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This tournament has got to be the best one ever. Every game is like this.

507Ole wrote:Direct quote from my sister: "I don’t know a ton about high school hockey, but even I know to cheer for Grand Rapids over a snooty metro school."

Snooty? I haven't heard that since 1947. How old is your sister?

Injuns hanging tough. Another killer game.

This game is as advertised.

Holy S..t. The boys got it done.

Wow, what a game! Stejskal kept that game out of EP's hands.

Goaltending. Finish the job Rapids.

So that's why (section) 6 was afraid of 7...

Awesome game. Danny and I had the pleasure of sitting with boblee for the third period and watching him go somewhat crazy.

Stampohar was big and did enough to slow down Casey, and Stejskal had the game of his life. The thing I really want to highlight here, though: Grand Rapids got two goals from the second line and another that went in off of Casey's stick. Not one from the top line. That's huge, since this team has so often seemed like it's one line doing everything and the rest just running around trying not to do anything too horrible when they're not on the ice. It's a sign of how much everyone has bought in. They have that charmed team of destiny feeling that I can only really remember around one other AA team--East 2015--and this Rapids group has the talent to finish the deal on Saturday night.

EP more or less played the game they wanted to play. They got the line matchups they wanted, shut down the Orange Trinity, and poured the shots on. Casey set up some great plays, to the point where, if there are questions to be raised, it might be about Lee Smith's lines...on the one hand, going with that deep lineup was key to getting through tough games like Wayzata, but on the other, they never really had all their best forwards down the stretch together. If you are going to shorten your bench in the 3rd period, as EP did, you should probably make sure you have your top 3 forwards out there as much as possible, followed by your next-best 3.

Finally, it's been a real pleasure watching Casey play these last three seasons. Thanks for coming back, kid, and putting on a show so many times. We were lucky to have him, and the sky is the limit going forward.

What can you say, both teams gave it their all and left it on the ice tonight!
Sad to see anyone lose

Congrats to Trent and this group of rapids kids, especially Stej who came through huge. And to Blake took a pounding the whole game, and kept on coming

Best Semi final game since the 2010 Hill Murray Minnetonka game. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife in the third period

Great for Minnesota hockey to see all Northern teams orange in the final game, first time in a decade since 2007 I think

Great game and a lot of fun to watch.

I like the Goph's future with Casey and Blake coming in. I think the Don got the right GR player from what I've seen over the last two days.

BTW, if Rapids is this good. HOW IN THE HELL WERE THEY A #4 SEED IN 7AA? Those coaches were either idiots, or the other 3 teams were incredible.

(I think I know the right answer to that question!)

BodyShots wrote:Great game and a lot of fun to watch.

I like the Goph's future with Casey and Blake coming in. I think the Don got the right GR player from what I've seen over the last two days.

BTW, if Rapids is this good. HOW IN THE HELL WERE THEY A #4 SEED IN 7AA? Those coaches were either idiots, or the other 3 teams were incredible.

(I think I know the right answer to that question!)

GR had a little swoon towards the end of the season. I think everyone knew they were good, but it was hard to ignore some of their section losses to Cloquet and East. Rapids got it all put back together at the right time.

As far as State Tourney games that ended in regulation, don't recall ever witnessing in person a more competitive, hard fought game. Hats off to the unsung GR line and of Graeber, Burnson & Stefan. They were matched against mighty Casey & Jensen & Rudrud for much of the night. What makes this Tourney truly great...is the emotion of HS hockey, the thrill of victory balancied by the agony of defeat. While this group of EP seniors never quite reached the summit of Mt Everest.. and likely felt like they'd sunk to the bottom of the sea.post game...I have to tip my cap to them.. for the thrills & entertainment they provided the past 3 years (at State) Now, will the Indians have enough energy left in tank to finish the Dream...or will the Spuds finally exorcise they're demons from past title games? The FUN isn't over quite yet!

Well said 59 !!!

Indeed it was a fantastic game. Hard hits, fast skating, great scoring chances.

I'm surprised I don't hear any chatter about the Rapids goal that shouldn't have counted. It was very clear that the puck hit the netting above and behind the Rapids goal, fell to the ice and play was not whistled dead.

Rapids moved it out, and I said to my buddy, "They better not score on this," and they scored 2 seconds later. The whole end of the arena saw it, and it was very obviously in contact with the netting for at least three feet as it crawled up. How four, yeas four officials missed it was hard to believe. Shouldn't at least one keep an eye on the puck?

It was reviewed, and the scuttlebutt I got was that the replays were inconclusive. That was not too surprising to me.

That's just a bad deal when a one goal game gets decided on something like that. But hearing the way these northern teams get coddled on forums like this, I'm not too surprised no one has even mentioned it.

^^^^

In the first period a puck went up in the net and back in play in the GR end, play continued on for at least 5 seconds before the linesman furthest away near center ice blew his whistle. It stopped a good EP scoring chance but was the right call.

East Side Pioneer Guy wrote:Indeed it was a fantastic game. Hard hits, fast skating, great scoring chances.

I'm surprised I don't hear any chatter about the Rapids goal that shouldn't have counted. It was very clear that the puck hit the netting above and behind the Rapids goal, fell to the ice and play was not whistled dead.

Rapids moved it out, and I said to my buddy, "They better not score on this," and they scored 2 seconds later. The whole end of the arena saw it, and it was very obviously in contact with the netting for at least three feet as it crawled up. How four, yeas four officials missed it was hard to believe. Shouldn't at least one keep an eye on the puck?

It was reviewed, and the scuttlebutt I got was that the replays were inconclusive. That was not too surprising to me.

That's just a bad deal when a one goal game gets decided on something like that. But hearing the way these northern teams get coddled on forums like this, I'm not too surprised no one has even mentioned it.

Boo hoo. Pout pout.

north_bear wrote:

East Side Pioneer Guy wrote:Indeed it was a fantastic game. Hard hits, fast skating, great scoring chances.

I'm surprised I don't hear any chatter about the Rapids goal that shouldn't have counted. It was very clear that the puck hit the netting above and behind the Rapids goal, fell to the ice and play was not whistled dead.

Rapids moved it out, and I said to my buddy, "They better not score on this," and they scored 2 seconds later. The whole end of the arena saw it, and it was very obviously in contact with the netting for at least three feet as it crawled up. How four, yeas four officials missed it was hard to believe. Shouldn't at least one keep an eye on the puck?

It was reviewed, and the scuttlebutt I got was that the replays were inconclusive. That was not too surprising to me.

That's just a bad deal when a one goal game gets decided on something like that. But hearing the way these northern teams get coddled on forums like this, I'm not too surprised no one has even mentioned it.

Boo hoo. Pout pout.

Ha ha. Like I give a rat's behind that EP lost. I don't really give a rip about either squad.

So just like I said, saying anything negative about a northern team is not politically correct.