The most even first-round series in terms of standings points could go either way.
There isn't a first-round series that is closer than Charlottetown and Quebec in terms of standings points and wins.
The 4v5 series in the Eastern conference sees just three points separate the two teams.
But recent form shows a bit of a gap between the two groups.
Charlottetown's Nikita Voyaga battles with Quebec's Antoine Dorion. (Photo: Jonathan Roy)What to expect from Charlottetown
The Islanders were hot down the stretch, and a lot of it has to do with the emergence of one key star.
While stalwarts like Nathan Leek, Ross Campbell, Matthew Butler and Marcus Kearsey have all had fantastic seasons in their own right, it was one Russian addition in January that really put their season on super-charge mode.
Enter Ivan Ryabkin.
The Carolina Hurricanes draft pick joined the Islanders after a stint in the AHL, and has just lit up the QMJHL since, posting 42 (13+29) points in just 20 games.
He took a good, but inconsistent Islanders team and gave them a massive offensive boost. He's shown an ability to take over games with his offensive toolset, and is hoping to lead them on a deep playoff run now.
The depth on this team isn't the greatest, as the scoring really falls off after the top group. But, Donald Hickey has been a solid workhorse between the pipes for them, and if he can really find his game in the post-season, this could be a team nobody particularly wants to face.
What to expect from Quebec
A fairly young Remparts group has taken a step this year into being a solid team.
Names like Maddox Dagenais and Nikita Ovcharov have had big breakout years, while 2007-born players like Nathan Quinn, Xavier Lebel and Andreas Straka have taken some steps in their games as well.
Overall, this leads to a solid but not spectacular group, that is more than worthy of their spot in the middle of the conference.
In goal, Patrick Deniger looks like a revelation as well.
After trading Louis-Antoine Denault to Newfoundland, Deniger has taken on the starter's role, and has posted excellent numbers, including a .910 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average, ranking the 17-year-old near the top of the league in both categories.
This is still a young team, and will be in tough against the firepower Charlottetown provides. But if their youngsters can show what their made of come playoff time, this could be anyone's series.
Schedule
Game one: Friday, March 27, 6:00 PM EDT @ Charlottetown
Game two: Saturday, March 28, 6:00 PM EDT @ Charlottetown
Game three: Tuesday, March 31, 7:00 PM EDT @ Quebec
Game four: Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 PM EDT @ Quebec
Game five*: Friday, April 3, 7:00 PM EDT @ Quebec
Game six*: Monday, April 6, 6:00 PM EDT @ Charlottetown
Game seven*: Tuesday, April 7, 6:00 PM EDT @ Charlottetown
* = if necessary
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