QMJHL playoff preview:

The Saint John Sea Dogs are entering the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs with more than just the honor of being No. 2 on the Canadian Hockey League's final top 10 list.

The Sea Dogs, who open the QMJHL playoffs against the Prince Edward Island Rocket, enter the postseason with a valuable asset in last year's top goaltender from the Memorial Cup tournament - Marco Cousineau. A member of Drummondville Voltigeurs last season, Cousineau won the QMJHL President's Cup championship and was named top goalie at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, where the Voltigeurs lost to Windsor in the semifinals. The Sea Dogs acquired Cousineau Dec. 30 to backstop them to a QMJHL championship.

"I think we have more leadership than we had last year,'' Cousineau told the Saint John Telegraph-Journal. "For sure, we had a bunch of guys with Drummondville who lost (a lot of games) the year before, so they had a lot of character, but I think we have more (character) and maybe that's going to make the difference.''

While the Sea Dogs finished with 30-plus points over the Rocket in the standings, the series won't be taken lightly. Three of the Sea Dogs' 12 regulation losses came at the hands of the Rocket.

"I think we have to be prepared to play a team that's going to show up. They work hard and they're not going to be easy (to play against)," said Cousineau, an Anaheim Ducks prospect.

Saint John has six NHL draftees, with Ottawa prospect and league MVP nominee Mike Hoffman leading the way along with Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nicholas Petersen. They played alongside Stanislav Galiev, who is expected to be a first-round NHL draft pick in June. Among the Rocket threats is forward Benjamin Casavant, a Washington Capitals prospect.

The Moncton Wildcats, facing the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, are strong up front with Nicolas Deschamps, an Anaheim prospect, finishing the season tied in league scoring. David Savard, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, led all blue liners in scoring. The lineup also boasts two potential first-round NHL picks in 2010 eligible players Brandon Gormley and Kirill Kabanov. The Wildcats also welcomed back Nicola Riopel, who played half a season with the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate. They will be in tough, however, against Screaming Eagles netminder and Edmonton Oilers prospect Olivier Roy. Buffalo Sabres prospect Luke Adam (47 goals, 87 points) was named the team's scoring champ and co-MVP with Roy. He will be expected to lead the way on offense.

The Drummondville Voltigeurs, led by Canadian World Junior netminder Jake Allen, will face off against the Lewiston Maineiacs. Drummondville, ranked No. 4 on the CHL Top Ten list, closed out the regular season with 16 straight wins, including four shutouts thanks to the play of Allen, a St. Louis Blues draftee who led the league in save percentage (.922) and goals-against average (2.20). Drummondville's Sean Couturier, in just his second season, won the league scoring title. The club also has three other NHL draftees, including Montreal Canadiens prospect and QMJHL MVP nominee Gabriel Dumont, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Chris DiDomenico and Canadiens prospect Philippe Lefebvre. Defenseman Samuel Carrier is among several potential 2010 draftees on a youth-filled Lewiston roster.

The Victoriaville Tigres will be facing off against the Shawinigan Cataractes. The Tigres will be a tough foe for the Cataractes, with a strong offensive squad. Brandon Hynes, who is eligible for the NHL draft, finished the season with 75 points, including 41 goals. New York Islanders draftee Kevin Poulin led the way in net, while numerous other NHL prospects dot the Tigres roster, including Andrej Nestrasil (Detroit), Tomas Kubalik (Columbus), Joel Champagne (Toronto), Chris Doyle (New York Rangers), Joel Chouinard (Colorado) and Samuel Groulx (San Jose). The Cataractes are relying on Flyers prospect Dave Labrecque and 17-year-old 2010 eligible Michael Bournival up front, while Charles-Olivier Roussel (Nashville, 2009) will be looked upon to anchor the defense.

The Quebec Remparts, coached by Patrick Roy, will be facing Acadie-Bathurst Titan to open the playoffs. Dmitri Kugryshev (Washington, 2008) led the Remparts on offence, while Louis Domingue was the No. 4 goalie on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American goaltenders, and second among QMJHL goalies. Acadie-Bathurst, which is lead by veterans Eric Faille, Jonathan Lessard and Taylor Lambke, also features two potential NHL draft picks – Jeremie Blain and Julien Tremblay have been included on the Central Scouting rankings.

The Rimouski Oceanic are hoping draft-eligible Czech forwards Petr Straka and Jakub Culex can continue their momentum after a strong season, as they face off against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens to open the playoffs. Chicoutimi's offence struggled this season, with the club being led in scoring by defenseman Dominic Jalbert. The club's only NHL draftee, Eric Gelinas (New Jersey, 2009) was limited to just 28 games in the regular season.

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are missing Patrice Cormier, an Atlanta Thrashers prospect, but boast a lineup with five other NHL prospects, including Bruins draftee Jordan Caron. The Huskies hope the experienced vets, along with goaltender Nicholas Champion, will lead them past the Val-d'Or Foreurs. The Foreurs are missing top defenceman Marco Scandella, sitting out 15 games on suspension, but will look to leading scorer Samuel Morneau (Carolina, 2008) and goaltender Rafael D'Orso to lead the club.

The Montreal Junior will be hoping netminder J-F Berube, a Los Angeles Kings prospect, can lead the way in the playoffs against the Gatineau Olympiques. Jeremy Gouchie will be looked upon to lead the Junior offensively, after a 65-point regular season. Gatineau lacks depth, with just one NHL prospect, Dallas Stars prospect Hubert Labrie. They have several players eligible for 2010, with the most prominent being netminder Maxime Clermont, who can steal games for his squad. Tye McGinn, despite missing a month due to injury, led the Olympiques in scoring with 62 points in 50 games.

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