.
Faceoff Factor Prediction:
Okay, we’re homers. Letang is our boy. I’ll take the Foreurs in 6. They surprise Lewiston at home early and take the series back to Val d’Or with momentum. Remember; the Foreurs have just come off an emotional 7 game comeback win and Lewiston has been sitting at home. Fresher legs will prevail here.
Val d’Or met the MAINEiacs twice this season and dropped both games, 4-2 and 4-3 respectively.
For Val d’Or, they will have to get the puck into the Lewiston zone with speed and crash the net. Val d’Or cannot let Lewiston slow the pace of the game down defensively, they need to constantly be in motion and activating their defense. They need to wear down Chad Denny and the Lewiston defense and fire as many pucks on net as possible. Val d’Or will have to win the trench battles and go at the net kamikaze style to disrupt the discipline of the Lewiston MAINEiacs.
Key Players for the Foreurs:
- Kristopher Letang – Kris will have to be firing pucks at the net constantly and activating himself into the play. He will see the matchup against Marc-Andre Cliché and David Perron. He will have to play with the heart and tenacity he did against Cape Breton. However, if his performance against James Sheppard for Cape Breton and David Desharnais from Chicoutimi are any indication of his level of play against high-powered forwards, Letang will be fine.
- Jeremy Duchesne – Duchense was amazing in the Cape Breton series and will have to continue his hot streak. He currently boasts a .914 save percentage and will have to continue to stay atop his game.
- Jerome Samson – Samson will have to match the intensity of fellow forward Brad Marchand. Marchand currently boasts an insane 35-point total in the playoffs and if Samson can return to regular-season form, the Foreurs will have three of the deadliest offensive players in the QMJHL operating at full speed. They key for the Halifax Mooseheads 2 wins in round two against Lewiston was the explosiveness of Jakub Voracek. Samson needs to bring that intensity to the rink.
For the MAINEiacs, it’s all about the system. Stick to team defense and take your chances as they come. The patient game of the MAINEiacs is what got them this far, they lull you to sleep and then attack with power-forwards who can snipe the puck from anywhere. The MAINEiacs will have to play smart and get some quality scoring chances on Jeremy Duchesne.
Key Players for the MAINEiacs:
- Chad Denny – Denny is an intimidating physical presence with a windmill slapshot that has been clocked at 95 MPH. If Val d’Or takes penalties, Denny will be the primary threat on the power-play. Denny will need to use his frame on the Val d’Or forwards and prevent them from crashing the net.
- Jonathan Bernier has had a great playoff run in goal. He boasts a 2.53 GAA and has answered the bell at every call. He will need to do so again as Val d’Or throws a ton of pucks on goal and will continue to do so.
- David Perron – The rookie makes his first appearance in the President’s Cup an early one. Perron scored 39 goals in the regular season and was a +37. He will need to rise to the occasion and take Duchesne by storm in order to secure victory.
Faceoff Factor Prediction:
Okay, we’re homers. Letang is our boy. I’ll take the Foreurs in 6. They surprise Lewiston at home early and take the series back to Val d’Or with momentum. Remember; the Foreurs have just come off an emotional 7 game comeback win and Lewiston has been sitting at home. Fresher legs will prevail here.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Foreuers Advance – Complete Comeback.
After trailing 3-1 in the conference final, Kristopher Letang and the Val d’Or Foreurs capped off an amazing comeback with a 4-2 victory tonight at the Air Creebec Center.
The Foreurs came out in the first period strong and peppered goalie Ondrej Pavelec with shots from every angle, but he answered the bell and kept the score even. The game then shifted momentum as the Eagles returned the favor and threw several quality scoring chances back at goaltender Jeremy Duchesne. Duchesne then met the challenge of Pavelec and kept the score at zero. The teams then traded power plays for the rest of the period and took a 0-0 tie into the second.
In the second, Cape Breton failed to convert an early power play but got the first tally of the game from captain James Sheppard on the Beau Prokopetz pass and the Eagles silenced the crazed crowd in Val d’Or.
In the third, Mathieu Roy brought the crowd to their feet with a goal 14 seconds into the third period to tie the game at one. Marchand threw a nice pass ahead to the sniper who made sure he buried the chance.
Three minutes later, Kristopher Letang threw a beautiful puck at the net after he snuck down low to give Val d’Or their first lead of the game 2-1. However, a little over a minute later, Chris Culligan accepted a feed from captain James Sheppard and beat Duchesne to tie the game back up.
Later in the third, Letang grabbed a puck that was shot wide off the board by Eagles forward Cam Fergus and delivered a beautiful puck in front that was buried by forward Martin Thibeault to give Val d’Or another lead with seven minutes left to play.
In the end, Brad Marchand accepted a beautiful feed from Mathieu Roy to make a beautiful move on goalie Ondrej Pavelec as time expired to seal the deal and deliver the Foreurs to the President’s Cup final after winning three straight and beating the odds.
Kristopher Letang ended the night with 1G, 1A, +3 with 4 shots on goal.
The Foreurs will not get a lot of rest as the Lewiston MAINEiacs will be waiting for the start of the final QMJHL series of the year on Friday.
Check back with Faceoff Factor to get a preview of the series later this week.
The Foreurs came out in the first period strong and peppered goalie Ondrej Pavelec with shots from every angle, but he answered the bell and kept the score even. The game then shifted momentum as the Eagles returned the favor and threw several quality scoring chances back at goaltender Jeremy Duchesne. Duchesne then met the challenge of Pavelec and kept the score at zero. The teams then traded power plays for the rest of the period and took a 0-0 tie into the second.
In the second, Cape Breton failed to convert an early power play but got the first tally of the game from captain James Sheppard on the Beau Prokopetz pass and the Eagles silenced the crazed crowd in Val d’Or.
In the third, Mathieu Roy brought the crowd to their feet with a goal 14 seconds into the third period to tie the game at one. Marchand threw a nice pass ahead to the sniper who made sure he buried the chance.
Three minutes later, Kristopher Letang threw a beautiful puck at the net after he snuck down low to give Val d’Or their first lead of the game 2-1. However, a little over a minute later, Chris Culligan accepted a feed from captain James Sheppard and beat Duchesne to tie the game back up.
Later in the third, Letang grabbed a puck that was shot wide off the board by Eagles forward Cam Fergus and delivered a beautiful puck in front that was buried by forward Martin Thibeault to give Val d’Or another lead with seven minutes left to play.
In the end, Brad Marchand accepted a beautiful feed from Mathieu Roy to make a beautiful move on goalie Ondrej Pavelec as time expired to seal the deal and deliver the Foreurs to the President’s Cup final after winning three straight and beating the odds.
Kristopher Letang ended the night with 1G, 1A, +3 with 4 shots on goal.
The Foreurs will not get a lot of rest as the Lewiston MAINEiacs will be waiting for the start of the final QMJHL series of the year on Friday.
Check back with Faceoff Factor to get a preview of the series later this week.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Foreurs Force Game 7
Kristopher Letang and the Val d’Or Foreurs staved off elimination again tonight to force a deciding game 7 in Val d’Or tomorrow.
Dean Ouellet started off the scoring late in the first period for the Eagles but Val d’Or responded 30 seconds later on a Brad Marchand goal from Henrick Lavoie shorthanded.
The game went to the second and Val d’Or got caught sleeping. Cape Breton peppered Foruers goaltender Jeremy Duchesne with shots but the son of recently passed Gaetan Duchesne stood tall. Val d’Or then received a power-play and Kristopher Letang set up Marchand again for his 15th goal of the post-season. The Foruers lead 2-1.
A scary moment in the second period, Penguin prospect Kris Letang was decked mid-ice on a punishing shoulder-to-shoulder check from Eagle forward James Sheppard. Letang was slow to get up and favored his shoulder but returned quickly to log normal minutes without showing any real effects from the shot.
In the third, Duchesne stole the show as Cape Breton threw 18 shots on the net. They got a goal mid-period when ex-Foreur Luc Bourdon notched a shorthanded tally, but Val d’Or again was quick to respond. This time it was Marc-André Côté from Leblanc and Schutz.
Jeremy Duchesne shut the door and Val d’Or found a way to win again.
Tomorrow night’s game seven will be shown on eastlink and can be found here: http://www.lhjmq.qc.ca/lang_en/index.php?page=4468462&id_partie=13863
Faceoff Factor will continue to have exclusive coverage of Kristopher Letang’s chase for the President’s Cup.
Dean Ouellet started off the scoring late in the first period for the Eagles but Val d’Or responded 30 seconds later on a Brad Marchand goal from Henrick Lavoie shorthanded.
The game went to the second and Val d’Or got caught sleeping. Cape Breton peppered Foruers goaltender Jeremy Duchesne with shots but the son of recently passed Gaetan Duchesne stood tall. Val d’Or then received a power-play and Kristopher Letang set up Marchand again for his 15th goal of the post-season. The Foruers lead 2-1.
A scary moment in the second period, Penguin prospect Kris Letang was decked mid-ice on a punishing shoulder-to-shoulder check from Eagle forward James Sheppard. Letang was slow to get up and favored his shoulder but returned quickly to log normal minutes without showing any real effects from the shot.
In the third, Duchesne stole the show as Cape Breton threw 18 shots on the net. They got a goal mid-period when ex-Foreur Luc Bourdon notched a shorthanded tally, but Val d’Or again was quick to respond. This time it was Marc-André Côté from Leblanc and Schutz.
Jeremy Duchesne shut the door and Val d’Or found a way to win again.
Tomorrow night’s game seven will be shown on eastlink and can be found here: http://www.lhjmq.qc.ca/lang_en/index.php?page=4468462&id_partie=13863
Faceoff Factor will continue to have exclusive coverage of Kristopher Letang’s chase for the President’s Cup.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Series Heads Back To Val d’Or
Kristopher Letang and the Val d’Or Foreurs trumped the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in OT tonight to force a game 6 in Val d’Or this Monday.
James Sheppard helped open the scoring in the first for the Eagles as he set-up Robert Slaney who beat goaltender Jeremy Duchesne to give the Eagles the 1st period lead.
The Foreurs came out hot in the 2nd however, and started to play with a crash-the-net style and threw a lot of pucks towards Ondrej Pavalec. Jérôme Samson finally cashed in on the power-play at the 12:12 mark to tie the game at one. Assists to Marchand and Letang.
However, Slaney struck again, this time from Bourdon and Culligan to give the Eagles the lead heading into the third period.
In the third it was Mathieu Roy getting a puck in off a skate to beat Ondrej Pavalec and tie the game while silencing the crowd. Each team then exchanged several power-plays but neither could convert.
In overtime, a bit of a controversial call was made when Luc Bourdon was highsticked and bleeding but Jérôme Samson only received two minutes for the penalty.
Samson then exited the box and shortly after set up Brad Marchand for his 13th of the playoffs to force a game 6 Monday night in Val d’Or while the Lewiston MAINEiacs patiently await their next opponent.
The President’s Cup final is slated to begin a week from today on Friday, May 4.
Faceoff Factor will have exclusive coverage of game 6.
James Sheppard helped open the scoring in the first for the Eagles as he set-up Robert Slaney who beat goaltender Jeremy Duchesne to give the Eagles the 1st period lead.
The Foreurs came out hot in the 2nd however, and started to play with a crash-the-net style and threw a lot of pucks towards Ondrej Pavalec. Jérôme Samson finally cashed in on the power-play at the 12:12 mark to tie the game at one. Assists to Marchand and Letang.
However, Slaney struck again, this time from Bourdon and Culligan to give the Eagles the lead heading into the third period.
In the third it was Mathieu Roy getting a puck in off a skate to beat Ondrej Pavalec and tie the game while silencing the crowd. Each team then exchanged several power-plays but neither could convert.
In overtime, a bit of a controversial call was made when Luc Bourdon was highsticked and bleeding but Jérôme Samson only received two minutes for the penalty.
Samson then exited the box and shortly after set up Brad Marchand for his 13th of the playoffs to force a game 6 Monday night in Val d’Or while the Lewiston MAINEiacs patiently await their next opponent.
The President’s Cup final is slated to begin a week from today on Friday, May 4.
Faceoff Factor will have exclusive coverage of game 6.
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