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Big, big week to start the year. Some teams on the upswing, some treading water, some stumbling. Who comes out of the break energized and ready to push, and who is looking forward to HP/golf?...

Monday
Gentry/Red Wing - watching this one closely. Should be a really good test = #4 in state vs. #107 (according to PageStat). Fingers crossed for Gentry.

Tuesday
Holy Family/BSM - two top defensive teams - very good game to start 2022.
Centennial/Blaine - both teams looking to bounce back. Can Hansen corrale the Cougars?
Minnetonka/Hill Murray - Tonka doesn't have many tests before facing Edina, and Hill has outstanding goaltending. But Hill is a bit discombobulated - can Hill hang?

Thursday
Gentry/Maple Grove - on paper a slightly better match-up for Gentry. Was Blake a blip? Or is Gentry stumbling?
Holy Family/Mound - a conference and cross-class match-up - can Mound topple the Fam?
Edina/Blake - section 6 showdown. Even with as diminished as Edina's offense is compared to prior years, they are still a force - #1 seed at stake. Can Blake make a statement?

Friday
Rogers/Blaine - how legit is Rogers? Very. But so is Hansen!
Holy Family/Hill Murray - a rare three game call-out in one week - is Holy Family up to the scrutiny?

Saturday
Orono/Northfield - another cross-class matchup that should be a good one. Can Malecha tame Ryskamp?
Blake/Cretin - an extremely rare non-HDM matchup on outdoor ice - and a rematch to boot! Have to love this one - harkens back to the good old days...
Gentry/BSM - a second three game call-out (even if the first was in jest). This should be a very good game. For BSM to win, though, they will have to score - can they do it against the outstanding Gentry D?
Tonka/NWC - can Weiser stun Tonka?

Is the concluding, rhetorical flourish overused? Dear readers, you decide!

j4241 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:55 am Centennial/Blaine - both teams looking to bounce back. Can Hansen corrale the Cougars?

It's really too hard to tell. Last year's 3 games were a mixed bag of everything. The 1st game, Groess shut-down Blaine. In the 2nd game, Hansen shut-down Centennial. In the section-semi match-up, it was a scoring-fest (8-5). Interestingly, the home team lost all 3 games last year.

Holy Family/BSM - two top defensive teams - very good game to start 2022.- Looked like a high scoring game that went to overtime. So much for great defense!

Centennial/Blaine - both teams looking to bounce back. Can Hansen corrale the Cougars? Yes, she certainly can. Centennial dropping off the map

Minnetonka/Hill Murray - Tonka doesn't have many tests before facing Edina, and Hill has outstanding goaltending. But Hill is a bit discombobulated - can Hill hang? No they certainly can't. Tonka gives HM their worst loss in program history 8-1.

girlshockey4ever wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 7:26 am Centennial/Blaine - both teams looking to bounce back. Can Hansen corrale the Cougars? Yes, she certainly can. Centennial dropping off the map

Yes, Centennial continues to regress. From watching online, it appeared that Blaine frustrated Centennial's D with a constant forecheck. Centennial's D lost a lot of battles, was slow to react, and made poor decisions with the puck. A theme that has been consistent for many games now. Eventually Blaine capitalized. It didn't help that Centennial split their top line up for the first 2 periods. By the time they brought them back together in the 3rd, it was too late.

I'm bored so here we go.

Thursday
Gentry/Maple Grove - on paper a slightly better match-up for Gentry. Was Blake a blip? Or is Gentry stumbling? Tie Game
Holy Family/Mound - a conference and cross-class match-up - can Mound topple the Fam? Absolutely not.
Edina/Blake - section 6 showdown. Even with as diminished as Edina's offense is compared to prior years, they are still a force - #1 seed at stake. Can Blake make a statement? The statement will be Edina will walk away with this.

Friday
Rogers/Blaine - how legit is Rogers? Very. But so is Hansen! Hanson is the real deal. Best goalie around. However the team in front hasn't blown the door off good teams.
Holy Family/Hill Murray - a rare three game call-out in one week - is Holy Family up to the scrutiny? Not sure, Either Hill Murray just proved they are not a top 5 team or Tonka proved their offense is pretty unreal.

Saturday
Orono/Northfield - another cross-class matchup that should be a good one. Can Malecha tame Ryskamp? Northfield
Blake/Cretin - an extremely rare non-HDM matchup on outdoor ice - and a rematch to boot! Have to love this one - harkens back to the good old days... Blake all the way
Gentry/BSM - a second three game call-out (even if the first was in jest). This should be a very good game. For BSM to win, though, they will have to score - can they do it against the outstanding Gentry D? I'll take BSM
Tonka/NWC - can Weiser stun Tonka? Are you kidding?

girlshockey4ever wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:06 pm I'm bored so here we go.

Thursday
Gentry/Maple Grove - on paper a slightly better match-up for Gentry. Was Blake a blip? Or is Gentry stumbling? Tie Game
Holy Family/Mound - a conference and cross-class match-up - can Mound topple the Fam? Absolutely not.
Edina/Blake - section 6 showdown. Even with as diminished as Edina's offense is compared to prior years, they are still a force - #1 seed at stake. Can Blake make a statement? The statement will be Edina will walk away with this.

Friday
Rogers/Blaine - how legit is Rogers? Very. But so is Hansen! Hanson is the real deal. Best goalie around. However the team in front hasn't blown the door off good teams.
Holy Family/Hill Murray - a rare three game call-out in one week - is Holy Family up to the scrutiny? Not sure, Either Hill Murray just proved they are not a top 5 team or Tonka proved their offense is pretty unreal.

Saturday
Orono/Northfield - another cross-class matchup that should be a good one. Can Malecha tame Ryskamp? Northfield
Blake/Cretin - an extremely rare non-HDM matchup on outdoor ice - and a rematch to boot! Have to love this one - harkens back to the good old days... Blake all the way
Gentry/BSM - a second three game call-out (even if the first was in jest). This should be a very good game. For BSM to win, though, they will have to score - can they do it against the outstanding Gentry D? I'll take BSM
Tonka/NWC - can Weiser stun Tonka? Are you kidding?

In the order listed above, I'll go:
Gentry
Holy Family
Edina
Rogers/Blaine is my tie game
Holy Family
Northfield
Blake
Gentry
Tonka

Maple Grove 3-1
Holy Family/Mound 2-2
Edina 4-1
Rogers 2-1 OT
Holy Family 3-0
Northfield 3-1
Blake 4-2
BSM 2-0
Tonka 5-0

Glad everyone is coming aboard the Hoky Family Fire train!!! All Aboard!

moosepaw wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 5:39 pm Glad everyone is coming aboard the Hoky Family Fire train!!! All Aboard!

Definitely a hoky team...

Nailed Maple Grove, missed wildly on the Hoky Family thumping of Mound, and underestimated Edina by 5(!) goals against Blake.

girlshockey4ever wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 7:26 am
Minnetonka/Hill Murray - Tonka doesn't have many tests before facing Edina, and Hill has outstanding goaltending. But Hill is a bit discombobulated - can Hill hang? No they certainly can't. Tonka gives HM their worst loss in program history 8-1.

I doubt 8-1 is the worst loss in HM history. Their first 10 years or so of the program they were terrible (many of them at the A level). They had some horrific games against state champion Roseville teams (plus many losses to SSP as well). I wouldn't be surprised to see a 14-0 score in there someplace.

j4241 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:55 am Big, big week to start the year. Some teams on the upswing, some treading water, some stumbling. Who comes out of the break energized and ready to push, and who is looking forward to HP/golf?...

Thursday
Gentry/Maple Grove - on paper a slightly better match-up for Gentry. Was Blake a blip? Or is Gentry stumbling?
Holy Family/Mound - a conference and cross-class match-up - can Mound topple the Fam?
Edina/Blake - section 6 showdown. Even with as diminished as Edina's offense is compared to prior years, they are still a force - #1 seed at stake. Can Blake make a statement?

Goaltending was a key theme Thursday night, as Gentry outshot Maple Grove but MG managed to steal a win with a strong performance by Strom. Holy Family was too much for a single A Mound team that looks good against like opponents, but was not up to the AA challenge. And Blake looked like a single A team again, too, against an opponent that has had their number since making the leap to AA. Shots only 30-15, but everthing Edina shot went in. Blake hopes to right the ship against a confident Cretin, while Gentry takes on a BSM team looking good after a strong win over ChanChaska.

j4241 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:55 am
Saturday
Orono/Northfield - another cross-class matchup that should be a good one. Can Malecha tame Ryskamp?
Blake/Cretin - an extremely rare non-HDM matchup on outdoor ice - and a rematch to boot! Have to love this one - harkens back to the good old days...
Gentry/BSM - a second three game call-out (even if the first was in jest). This should be a very good game. For BSM to win, though, they will have to score - can they do it against the outstanding Gentry D?
Tonka/NWC - can Weiser stun Tonka?

Is the concluding, rhetorical flourish overused? Dear readers, you decide!

Nope (or at least not Niccum), and the Northfield offense sputtered.

You have to love it, up until it gets cancelled. Damn you, COVID!

Yep, and not just once, but six times! Gentry’s strategy of playing teams they can beat by 10+ and then playing good teams does not appear to be working for games against the good teams. BSMs new strategy of playing kids in their actual positions does, however, appear to be working.

Yes! She can. What a win for a heavy underdog.