Even though the Gatineau Olympiques are on an excellent streak, Louis Robitaille remains calm. The managing director and head coach is aware that there is still a long way to go to achieve the highest awards.
However, Robaille would have every reason to show off. He leads the team of the hour in the QMJHL. The Olympiques have suffered just two regular-time losses since December 1st. They’ve won their last ten games.
Despite this outstanding performance, they are second in the Western Conference behind Sherbrooke Phoenix. They are three points behind their rivals with 14 games to go.
“If we finish first, all the better,” said Louis Robaille. We’ve only lost two regular-time games since December 1 (one to Quebec and one to Victoriaville).
“We do what we have to do. Of course it would be fun to have first place, but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. Ultimately, we want the big trophy like the five or six other teams that won key players during the transaction period.
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The pressure to go all the way
The Olympiques are among the favorites to win the title. This status can come with some pressure on the shoulders of players and coaches. An aspect that does not concern Robaille.
“We ignore that,” he said. We love our team and we’ve recruited players like Riley Kidney, Alexis Gendron, Francesco Lapenna and Cam MacDonald.
“You’ve grafted onto an already interesting core. We focus on our game and have no control over what other teams are doing.
“We want to keep improving our game while uncompromisingly maintaining our identity.”
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A healthy team
The Olympiques have all the ingredients for success. However, numerous injuries to key players put the Outaouais team to the test.
“We got through that in the first half of the season,” said Robaille. You have to give credit to the players who are now playing a deeper role.
“They held the boat and made sure we got positive results. Everyone accepts their role. We have a well-established team that wants to win.”
With the return of injuries, some players like Samuel Savoie have seen their playing time drop in recent weeks.
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“He was a spark plug for us. If you see guys like Gendron and MacDonald you might get less Ice Age.
“Nevertheless, he keeps improving. He’s so important to our team. Depth will be critical to our success.”
With a healthy team, the Olympiques sent a strong message last week by beating the Ottawa 67’s, the league’s best team in Ontario, and the Halifax Mooseheads.
“In such a situation, you collect information about your training. We didn’t play a great game against Cape Breton, but we managed to win it.
“You have to keep learning how to play properly, even if you win. Keep players accountable on the ice. On this side, our managers achieve extraordinary things.”