QMJHL Thread 2018-19

[MonctonianSentinel01]

So the slaughter continues. I can't believe what I'm seeing. 6-0 end of the 2nd. Poor cats, they are having a bad week, hopefully next week will be better. I mean, even the mighty fall every once in a while. It's not really that they're losing either, just that they're blow outs.

[Philbilly]

Yeah whole team was MIA . The final score could of been way worst .
Again they are giving shorthanded goal left and right , 2 tonight’s.

They need to tighten up there game and they should be alright

[MonctonRad]

Glad I went to Halifax today instead........

These last two outings probably mean the team will be out of the CHL top ten rankings when they are calculated again this week.

If the carnage continues, the Christmas trading period may end up being more active than I thought it would be. The boys had better start playing like their careers depend on it (it probably does)...........

[lirette]

Pretty embarrassing results, they looked like the 16-17 Wildcats out there

Overall since I didnt see them going all in anyways I don't see this changing too much. They will likely still be a light buyer and try an upgrade the defence via a 20 year old unless they get an offer they can't refuse for one of their 19 year olds.

Drummondville got some news yesterday that star forward Maxime Comtois is getting sent back from the NHL. This is a huge addition to an already very strong team. There isn't a player on the trade market that compares to him. He'll make his debut against Halifax today.

All the more reason for the Cats to save their major assets and continue to build on what they have. This type of addition means teams like Halifax/Rouyn/BAC are going to look to add even more at the deadline to keep up.

[MonctonRad]

Fair points.

I agree that this probably shouldn't be the year for the Cats to go "all in." There are too many other good teams in the Q this year. It would likely be a wasted effort given the strength of Drummondvile, Baie Comeau and Rouyn-Noranda. Also, given the fact that Halifax is the Memorial Cup host this year, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will be very active in the trade period this year, in order to build the strongest possible team.

Still, if the current slump continues, the Cats might choose to sell a couple of assets to send the rest of the team a message. Obviously the core of the team should be preserved (McKenna, Pelletier, Khavanov, Cyr, Aspirot, McDonald and Spence), but we do have a surplus of 19 year olds on the team, and a couple of them could be dealt for future draft picks (and to shake up the team).

I'm sure nobody wants to be traded from the Wildcats, especially playing out of a near NHL calibre arena with a stunning clubhouse and dressing room and top notch training staff, especially when the alternative might be a small market town in far flung rural Quebec playing out a Junior B quality arena. A message at this point could be very effective in motivating the boys.......

[habskilla]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Well the Cats, after a hugely successful Quebec road trip, were humbly brought back to Earth this evening in a game against the Sherbrooke Phoenix at the Avenir Centre.

A return to Earth, and it wasn't a gentle landing either - the heat shields were ripped off, the airframe collapsed and there was wreckage strewn along the entire length of the flight path!!!!!

Final score 9-2 for the Phoenix.

This was by far the worst game the Cats have played all season. Nobody showed up for the game. It was an entire team (lack of) effort. It was frankly embarrassing. I did not recognize this team at all. I think they may have been impostors.

Guess who decided to go see their first game of the year?

Yup, me.

[MonctonRad]

Cats losing streak over at two games. They wiped the floor with the Cararactes in Shawinigan this evening, winning by a score of 7-1. Khovanov led the effort with a hat trick.

Still too soon to suggest that the Cats troubles are over, but this is a positive sign, and a convincing win like this should allow them to regain their confidence. They will be playing the Phoenix in Sherbrooke tomorrow night and undoubtedly will be seeking some redemption after the blowout at the Avenir Centre last weekend.

The latest CHL top ten rankings are out and Moncton is still included, although they have slipped to #8 from #5. Halifax slipped even further and are now ranked #9. There are still five teams from the Q in the top 10 rankings, with Rouyn Noranda at #2.

[MonctonRad]

Sweet redemption for the Wildcats!!

They defeated the Phoenix in Sherbrooke tonight by a score of 6-3, making up for the humiliating loss they suffered against the Phoenix last week at the Avenir Centre.

This was an important win for the Wildcats. The monkey should be off their back now. This should be a great confidence builder. Now they can treat that short two game losing streak last week as nothing more significant than a learning experience......

Three Wildcats are in the top 10 in league scoring:

1) - McKenna, 20G, 29A, 49 Pts
5) - Pelletier, 17G, 24A, 41 Pts
8) - Khovanov, 18G, 21A, 39 Pts

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I see Conor Garland currently has 15 pts in 15 games with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and is in first place in team scoring.

It's taken a few years, but I wonder if he isn't almost ready now for the "show"......

His former line mate Ivan Barbashev is in his third season with the St. Louis Blues (first season as a regular).

Well, Garland is going to the show!



Phoenix player Michael Grabner suffered an eye injury on Saturday and is out "indefinitely". Conor Garland has been called up to replace him. He may make his NHL debut tonight.

This is a huge opportunity for Conor. Hopefully he will make the most of it. He seems to have finally adjusted to the pro game, and is the Tucson Roadrunners highest scorer this year.

[lirette]

Disappointing loss last night to Cape Breton. Both teams were missing key players. Anderson MacDonald made his return to the lineup which was a plus.

I question the decision to play Leclerc all 3 games last road trip (3 games in 3 days) followed up by playing Lavallee last night when there's a game against SJ on sunday. They could have played Lavallee Saturday against the Armada & Leclerc last nights game.

Lavallee is going through a rough stretch right now, nothing unusual even for a talented 16 year old goalie like him.

On another note it looks like Friday should be the first crowd over 6000 since the home opener. This is an encouraging sign as the cats have always had a tough time with crowds on December weekends due to Christmas parties. Sunday should be over 5000 as its the last game before the break & the teddy bear toss. I encourage fans to check out the game Friday as the game on PEI a few weeks ago was very physical and both teams are close in the standings.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by lirette

I question the decision to play Leclerc all 3 games last road trip (3 games in 3 days) followed up by playing Lavallee last night when there's a game against SJ on sunday. They could have played Lavallee Saturday against the Armada & Leclerc last nights game.

I agree.

Cape Breton shouldn't be taken lightly. The Cats would likely have won with LeClerc in net. It would have been safer to play Lavallee against SJ instead.

Originally Posted by lirette

Lavallee is going through a rough stretch right now, nothing unusual even for a talented 16 year old goalie like him.

He undoubtedly will be a fine goalie in the Q and hopefully will have a promising future in the pros. Playing as a goalie in the Q at age 16 is actually pretty heroic if you ask me.

He has skills, but will require some seasoning before he reaches his full potential. He gives up a distressing number of rebounds, and is not quick covering the puck. Puck control is definitely an issue. I've also noticed that he tends to "duck" when confronted with a hard slap shot. This (understandable) reflex needs to be suppressed.

You never know with goalies though. Who would have thought that Riopel's career would nosedive after his time with the Wildcats while other journeymen like Louis Domingue (who never impressed me) has carved out a fairly successful NHL career (currently with Tampa Bay).

[BlackYear]

Wildcats got spanked tonight by the Islanders. Big crowd of 6277, but I can tell you that 1/2 of PEI showed up to the game! Moncton lost another one by 1 goal.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Budyser

I can tell you that 1/2 of PEI showed up to the game!

Indeed, there was a fleet of four large Maritime Bus coaches, and two smaller van sized passenger vehicles lined up on Main Street outside the Avenir Centre after the game. Probably about 300 PEI fans on the busses alone (let alone others who may have driven over on their own).

Moncton of course is a short drive for PEI fans, and there are usually a fair number of PEI supporters at Wildcats games. The numbers tonight of course were bolstered by those Islanders curious to see what the Avenir Centre was all about (if I'm not mistaken, this was the first time the Charlottetown Islanders have played at the Avenir Centre).

I passed a clutch of Island fans in the arena concourse on the way to my seat and they were raving about the Avenir Centre, one fan loudly proclaiming the arena was "some beautiful".......

[MonctonRad]

Last home game before Christmas for the Wildcats - an easy 6-2 win over the hapless Sea Dogs.

Even though the game wasn't close, the Cats still gave a lacklustre performance (IMHO) and I think their travails continue. I think there may be psychological issues here. In particular, with the trade period coming up, some of the players may be distracted and worrying about their future. People are also looking forward to the Christmas break too. Small things can make a big difference in peoples outlooks.

I've been hearing rumours that Anderson MacDonald is done. He hasn't played the last two games and may have been sent home. There are rumours of an impending trade to Bathurst (apparently for little to anything in return). There are also rumours out there about LeCoultre as well. These rumours are all over the place, but whether he's going back to Switzerland, being traded or is injured, his season may be over.

There may also be movement during the trade period regarding our surplus of quality 19 year olds. We can keep only three next year, and now may be the time to trade the surplus players for maximum value.

The Cats won't be going "all in" this year. There are too many powerful teams in the Q right now. It would just be a wasted effort. I think the Cats will make several moves to improve our chances in the future (like next year), while keeping the team competitive for the remainder of this year.

Attendance was 5,677 which gives a two game weekend total of about 12,000 - not too shabby.

[felip_ars]

Average attendance for first part of season

4775 (17 games)

Compared to 3856 (18 games) last year.

Just for fun I removed the soldout opener (8800) and put a Coliseum sellout (6554 according to Wiki), and it barely made a difference (4643), so the new Centre managed to attracted at least 800 more people per game.

[MonctonianSentinel01]

Originally Posted by felip_ars

Average attendance for first part of season

4775 (17 games)

Compared to 3856 (18 games) last year.

Just for fun I removed the soldout opener (8800) and put a Coliseum sellout (6554 according to Wiki), and it barely made a difference (4643), so the new Centre managed to attracted at least 800 more people per game.

800 more in the stands per game is pretty significant, and I presume that as the rest of the season progresses and as the next few years go by that number will increase even more! Awesome!

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by MonctonianSentinel01

800 more in the stands per game is pretty significant, and I presume that as the rest of the season progresses and as the next few years go by that number will increase even more! Awesome!

New buildings will always have a higher attendance as they're new and people are curious. Generally after three or four years we get a good idea of what a building's natural attendance figures are like.

Usually CHL attendance is weaker in the first half and stronger in the second half when the team is competitive (if not it may be flat or decline over the course of the year). Moncton has an above average team so the run to the playoffs should have a number of good attendance-drawing games (as well the games around New Years). For Moncton it means that the popular games have a higher ceiling (both literally and figuratively) in the new rink, meaning that they have more flexibility to stretch the average attendance out with a couple of high drawing games that weren't as possible in the Coliseum.

[PEI highway guy]

Why did the Wildcats and Islanders play a day game today?

[MonctonianSentinel01]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

Why did the Wildcats and Islanders play a day game today?

Something about putting the game on the for school kids.
http://charlottetownislanders.com/ar...chool-day-game

[L'homard]

Now there is some chatter in Moncton about doing the same thing in Moncton.
I'd go. Once.
But I don't think it's sustainable as a regular thing.