A young Remparts squad will be in for a big test against the high-powered Saguenéens.
Two teams whose series went in very different directions meet in round two, with a young Quebec Remparts team meeting a loaded Chicoutimi Saguenéens group.
Where the Remparts have multiple players who will likely hear their name called at this summer's NHL draft, the Sags have a large contingent of guys who are already affiliated with NHL organizations.
Where the Remparts grinded out a game seven win over Charlottetown, the Saguenéens absolutely dominated Halifax in a sweep.
There is a gulf in class and experience between these two groups, but a series is not played on paper.
Chicoutimi's Emile Ricard attempts to lift the stick of Quebec's Charles-Antoine Dube. (Photo: Bruno Girard)What to expect from Chicoutimi
There is a very fair argument to be made that this group are favourites to win the Memorial Cup, and their first round performance didn't do anything to dispel those beliefs.
A four-game sweep of the Mooseheads with the combined score of the series ending at 24-4 in favour of the Sags showed exactly what this group is capable of, and that is just dominating their opponent.
Despite playing in just four games, Maxim Masse's 10 playoff points lead the league. Seven other players put up over a point per game in the opening round, and they allowed exactly one goal in each of the four games they played.
The blue line is deep and versatile, and Lucas Beckman has arguably been the best goalie in the league since his debut for Chicoutimi.
After going so big at the deadline, the expectations for this team are cup or bust. So far, they seem insistent that cup will be where they end up.
What to expect from Quebec
One of the most impressive parts about the Remparts' round one win over Charlottetown was the play of their young talent.
Maddox Dagenais, whose play has taken a huge step in the second half of the season, had six points in the seven games, including some big ones when it mattered most.
Nikita Ovcharov and Charlie Morrison had impressive series in their own rights, and after a bit of a rocky start, Patrick Deniger came up huge in the last two road games to close out the series win, highlighted by a shutout in the 1-0 game seven win.
They're going to be in for an even bigger challenge in Chicoutimi, something those players haven't experienced yet. But, there's strength in youth that can prove themselves as big players in big moments, which is needed to have any chance at pulling an upset of this magnitude.
Of course, the Remparts have also had some strong play from a few veteran names. Cal Uens had a memorable series in a lot of ways, and has ended up leading the team in scoring from the blue line so far in the postseason.
Mathias Loiselle has also been an important part of the group, and came up with some big moments in round one.
Just about everything will have to go right for Quebec to win this series, but at the very least their young core will gain a ton of experience regardless of the end result.
Schedule
Game one: Friday, April 10, 7 PM EDT @ Chicoutimi
Game two: Saturday, April 11, 7 PM EDT @ Chicoutimi
Game three: Monday, April 13, 7 PM EDT @ Quebec
Game four: Wednesday, April 15, 7 PM EDT @ Quebec
Game five*: Friday, April 17, 7 PM EDT @ Chicoutimi
Game six*: Sunday, April 19, 3 PM EDT @ Quebec
Game seven* Tuesday, April 21, 7 PM EDT @ Chicoutimi
* = if necessary
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