Is the Phoenix the bane of the dominant Remparts, who sit not only at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, but also that of the QMJHL?
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This is what we could deduce by focusing on the results of the first three matches between the two powers. Quebec certainly won the first battle, but allowed four goals in the victory.
Then, Sherbrooke inflicted on the “Red Devils” losses of 5 to 1 and 5 to 2, the latter while more than 16,000 spectators were crammed into the stands of the Videotron Center.
Complete training
But not so fast, says Patrick Roy. “Until now, we have never really clashed with our complete formations,” pointed out the head coach of the Remparts on Tuesday.
“The last time we played against them was after Christmas, he continued. We were on a streak of three games in four nights and so were they. We were coming back from Baie-Comeau, they had played the day before. There were missing players who were at the World Junior Hockey Championship. »
Indeed, on December 31, in this 5-2 loss in Quebec, the Remparts were deprived of Nathan Gaucher, who was defending the colors of Canada at the World Juniors.
On the Sherbrooke side, Joshua Roy and Tyson Hinds also represented the maple leaf, while David Spacek donned the uniform of the Czech Republic.
Big additions
And in the two previous clashes, the teams had not yet displayed their complete formation. The Remparts were not counting on the prolific Justin Robidas, who arrived in Quebec at the end of December.
During the transaction period, the club also obtained the services of Daniel Agostino, Jérémy Langlois, Thomas Darcy and Cam Thomson.
The Phoenix were also proactive at the end of the year, adding the talented Jakub Brabenec, Jacob Melanson — the team’s second leading scorer — Andrew Belchamber, Marc-André Gaudet and goaltender Olivier Adam.
In short, with all these changes, Patrick Roy “takes the tape [du dernier match] and put it in the trash.”
“I like concentrating on the match as much as [ce soir] and see how we will react in this situation, ”he said.
Because according to the head coach, this part will serve as a barometer for the rest of the season. “It will allow us to see where we are at, the things that we can continue to improve,” he explained.
Nothing is played
And if Patrick Roy believes that this meeting will look like a playoff match, it is because both his Remparts and the Phoenix have aspirants on their heels.
In the East – and in the general classification – the Halifax Mooseheads are six points behind Quebec. They have won their last 10 meetings.
In the West, Sherbrooke struggles with Gatineau and Victoriaville.
The season ramparts
- 37-6-3 record – 77 points
- 1st in Eastern Association
- 1st in the QMJHL
- 194 goals scored
- 102 goals conceded
- Record in their last 10 games: 8-0-2
- Power Play Percentage: 25.1
- Shorthanded Percentage: 82.2
Top 5 scorers
- Zachary Bolduc (attacker) – 40 PJ – 30 B – 45 A – 75 Pts
- Théo Rochette (attacker) – 44 PJ – 30 B – 42 A – 72 Pts
- Justin Robidas (forward – started the season in Val-d’Or) – 41 PJ – 18 B – 40 A – 58 Pts
- James Malatesta (striker) – 44 PJ – 29 B – 19 A – 48 Pts
- Pier-Olivier Roy (attacker) – 45 PJ – 20 B – 26 A – 46 Pts
In front of the net
- William Rousseau – 29 GP – 22-4-3 record – 1.97 GAA – .919 save percentage – 4 shutouts
- Quentin Miller – 13 GP – 11-2-0 record – 2.01 GAA – .919 save percentage – 1 shutout
The victories more convincing
January 18: Quebec 11 – Baie-Comeau 2
December 28: Quebec 9 – Baie-Comeau 0
October 29: Quebec 9 – Cape Breton 2
October 30: Quebec 7 – Drummondville 1
The confrontations between the two teams
November 16: Sherbrooke 4 @ Quebec 5
November 20: Quebec 1 @ Sherbrooke 5
December 31: Sherbrooke 5 @ Quebec 2