The Lewiston Maineiacs and their fans were elated when Sheldon Wenzel buried an overtime winner less than two minutes into Game 4, ending Shawinigan’s season.
Some of the faithful are even now trying to organize a bus trip for the first two games of the next playoff series, which will be on Friday and Saturday of next week. There’s just one problem: No one knows yet where that bus will be going.
The picture became a little bit clearer after league action Friday, but not by much.
Here are a few of the Maineiacs’ second-round scenarios as they currently present themselves:
Lewiston vs. Rimouski
This scenario is unlikely right now, but still possible. For the Maineiacs to face Sidney Crosby and the Oceanic, all of the teams remaining seeded higher than No. 10 would have to win their series. Currently, Victoriaville, Baie-Comeau or Drummondville would have to win a series. Lewiston is 2-5-1 against Rimouski this season.
Lewiston vs. Halifax
Based on current series’ scores, this seems the most likely scenario so far. The Mooseheads are the No. 2 overall seed and arrived there by virtue of winning the Atlantic division. For the Maineiacs to meet Halifax, exactly one of the three teams mentioned above would have to win its series against a higher seed. Lewiston is 1-2-1 against the Mooseheads this season.
Lewiston vs. Rouyn-Noranda
On paper, this series would be the most intriguing. The Huskies eliminated the Maineiacs in seven games last year. In that series, four games were blowouts and two went to overtime, and this season three games between the two clubs were tight (one Maineiacs’ win and two ties). The Huskies finished the season well and eclipsed Shawinigan on the final day of the season to gain the third and final bye in the first round. The biggest drawback here? The 12-hour bus ride (one way).
Lewiston vs. Gatineau
The least likely of the four possibilities, this was only confirmed Friday when the Olympiques edged Cape Breton at home to take the series 4-1. Gatineau has some incredible recent history, but for the Maineiacs to face this perennial power, all three teams seeded lower than Lewiston would have to win their series’.
Other league action
The Quebec Remparts are still alive – barely.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Alexander Radulov and Mathieu Melanson scored goals in the first 10 minutes of the third period to erase a 1-0 deficit, helping the Remparts to stave off elimination in five games.
Victoriaville had the 1-0 lead through two periods, and Josh Tordjman had stopped all 30 shots to that point. In the series, including the Remparts’ 5-2 win Friday, Tordjman had stopped 221 of 233 shots before Quebec’s five-goal third-period outburst. His save percentage of .941 through four games was second only to Lewiston netminder Jaroslav Halak’s .944.
Friday also marked the end for Cape Breton, which on the final day of the regular season lost home-ice advantage to Gatineau. The Olympiques made short work of the Eagles, who played the first half of the series with a sick starting netminder and absent leading scorer. The series was the second to finish this season, and assures the Olympiques of advancing to the second round for the third consecutive year. Gatineau (Hull) is the two-time defending President’s Cup Champion.
In the other Friday game, Chicoutimi overtook Baie-Comeau 4-1 to go up 3-2 in that series. The home team has won each game in that series, which moves back to Baie-Comeau for Game 6 Sunday.
Home sweet home
Home-ice advantage was a high commodity in the weeks leading up to the end of the regular season. Every coach involved in the race was talking about it, and with good reason. Through Friday, three of the five first-round series’ had played five games. Lewiston and Shawinigan are finished after four, and Moncton and Drummondville will play Game 5 tonight. In all, teams have played 23 playoff games this season, and the home team has prevailed in 19 of those 23 games. The exceptions? Lewiston’s two road wins against Shawinigan and one road win each for Victoriaville and Gatineau.
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