Sags look to close gap on Mooseheads

Halifax Mooseheads first overall pick Nathan MacKinnon.

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The Saguenéens are similarly looking to get better each and every day, so says head coach Marc-Étienne Hubert. Chicoutimi made two big trades with the Gatineau Olympiques at the deadline to provide depth and leadership with the acquisitions of forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Christian Ouellet and defenceman Mathieu Gagnon.

"The message we send – especially inside our locker room – is we want to help our players, we want to keep on going in the plan and the plan is to progress and make sure everyone is ready when the playoffs start," Hubert said.

How will the Sags slow MacKinnon?

Halifax’s offensive leader is a marked man in the league. Since much of the Mooseheads’ production comes from No. 22, opposing teams need to keep a watchful eye on the young phenom, something Hubert is expecting from each player wearing a Saguenéens jersey on Friday.

"We don’t have the last change, so we’re going to ask the five men on the ice to be really hard on him and don’t let him have the time and the space to do what he wants," Hubert said. "We have to know when he’s on the ice."

Chicoutimi players will see him often, but he’s not the only threat. Ducharme will now also have the luxury of rolling a healthy Frk over the boards, something that hasn’t happened much this season. Frk will play his 11th game of the season and is getting more comfortable after a concussion kept him sidelined until Dec. 9.

"He’s not 100 percent yet, but he’s getting closer to being what he can be," Ducharme said. "Obviously, he’s a big help for Nathan."

Can the Mooseheads limit Pageau’s effectiveness?

The Saguenéens surprised some by trading a good chunk of their future to acquire the former Olympiques star. Pageau cost the team a young prospect goalie, two first-round picks and a second-rounder.

He was the last player dealt before the QMJHL’s trading window closed on Jan. 7, and he’s already making an impact on his new team with a goal and two assists in his Sags debut on Wednesday.

"Obviously, he’s one of the best forwards in the league," said Ducharme. "Against Pageau, you need to be ready to skate. You have to be able to take time and space away from him, so that’s the way we want to approach it."

"He’s the kind of player that can do anything on the ice," Hubert said. "He can play good defensively, he can compete in the three zones. He can be a huge factor on our power-play and he’s bringing depth in our lineup."

Do special teams favour the Mooseheads?

Halifax’s power-play is operating at nearly 25 percent this season, good for sixth in the league. Their penalty kill is right around the middle of the pack at just under 77 percent. Both are good, and better than Chicoutimi.

"We can do some damage on the power-play," Ducharme said. "We want to be playing a solid five-on-five game first, and we want to win the special teams battle."

The Sags’ man advantage is effective only 16 percent of the time, which puts them 16th in the 17-team league. Their penalty kill isn’t much better at 75.6 percent.

Chicoutimi’s numbers are deceiving, however, since the additions of Pageau, Gagnon and Ouellet will make a difference across the board. Wednesday’s 6-0 win over Cape Breton was the first time all three were in the lineup together and Chicoutimi went 2-for-5 on the power-play and killed both penalties.

"We want them in the trades because we know that they can play both ways, but we also know that they’re going to be a factor in our power-play," Hubert said. "We know we can improve a lot that situation, especially the power-play, so we’re really happy about those two trades because we are sure that when the playoffs will start, the power-play will be at its best."