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I think that Grand Rapids is a very good team and they are very different from the team Edina played in the Holiday Classic. That being said, Edina is also a very different team from the one that played in the Holiday Classic. The second line is now expected to contribute to a win, as a opposed to not lose the game. They now could carry the team and could be considered 1b. Edina has switched the powerplay and it has become much more potent. Edina has improved a ton.

In the Holiday Classic, Edina did come out of the gate well and Cashetta was not playing as well as he is now. Had Grand Rapids had Pat White, I think they would have won.

Now, Grand Rapids is all healthy, Edina's team has matured.

The most interesting matchups will be

Leer vs. Skejskal (not sure of the spelling) (HITTERS!)
Brehm vs. White (one of the top defensive defenseman vs. a pure scorer)
Cashetta vs. White (one of the best and hottest goalie v.s a pure scorer)

While, I say White is a pure scorer that is not to say he isn't good on defense or a good passer, it is just that he can put the puck in the back of the net. Edina has only faced one player of his caliber, and that is Tyler Johnson, who is no where near as big or physical as Pat White.

Edina gets a taste of all of his abilities practicing against Budish, Everson and Reber, however they have not faced a player who can package all those abilities.

The first game will not be anything like the second game.

This game I think that Edina will come-out hard and score the first goal.
I think that Pat White will have all the goals for Grand Rapids. Edina has more depth, so I think if they can keep the game fast paced they will take the game in the third period, as that has been the teams best period.

One thing different about this Edina than most Edina teams in all sports is that they can finish. They are confident enough to not panic when down late so they can come back. They know he to step on a teams throat, when they are up. If they stay out of the box, I don't think any team will be able to overcome that. That is a big IF. They are very clutch and with the exception of a few players, they keep there head and won't be taking stupid penalties. They play with a businesslike attitude.

I think this will be a one goal game and very low scoring. 5 or less goals.

Edina-3
Grand Rapids-2

This could easily go into OT and there Edina will have the advantage because they are very deep and Grand Rapids star players will be worn down.

It could come out either way.

This was a horrible draw for Edina and Grand Rapids. I think they are two of the top three teams left in the state.

Orty wrote:

lets_go_hornets! wrote:They're a bad team, you get my drift. and plus, we're an exponentially better team since the holiday classic- just look at the EP game

Tell that to East and Cloquet.

Just because you play in a rock star tourny doesn't mean you're a rock star. Edina is good. GR will win.

Get my drift?

Orty

I like that. I want to be a rock star

lets_go_hornets! wrote:They're a bad team, you get my drift. and plus, we're an exponentially better team since the holiday classic- just look at the EP game

Spoken like a true cake-eater..
GR-4
Edina-3

scoreboard 33 wrote: Brehm vs. White (one of the top defensive defenseman vs. a pure scorer)

Yeah but JB can get his goals too, he's got a rocket of a shot yet is almost never out of position

you could take this eather way

Edina is the number one seed and there the team to beat which i think is very good for them

G.R. jensen was here last year so he has experience he played very well in the tourny to which is to his advantage

i only wish this was the state championship

but i feel as though who ever wins will have the best shot at the state title

If your gonna watch one quarter final....you sure as heck better be catchin this one. Kind of dissappointing draws for both teams but will make for one heck of an ice hockey battle. i think this will go back and forth a couple times. but i like GR with White and company taking care of unfinished business. GR has been there and has experience from last year that Edina doesn't.

GR-3
Edina-2

Really is a shame that this game can't happen for the state championship but what are you gonna do?

No doubt about this game SHOULD be the best game of the tournament but then again these are the games everybody gets hyped up about and then it ends up a blowout. However i dont see that happening here.

Rapids has the experience and they want it bad after what happened last year. Hopefully they come ready to play.

The matchup i am looking forward to........Stejaskal vs. Leer. The two best hitters i have seen this year and i have seen a lot of teams play. I have a gut feeling though that big #18 is gonna set Leer in his place and show him how the northern boys hit.

Hopefully the boys of Grand Rapids can take this one. All northern final??????

Rapids-4
Edina-2

GOOD LUCK GRAND RAPIDS!!!! REPRESENT THE IRON RANGE WELL!!!!

lets_go_hornets! wrote:They're a bad team, you get my drift. and plus, we're an exponentially better team since the holiday classic- just look at the EP game

I'm not sure I get your drift...I've got drifts up to my eyeballs after this weekend and this wind tonight ain't helping. Anyways, I think I'll go with

Grand Rapids - 4 (EN)

Edina - 2

i'm gunna rute for GR during the tourney so...
GR 4
Edina 2 (gr gets an empty netter)

TOSS UP!!

Only way rapids wins, is if they hit on all cylinders. If there is any part of their defense or offense that doesn't show up and perform, they'll be long gone. The thing they need the most is GOALIE GOALIE GOALIE. If Jensen plays good and doesn't let any weak ones in they got a good shot at a state championship.

Prediction: Winner of EDINA vs GR-------------AA State Champs of 2007

Good luck GR

lets_go_hornets! wrote:

scoreboard 33 wrote: Brehm vs. White (one of the top defensive defenseman vs. a pure scorer)

Yeah but JB can get his goals too, he's got a rocket of a shot yet is almost never out of position

I was saying that that will be one of the best matchups. That is to take nothing away from Joe Gleason. Joe is very good and will probably end up playing in the WCHA. Brehm is better defensively and Gleason takes liberties he wouldn't be able to take without Brehm. Brehm is one of the two or three most under rated players in the state, along with Skejskal(I think I have spelled his name differently in every post).

Plus Grand Rapids is a good team, and with Pat White they are a great team. If they beat Edina, I'll be cheering for you boys to win state.

P.S. I highly doubt Skejskal will hit Leer hard, or vice-versa, I was taking about hits on other people . If either of them get hit hard, the hit will be amplified because of the hype and the big-tree-fall-hard fact of life. Most physical game of the year. Leer has very good awareness of the other team, otherwise he would have been layed out multiple times. I'm really looking foward to Zach Budish trying to skate through one of Skejskal's checks. It will one of the top two hitters vs. the best person I have ever seen skate through checks. He skated through three of E.P.'s checks on one rush to get a goal.

I know Skejstal is great defenseman, but is he an enforcer(as much as there can be one in High School play) or is he just a good hitter?
Leer is a good hitter, who can be the enforcer, when called upon, although he is so valuable to his team, he shouldn't be.

This will be the best game of all of the quarterfinals and maybe of the tournament. GR wins 3-2 in 2OT.

I disagree with the trend of the game being close in the end. I agree that it will be close, but the second half of the game will be Edina's. I have been watching Edina very closely this season. They have not only gotten better since the Holiday Classic; they are a completely different team. This change has all revolved around Budish emerging as one of the top players in state over the second half of the season.

In the first half of the season, the top unit felt a lot of pressure, feeling as though they had to carry the load. However, since Budish has turned it on, it has relieved much of this pressure and allowed the top line to be more defensive and conserve a lot more energy. The bottom line of Edina's evolution this year is that they are a much stronger team as the game wears on.

One thing that has also improved is their team defense, with the speed of their forwards, the defense rarely faces an odd man rush, and Cashetta will seldom face a clean shot. Edina is the real deal this season, I don't see Grand Rapids scoring more than one goal.

Prediction:

Edina 4
GR 1

I think Edina will pull this one off, 4-3. They are too good.

I would of thought GR would of got the #4 seed, not Blaine.

I would like to see the north win this one. But I am going to have to go with Edina here. I think Edina will take this one, possible overtime.


Edina 4

Grand Rapids 3

OT

People, please consider that Rapids is vastly improved also since their game in December.

And Stejskal is an enforcer.

First Meeting, Edina 4, Grand Rapids 3 @ Braemar (Dec. 20th)

Common Opponents:

Eden Prairie
Edina wins 5-4, 4-0, Rapids loses 3-0

Cloquet
Edina wins 3-2, Rapids loses 4-1 and wins 2-0, 3-1

Elk River
Edina wins 2-1, Rapids wins 4-2 (EN)

I'm going with experience in this match up. I have witnessed a good goalie crack at state when he falls under the pressure of letting in a weak goal. I have also witnessed a good goalie rising to the occasion and stand on his head in the big game. i'm talking about the same goalie. Reidar is a good goalie who gets hot a the perfect time. Last year against Hill murray he was phenomenol, last year against CDH he wasn't.

I really didn't want to have this match up because i picked Edina winning it all. Except i had G.R. going to the finals losing. the difference is that this isn't the final so i give the edge to the team that is hotter.....G.R.

4-2 (maybe an empty netter)

Rapids has something to prove after last years championship game

I'm takin' Rapids by 5 to 3

Looks like I owe boblee a Crown Royal at Tom Reids

Syd

look for Edina to win their 10th!

STEV16 wrote:look for Edina to win their 10th!

EDINA has not won 9.......... Edina won some and Edina East the rest

BIAFP wrote:

STEV16 wrote:look for Edina to win their 10th!

EDINA has not won 9.......... Edina won some and Edina East the rest

still the same thing

highschoolhockeyfan wrote:

BIAFP wrote:

STEV16 wrote:look for Edina to win their 10th!

EDINA has not won 9.......... Edina won some and Edina East the rest

still the same thing

Not really

HockeyFan1 wrote:

highschoolhockeyfan wrote:

BIAFP wrote:
EDINA has not won 9.......... Edina won some and Edina East the rest

still the same thing

Not really

aaa ok? EDINA is EDINA west side or east and if you look in breamar there all together and plus they were the hornets