Oceanic aim to solve division-leading Cataractes

The target on the MasterCard Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes’ back won’t get any smaller against the Rimouski Océanic on Friday Night Hockey.

The Cataractes head into the game with a narrow lead on the Québec Remparts in the QMJHL’s Telus East Division standings. Shawinigan is also trying to keep pace with the defending champion Saint John Sea Dogs, whom they trail by three points, doing so while knowing they will face their opposition’s best each night.

“It’s been like this pretty much the whole season,” explained Cataractes head coach Éric Veilleux. “Being the host of the Memorial Cup, everyone is waiting for you big time and it seems they prepare themselves a little better playing us.”

Watch the Océanic-Cataractes game on Sportsnet East, Ontario and Pacific starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Rimouski will prepare for Shawinigan with added intensity, but not because the Cataractes are hosting the Memorial Cup, said Océanic head coach Serge Beausoleil. The Cataractes manhandled the Océanic this season, winning all six previous meetings.

The Océanic would love to end that streak in front of a national audience.

“We have a lot of problems against Shawinigan,” Beausoleil said, “that’s our black beast, if you will.”

The Cataractes will remain without Canadian world junior defenceman Brandon Gormley, who’s been out since early February with a lower-body injury. Veilleux doesn’t anticipate having his hired gun back in action before the playoffs, which begin in two weeks.

Gormley was one of three big-name acquisitions on the blue-line. The other two, Montreal Canadiens prospect Morgan Ellis and the overage Jonathan Narbonne, are shouldering some of the load in Gormley’s absence.

“We thought highly of Morgan Ellis, but he’s given us some big, big, big minutes,” Veilleux said. “We knew (Narbonne’s) value, but he seems to give us more (than expected).”

Can the Océanic finally beat the Cats?

Shawinigan’s dominance over Rimouski leaves the Océanic players searching for answers. The first three meetings were decided by one goal, but the last three weren’t so close for the Océanic. In the last three losses, the Cataractes outscored the Océanic by a combined 19-6. This will be their last meeting this season.

“We have to find a solution,” Beausoleil said. “We have a bit of a problem with confidence against them. We don’t play like we can against them and we have to find some solutions. It’s a double challenge for us and it makes for an exciting game for us.”

This game could be an important momentum-builder, should these two teams meet in the playoffs. The way the playoff bracket is shaping up, these two teams are potential second-round opponents, assuming they both win their first-round matchup.

“That’s too far ahead for us,” Beausoleil said. “It’s a possibility we play against Shawinigan in the second round, but we have our eyes on the present.”

“We may face anybody,” Veilleux said. “We just prepare ourselves the same way we always do.”

Will Rimouski’s quick transition defeat Shawinigan’s defence?

The Cataractes are one of the best defensive teams in the league with a strong, systematic approach and dedication from their group of forwards. The Océanic offer a unique challenge since some of their defencemen are adept at jumping in offensively.

Jérôme Gauthier-Leduc and Jean-Philippe Mathieu are among the two defencemen the Cataractes will need to be aware of.

“They’re a very offensive team,” Veilleux said. “Those two guys like to join the rush and will even sneak in back door. They like to create offence with their defence a lot.”

Beausoleil believes his team won’t make it complicated by dumping pucks behind Shawinigan’s defence and letting their forecheck spark the offence.

“We have to keep it simple and put the puck at the net with a lot of traffic,” he said.

Veilleux wants his team to maintain puck possession and use their speed to create quick counter-attacks.

“When you have the puck, they don’t have it and they’re not as dangerous,” he said.

Which special teams unit will win out?

The Océanic boast the league’s fourth-best power-play with a 25.4 rate of efficiency while the Cataractes will counter with the second-best penalty kill at 84.2 per cent. Rimouski’s offence is led by the league’s premier power-play quarterback, Gauthier-Leduc. Eleven of his 26 goals came with the man advantage.

“He can fire big bullets from the point,” Veilleux said. “You have to pay special attention to that, on top of the good snipers they have too.”

In their six previous meetings this season, the Cataractes held the Océanic to eight goals on 35 opportunities for a 22.8 per cent rate on the power play. The number is somewhat misleading since the Cataractes haven’t allowed a power-play goal in their last two games, including a stunning 12 opportunities without a goal in a 5-0 Shawinigan win on Dec. 11.

“We have a lot of problems with the PK of Shawinigan,” Beausoleil said.