2013 Super Series Preview - Russia vs. QMJHL

Just like last year, I'm following the Super Series. Last year, the QMJHL was able to stop it's 2 year winless streak. This year they look a bit weaker (no Huberdeau and MacKinnon) but still look like a challenge. As for Russia, they are coming in with very few KHL experienced guys unlike years past.

All information courtesy of the Super Series website.

Rosters

I'm trying a new format for the rosters. At the end of the series I'll revaluate it and might use it for future tournaments.

QMJHL

Goalies:

Name	Team
Sebastien Auger	St. John Sea Dogs
Zachary Fucale	Halifax Mooseheads

Defense:

Name	Team
Dillion Fournier	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Ryan Graves	Charlottetown Islanders
Justin Hache	Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Samuel Morin	Rimouski Oceanic
Alexis Vanier	Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Daniel Walcott	Blaineville-Brossard Armada
MacKenzie Weegar	Halifax Mooseheads

Forwards:

Name	Team
Daniel Audette	Sherbrooke Phoenix
William Carrier	Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Christopher Clapperton	Blaineville-Brossard Armada
Laurent Dauphin	Chicoutimi Sagueens
Anthony Deluca	Rimouski Oceanic
Jonathan Drouin	Halifax Mooseheads
Anthony Duclair	Quebec Remparts
Frederik Gauthier	Rimouski Oceanic
Felix Girard	Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Jeremy Gregoire	Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Charles Hudon	Chicoutimi Sagueens
Anthony Mantha	Val d’Or Foureurs
Emile Poirier	Gatineau Olympique
Marc-Olivier Roy	Blaineville-Brossard Armada

Russia

Just like last year, some of the Russia information is a bit off, so I've tried to fix it. If the player played in the KHL I've put that as their team, otherwise it's their junior/minor team.

Goalies:

Name	Team
Ivan Nalimov	SKA St. Petersburg
Igor Shesterkin	Spartak Moscow

Defense:

Name	Team
Viktor Baldaev	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Alexei Bereglazov	Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Vladislav Gavrikov	Loko Yaroslavl
Pavel Koledov	Loko Yaroslavl
Kirill Maslov	Loko Yaroslavl
Alexander Mikulovich	Niagara Ice Dogs
Rushan Rafikov	Loko Yaroslavl
Mark Skutar	Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Mikhail Tikhonov	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg
Rinat Valiev	Kootenay Ice
Kirill Vorobyov	Krasnaya Armiya

Forwards:

Name	Team
Alexander Barabanov	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg
Ivan Barbashev	Moncton Wildcats
Alexei Baskov	Omskie Yastreby
Georgy Busarov	Dizel Penza
Vladimir Butuzov	Sibir Novosibirsk
Alexander Delnov	Seattle Thunderbirds
Eduard Gimatov	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Nikolay Goldobin	Sarnia Sting
Denis Gorbunov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Sergei Kuptsov	Izhstal Izhevsk
Ivan Petrakov	Loko Yaroslavl
Igor Rudenkov	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod
Nikita Shcherbak	Saskatoon Blades
Ildar Shiksatdarov	Krasnaya Armiya
Nikolai Skladnichenko	Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Vladimir Tkachyov	Omskie Yastreby
Sergei Tolchinsky	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Kirill Voronin	Loko Yaroslavl
Valentin Zykov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar

Games

November 18 (Gatineau)
Russia vs. QMJHL

November 20 (Sherbrooke)
QMJHL vs. Russia

Last 6 Matchups

QMJHL (5-2) - Russia (6-2) - Russia (5-4) - Russia (2-0) - Russia (4-3) - Russia (5-4)

Predictions

Game 1: Russia 2 - QMJHL 5
Game 2: QMJHL 6 - Russia 4

I see the QMJHL team sweeping this series. I'm not overly familiar with the Russian side, but it does seem weaker than usual. The QMJHL looks like the stronger team.