Moncton Wildcats hosted Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Saturday night in the QMJHL, and the visitors took all three points with a 2:1 victory. The game ended at 22:00 local time, though the result hardly reflected the early-season uncertainty hanging over both sides. To be fair, neither squad had built much momentum coming into this fixture.
We had tipped the home side to come out on top, putting 64 percent confidence behind that call. The match went another way entirely, and you can see why when you look at what happened. The away end never stopped, and by then the visitors had found their rhythm.
Both teams sit with zero points from six games, which tells you this league is wide open at the moment. Moncton sits tenth on the standings while Rouyn-Noranda occupies seventh, but those positions mean very little so early. The table goes out of the window in these games.
The Wildcats have not won since their September 25th encounter against Saint-Jean, though they did pick up two close results in that span. Rouyn-Noranda's recent form has been tougher, losing four of their last five matches including a heavy 6:3 defeat to Saint-Jean on Friday. By then the visitors were already looking dangerous against Moncton.
This result means Rouyn-Noranda can spring a surprise if they keep building momentum. Moncton will need to regroup quickly, especially after blowing a chance to take points at home. The Huskies showed they could punch above their weight when it mattered.
