EARLY 2010 PLAYOFF PREDICTION

It's official. Montreal will face the Gatineau Olympics (currently ranked 12th overall in the "Q" - seen in photo) during the first round of the 2010 QMJHL Playoffs.

This will likely be a favourable match up for the Juniors. I'd put my money on the Juniors provided that the Olympics' goalie, Maxime Clermont (ranked high for the 2010 NHL draft), doesn't steal too many games.

Both teams were "sellers" at the trade deadline however the Olympics' current depth won't compensate for those moves as well as the Juniors'. The teams faced off last Thursday night and Montreal clearly outplayed Gatineau. The seemingly close 2-1 final was mainly due to the outstanding play of Clermont. My prediction: Montreal wins in 6 games.

Should the Juniors beat the Olympics they would probably face the Saint John Sea Dogs in the second round of the playoffs (Saint John are currently ranked 1st overall in the "Q" and 2nd overall among the CHL's 60 teams). While Montreal would be considered the heavy underdog, keep in mind that they're the only team in the "Q" who have beat the Sea Dogs twice this season. Having said that, I'd put my bias aside and predict: Saint John wins in 5 games.