CHL Playoff Update: Who Swept Their Opponents Out of the CHL Playoffs?

Published: 30^th Mar 12 5:29 pm

by Chris Ransom
New England Patriots and Dallas Stars Featured Columnist

RANT It!

This 2nd update of the CHL playoffs will list teams that managed to

2012 OHL Playoff Update

The OHL Playoffs have gone pretty smoothly. The only two teams that managed to sweep their opponents in the first round were the London Knights and the Brampton Battallion. Olli Maata has been a fantastic defender for the London Knights as a Finland import. Maata may not be one of the WHL’s fab 5 defenders. After those 5 defenders he has to be the top defender in the 2012 NHL Draft. London managed to sweep a formidable Windsor Spitfires team that sort of disappointed by not winning one game in this series. The Battallion swept the Sudbury Wolves. The Battallion don’t have many NHL prospects. Their team needs to use the resting period wisely while preparing without getting a hangover.

2012 WHL Playoff Update

All the talk surrounding the 2012 NHL Draft has been about the Fab 5 defenders in the WHL. Matthew Dumba of the Red Deer Rebels was my top graded defender heading into the WHL postseason. Dumba did not even get the Red Deer Rebels to the postseason. Everett Silvertips captain Ryan Murray watched the Silvertips get swept out of the WHL courtesy of the Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors is one of the defenders that has missed time in 2011 because he got injured. Griffin Reinhart of the Edmonton Oil Kings helped the Edmonton Oil Kings sweep the defending WHL playoff Champion Kootenay Ice out of the WHL Playoffs. Portland Winterhawks defender Derrick Pouliot of the Portland Winterhawks was the #1 overall pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. I could see any of these defenders from the WHL going in any particular order in the 2012 NHL Draft. It originally seemed like Ryan Murray was a lock to be the top defender selected. The Fab 5 WHL 2012 NHL prospects have generated tons of impressive tape for NHL scouts to watch. NHL front offices will really have to do their homework when watching these 5 prospects.

2012 QMJHL Playoff Update

The 2012 QMJHL Playoffs have gone by pretty quickly. 7 of the 8 opening round contests have resulted in sweeps. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar were the only lower ranked seed to pull the upset. The 9 seed Acadie Bathurst Titans and the 8 seed Chicoutimi Sagueens are the only teams playing in the opening round of the 2012 QMJHL playoffs. Chicotimi has a chance to win and will face the Shawinigan Cataractes. Shawinigan is going to compete in the 2012 Memorial Cup as the hosting team regardless of whether they win the QMJHL Playoffs are not.

The 13 seed Baie-Comeau Drakkar will face the 1 seed Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL quarterfinals. I expect the Sea Dogs to continue their dominance attempting to defend their QMJHL Title.

I think Chicoutimi will win as an 8 seed making it to the quarterfinals to face Shawinigan. Then I see them moving on to the semifinals before losing to Saint Johns. The Sea Dogs have Jonathan Huberdeau, Zach Phillips, Tomas Jurco, and Nathan Beauleau on their first line. These four players were 2011 first round prospects at this point last year prior to the Sea Dogs winning the QMJHL playoffs and the Calder Cup.

7 seed Rimouski Oceanic will face the 3 seed Balinville-Boisbriad Armada. I like Rimouski to pull the upset. Rimouski could make it to the semi final round. I don’t see this team going all the way to play the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The matchup to watch in the 2012 QMJHL quarterfinals is between the 6 seed Halifax Mooseheads and the 5 seed Quebec Remparts. The top QMJHL prospect from the 2012 NHL Draft is Mikhail Grigorenko. Grigorenko plays for the Remparts. The top overall prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft is Nate MacKinnon a center for the Halifax Mooseheads who reminds many of a young Sidney Crosby. This will be the series to watch in the QMJHL playoffs. The winner of this series will have the best chance to knock off the Sea Dogs in the 2012 QMJHL Playoffs.