LEWISTON – Just because the rest of the league is taking a long time to decide the pairings for the second round of the QMJHL playoffs, doesn’t mean the Lewiston Maineiacs are waiting to prepare.
The Maineiacs are already getting ready to face No. 1-seed Rimouski.
“We are preparing to play Rimouski,” said Maineiacs coach Clem Jodoin. “We needed to prepare for someone, so we are preparing for the best. If something else happens, it happens, but for now, we prepare for Rimouski.”
Two other options still exist that could send the Maineiacs to Halifax or to Rouyn-Noranda in Round 2, but the coaching staff feels that preparing for Rimouski is a win-win situation.
“For me, it’s all details,” said Jodoin. “Details, details, details. We will work on special units the next few days, like we are facing Rimouski. It’s not like the other things cannot happen, but we want to be ready for the best. If we are not working with a purpose, we won’t be ready. Let’s work with a purpose, let’s move ahead.”
For much of Monday’s practice, the first on Colisee ice since sweeping Shawinigan (the Maineiacs practiced at Kennebec Ice Arena in Hallowell on Sunday), the team worked on a neutral zone transition, and on a scheme to attack in the offensive zone while on the forecheck.
“Transition and protecting the small ice,” said Jodoin. “This is what we’re working on. Everything has to be to the outside, to the outside. If they shoot from the outside, we can stop the puck. If they shoot from the inside we’re in trouble.”
Keeping the puck to the outside isn’t just in the defensemen’s job description against a team like Rimouski, either.
“For us, the key is to keep five deep,” said Jodoin. “If the puck goes up to the point, then we box out. That’s another thing to work on. Every time we played Shawinigan, our forwards were almost always down at the dots, you know. Five deep, so there is nothing going to the net.”
And of course there is the Oceanic’s deadly transition game – and their power play – both of which helped the team to a 5-2-1 record against Lewiston this season.
“We have to cut down on turnovers,” said Jodoin. “Turnovers killed us against Shawinigan in the first part of the season, and we were able to cut it down. The beauty of the four games we played, everyone but one person was at even or plus. Only one player was a minus, and it was a minus-1. When you have a guy like Eric Castonguay who was minus-15, minus-17 for the year and was positive in the playoffs, that shows that it can be done. We can turn things like that around.
“We know what we did wrong against (Rimouski), and we know what we did right. It’s a mind game right now. Even the last game of the season we went there, we were missing seven or eight guys from the lineup. I don’t say that as an excuse, but I believe that it will be different.”
The number of teams Jodoin could possibly prepare for dropped to two Monday night, when Moncton upended Drummondville 3-2 in Drummondville to finish off the Voltigeurs four games to two. Should Victoriaville defeat Quebec tonight, Lewiston will face Halifax, but if Quebec knocks the Tigres out, the Maineiacs will draw Rimouski.
“We are working with a purpose,” said Jodoin. “We are working with a purpose in mind. We have a plan. (The series) will be good hockey.”
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