Dan Lacroix vs Yanick Jean
This series will be highly contested behind the benches.
The Sags are that highly talented young aspiring team that have absolutely nothing to prove but just gain invaluable playoff experience.
While the Wildcats have all of the pressure, attention, high expectations and everything to lose.
This 1st round match up will be an offensive duel, both teams love to score goals, but it’s the team that will take care of their own zone and
clog up the neutral zone and limit their opponents team speed and transition that will win the series.
That’s exactly why this series will all come down to the guy behind the bench and the team who’s willing to buy in and do what it takes to win.
Now don’t get me wrong every playoff series comes down to that, but this one is different.
When you have the likes of Yanick Jean behind the bench anything can happen. Jean’s playoff exploits are the stuff of legend around the QMJHL. From shadowing top players to the dreaded trap, Yanick Jean has all the tricks of the trade at his disposal. The one aspect where the Sags might be at a slight disadvantage to the Wildcats is between the pipes. Jean will make up for that from a systematic approach.
2-3-2 , Tendencies and Flipping the Switch
The 2-3-2 series format plays perfectly into Jean and Sags hand. Nevertheless, the Wildcats do boast better speed than the Sags which will be a key on the big ice.
This series won’t be filled with bone jarring hits or physicality, largely because the Wildcats hate to play that way in the first place, but Sags don’t mind at all when it comes to throwing the body around, they just have to do it with a very calculated approach(systematic play/forecheck) because of the aforementioned team speed the Cats possess.
From a speciality teams perspective, both teams have solid power plays. Obviously, everyone is aware the Wildcats have the best power play in the league, but what was their PP percentage when trailing in games or versus tough opponents in the second half and coming down stretch?
The playoffs are a completely different entity especially when you can game plan or make in game adjustments.
Speaking of the power play, Jean and his coaching staff will be all over the Cats power play/penalty kill. Ironically, the Cats’ man advantage has been nothing short of stagnant and predictable for quite some time. How many short handed opportunities have the Cats surrendered in the last 10, 20 or 30 games? I don’t know the exact numbers, percentages or analytics, because I’m not a numbers guy, but to say the Wildcats have given up “some” chances while on the power play is the understatement of the year.
From a 5 on 5 perspective, it all comes down to systems once again. The Wildcats defensive structure and its deficiencies have been well documented this season. Their transition defence leaves something to be desired while their DZC (defensive zone coverage) is often times disjointed, unorganized and lacks consistency.
Again once the Wildcats have the puck on their sticks they are a very dangerous hockey club, it’s when they don’t have it or have to go get it that’s when the Cats struggle.
You see those aspects can all be corrected refined and tightened up but its tendencies that any playoff opponent will zero in on and exploit.
The Moncton Wildcats will have to flip a significant switch when it comes to their style of play if they want to eliminate the Sags.
Anything can happen in the playoffs, that’s what makes it so intriguing.
Variables and Intangibles
Both these teams have game breakers, players that are more then capable of taking over a game. As previously mentioned the Wildcats have the slight advantage in net, but when it comes right down to it, this series will all come down to teams depth and how that depth is used.
Again all signs point to systematic play and the team that will support the puck in all three zones. The intangibles, variables and tendencies don’t all of sudden drastically change come playoff time. If they do that’s great and all, but that shit can’t be sustained.
Secondary scoring and strong sound defensive accountability, that’s what it takes to win in the playoffs, that’s where the depth comes in, that’s where the intangibles and where coaches find value in their top 9, shutdown D pairing or bottom 6 or whatever the hell you want to call them.
Both teams have game breakers, both teams have depth, it’s going to be how those players are used that will make all the difference in the world for this series.
Both of these proud organizations have a week to prepare and get ready for playoff hockey.
The coach and the team that best prepares, commits and buys in the best will advance to the 2nd round.
Let the playoffs begin.
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