Chicoutimi leapfrogs into first, as the Armada slide due to injuries.
Week nine of QMJHL action kicks off with just one match between the Victoriaville Tigres and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar at 7 PM EST tonight.
Here's how the league has shaped up ahead of this week of play:
Tier One - Contenders
1. Chicoutimi Saguenéens (12-2-3)
2. Charlottetown Islanders (12-5-4)
3. Drummondville Voltigeurs (12-4-2)
4. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (12-5-3)
5. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (11-4-3)
The Sags continue their massive ascension with a 10 game point streak, allowing them to leapfrog the Charlottetown Islanders and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, who've been under .500 the last 10 games, for first place.
The Voltigeurs jump well into the contendership tier with an eight game win streak, leapfrogging the recently first rank Armada, who have both hit a skid while battling injuries to key pieces such as Bill Zonnon, Arseni Radkov and Jakub Milota.
Tier Two - Pretenders
6. Sherbrooke Phoenix (10-5-1)
7. Halifax Mooseheads (11-6-1)
8. Moncton Wildcats (9-5-2)
9. Newfoundland Regiment (9-8-1)
10. Gatineau Olympiques (10-9-0)
11. Shawinigan Cataractes (8-5-3)
12. Rimouski Océqnic (9-8-1)
As it stands, all of the teams above are above .500. Moncton and Sherbrooke have taken leaps in performances lately as they look to rise into contendership, while the Olympiques and the Regiment have been flat as of late after hotter starts.
Tier Three - Hopefuls
13. Cape Breton Eagles (6-7-4)
14. Quebec Remparts (8-9-1)
15. Saint John Sea Dogs (8-9-1)
16. Val-d'Or Foreurs (7-8-4)
17. Victoriaville Tigres (6-10-2)
18. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (2-13-4)
Apart from the bottom two, this division is very competitive, although not quite for the right reasons. The Eagles and the Remparts have, however, been able to find some success lately. The big question is, can they keep it up?
As for the bottom two... the Drakkar have been dreadful this year, and there's not doubt they'll continue to remain near the bottom of the league. The Tigres, however, have been surprisingly bad, given how much promise the team has had coming into the season. I wonder if they finally blow it up this year or try to double down as they have one of the most lethal power plays in the league.
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