Super Series Preview - QMJHL vs. Russia

Usually I save doing previews for international tournaments (and boy there will be quiet a few starting within a week), but since I'm making attempts to follow junior hockey with the Mooseheads recaps, I might as well take an interest in the Super Series. So I'm doing this in 4 segments: the three previews (Russia vs. QMJHL, OHL, and WHL respectively) and then a final recap.

All infomation courtesy of the Super Series website.

Rosters

QMJHL

Goalies: Francios Brassard (Quebec Remparts), Zachary Fucale (Halifax Moosheads), Etienne Marcoux (Blaneville-Boisbriand Armada)
Defense: Nikolas Brouillard (Drummondville Voltigeurs), Ryan Culkin (Quebec Remparts), Dillon Fournier (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies), James Melindy (Moncton Wildcats), Matt Murphy (Val-d'Or Foreurs), Jimmy Ogliny (PEI Rockets), Xavier Ouellet (Blaineville-Boisbriand Armada), Jonathan Racine (Moncton Wildcats)
Forwards: Brent Andrews (Halifax Mooseheads), Francis Beauvillier (Rimouski Oceanic), William Carrier (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles), Christopher Clapperton (Blaineville-Boisbriand Armada), Phillip Danault (Victoriaville Tigers), Jean-Sebastien Dea (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies), Jonathan Drouin (Halifax Mooseheads), Samuel Henley (Val-d'Or Foreurs), Jonathan Huberdeau (Saint John Sea Dogs), Charles Hudon (Chicoutimi Sagueneens), Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax Mooseheads), Anthony Mantha (Val-d'Or Foreurs), Cedric Paquette (Blaineville-Boisbriand Armada), Ryan Tesink (Saint John Sea Dogs)

Russia

Goalies: Andrei Makarov (Saskatoon Blades), Igor Ustinsky (Steel Foxes Magnitogorsk), Andrei Vasilevsky (Tolpar Ufa)
Defense: Kirill Dyakov (Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk), Yaroslav Dyblenko (Mytischi Atlant), Pavel Koledov (Lokomotiv VHL Yaroslavl), Ilya Lyubushkin (Lokomotiv VHL Yaroslavl), Andrei Mironov (Dynamo Moscow), Mikhail Naumenkov (THK Tver), Nikita Nesterov (Traktor Chelyabinsk), Artem Sergeev (Val-d'Or Foreurs), Alexei Vasilevsky (Toros Neftekamsk), Albert Yarullin (Ak Bars Kazan), Nikita Zadorov (London Knights)
Forwards: Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec Remparts), Kirill Kapustin (Lokomotiv VHL Yaroslavl), Alexander Khokhlachev (Spartak Moscow), Yaroslav Kosov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Yevgeny Mozer (Avangard Omsk), Valeri Nichushkin (Chelmet Chelyabinsk), Maxim Shalunov (Chelmet Chelyabinsk), Anton Shenfeld (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Andrei Sigarev (SKA St. Petersburg), Vladimir Tkachev (Ak Bars Kazan), Bogdan Yakimov (Dizel Penza), Nail Yakupov (Neftekhimsk Nizhnekamsk), Damir Zhafyarov (Metallurg Novokuznetsk), Daniil Zharkov (Belleville Bulls), Anton Zlobin (Val-d'Or Foreurs), Valentin Zykov (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

Note: Had to look up what team some of the Russian players are on, may not be the same as the Super Series website.

Games

November 5 (Blaineville-Boisbriand)
Russia vs. QMJHL

November 7 (Val-d'Or)
QMJHL vs. Russia

Last 6 Matchups

Russia (5-4) - Russia (2-0) - Russia (4-3) - Russia (5-4) - QMJHL (8-3) - QMJHL (3-1)

Predictions

Game 1: Russia 5 - QMJHL 3
Game 2: QMJHL 6 - Russia 5

Both teams escape with a win and a lost. Russia continues with the series momentum and takes game one. The QMJHL ties the series and gets it's first win in 3 years in a high-scoring game 2.