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Who do you like in this CLC rematch. Last time these teams laced it up, it ended in a 3-3 tie, however that was the third straight night the hornets had played. This game also has huge 6AA seeding implications...Any thoughts??

Edina should win this one. Minnetonka is a very good team. However, Edina is deeper at the forward and D positions. Goalies are probably a push.

It should be a close and entertaining game.

Prediction, Edina 4 Tonka 2

Pauly will have his boys ready, 3-2 Tonka

I'm takin' the Hornet's 5-2

Edina 6-3

edina takes it 5-3

I think Tonka will prevail Thursday for a number of reasons.

1) They are at home and will have a huge crowd.

2) Pauly will have them ready to go....they have been imrpoving all year and are starting to come together like they did last year.

3) If you look at Edina, they are much more talented this year but have played a pretty soft schedule compared to Tonka. Also, this will be the super sophs first late season run at the HS level. Look for them to make a mistake somewhere along they way, and I believe Tonka will capitalize. It will not surprise me if Edina loses in the section tourney due to this inexperience...there are too many good teams in the section.

4) The only think that concerns me about Tonka is depth..and playing Jack Paul so much that he has nothing left at the end. Of course you want a player like that on the ice as much as possible, but the other guys need to step up the scoring if they are going to get to state. I would also separate Paul & Gardiner to balance the scoring. Lines like Coatta-Paul-Twaddle....Gardiner-Giel-Bach or something like that.

Tonka 5 Edina 3

Classic HS hockey...
Should be a great up tempo game!

since both teams seem to not being playing the best right now...
edina 4- hopkins 3 (OT)
tonka 3 - wayzata 3

i'm going to go with:
Tonka 4 eng
Edina 2

Edina 5-2

I like Edina in this one and will take them with a 4-2 win

tonke will get smoked

Edina has the 5th toughest schedule while Minnetonka has the 9th.

I guess you could argue Edina's is softer because they play at home so much, aside from that, nope.

Snap Shot,

How can you say that Edina has had a soft schedule? Just take a look at the teams that they have played.

The Coatta, Paul, Gardiner line looked like one of the best lines around.

The last time these two teams played at Braemar, that line was the only line that was a factor for Minnetonka - be pretty stupid to break it up.

Edina wins this one 5-2.

EDINA!


S S

slapshooter wrote: EDINA!


S S

Whomever wins, it will be just like slappy said...

Edina - 4

Tonka - 3

BSM99 wrote:Snap Shot,

How can you say that Edina has had a soft schedule? Just take a look at the teams that they have played.

The Coatta, Paul, Gardiner line looked like one of the best lines around.

The last time these two teams played at Braemar, that line was the only line that was a factor for Minnetonka - be pretty stupid to break it up.

Edina wins this one 5-2.

Hey BSM

Looked over the schedules a little closer, I still say you can make the case Tonka has has the tougher schedule. Here's a look at the ranked teams each has played: LPH Rankings Feb 8th

Both have played 10 ranked opponents.

TONKA---------------- EDINA
AA--------------------- AA
#1 AHA --------------#6 Cloquet
#3 Edina--------------#7 CDH (twice)
#6 Cloquet -----------#10 Benilde
#8 Duluth East -------#11 Tonka
#10 Benilde-----------#13 Rapids
#14 EP-----------------#14 EP
#19 Chaska-----------#18 ER
-------------------------#19 Chaska

A ----------------------------A
#2 STA -----------------#2 STA
#3 Duluth Marshall
#6 Orono

Tonka has played a total of 4 games against top 5 ranked teams, Edina only one. This includes AHA who most everybody believes is hands down the best team in the state.

If you break it down by top 10 teams, Tonka has played 8, Edina 5 etc.

Even though the PS2 rankings have Edina 5 overall and Tonka 9, you can see that Tonka has had more games against higher quality opponents at the top of the rankings. There are many ways to break it down.

I agree about the Coatta-Paul-Gardiner line being great, I just think if they spread it out more they have enough talent to score on more than one line. Jack Paul is going to get his points anyway. I think Tonka has only scored something like 11% from the second line. It should be more like 50-30-20 for a well balanced team.

I would go

Coatta-Paul-Twaddle (nice comination of speed & size)
Hansen-Giel-Gardiner (again a good combination)

or something like that to create a second line that is a constant threat to score, then run a good checking line out regualrly to give those two a breather.

One more thing...I think Pauly will outcoach Giles. I know Edina has a great team, it's just a gut thing that Tonka will win.

At any rate...two strong teams and a great game ahead on Thursday!

Snapshot,

I get your point on the schedule, but there's little question that at the VERY LEAST both teams have played a very good season of teams so I just don't think there is an advantage there.

As to the lines, I don't know the personnel that well BUT whenever you have a line as dominant as Tonka's top line it's pretty difficult to break it up. I wasn't sure why they weren't together against Benilde. Maybe that's the reason for the switch?

The advantage that Edina has over Tonka is that they have two lines that can fly. Tonka has only one and if you break them up then you don't even have that.

Edina should win.

You're right that it should be a great high school game. It's not being televised so it's bound to be a good game! Other than Cloquet/Duluth East almost all of the FSN games have been dogs!

BSM, last saturday's game (AHA-BSM) should have been a great matchup except one of the teams made the game a dog....

As for Edina-Tonka, I think Edina has too much depth and that should be enough to win. Their goalie (Cashetta?) didn't seem to control rebounds very well when I saw him and seemed a bit vulnerable. They might have needed that loss to Wayzata to bring them back down to earth.

Hornets 4 ot (Reber goal in o.t.)
Skippers 3

Lopresti -

Agreed. For us BSM fans it was a buzz kill for sure! But on paper many of the FSN games should have been better. (Actually, WBL and Hill was a great game early so they all haven't been bad!)

Agree on the depth issue. Disagree on the score. I think Edina wins it in regulation with couple of late goals.

This will be a sweat, for sure.

I like Edina and I think it will be around 4-3. I agree BSM99 about the fact that Tonka shouldn't switch there lines up. Paul will not get his points if he doesn't have a good line around him. I think the only two players who would still get points if they don't have a line are White and Hickey.

Another point, when they played the first game, Edina didn't have there best game, especially the third. and they were tired although it was hard to notice, because they are very fast, I attended the CEC game the night before and they were slightly slower and they didn't finish their checks as well. They weren't physically fatigued that much, but mentally they weren't as sharp. This time, they have there rest and will play very sharp. This really showed on their third line. The first two played pretty close to normal, while they third line was constantly out of position and taking stupid penalties. The SO. line is getting better as the year goes on, as they are adjusting to the style of play. Everson and Budish have been clutch lately and I wouldn't want to face them.

(P.S. This is contradictory to an earlier post, because I was not considering their third line at the time of the post.)