If you’re of certain vintage, you will remember the LA Lakers and their “Showtime” Era. It was run and gun basketball, it was fast and furious, full of skilled players free to be individually creative but some of the best passing and run and gun style ever which still lives on in highlight reels and basketball lore.
The 3rd round match up between the high-octane Moncton Wildcats and the potent Blainville Boisbriand Armada has the exact same feel as the “Showtime” era. The Wildcats love to get out on rush and create, and perhaps that’s where the Armada are most dangerous as well. The Armada scored the 3rd most goals in the entire circuit this season and no doubt would have scored many more if they weren’t decimated by injuries.
The Wildcats scored 32 more goals than the Armada throughout the campaign while anyone that has followed these teams can attest, both can play any style it takes to win. Everyone will have their semifinal or final four preview and breakdown and tons of people will try to dissect things and make predictions about these two teams from a stats perspective, but the individual match ups in this series provide the most intriguing storyline.
Obviously, the Wildcats are the heavy favourites coming into the series and one can only assume the league and countless others for that matter would love to see a Moncton Chicoutimi final, but there’s a shit ton of hockey to be played yet.
The game within the game and the matchups in this particular series will resemble a Magic Johnson no look pass on the fast break leading to a Worthy dunk or they might even be as graceful and calculated as Kareem’s unstoppable skyhook to win it all at the buzzer. The “Show Time” Lakers’ main competition came in the form of the gritty blue-collar Boston Celtics. Ironically, the Lakers never really had to play against a team as equally as talented in a run and gun way. The Wildcats will have to be mindful of the Armada’s transition game if they want to be successful in this series. Here are some of the key “Showtime Showdowns” that will be very intriguing to watch throughout round three!
Villeneuve Vs Bleyl
Who would you take first? That’s the question a lot of scouts have been pondering, but obviously no one would ever dare discuss it because that’s the kind of intel that would get you fired if it every came out. Nevertheless, you can bet your arse some high-ranking hockey ops staff will be making the trek to Moncton this week and Blainville next week to see how these two stack up against each other. With the NHL Central Scouting final list revealed last week and their subsequent placement and proximity within it makes this showdown even more intriguing. There’s no question these two elite level skating rearguards dazzle and ooze offensive talent, but perhaps the young defender that defends the best throughout the series might in fact come away with bragging rights and top billing on several team’s draft boards.
The fact that no defender under 6’ were selected a season ago in the NHL draft has been talked at nauseum. There’s no question that trend will change with these two and the upside they potentially bring to the game. How many teams in the NHL need a transitional offensive defender? How many teams in the NHL can’t afford to have that type of blueliner on their team? These two will go head to head this series and you better believe there’s going to be a “one-upsmanship” quality to this matchup because both players are the type to know exactly where they stand and are confident enough to elevate their game in hopes of surpassing each other. There’s a lot more than draft ranking at stake over this showdown, but there’s no question you’re going to see some mind-blowing skating, possibly some defensive blunders thrown in there as well, but hopefully we will see how these two offensively minded elite skaters truly defend and carry their respective teams to potential success.
Justin Carbonneau vs Caleb Desnoyers
Elite vs Elite. That’s Justin Carbonneau and Caleb Desnoyers. I haven’t had the pleasure of watching Justin Carbonneau play consistently over the last three seasons like have when it comes to Desnoyers and perhaps bias will take over because of that fact, but it’s really not that difficult to be a fan of these two scoring forwards. Carbonneau has made a career out of carrying the Armada and Desnoyers exploits are well documented as any. Making comparisons and or comparables from a scouting perspective is commonplace, but that doesn’t mean they’re always accurate. Carbonneau and Desnoyers are different players and it doesn’t take too to spot the differences, but all eyes will be on this showdown this series. The likelihood of them being on the ice together going head to head is slim to none, but you can bet the farm on this matchup from a statistical vantage point. Desnoyers is a driver while Carbonneau is the ultimate finisher and lethal scorer. Desnoyers playing making ability coupled with his compete level and grit makes him the more dangerous of the two in my mind. There’s no question a player like Carbonneau will be all over the Wildcats pre-scout, but you can’t pre-scout or game plan for a player like Desnoyers because he makes everyone better around him which is no doubt his greatest asset of all, that and his hockey sense which is off the charts. Point totals vs impact, that’s what this showdown will be judged on at the end of this series. Carbonneau vs Desnoyers, it’s a marquee matchup, but it’s one of many in this series!
A Look Back: Here are some articles on Caleb and Justin that I wrote in the past
Final Scouting Reports and Analysis for the 2022 QMJHL Draft – The Quick Shift
What’s Wrong with Caleb Desnoyers? – The Quick Shift
Desnoyers To Make Wildcat History – The Quick Shift
One Thing They Didn’t See or Talk About – The Quick Shift
“He Just Gets It” – The Quick Shift
Bill Zonnon vs Gabe Smith
Power vs Power. That’s what makes this next showdown even more unique. Gabe Smith has been nothing short of spectacular over the last two seasons, and to think at one point he was being harshly criticized by local media for being “too slow, too big, and too ineffective with the puck.” Bill Zonnon’s efforts to bet back in the lineup and have an impact on the Armada speak to his character, work ethic, love for the game and pride in being a leader. Zonnon vs Smith has all the makings of a heavy weight tilt, but it’s each players ability to create time and space for themselves and their line mates that will set them apart this series.
Zonnon and Smith play the game and their positions the right way, they don’t take any shortcuts out there. The Penguins and Mammoth scouting staff deserve a lot of credit when it comes to projecting their talents. Obviously, Zonnon going in the first round caught some people off guard and for the Mammoth to jump at Smith when they did also took some courage given his lack of offensive production during his draft year. It’s unclear how the coaching staff will approach the match up game in this series, but there’s a chance that we could Smith’s line a ton versus the Armada’s top trio. It’s going to very interesting to see which power forward will have the greatest impact on the outcome of this series. Again it’s hard to believe the Armada are the underdogs given their roster structure, but with so many injuries they’re coming into their own and playing some of their best hockey right now especially after facing a very tough opponent in the Regiment in round two.
A Look Back: Here are some articles on Gabe and Bill from a few years back
A Player To Watch: Gabe Smith – The Quick Shift
Smith Proved His Critics Wrong – The Quick Shift
Going About His Business the Right Way – The Quick Shift
Final Scouting Reports and Analysis for the 2022 QMJHL Draft – The Quick Shift
The Spencer Gill Effect
The highs of highs and the lows of lows, Spencer Gill has experienced them all over his QMJHL career.
Gill vs Gill was supposed to be the storyline that everyone wanted to see a season ago, but Spencer’s Oceanic never faced his brother Dyllan’s Wildcats when it mattered most in a championship situation. An injury, surgery and subsequent rehab derailed any chance for Gill to play in the Memorial Cup. Spencer Gill was there every step of the way for the Oceanic from a leadership perspective, but he was also tremendously supportive for his brother when they won the Gillies Courteau Trophy in 6 games. Gill’s injury woes sadly struck again this time with the Armada. Gill only appeared in 16 regular season games for the Armada this year and is currently playing some of his best hockey right now heading into this 3rd round matchup versus his hometown Moncton Wildcats.
The Philadelphia Flyers prospect enters this showdown as a massive catalyst for the Armada. In his last and final ride in the Q Gill is looking to lead and be a thorn in the side of the Moncton Wildcats. Gill can be a shutdown presence as well as an offensive juggernaut and could pose a massive for problem for the Wildcats. Gill might not be flash and dash, but this kid can drastically change the complexion of a series like this. Spencer Gill has faced more adversity in the last year and half that many players face over a five-year span. He has handled that adversity like a true professional which speaks volumes to his character and work ethic. Gill has worked tirelessly to get back to this point, he has improved in every aspect of his game. This series might be the end of Spencer Gill’s Q career, but he has tried everything in his power to make himself and all those around him better on and off the ice and there’s a lot to be said about that. It’s been an absolute honour and privilege to get watch this kid play the game and even better to get to know him over the years on a personal level. Here’s to Spencer Gill the kid that has been through it all, but you would never know it because of who he is and how he plays the game he loves.
A Look Back: Here a few articles that I’ve written on Spencer over the years
A Player To Watch: Spencer Gill – The Quick Shift
More Than Just Another Home Game – The Quick Shift
Final Scouting Reports and Analysis for the 2022 QMJHL Draft – The Quick Shift
The Quick Shift 