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So is this the wake up call the team needed to march to a state title? Or is this team more human than we thought? And WHAT is going on at Edina? This team is a roller coaster.

Very shocked when I saw this. Ready for some interesting playoffs.

I posted this on another thread, but I'll repeat it here since it applies:

I watched the Edina-Tonka game on myfoxhockey. In the first period, I decided my low ranking of Edina had been validated; they looked like a mess. But then, in what might have been the turning point of the season, they turned it on. As I said in the “need” comment, they needed their top players to step up, and indeed it was the veterans (Taft, Everson, Jarrett, Sit) who got them back into the game. Their success was contagious, and it spread to the whole team, and by the middle of the second you knew what was going to happen. And though I have questioned Curt Giles’ tactics in the past, he deserves a lot of credit for rallying the troops last night. Most teams would have rolled over and died after that first period, but he got them to clean up their play and give a complete team effort. In both this game and the OT thriller at the end of last season, I think Giles out-coached Urick. Tonka is still in great shape, of course, and this may ease some of the pressure, but the section races in both 2AA and 6AA got closer last night.

USA! USA!

dangles9 wrote:USA! USA!

it wasn't THAT big of a shocker. common...

LASERBLUE135 wrote:
it wasn't THAT big of a shocker. common...

Tru dat. In the Miracle on Ice, the Americans generated just 2 shots on goal in the second period. Twenty minutes.

Last night Edina won because they played much better than the Skippers for the final two periods plus overtime. The US won a game over the USSR that was almost one-in-a-hundred, and they certainly didn't play better to do it.

Hat's off to Edina for a strong comeback.

After what looked like a clinic where Tonka blew Edina off the ice in the first, Tonka did exactly what they did vs. Wayzata in the second period. The stopped moving their feet. They went tentative and lost races to lose pucks. They didn't finish their checks.

Edina had the edge again in the 3rd, though both teams had multiple excellent scoring chances. The OT penalty resulted form another tentative play when the Tonka D "half" committed to playing the puck at the Edina line, then had to hang on or give up a rush.

Tonka is a great team but they needed to lose that one in my opinion to send the message that even if you're great, you stop moving your feet, start playing tentative and don't finish checks every opportunity you get, you're toast.

I hope Urick (a great but mellow coach) sends that message loud and clear. Sometimes you have to get high school kids fired up and have them win with adrenaline and emotion in tight games.

The next real test is the rematch vs. Wayzata. Will Tonka stay on the attack for 3 full periods, finish the checks and win the races? Time will tell.

On the plus side. Krueger looked great even though he faced a lot of shots, and when the switch is "on" Tonka still looks like a team nobody wants to play in the playoffs.

They have the loss and tie under their belts. They are now primed to run the table the rest of the way.
Edina must have played better than they have been.

Guess Edina will get that number one seed now and face AHA. Damn

I just watched the archived game on myfoxhockey. My take is that if Edina can figure out how to bring that effort consistently and stay out of the box, this is what they're capable of. What may be lacking is one guy who can take control of the game, but they have enough good players to stay with the best if everyone is pulling together.

As an Edina guy, here's hoping they can keep it rolling into the playoffs.

Zamman wrote:They have the loss and tie under their belts. They are now primed to run the table the rest of the way.
Edina must have played better than they have been.

Guess Edina will get that number one seed now and face AHA. Damn

you say it like Edina playing Holy Angels is a gimme win, I don't think a win over AHA is a gimme. The Stars have looked good lately

R1nk Rat 174 wrote:

Zamman wrote:They have the loss and tie under their belts. They are now primed to run the table the rest of the way.
Edina must have played better than they have been.

Guess Edina will get that number one seed now and face AHA. Damn

you say it like Edina playing Holy Angels is a gimme win, I don't think a win over AHA is a gimme. The Stars have looked good lately

I agree, I believe Edina will get the 1 seed and play the Stars in the semi-finals leaving the blaze and Jefferson. I would probably rather play AHA than Burnsville. But Holy Angels should not be under-estimated or you will be in trouble. There looking good lately, nearly beating Shattuck after leading virtually the whole game.

R1nk Rat 174 wrote:

Zamman wrote:They have the loss and tie under their belts. They are now primed to run the table the rest of the way.
Edina must have played better than they have been.

Guess Edina will get that number one seed now and face AHA. Damn

you say it like Edina playing Holy Angels is a gimme win, I don't think a win over AHA is a gimme. The Stars have looked good lately

My point is AHA is the dangerous team here because they play mostly the bakery teams, AKA creampuffs. They are hard to judge. They played poorly in the beginning of the season, but since the Edina game are playing strong and confident.
Jefferson and Burnsville and Edina need to decide who wants to deal with them and when.

IMO AHA is the team to beat in the sections. My feeling, and I am a homer, is that wherever they are. Lookout. I am picking them to win this section as I always do, but this time I see something I have not the last two years. It will come down to goaltending.