QMJHL: Killer Kulikov

The Drummondville Voltigeurs were hoping to improve this season after ending last season in last place and they did so with a bang finishing first overall in the standings. Head coach Guy Boucher has moulded and offensively-minded team that has given opponents headaches with the help of veterans and youngsters, in particular Dmitri Kulikov who will surely be a first round pick. McKeen's contributor Rick Springhetti looks at several players from the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Marco Cousineau (Ana), G, Drummondville

Positional goaltender who stays back and makes himself look big .. manages to keep his focus even when not facing many shots .. handles the puck well around the net .. excellent glove hand .. positionally sound with above average leg speed and balance .. seems to keep his blocker a little high but it was not really an issue at any point .. stepping up his play since being acquired by Baie-Comeau and especially in postseason play .. does not seem rattled by pressure both personal and from the opposition.

Dany Masse (Mtl), C, Drummondville

Signed as a free-agent by Montreal, Masse is a smallish forward who plays very smart at both ends of the ice .. handles the puck well in tight quarters and battles hard to keep it .. average skater but good anticipation to compensate for that .. has no fear going to the front of the net and taking the abuse needed to score goals .. understands his role as centerman when having to play defence in terms of blocking the passing lanes and covering for his teammates when they are battling for the puck .. has always been excellent in the faceoff circle, an important quality for a team like Drummondville who play a puck-possession game .. has really elevated his game during the playoffs not only on the scoresheet, but he has also taken on a leadership role with his team and is not afraid to give directions to his teammates on the ice and on the bench.

Yannick Riendeau (Bos) RW

Another Drummondville recently signed as a free agent, he led the QJMHL in point totals (126) and goals (58) .. possess incredible anticipation for the offensive game .. very quick hands in front of the net with the uncanny ability to switch from his forehand to his backhand .. has a wide variety of shots that he uses at the right time and right on target .. not a very good skater by any means both in terms of speed and balance but still seems to get to the puck at all times .. needs to work on his defensive game but the effort level is not a problem .. takes too long to decide where to go or who to cover in his own zone .. gets the puck to his teammates quickly .. needs to play with quick players that distribute the puck well to be effective.

Gabriel Dumont (2009) RW, Drummondville

Small forward that plays with great intensity and a never say die attitude at all times .. goes to the net hard at all times .. has no equal when it comes to an aggravating player for opposing goaltenders to deal with .. good overall strength for a player his size .. lacks explosiveness in terms of first step quickness but does well once he gets his feet moving .. does not have great vision for the passing game .. only has an average shot but usually scores his goals by outworking opponents in front of the net .. always a treat to scoring in shorthanded situations due to his aggressive nature .. used in important defensive situations by the coaching staff.

Mike Hoffman (2009) LW

Was draft eligible last season but not picked up, he is starting to get noticed by a few NHL clubs this season .. very smooth skater with good speed and lateral mobility .. has a hard wristshot and slapshot that he releases without warning and is not afraid to use it .. always keeps his feet moving in the offensive zone making him a good target for teammates .. tries to be responsible defensively .. knows when to support his defensemen in his own zone .. can get into penalty trouble at the wrong time .. not a very physical player but his line tends to control the puck more often that not .. managed to score 52 goals this season even though he was shifted to the second line at the halfway point in the season when Drummondville acquired Chris DiDomenico.

Dmitri Kulikov (2009) D, Drummondville

Excellent puck-moving defenseman that can carry it up the ice quickly or find an open teammate and make a tape-to-tape pass .. has the ability to find open spaces in a second and take advantage of it .. needs only a few strides to hit his maximum speed .. pivots and lateral movement are above average making him a very effective player against quick opponents .. hard to predict what he will do with the puck when manning the point, as he can distribute the puck very well on both sides, stickhandle through opponents or take a hard slapshot and all three options are used regularly .. not a very physical player, he will instead defend using his speed, anticipation and active stick ..tends to over commit at times in his own zone .. can get a little passive when he is not being challenged.

Philippe Lefebvre (2009) RW, Drummondville

Solid skater with average first few steps but does fine once he gets his feet moving .. stickhandling is very solid, even with opponents around him, but he does tend to get rid of the puck quicker when pressured .. slow windup on the wristshot, but gets good power behind it .. not much of a physical player but he is a tenacious forechecker who does not lose his man too often .. needs to make better decisions in his own zone, but he does make the effort .. is willing to block shots when he has a chance to get into position to do so.