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Montreal Canadiens: Alexandre Alain facing adversity in the QMJHL Finals

By Omar L |
BOISBRIAND, QC - NOVEMBER 24: Xavier Bouchard #20 of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Alexandre Alain #7 of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada battle for position in front of goaltender Antoine Samuel #35 during the QMJHL game at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on November 24, 2017 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defeated the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 5-3. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
BOISBRIAND, QC - NOVEMBER 24: Xavier Bouchard #20 of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Alexandre Alain #7 of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada battle for position in front of goaltender Antoine Samuel #35 during the QMJHL game at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on November 24, 2017 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defeated the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 5-3. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Newly signed Montreal Canadiens prospect and playoff scoring leader Alexandre Alain and his Armada are looking to respond from back-to-back losses.

Will Bitten isn’t the only Montreal Canadiens prospect in a tight series. Alexandre Alain and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada weren’t truly challenged until the Conference Finals of the QMJHL Playoffs when they had the Charlottetown Islanders in their way. It took seven hard-fought games, but the Armada got through them moving on to where they are now.

Game One was all Blainville as they got the early lead and added three more goals to finish the job. Acadie-Bathurst responded well in their next match keeping the Armada off the scoresheet while adding four goals of their own. Game Three was one of the more frustrating games for Blainville as Titan goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick made a number of ten-bell saves.

Alain has been a large part of Blainville’s offensive production leading all players in scoring with 16 goals and 13 assists in 18 games. Although the 21-year-old only has a single assist this series so far, he’ll be one of the answers for the Armada moving forward if he gets going.

Of the 14 shots on goal Alain has this series so far, only 3 of them have led to a high-danger scoring chance. The Titans are doing a good job in suppressing some of the offence from that top line. Alex Barré-Boulet has been able to pot in a pair of goals, but all three forwards are capable of much more considering the numbers they’ve put up since the beginning of the playoffs.

Although Acadie-Bathurst has the 2-1 lead, the series is far from over. The whole team needs to improve it’s level play as a whole and most importantly, convert on more of their chances. If Fitzpatrick is only going to allow two or fewer goals on average, then the Armada have to work with it or break the dam down.

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Alain will be at the head of that front as a player of his calibre can’t be he held off the scoreboard forever.

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