Post by Reesor on Apr 23, 2023 16:26:54 GMT -4
Halifax completes their Q playoff bingo card as Sherbrooke is the only current franchise Halifax has yet to play in a seven-game playoff series.
Halifax was 1-1 against the Phoenix this year with a 6-2 win in Halifax in January, and a 3-0 defeat in Sherbrooke in February.
Keys to the series:
Halifax:
- Depth has to be there: Depth is relative. It can only be called depth if it is as good or better than the other team. Halifax has depth, but Shebrooke has it too. The team who gets secondary scoring is going to have a huge advantage in this series.
- Execution: Halifax has shown throughout the year that they have the ability to step up their game when playing tougher teams. However of all the teams Halifax played this year, Sherbrooke dominated them the most. The win in Halifax was thanks in large part to Olivier Adam having an off night. Halifax played well at times but was dominated for long stretch of both games. They need to find a way to push Sherbrooke back on their heels and stop their big guns from running around in their zone. Over a series they can't afford to be defending for long stretches.
- Dumais has to be Dumais. Jordan Dumais had a better game today against Moncton. But he has to be that wildcard dominant player for Halifax to have an edge in this series. Sherbrooke have a ton of offensive weapons. But when Dumais is on his game he can make more of a difference than anyone. He needs to find his groove for Halifax to have a shot.
Sherbrooke:
- Limit turnovers: Halifax's chances against Sherbrooke were off of turnovers. They have the ability with their cycle game and extremely mobile defense to hem teams in for long stretches. But if they turn the puck over against Halifax they will be in trouble.
- Use the defense wisely: Sherbrooke's top 6 defense is probably the best in the league. They have 5 19 year olds and a 20 year old on defense, with three of them NHL drafted. In the game in Halifax a lot of their plays went through the defense. But I found they were predictably trying to use their defense for shots a bit too much. They can't waste shots against Halifax. They need to pick apart Halifax's relatively inexperienced defense with smart passing.
- Stay poised: Sherbrooke took 71 more minor penalties than Halifax this year, or a little over 1 more per game. Sherbrooke had the best power play and the best penalty kill in the regular season. They can win the special teams battle, and cement that advantage by staying out of the box themselves.
There are a lot of similarities between this Sherbrooke team and the 2019 Drummondville team that Halifax played in the playoffs. Halifax was able to beat that team, but I think they have a bigger task ahead of them with this Sherbrooke team. Halifax was able to frustrate Comtois and Veleno that year, and take advantage of mistakes. This Sherbrooke team has better coaching than that team did, and they seem to be extremely consistent. Of the three remaining teams, Sherbrooke seems like the worst matchup for Halifax on paper. Very good coaching, an experienced defense that can handle Halifax's small forwards, and big time scorers that can take advantage of Halifax having less experience on D and being prone to turnovers and long periods in their own zone.
Halifax belongs in the same conversation as the other big teams, and they've done extremely well against good opposition. I don't see them beating Sherbrooke four out of seven. Hopefully they prove me wrong. Sherbrooke in 6.
Go Moose!!!
Halifax was 1-1 against the Phoenix this year with a 6-2 win in Halifax in January, and a 3-0 defeat in Sherbrooke in February.
Keys to the series:
Halifax:
- Depth has to be there: Depth is relative. It can only be called depth if it is as good or better than the other team. Halifax has depth, but Shebrooke has it too. The team who gets secondary scoring is going to have a huge advantage in this series.
- Execution: Halifax has shown throughout the year that they have the ability to step up their game when playing tougher teams. However of all the teams Halifax played this year, Sherbrooke dominated them the most. The win in Halifax was thanks in large part to Olivier Adam having an off night. Halifax played well at times but was dominated for long stretch of both games. They need to find a way to push Sherbrooke back on their heels and stop their big guns from running around in their zone. Over a series they can't afford to be defending for long stretches.
- Dumais has to be Dumais. Jordan Dumais had a better game today against Moncton. But he has to be that wildcard dominant player for Halifax to have an edge in this series. Sherbrooke have a ton of offensive weapons. But when Dumais is on his game he can make more of a difference than anyone. He needs to find his groove for Halifax to have a shot.
Sherbrooke:
- Limit turnovers: Halifax's chances against Sherbrooke were off of turnovers. They have the ability with their cycle game and extremely mobile defense to hem teams in for long stretches. But if they turn the puck over against Halifax they will be in trouble.
- Use the defense wisely: Sherbrooke's top 6 defense is probably the best in the league. They have 5 19 year olds and a 20 year old on defense, with three of them NHL drafted. In the game in Halifax a lot of their plays went through the defense. But I found they were predictably trying to use their defense for shots a bit too much. They can't waste shots against Halifax. They need to pick apart Halifax's relatively inexperienced defense with smart passing.
- Stay poised: Sherbrooke took 71 more minor penalties than Halifax this year, or a little over 1 more per game. Sherbrooke had the best power play and the best penalty kill in the regular season. They can win the special teams battle, and cement that advantage by staying out of the box themselves.
There are a lot of similarities between this Sherbrooke team and the 2019 Drummondville team that Halifax played in the playoffs. Halifax was able to beat that team, but I think they have a bigger task ahead of them with this Sherbrooke team. Halifax was able to frustrate Comtois and Veleno that year, and take advantage of mistakes. This Sherbrooke team has better coaching than that team did, and they seem to be extremely consistent. Of the three remaining teams, Sherbrooke seems like the worst matchup for Halifax on paper. Very good coaching, an experienced defense that can handle Halifax's small forwards, and big time scorers that can take advantage of Halifax having less experience on D and being prone to turnovers and long periods in their own zone.
Halifax belongs in the same conversation as the other big teams, and they've done extremely well against good opposition. I don't see them beating Sherbrooke four out of seven. Hopefully they prove me wrong. Sherbrooke in 6.
Go Moose!!!