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By Richard Obrand Montreal – Ironic isn’t it? After a season of total and complete domination over their East Division opponents, Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman and his team find themselves in the East Division Final against a team from the West – the Edmonton Eskimos. Led by former Alouettes assistant coach Danny Maciocia, the Eskimos head into Saturday’s matchup looking to become the first team to obtain a berth into the Grey Cup as the league’s crossover team. With last week’s victory over the Blue Bombers, Edmonton became the first crossover to ever win a playoff game. Montreal and Edmonton split the season series at one win apiece, with both teams gaining victories in the comfort of their own homes. In their first meeting, the Alouettes exploded offensively, embarrassing the Eskimos 40-4 in late September. Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo threw for 414 yards and two touchdowns, while receivers Jamel Richardson and Kerry Watkins caught eight balls each, both breaking the century mark. In the re-match, the Eskimos prevailed in the season finale for both teams, taking advantage of a resting Alouettes squad in a 37-14. Calvillo did not play that game, while the Als faced Edmonton’s starting quarterback, Ricky Ray, for half the game. Montreal also sat out a majority of its offensive starters while having several backups play more than usual in the loss. The Als and Eskimos will meet for the fourth time in the post-season since Montreal’s reincarnation into the CFL in 1996, with all three previous matchups occurring in the Grey Cup. The Eskimos seem to have the historic edge; defeating the Alouettes in 2003 and 2005, with the Alouettes taking the 2002 contest for their most recent title. This week’s game marks the first CFL playoff game for Trestman. It’s been a debut season to remember for the Als’ head coach as he led his new crew of players to an 11-7-0 record and a division title with the league’s deadliest offence. The Alouettes will host the Edmonton Eskimos this Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium (RDS HD, TSN HD, CKAC SPORTS, CJAD). |
