2015-16 OUA Thread
- Thread starter northvanman
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I will go with this as well:
Western in 3
UQTR in 3
Both are too tough to call. Carleton is coming off a huge sweep of McGill, but hard to bet against UQTR who have really been dominant all season. Western and Guelph is also tough. Western is likely the better team on paper (and won both contests 3-2 against Guelph in the regular season), but needed overtime in the 3rd and deciding game to knock of the Toronto Varsity Blues, despite outshooting them by an average of 43-27 per game. Their task will not get easier against Andrew D'Agostini who is likely the top goaltender in the West.
UQTR in 3
Guelph in 2
I'm amazingly doing well in this pool given the fact I only went to one OUA game all season and don't coach RMC anymore!
Guelph in 2
I'm amazingly doing well in this pool given the fact I only went to one OUA game all season and don't coach RMC anymore!
RED ARMY EAST
Registered User
Oua
UQTR in 3
Guelph in 3.
Gotta go with Guelph, scored 11 goals in game 3, Western didn't impress me at all against a Toronto team that nobody gave a chance. Also, Guelph made it to last years Nationals, they will be hungry to get back.
UQTR in 3
Guelph in 3.
Gotta go with Guelph, scored 11 goals in game 3, Western didn't impress me at all against a Toronto team that nobody gave a chance. Also, Guelph made it to last years Nationals, they will be hungry to get back.
UQTR-Carleton will go in 3 games... and probably a couple of overtime periods.
Guelph in 3 against Western.
Guelph in 3 against Western.
Rob
Registered User
UQTR takes the first game 4-1 over Carleton.
Only watched the third period. Didn't really have a playoff feel to it. Will watch Saturday night though.
Only watched the third period. Didn't really have a playoff feel to it. Will watch Saturday night though.
Good analysis, it didn't feel like a playoff game at all.
It seems like Carleton wanted so much to be disciplined that they weren't able to force their rythm on UQTR. They came out flat and couldn't create much offense. Dupuis made this game closer than it should have been.
As for UQTR, some players told me they felt like this was their first playoff game, as they didn't feel they had to give their 100 % during their first two series.
I expect Carleton to bounce back in Ottawa saturday. They're a much better team than they showed wednesday and it's never easy for anyone at the Ice House. I'm just not sure it's gonna be enough.
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connor macdavid
Press Box Rat
Pretty spot-on. Home ice could play a factor the rest of this series.
See borderline call on CU's #22 the shift immediately following Carleton's goal (which cut the lead to 2-1). Beautiful Giroux goal on ensuing PP killed the only bit of momentum CU had the entire night.
UQTR had twice as many PPs as Carleton. That being said, it took Carleton ~45 minutes to get going and that's not good enough. Think we'll see both CU and UQTR at nationals in Halifax.
AdamMcg83
Registered User
Likely true, although the one-game Bronze medal format could be dangerous - Especially if it's Carleton. The Ravens have had a lower floor than UQTR throughout the season (more capable of laying an egg), and both teams remaining in the West have the ability to pull off the upset. Western is probably in the top 10 all season if not for injuries, and Guelph has a CIS bronze medal and arguably the best goaltender in the country that's still playing.
All that being said, it'll be a substantial upset if Carleton and UQTR aren't both in H'Fax.
Drummer
Better Red than Dead
I agree - I see whoever loses the OUA-East title winning the OUA bronze game and advancing as the OUA #3 (and provided UNB remains 1st would play UNB as the #8 and re-seed SMU as #7)
AdamMcg83
Registered User
That brings up an interesting question - if St FX takes UNB to 5 games (even if The V-Reds win it), and UQTR sweeps their way to a Queen's Cup, do Les Patriotes have a chance to be seeded #1?
Drummer
Better Red than Dead
1) the AUS finals are a 3 game series since both teams are going to Nationals (no need to for a long series).
2) Possibly, but we're trying to guess at what 16 other people think.
If UNB wins in three and the loss is 'on the road' I don't see the committee punishing them that hard. They would still have a strong record (and perceived 'strength of schedule') in their favour. I would image they would hold onto the #1 seed (but it may not be unanimous). Had UNB not had 16 first-place votes last week, I would have said 'maybe', but almost impossible now unless they lose the series.
You could make the same argument if USK wins their series in 2, do they jump over UQTR? or maybe even UNB?
UNB Bruins Fan
Registered User
I doubt anyone jumps over UNB as long as they win the AUS. At this point in the season it's about results and not style points, so the fact that they won would hold more weight than how they won, IMO. Also, like Drummer said, they were unanimous this week so even if it takes them 3 to win I don't think it would be enough for anyone to jump them. Maybe if it was a close vote this week, but I think UNB has enough voting 'capital' (for lack of a better word) built up that they can afford a loss and not be punished too harshly for it.
The thing I find with that and I don't want to be rude or provincially patriotic but if you're too overly concerned about playing with disclipline its cause you're too concerned with the french officials. UQTR still would have won the game cause Le Colisee is a hard place to play, but Carleton just has to go for broke when they are there.
connor macdavid
Press Box Rat
Even with a concerted effort on being disciplined, Carleton still had twice as many penalties as UQTR. Who knows what that number would've been had they 'gone for broke'
I think that officiating in Quebec is way stricter than it is in Ontario, and it's the same in the juniors. In the Q, they call penalties on legal hits that wouldn't be called in Ontario or out West, just because the check was loud.
And since it's QMJHL refs that work OUA games in Quebec, I'm guessing this has something to do with it. These refs might not be as used as working with bigger and faster guys.
But on the other hand, the two times I've been to Carleton, I've seen things that were obvious, but weren't called at all. For example, Martin Lefebvre got his finger broken on a slash... and he was sent to the box.
If I'm not mistaken, Jr. A refs work OUA games in Ontario, not OHL ones, right? I don't think Quebec refs have a bias, I just think they're way more stricter and UQTR knows how to use that to their advantage (and so does McGill and Concordia).
And since it's QMJHL refs that work OUA games in Quebec, I'm guessing this has something to do with it. These refs might not be as used as working with bigger and faster guys.
But on the other hand, the two times I've been to Carleton, I've seen things that were obvious, but weren't called at all. For example, Martin Lefebvre got his finger broken on a slash... and he was sent to the box.
If I'm not mistaken, Jr. A refs work OUA games in Ontario, not OHL ones, right? I don't think Quebec refs have a bias, I just think they're way more stricter and UQTR knows how to use that to their advantage (and so does McGill and Concordia).
FreddyFoyle
Registered User
I remember the McGill coach in Thunder Bay at Nationals commenting that they were surprised at the difference in refereeing -- he acknowledged that games are called much tighter in Quebec and his players would just have to adjust if they hoped to win a University Cup.
Which they did a few years later in Fredericton.
Which they did a few years later in Fredericton.
Western takes game 1 with a 2-1 win over Guelph. Very entertaining game that Western deserved to win but that could easily have gone the other way....Western picked up 7 minor penalties to Guelph's 2 yet the Mustangs still badly outshot Guelph. D'Agostini played great, especially in the second, as did Dodds for Western....despite the low score, there were a number of quality chances for both teams. Western's defensive zone play has really improved from earlier in the season.
All these close games during the regular season that Western played seems to have prepared them well for the close ones in the playoffs. They are also a bit of an unknown quantity right now - they we very undermanned by injuries most of the season but have been playing with a full lineup since their last game of the year against Waterloo and last night they looked much more in synch than I've seen them most of the year. Looking forward to Saturday.
All these close games during the regular season that Western played seems to have prepared them well for the close ones in the playoffs. They are also a bit of an unknown quantity right now - they we very undermanned by injuries most of the season but have been playing with a full lineup since their last game of the year against Waterloo and last night they looked much more in synch than I've seen them most of the year. Looking forward to Saturday.
Guelph has yet to win on the road this playoff season, and conversely have yet to lose at home.
Now they've put themselves in a position where they will need to keep the home streak alive, and then find a way to win on the road if they want to advance.
A tough path for them, but I see them as having a strong chance of doing so, despite being on the brink of elimination.
Now they've put themselves in a position where they will need to keep the home streak alive, and then find a way to win on the road if they want to advance.
A tough path for them, but I see them as having a strong chance of doing so, despite being on the brink of elimination.
It's not accurate to say that OUA refs are Jr. A refs. Many of them are / have been refs in the OHL - a lot of it depends on scheduling. The OUA gets refs from the home team's local area ... if there is an OHL game in that market at the same time, it means that the OUA gets second-tier refereeing. But, when there's no conflict, the refs can be quite good.
I think that is the biggest issue with refereeing in the OUA - the inconsistency. Just thinking to the Kingston market, depending on luck you can get either a Level 6 Ref who is / has been at the OHL level for many years, but you're just as likely to get a guy who can barely referee Jr. B much less Jr. A. Inconsistency is a big, big issue.
Of course, when you go to a place like Thunder Bay or Sudbury, you get whatever is available from the local area.
Something will change on Saturday, because Western has yet to lose on the road during these playoffs.
UNB Bruins Fan
Registered User
UNB Bruins Fan
Registered User
I would love to see what would happen if AUS refs were reffing this Carleton/UQTR game...there would be a penalty every shift. These OUA teams might be in for a rude awaking if they get the tightly called games at the UCup that the AUS teams are more accustomed to.
