| Last updated at 12:47 AM on 24/03/09 |
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P.E.I. Rocket’s Jean-Philippe Mathieu is checked by Moncton Wildcats’ Zach Sill during Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Saturday night at the Moncton Coliseum. (Canadaeast News photo by Viktor Pivovarov) |
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Bringing their 'A' game 
Rocket head coach says his team has got to bring everything it has to avoid a potential series sweep again
CHARLES REID
The Guardian
Well, that didn’t go as planned.
The P.E.I. Rocket aimed for a split in its Quebec Major Junior Hockey League first round playoff series against the Moncton Wildcats in Moncton, but returned to the Island down 0-2 in the best-of-seven matchup.
Worse, Moncton outscored P.E.I. 12-1 and goalie Nicola Riopel is riding a 98-minute shutout streak of the Rocket. P.E.I. can extend the series with a game three win tonight in Charlottetown. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
“It was pretty quiet,” Rocket head coach Guy Choinard said about the return bus ride back from Moncton after Saturday’s 5-0 loss. “(But) I’d rather see them quiet than loosey-goosey.”
Chouinard, who oversaw P.E.I.’s sweep last season by the Saint John Sea Dogs, won’t concede anything yet.
P.E.I.’s been hampered by missed chances (Riopel stopped Lucas McKinley's penalty shot in game one which would’ve cut a ’Cats lead to 3-2) and too many penalties (seven of the nine called in game two’s first period and 13 Moncton power plays overall), despite outshooting the Wildcats 76-70.
Mostly, though, Moncton has beaten Rocket goalie Bobby Nadeau (pulled for backup Evan Mosher both games) when it’s had to while P.E.I. has failed to master Riopel, who’s a career 3-3 in the playoffs.
“Their mistakes we couldn’t capitalize on them. Ours, they put the puck in the net,” said Chouinard.
It’s a first-round trend throughout the league this year. In two games, Drummondville’s pounded Lewiston 22-4, while Quebec, Rimouski and Shawinigan have potted 12 or more goals but surrendered just three each.
But while the Rocket, eighth overall in goals for this season with 229, has firepower, Moncton’s solid defence, complemented by Murray River native Brandon Gormley, and a bang-on Riopel have stifled P.E.I.’s attack.
Still, Chouinard knows the Rocket must win game three. But it goes deeper than a team game, too. There’s no ‘I’ in team, but there is a ‘me’ — a reminder a good squad boasts individuals working in common purpose, said Chouinard.
“You always remember what a guy will do in an important game. (Players must ask themselves) ‘am I going to come up with my ‘A’ game? How do I want to be remembered as?’” said Chouinard. “We need to do the things to make it 2-1. If we don’t we’re in big, big trouble.”
Game four is Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre. If necessary, game five is Saturday in Moncton (7 p.m.), game six is Sunday in Charlottetown (4 p.m.) and game seven is March 31 in Moncton (7 p.m.)
Rocket defenceman Maxime Provencher (concussion) and forwards Brendan Wright (toe) and Brandon MacLean (knee) are out tonight. Rookie forward Ben Duffy (left shoulder) is questionable.
Nadeau, 1-10 lifetime in the playoffs, gets the start.
League Notes
On-ice presentations before recent playoff games gave individual awards to Quebec’s Dmitri Kugryshev (offensive rookie of the year), Drummondville’s Dmitry Kulikov (defensive rookie of the year), Gatineau Jean-Philip Chabot (best defensive forward) and Rimouski’s Maxime Ouimet (best defensive defenceman. P.E.I.’s Ben Duffy and Moncton’s Brandon Gormley and David Savard were nominated for offensive rookie of the year, defensive rookie of the year and best defensive defenceman, respectively.
(creid@theguardian.pe.ca)
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Numbers after Game 2 of Rocket-Wildcats series:
n Goals For - Moncton: 12; P.E.I.: 1.
n Shots - Moncton: 70; P.E.I.: 76.
n Penalty Minutes - Moncton: 40; P.E.I.: 46.
n Power Play - Moncton: 1-17, six per cent; P.E.I.: 1-12, eight per cent.
n Plus-Minus - Moncton: plus-55; P.E.I.: minus-55.
n Faceoffs - Moncton: 79-155, 51 per cent; P.E.I.: 76-155, 49 per cent.
n Hits - Moncton: 31; P.E.I.: 41.
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