Games 11/25

[Sparlimb]

HM playing their first game of the year looking really good against EP. 5-1 score after 2. Also watching my HM girls up 4-1 at Edina in a state championship rematch.

STA beats up 5-0 on Holy Angels
Hibbing up 3-1 on Cloquet. Hibbing started the year beating CDH. Look to be the real deal.

[ryguyMN]

HM playing their first game of the year looking really good against EP.

STA beats up 5-0 on Holy Angels

The HM-EP score isn't too shocking (the cupboards are pretty bare at EP - it's going to take a couple years to rebuild and be a decent team again), but the STA/Holy Angels one is.

[Zamman]

The score of the STA vs AHA games does not show how the game really went. AHA had a great opportunity to go up 1-0, missed STA came down and scored. Second goal was back breaker after that Sill was tired. Faced almost 50 shots. AHA's first game and STA third.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Oof. Giving up 3 in the 3rd to EP is not a good look. When it's 6-1 early in the 3rd, get it to RT and lock it down.

Giving up 3 goals in one period was deadly last season.

[karl(east)]

Grand Rapids and Duluth East tie 2-2. Pretty even game; Rapids probably with a few better chances thanks to their veteran upperclassmen; they've got an alright core with Garski, Rajala, Salisbury, Shermoen, etc. that will be enough to contend in this year's 7AA, but I don't think they're top 15 material right now. For perhaps the first time in my memory, goaltending may be a question mark for them.

East is on the road back to relevance. It won't happen overnight; they're young, and they probably won't have any high volume scorers this season, but they're deep with kids who can skate and you can see the potential. If they can move the puck enough to create chances, they too could be a factor in 7AA. I'm intrigued to watch.

[headsupsticksdown]

HM playing their first game of the year looking really good against EP.

STA beats up 5-0 on Holy Angels

The HM-EP score isn't too shocking (the cupboards are pretty bare at EP - it's going to take a couple years to rebuild and be a decent team again), but the STA/Holy Angels one is.

The cupboard certainly isn’t full but it isn’t bare IMO. They don’t graduate much with only 5 seniors on paper. It really depends on whether the two freshman come back. Don’t get me wrong, Hill is clearly the better team but they got the first two on the PP and shots were fairly even. I certainly didn’t expect it to be 7-4 but it’s early in the season.

[BlueLineSpecial]

I wouldn't read too much into the Hill EP game. Eden Prairie scored 3 goals on the powerplay, which is impressive. Nothing wrong with getting a little penalty killing experience early in the season if you're Hill.

I remember reading that EP has a few freshman on the varsity squad. Will be interesting to see how they develop this season, and in the years to come. I don't recall seeing EP listed in Karl's rankings/section discussion - they may end up better than people think.

Hill has it's own group of young players that will get ice time and have an impact on the season. Their freshmen (3 pts) & sophomores (3 pts) tallied 6 points last night.

Glad to have hockey back.

[grindiangrad-80]

I watched the GR/ East game on Mnhockeytv last night and totally agree 100% with Karl’s assessment.

Pretty even chances throughout the game with a good flow both ways.

East goalie was pretty solid the whole game. Rapids goalie seemed a little “all over the place” early - even though he only gave up 1 in the first. He did settle in nicely and looked very confident in the 2nd and 3rd. Not a bad night at all for his first varsity start.

[headsupsticksdown]

I wouldn't read too much into the Hill EP game. Eden Prairie scored 3 goals on the powerplay, which is impressive. Nothing wrong with getting a little penalty killing experience early in the season if you're Hill.

I remember reading that EP has a few freshman on the varsity squad. Will be interesting to see how they develop this season, and in the years to come. I don't recall seeing EP listed in Karl's rankings/section discussion - they may end up better than people think.

Hill has it's own group of young players that will get ice time and have an impact on the season. Their freshmen (3 pts) & sophomores (3 pts) tallied 6 points last night.

Glad to have hockey back.

There are two 9th graders on EP. RJ Thompson, who was at EP for 1 year of PWs before heading off to greener pastures at Ceasars and Riley Wolkove who moved in from the Jr. Kings. I'd be shocked if both or either come back next year so I personally wouldn't even count them in any future plans.

[BlueLineSpecial]

I wouldn't read too much into the Hill EP game. Eden Prairie scored 3 goals on the powerplay, which is impressive. Nothing wrong with getting a little penalty killing experience early in the season if you're Hill.

I remember reading that EP has a few freshman on the varsity squad. Will be interesting to see how they develop this season, and in the years to come. I don't recall seeing EP listed in Karl's rankings/section discussion - they may end up better than people think.

Hill has it's own group of young players that will get ice time and have an impact on the season. Their freshmen (3 pts) & sophomores (3 pts) tallied 6 points last night.

Glad to have hockey back.

There are two 9th graders on EP. RJ Thompson, who was at EP for 1 year of PWs before heading off to greener pastures at Ceasars and Riley Wolkove who moved in from the Jr. Kings. I'd be shocked if both or either come back next year so I personally wouldn't even count them in any future plans.

Interesting, thx for the information. It may have been Twitter where I saw a post or two about some hotshot freshmen on the team.

[ryguyMN]

I wouldn't read too much into the Hill EP game. Eden Prairie scored 3 goals on the powerplay, which is impressive. Nothing wrong with getting a little penalty killing experience early in the season if you're Hill.

I remember reading that EP has a few freshman on the varsity squad. Will be interesting to see how they develop this season, and in the years to come. I don't recall seeing EP listed in Karl's rankings/section discussion - they may end up better than people think.

Hill has it's own group of young players that will get ice time and have an impact on the season. Their freshmen (3 pts) & sophomores (3 pts) tallied 6 points last night.

Glad to have hockey back.

There are two 9th graders on EP. RJ Thompson, who was at EP for 1 year of PWs before heading off to greener pastures at Ceasars and Riley Wolkove who moved in from the Jr. Kings. I'd be shocked if both or either come back next year so I personally wouldn't even count them in any future plans.

Yeah, Thompson is being eyeballed by the national development team, so he might be a one and done. It's the least excited I've been with EP Hockey in maybe 20 years.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

The White Bear 3-1 win over Rogers escaped me. Coupled with the tie with Tonka, that's a nice start for the Bears. 3-0 until Baumgartner scored late in the 3rd.

[SpartangsHockey]

The White Bear 3-1 win over Rogers escaped me. Coupled with the tie with Tonka, that's a nice start for the Bears. 3-0 until Baumgartner scored late in the 3rd.

I think we slept on the Bears, I was at the Tonka tie and their goalie was dominant

[mnpuckster]

Didn't think goalie would be the Bears strength, but he's played well. Also have a young backup who is good as well.
They have a strong D core (even losing Celski, who plays sparingly in the USHL). If they can find some scoring, maybe they could give HM a run in late February

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Come late February, Hill couldn't look past White Bear if they were 10-12-2. It's the only game they really care about all season, it's their Super Bowl, World Serious, and Stanley Cup Final all rolled into one. For Hill, the game is a means to an end. For WB it's what drives their season.

Maybe that's why they treat a trip to downtown Saint Paul like NFL players treat a trip to the Pro Bowl.

[ClassAGuy]

Hermantown and Hill settle for 2-2 tie.

Hawks held on for dear life in OT but overall very good hockey game.

[SEC Scotty]

Hermantown and Hill settle for 2-2 tie.

Hawks held on for dear life in OT but overall very good hockey game.

I agree very good game. Pioneers young defense turned the puck over a lot early and the Hawks looked tired late.

New scoreboards at Aldrich with shots on goal (west end) and penalty times on both ends.

[headsupsticksdown]

I wouldn't read too much into the Hill EP game. Eden Prairie scored 3 goals on the powerplay, which is impressive. Nothing wrong with getting a little penalty killing experience early in the season if you're Hill.

I remember reading that EP has a few freshman on the varsity squad. Will be interesting to see how they develop this season, and in the years to come. I don't recall seeing EP listed in Karl's rankings/section discussion - they may end up better than people think.

Hill has it's own group of young players that will get ice time and have an impact on the season. Their freshmen (3 pts) & sophomores (3 pts) tallied 6 points last night.

Glad to have hockey back.

There are two 9th graders on EP. RJ Thompson, who was at EP for 1 year of PWs before heading off to greener pastures at Ceasars and Riley Wolkove who moved in from the Jr. Kings. I'd be shocked if both or either come back next year so I personally wouldn't even count them in any future plans.

Yeah, Thompson is being eyeballed by the national development team, so he might be a one and done. It's the least excited I've been with EP Hockey in maybe 20 years.

He's good, but not that good. From what I've seen he's nowhere near a 200ft center and not physical enough. But he's a 2010 so who knows. EP sure wet the bed in that game after going up 5-2. Taking that major was really uncalled for and started the meltdown that ensued. They needed that win as there won't be a lot of Ws to come by in conference play. I'm sure the coaching staff emphasized that heavily post game. Instead of a solid 5-2 win that everyone would've considered an upset here we are.