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The two combatants, the Rimouski Oceanic and the Halifax Mooseheads, made quick work of their semi-final opponents, with the Oceanic defeating the Chicoutimi Sagueneens rather easily in five games (the single loss which resulted in the end of the Oceanic's astounding 35-game undefeated streak), and the Mooseheads sweeping the Western Division champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in four games. Halifax, too, was on a bit of a tear after the New Year, losing only six games in regulation down the stretch.

Coincidentally, both teams’ streaks to the playoffs (and the top of the standings) began after a coaching change. After languishing in the middle of the standings for the first part of the season, Rimouski's management removed head coach Donald Dufresne from his position, bringing back the wildly successful and flamboyant Doris Labonte, who guided Rimouski to their Memorial Cup championship in 2000. Halifax, too, had been mired amongst the middling teams in the first half of the season, and relieved long-time head coach Shawn Mackenzie of his duties, replacing him with former NHL forward Al MacAdam. The two different styles of play, up-tempo, offensive styles, of Labonte and MacAdam threw a wrench into the plans of the opposition, and have been very key in the recent successes of their two teams.

The teams met four times during the regular season, with each winning two games, and both winning one game on the road. Though both buildings are intimidating places to play, both teams have proven that they are able to drown out the noise and win on the road. Halifax and Rimouski met only once during Rimouski's long undefeated streak; near the beginning, with Rimouski blowing out Halifax, in Halifax, 8-4.

While Rimouski and Halifax are loaded with NHL-drafted offensive and defensive talent, both teams have goaltenders who, prior to this year, were relatively un-tested in big-game situations. Rimouski's Cedric Desjardins and Halifax's Jeremy Duchesne have been the main workhorses between the pipes for the two teams in the stretch run and in the playoffs, and have performed admirably. Two goaltenders that have been very shaky earlier in their careers, it is clear that both are benefiting from playing with strong, competent, veteran defensive units in front of them, helping mask subtle problems in their respective games. However, with two squads as offensively-laden as Halifax and Rimouski facing off, if the defenses cannot help their goaltenders out, then the scores may get very high indeed.

Thus far, though, Desjardins and Duchesne have kept their goals allowed very low. Desjardins has posted a record of eight wins, with only one loss, while holding onto a small 2.05 goals against average, and turning away 94 percent of the shots he has faced. Duchesne's numbers have been even better than Desjardins's, with Duchesne posting the same 8-1 record, but a miniscule 1.85 goals against average, and a 93.4 save percentage. Both goaltenders have proven to be stalwarts in the defensive zone thus far, but the main question is, will they be able to keep up their consistency in the face of two of the most potent offenses in the league?

The Rimouski offense was by far the most deadly in the league, and is led by phenom and consensus 2005 number one draft pick Sidney Crosby. Crosby has continued his dominant scoring ways in the playoffs, picking up an astounding 22 points in only nine games. What may be more astonishing is that Crosby has been shut off the score-sheet twice in the playoffs, and thus in games when he picks up a point, he is scoring at a three-point-per-game clip. Crosby finished the third round in style, notching four goals in their 5-1 defeat of Chicoutimi. Supporting Crosby offensively are his line-mates, Dany Roussin (FLA) and Marc-Antoine Pouliot (EDM), who have also contributed greatly offensively. (15 points and 13 points respectively). Pouliot, who is a regular centerman on that line, has been hampered for much of the playoffs with an upper-body injury, and thus Crosby has been forced into taking the bulk of the key faceoffs, of which he is winning at a modest rate of 53 percent.

Unlike through much of the regular season, where Rimouski's offense was for the most part the Sidney Crosby & Friends show, Rimouski has seen a vast increase in secondary scoring from the depth lines on its roster. Zbynek Hrdel (TB) and Danny Stewart (MTL) have provided strong secondary offensive support on the nights when Crosby's line has been shut down offensively, each player contributing a point per game. 2005-eligible Francis Charette has also been a key contributor. Alongside the slick offensive play of their top six forwards, they boast plenty of physical wingers, led by Tampa Bay draft-pick Mark Tobin, who leads the team with 29 hits. Also contributing in the physical department is enforcer Eric Neilson, who will miss the first game of the series as a result of a suspension obtained in game four of the Chicoutimi series.

While Rimouski's offense is, for the most part, top-heavy, Halifax's offense is equally potent, but also boasts a balanced scoring attack. With no overwhelming go-to unit on the roster, Halifax has had no problems sharing the puck between the lines. If one of the top lines is slumping, a secondary line has invariably stepped up in this playoff series. The stretch run had seen Marc-Andre Bernier, Francois-Pierre Guenette (both VAN), and Frederik Cabana (PHI) picking up the offensive slack, pieced together after many bodies had passed in and out of the line-up. However, with a healthy rostrum of forwards back in the fold for Halifax, that successful unit has been broken up for the playoffs, and has thus resulted in a balanced level of scoring permeating through all lines.

While Guenette's line, with Bernier and over-ager Daniel Sparre have continued scoring - less consistently, but scoring nonetheless, it has been the combination of Petr Vrana (NJ), Rane Carnegie, and (interchangeably) Cabana and Jan Steber (TOR) that picked up the scoring as well in the playoffs. Vrana in particular, the team's captain, who had been mired in a season-long slump, was dominant in the Rouyn-Noranda series, picking up three goals in three games, despite suffering through the series with a bad case of the flu. 19-year-old centerman David Brine has also brought an improved offensive presence in the playoffs, and has continued his perpetually strong work in the faceoff circle, winning faceoffs at a near 63 percent rate. In fact, Brine, Vrana, and Guenette, the three top faceoff men for Halifax, all have a success rate above 50 percent in the playoffs.

For Rimouski, the best defense has been a great offense. Undrafted over-ager Mario Scalzo, and 19-year-old Patrick Coulombe have padded their reputations as point-producers and power play specialists into the playoffs. The pair combined for 16 points in only five games against Chicoutimi, while through the whole playoffs, both players have scored at above a point-per-game average. While Scalzo and Coulombe bring the offense, it is Jean-Michel Bolduc (MIN) and Michal Sersen (PIT) who bring the physicality on the blue line. Both players are strong at both ends of the ice, and are willing and able to throw their ample frames around fairly regularly. 2005-eligibles Erick Tremblay and Francois Bolduc, as well as Graham Bona have not seen much ice time, but have been counted on to bring consistent, if unimpressive, play in their own ends. Tremblay has been in and out of the line-up throughout much of the playoffs.

For Halifax, the 2005 playoffs have been an awakening for Jimmy Sharrow (ATL). Sharrow, whose offensive prowess has never been understated, has turned into a dominant force in all aspects of the game in the playoffs. His defensive play has been vastly improved, his physical game (which had been non-existent) has blossomed, and his stellar offensive play has been even better, while keeping disciplined and keeping turnovers to a minimum. Sharrow has eight points in nine games thus far. The task of watching Crosby will likely fall to Alexandre Picard (PHI), who has been strong thus far in the playoffs. He is probably the most physical defenseman for Halifax, and is positionally sound in his own end. Pierre-Olivier Beaulieu and Franklin MacDonald, and Jeff MacAuley bring solid defensive presences with some offensive ability, while Jean-Francois Brault and Luciano Lomanno will rotate in and out of the line-up as the Sixth defenseman.

The key to the series will be which squad performs better in the special teams department. Throughout the season, Rimouski has been lethal on the power play. When they can ice a combination of Crosby, Pouliot, Roussin, Scalzo, and Coulombe, that is not surprising in the least, as all five players are dynamic offensively, and trade the puck back and forth with the skill akin to your typical NHL power play unit. In the playoffs, Rimouski has scored 21 power play goals, nearly half of their total offensive output. During the regular season, Rimouski fired at a 26.9 percent success rate with the man advantage. Discipline problems, and Rimouski's ability to exploit those problems, have been the bane of the success of most of Rimouski's opponents throughout the season.

Halifax, however, has the ability to counter Rimouski's potent special-teams unit. The Mooseheads, through the regular season, boasted the league's best penalty-killing unit, with a kill rate of 85 percent. They have been even better in the playoffs playing one man down, killing off nearly 88 percent of their penalties (coincidentally, Rimouski has also been even stronger with the man advantage in the playoffs). The key to this battle may be that Halifax has numerous solid two-way players who have played on the penalty kill through most of the season, while the Crosby line is the only real potent man advantage threat. Regardless of their abilities at killing off penalties, against Rimouski, Halifax will have to up their discipline, lest they too suffer a similar fate as Rimouski's other opponents.

The allure of the greatest player in the CHL making it to the Memorial Cup finals certainly makes the nation buzz. Rimouski is talented at both ends of the ice, and is most definitely capable of walking away with the President's Cup. However, Halifax, too, is a deep, capable team, with plenty of veterans who wish to exorcise the demons of falling one game short of a berth to the Memorial Cup in 2003. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is for certain: the QMJHL finals will be highly entertaining.

Copyright 2005 Hockey's Future. Do not duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.