Gatineau, Val-d'Or battle for first

Gatineau defenceman and Tampa Bay Lightning third round pick Adam Janosik.

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"He's able to bring the game to his pace," Olympiques head coach Benoit Groulx said. "He's got many gears. He can go very fast. He can slow down and can shift again. I think one of his biggest assets is he's a competitor and he's as good a passer as he is to shoot the puck. That makes him a tough guy to play against."

Catch the Olympiques and Foreurs battle on Sportsnet ONE in HD at 7 p.m. ET.

The Foreurs won't miss the Olympiques' captain. Pageau has three goals and five assists in three games against their Telus West Division rivals. Foreurs head coach Marc-Andre Dumont stressed how difficult Pageau can be to defend. Now his team will have the luxury of focusing on other Gatineau players.

The 'Piques lead the season series with a record of 3-1 against Val-d'Or. They'll be put to the test in a tough building.

How much can the home crowd play a factor?

There are a few buildings around junior hockey that are notoriously difficult for the visiting team. Among the most difficult is the Centre Robert-Guertin in Gatineau. With a small, but vocal crowd, the Olympiques used the fan support to guide the franchise to multiple championships, including the 1997 MasterCard Memorial Cup on home ice.

"There's history in our building," Groulx said. "It's an old building and the fans can be very loud at times. They can be very intense on the other team so it's always nice having 3,000 people in our building cheering us on."

The Olympiques are one of the strongest teams on home ice this season, going 8-4-1 in front of their fans. Their plus-16 goal differential at home is fifth-best in the league this season and highest in their division.

"We know we're going into a tough building," Dumont said. "Every time we play there, we expect a very intense crowd that's into the games. It's something we're used to because we play them so many times in a year, but we know what to expect when we walk in there."

"We always think that when the building is packed and we're playing a good game," Groulx added. "We're a very tough team to beat with our fans behind us."

How much will previous games dictate play in this one?

The Olympiques won three of the previous four meetings, but they were hardly the type of games that will leave either coach happy. In their last two meetings, Gatineau jumped out to a lead that nearly vanished due to a strong finish by the Foreurs. In their second last meeting, Val-d'Or scored four third period goals only to lose 6-4 after an empty netter by Pageau.

A week ago, the Olympiques led 6-2 late in the third period only to see the Foreurs score two quick goals, again falling short of their comeback bid.

"There's things we did that we're not happy with," explained Dumont. "We want to make sure we're more consistent in our games against them and we think we can apply more pressure on the puck."

Dumont believes his team plays better with an established forecheck, one area his team will implement on Friday against the Olympiques. Groulx, on the other hand, is hoping his team can find consistency throughout the contest because the Foreurs have proven they will never give up.

"They have an experienced team," he said. "They know that they have talent on three lines and they know that they have to battle. They never quit. It's a credit to (the Foreurs). They don't stop playing, don't stop working and that's why they're always in through the end."

Which team can grasp momentum longest?

Both Groulx and Dumont spoke of the importance in gaining and maintaining momentum.

"I think it's important to not leave momentum out there on the table and fight for momentum," Dumont said. "You're not going to have momentum 60 minutes in the game, but you have to make sure you fight for it early on and on a consistent basis."

"It goes a lot with what you do with the puck," Groulx added. "At certain points, you play with a lot of confidence and all of a sudden momentum shifts and it seems that you don't want to have the puck anymore, you don't want to make plays anymore and that's exactly what you cannot allow yourself to do.

"We're going to have breakdowns here and there, especially with a young team like we have. For us, it's about how you manage those breakdowns, those minutes that you're not at your best."

How much will divisional supremacy influence this game?

The QMJHL's Telus West Division is one of the most interesting to start the season. The top four teams are all in the race for first place since just two points separate first to fourth.

"It's a long season," Groulx cautioned. "It's not only Val-d'Or. You have to prepare to play every night in this league. If you're not prepared, you're not winning and it's something that I think we've been not very consistent at doing."

"It's very competitive," Dumont said. "At one point, I remember we were last in our division and next week we were first in our division. It's very tight. There's four teams right now that are within reach of a couple of points within reaching first place. It makes every game a real battle."