Parity

[Yoopskater]

Have you ever seen this much parity at the upper end of both classes in the same year?

[Section 8 guy]

Like someone said a handful of weeks into the season......is no one good.....or is everyone good?

Honestly.....I do think the whole parity thing at the AA level is a bit overhyped. Look at the top 10 a year or two ago. The only things that’s really that different is that you don’t have two teams at the top with 0 or 1 losses that have won all their games by 3 goals. The rest of it looks the same. So is it really that different? And is it bad that we don’t know right now who’s going to be in the state title game? This version seems far more exciting to me.

The one thing that has been crazy is the few weeks or nights like this last Thursday where 4 of the top 6 teams lose on the same night. And that’s happened a few times this year which is crazy. You’ve probably had more volatility with more teams moving in and out of the top 10 than a typical year so how they got there is unique.......but I don’t know that the overall picture is as different as it feels like it is other than the lack of two dominant teams. Just my two cents. Of course, I could be wrong.

[O-townClown]

The only things that’s really that different is that you don’t have two teams at the top with 0 or 1 losses that have won all their games by 3 goals.

Spot on. I keep wondering if my reference point was comparing all other teams to Minnetonka & Edina the past two years. My expectation was that Eden Prairie, Benilde, Andover, or Rosemount would separate themselves. Hasn't happened.

[StanleyCup55]

And you look at some of the teams that Andover, EP, Rosemount, etc... have lost to and it’s just, WHAT? There are going to be some major upsets this year in sections, can’t wait

[Stang5280]

Is there really that much parity in Class A? In my mind only five teams could legitimately win the title: Cathedral, Hermantown, EGF, Warroad, and possibly Orono.

Yes, it’s much better than years where teams like Hermantown, STA, or, ahem, Breck were the runaway favorites. But there is still a pretty defined elite tier, and the teams behind them stand little chance.

[karl(east)]

The only things that’s really that different is that you don’t have two teams at the top with 0 or 1 losses that have won all their games by 3 goals.

Spot on. I keep wondering if my reference point was comparing all other teams to Minnetonka & Edina the past two years. My expectation was that Eden Prairie, Benilde, Andover, or Rosemount would separate themselves. Hasn't happened.

This discussion got my curiosity going. Here are all the teams over the past decade that I'd argue separated themselves over the course of the season as clear frontrunners...not always necessarily #1 since sometimes there were several of these teams in a given season, but these teams basically never left the top spot or couple of spots, and most if not all had 6+ D-I players and were loaded top to bottom. 2014 Edina had 4 losses in the regular season and 2012 Tonka had 3; the rest all had 2 or less.

2010 Minnetonka
2012 Duluth East
2012 Minnetonka
2014 Edina
2015 Lakeville North
2015 Edina
2016 Benilde
2018 Minnetonka
2018 Duluth East
2018 Edina
2018 St. Thomas
2019 Edina
2019 Minnetonka

The past two seasons may indeed be skewing our perspective. I can certainly recall other seasons, 2017 being the most recent one, where rankings were not particularly easy; what is different this season is the number of times we've had like five top ten teams all lose. Even in seasons like 2011 or 2013, when there wasn't an obvious frontrunner or dominant team, I had a pretty good feel for the maybe 3-5 teams who were contending for a state title at this point in the season. That's not the case this time.

I agree with Stang that Class A is not showing much in the way of unique parity. As usual, the top few teams are very clear.

[edgeless2]

I think it’s pretty clear all the smoke screen won’t matter to Eden Prairie. If and only if the coaching staff doesn’t panic.

[StanleyCup55]

2020 is the greatest anticipation of sections I've ever had for HS hockey playoffs.

Section 1
North or South as usual. No clue who. Coin flip

Section 2
Tonka or EP. Should be EP but wait... Prior Lake too

Section 3AA
Rosemount hands down... wait, Burnsville, Eastview, Eagan, STA

Section 4AA
WBL, HM, Stillwater. Flip a coin

Section 5AA
Meeting: Blaine/Maple Grove Hockey Teams
Location: Wally Shaver’s house (basement)
Decision: Coin Flip

Section 6AA
Cretin? Benilde? Wayzata? Edina? Either way this once prominent section winner is going to Mariucci after their Thursday show at the X

Section 7AA
For sure Andover. Would bet my life like I did in 98 with the Vikes

Section 8AA
Moorhead for the 100th time in a row unless Roseau, STMA, Rogers or Buffalo decide to play well like they have proven capable

Can anyone say with any certainty who’s going to state? And can anyone say who’s going to win at state with any certainty?

“Thats why they play the games”
-Berman

Come on February!!!

[ryguyMN]

2020 is the greatest anticipation of sections I've ever had for HS hockey playoffs.

Section 1
North or South as usual. No clue who. Coin flip

Section 2
Tonka or EP. Should be EP but wait... Prior Lake too

Section 3AA
Rosemount hands down... wait, Burnsville, Eastview, Eagan, STA

Section 4AA
WBL, HM, Stillwater. Flip a coin

Section 5AA
Meeting: Blaine/Maple Grove Hockey Teams
Location: Wally Shaver’s house (basement)
Decision: Coin Flip

Section 6AA
Cretin? Benilde? Wayzata? Edina? Either way this once prominent section winner is going to Mariucci after their Thursday show at the X

Section 7AA
For sure Andover. Would bet my life like I did in 98 with the Vikes

Section 8AA
Moorhead for the 100th time in a row unless Roseau, STMA, Rogers or Buffalo decide to play well like they have proven capable

Can anyone say with any certainty who’s going to state? And can anyone say who’s going to win at state with any certainty?

“Thats why they play the games”
-Berman

Come on February!!!

Agree with this. In past years, there were indicators who the favorites, but outside of Section 8, it’s a crap shoot this year. Section 7 is unpredictable every year. Ready for the playoffs to start. It’s just going to be more or less the same the next couple weeks.

[O-townClown]

Agree with this?

Moorhead for the 100th time in a row, but for St.M-A who beat them in 2018 which seems quite recent. Their two best forwards were on that team. I saw the highlights on Dream. State.

Any Section VI summary should include Blake, especially after last night. When they are good they have been very good.

While it always seems like Lakeville in I, perhaps Hastings can pull the trick. Worth including.

[Section 8 guy]

Agree with this. In past years, there were indicators who the favorites, but outside of Section 8, it’s a crap shoot this year. Section 7 is unpredictable every year. Ready for the playoffs to start. It’s just going to be more or less the same the next couple weeks.

If you are implying Section 8 is some sort of lock I think you are underestimating the section. And in terms of the Section 8 rep at state Moorhead has gone twice in 6 years. Not quite 100 years in a row.

[O-townClown]

If you are implying Section 8 is some sort of lock I think you are underestimating the section. And in terms of the Section 8 rep at state Moorhead has gone twice in 6 years. Not quite 100 years in a row.

Good thing we have a Section 8 guy to set the record straight.

[Section 8 guy]

Right O Town.

The more time spent staring at the rankings the more I backtrack from the comment that this year isn’t that different. Because it has been sheer insanity. I’m just not sure parity is the right word. Parity is boring and vanilla. This isn’t that. This is the opposite of that.

[ryguyMN]

Ok, I'll bite. Looking at PageStat 1/25/20 AA rankings by section, there's a 1.65 difference in rating between Moorhead and STMA in Section 8. The only other section with a wider margin between the top two teams in AA is Section 7 at 2.84.

[ryguyMN]

Agree with this?

Moorhead for the 100th time in a row, but for St.M-A who beat them in 2018 which seems quite recent. Their two best forwards were on that team. I saw the highlights on Dream. State.

Any Section VI summary should include Blake, especially after last night. When they are good they have been very good.

While it always seems like Lakeville in I, perhaps Hastings can pull the trick. Worth including.

Yes, Blake should be in the discussion for section 6. An oversight in my reply.

[Bayside Tigers]

Well boys, so far in this crazy year where everybody is on a level playing field & “anything can happen”, so far...all the top ranked teams are winning. [In AA] we have the 2nd 3rd and 4th ranked [in the LPH coach’s poll] all punched their tickets to the state tournament, with #1 more than likely to do so tomorrow up in Duluth. With highest ranked teams still in it in all other remaining sections minus 3AA, by my count.