QMJHL: Playoff Notes from the Q

The Halifax Mooseheads and Acadie-Bathurst Titan have been eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs in the third and second round respectively, despite their star power. Brad Marchand was once again front and center for the wrong reasons, as McKeen's correspondent Chris McCluskey has notes on several Mooseheads and Titan players that were making noise in the postseason.

Remi Blanchard (2008), D, Acadie-Bathurst Titan

A smallish defenseman with playmaking skill .. listed in the lineup on the third-defensive pairing, but was receiving first or second line icetime .. trustworthy with responsibilities on both special teams .. quick hands and skates well .. not shy in joining the attack, and is efficient at advancing the play up ice .. does not have the strength to regain the positional advantage he needs to fight the puck from physically mature players if he over commits himself .. showed impressive vision in hitting teammate Eric Faille with a 20-foot perfect pass through a dense crowd in the neutral zone to send him in on the breakaway .. not a bad shot, but more useful in getting the puck to the net from the point for rebounds, and is not expected to score.

Olivier Jannard (2008), D, Acadie-Bathurst Titan

Stay-at-home defender was recently acquired from the Victoriaville Tigres .. not likely going to develop into a top-line QMJHLer .. cautious style of play .. on the breakout, he seems most comfortable with his partner initiating the play .. left alone on the point, Jannard advanced unchallenged to wrist Bathurst's first goal of the game by Halifax netminder Mark Yetman (one of three goals in 32 GP in 2007/08) .. is never going to put up numbers and was a minus-28.

Mathieu Perreault (Wsh), C, Acadie-Bathurst Titan

Bathurst's "franchise forward", on the top line rounded out by Tomy Joly and Tomas Svoboda .. able to undress defenders with combination of sleek, effortless hands and feet .. shows capacity to be adept and creative with the puck .. can dish-off possession quickly when he cannot navigate his way out of a pressure situation on his own .. offensively skilled forward who fits on any teams' top line in the QMJHL, but will only find success at the next level if he gets physically stronger .. priority for training must be to develop the physical capacity to take hits, instead of just using his skill to avoid them.

Antoine Tardif (2008), G, Acadie-Bathurst Titan

Started the year a draft prospect, but left off Central Scouting's "Final 15" goaltending prospects playing in North America .. big enough to play a positional game, but does not display necessary quickness or efficiency moving laterally .. easy to beat if he has to slide post-to-post… possesses quick pads and reflexes.

Jakub Voracek (CBJ), W, Halifax Mooseheads

Valuable asset in all situations finished the season two points shy of averaging two points each game .. deadly shot with pinpoint accuracy and a lightning-quick release, on both the backhand and forehand .. defenders and netminders alike routinely relax when players fly in on tough angles on their backhand, which was a mistake made too often with Voracek who can roof the puck on his backhand with ease .. long strides, but can really move .. difficult to knock off the puck, like a Peter Forsberg .. able to see teammates on the ice with his peripheral vision that scouts with an eagle-eye-view from the press box do not always recognize .. reads the play in a way only the elite can.

Andrew White (FA), W, Halifax Mooseheads

Late bloomer scored a pair of hat tricks in three games in January, and will likely attract a professional tryout with an NHL club this summer .. an inspirational player on the Mooseheads, who earns his ice on the RW when he is supposed to be taking a back seat to Voracek and Marchand .. often has scouts asking, "Who's #22?" with his extra effort every shift .. capable skater, with offensive instincts and commitment to defensive responsibility.

Andrew Bodnarchuk (Bos), D, Halifax Mooseheads

Surprising cut from Team Canada's world junior squad for those who see him play often .. one-on-one is very difficult to beat in a race .. a competitor .. average stature, but plays the body well .. good feet and hands .. plays in all situations .. communicates well with his teammates .. going to see some seasoning in minor-pro next season, but shows promise as an NHL top-four defenseman.

Ryan Hillier (NYR), W, Halifax Mooseheads

Looks to have added some muscle to his frame from this time a year ago .. a strong skater, and seems to have improved his tendency to be very light on his feet .. playing on Halifax's top line with Brad Marchand and Peter-James Corsi .. possesses good hands, but must learn to distribute the puck better .. patience with the puck sometimes keeps him from dishing it off when he should .. scored one of two Halifax shootout goals in a losing cause.

Tomas Knotek (2008), C, Halifax Mooseheads

Skilled playmaking centre holds second place in QMJHL rookie scoring .. slated on the third line alongside Yuri Cheremetiev and Andrew White ..White was tonight's standout, while Knotek really came to life when he saw time with Jakub Voracek ..no-look behind the back pass to Voracek in a three-on-two situation initiated a pretty tic-tac-toe goal finished off by Andrew White .. his weapons are his hands, creativity and vision .. must improve skating mechanics, which are holding his development back .. shows promising playmaking abilities, but seems too comfortable being the quarterback looking for the receiver (Voracek) .. in 28 games with Voracek in the lineup, he only has 10 points where Voracek does not also pick up a goal or assist on the same play.

Eric Louis-Seize (2008), W, Halifax Mooseheads

Slated on the fourth line with 17-year-old Travis Randell and the recently acquired David Bouchard… skating looks like an exhaustive exercise for him, which must change if he is to become an effective checking forward.

Brad Marchand (Bos), C, Halifax Mooseheads

Was provided every opportunity to show scouts' misgivings about him to be otherwise, and finished 2007/08 as a healthy scratch in the deciding game of the President's Cup semifinals (he was also benched by coach Brent Sutter for the final game of the 2008 Canada/Russia SuperSeries) .. the most frustrating player in junior hockey today has the tools but often does not show the capacity to display them in a useful way .. had this to say to the Halifax Metro News about his playoff benching: "They thought it would be best for the team if I didn't play. I wasn't helping the team out, I wasn't playing the way I should have been and I was bringing the team down. Maybe they wanted to get a spark, get the younger guys going, get the older guys realizing they've got to step up. Unfortunately it didn't work, but that's part of the game."

Pier-Olivier Pelletier (FA), G, Halifax Mooseheads

The fact fans are complaining the team still needs a goalie, does not speak well to the development of this former Phoenix Coyotes second round choice .. Detroit invited him to camp in 2007, and he was again not tendered an offer .. replaced by Mark Yetman for the majority of the Mooseheads playoff run .. continues to be sound positionally .. able to cover a lot of the net with his 6-foot-1 frame .. unable to control rebounds, and often loses mental focus .. not challenging when he should ..one moment he will be playing well, the next, you are left wondering where his head has gone.