7AA Semifinal: #3 Elk River vs. #2 Grand Rapids

[karl(east)]

Game Two of Semifinal Saturday at Amsoil Arena brings us another quality match-up.

-This is, surprisingly, only the second playoff meeting ever between these two teams. Rapids won the first meeting 3-2 in 2006.
-The two teams have played against each other regularly in the Edina Holiday Classic. Rapids won this year's meeting 4-3 in OT (minus Jake Bischoff). GR leads the regular season series 5-3 since 05-06.

[alcloseshaver]

This looks to be an even matchup. Elk River has beaten all the teams they appear to be equal on paper with. The fact that Rapids has some skilled forwards would give them the thing ER has struggled with, see Blaine and BSM. The earlier game I thought ER was the better team but didn't get the big saves and couldn't finish. They are finishing better against the lower teams but were shutout by the Centennial goalie who is one of the states best. Rapids has hit their stride and with Bischoff they are a better team than the first matchup. Hard to pick, the Edina tourney game was a long time ago. Coaching will be a key in this game and will be interesting to see if ER can step up in a game they have a chance to win. They are a young team and didn't really have a chance against East last season at Amsoil. Should be fun.

[TennJed]

If coaching has any bearing on outcome of this game then GR is in BIG trouble.

[grandindian]

If coaching has any bearing on outcome of this game then GR is in BIG trouble.

Another basement expert. Alot of GR folks completely disagree with you on that!

[sticksave]

The Elk River goalie has had one goal scored on him in the last three games. It looks as though ER is on track to give GR one heck of a game.

[allstatebenders]

ER wins 4-2 with an empty netter.

[east hockey]

Gotta pull for Rapids in this one, for no other reason than to hear people like slyer complain about the Elks having to travel 5 billion miles to play a game.

Lee

[slyer]

it's alot further than 1.5 miles east has traveled the last 2 decades, but there is no home ice advantage, how did east do the last time they played er in er

[slyer]

wow east fans fill up over half the arena, i wonder why now go play an away game and see how many show up

[mnmouth]

wow east fans fill up over half the arena, i wonder why now go play an away game and see how many show up

Ask the players if they would rather play in a nondescript setting, or be part of a special event in a first class arena rivaled only by a trip to Xcel? That's all that matters.

[TheHockeyDJ]

wow east fans fill up over half the arena, i wonder why now go play an away game and see how many show up

I know, it's so uncomfortable in our day and age to travel 3 hours. Heated seats, Pandora/Iheartradio, Starbucks. Who can endure that?

[slyer]

i think most players would like to play sections at home, period

[TheHockeyDJ]

i think most players would like to play sections at home, period

I think most players are just happy to advance.

[Bronc]

Game Two of Semifinal Saturday at Amsoil Arena brings us another quality match-up.

-This is, surprisingly, only the second playoff meeting ever between these two teams. Rapids won the first meeting 3-2 in 2006.
-The two teams have played against each other regularly in the Edina Holiday Classic. Rapids won this year's meeting 4-3 in OT (minus Jake Bischoff). GR leads the regular season series 5-3 since 05-06.

I just hope nobody on either side is gone or has the sniffles so we can get all of these * eliminated from the commentary (they lost - this person, they won + that person, they lost when * was there but had a cold, etc).

If you win- you win - Good For You!

If you lose - you lose - No Excuses!

[TennJed]

This coach can take no credit for success of this team. They've proved themselves long before he got in the mix. The only new idea he had was to insert a family member in line up that has no business being there. Perhaps if I'm a "basement expert" you should pull your head out of your "attic".

[grandindian]

Careful....your agenda is showing sweetheart.

[TennJed]

No agenda here, just pointing out the elephant in the room. (or on the ice in this case)

[northwoods oldtimer]

slyer is right. East gets home ice advantage but nobody will admit to it. The rapids talk is too funny to get involved!

[gitter]

slyer is right. East gets home ice advantage but nobody will admit to it. The rapids talk is too funny to get involved!

Its not as bad as it used to be. They only played one game at Amsoil this year. They used to play every home game at the DECC...they knew every goofy deal with that rink including the pink locker room they'd stuff the visitors into.

But it's about maximizing revenue for the MSHSL (just as it is with the NCAA and sacrificing bracket integrity when seeding the Frozen Four for attendance purposes). There is no other rink close enough that seats 6,000. They could hold it in St. Cloud, but they wouldn't get the half the attendance. So you hold it 3 miles from DE High and 20 miles from CHS and deal with a few people who complain about it - the same that complain about the NCAA bracketology.

[Immigrant Fan]

I don't think there is a realistic alternative to Amsoil in Duluth. If you look at any of the other brackets there is a very heavy prevalence of similar situations. It is pretty much unavoidable if you are going to have geographically based sections, and hold section semis and finals within the section.

The thing that bothers me is when the operations of the arena are clearly biased towards the "home" team. For instance, when I last attended the Section 7AA games at Amsoil in 2011, whenever East scored a goal the arena blew the foghorn. When other teams scored there were no similar displays. I told those with me that if the opposition didn't want to hear the horn they should not have allowed the goal, but the point stands. Amsoil is operated to favor East.

But, the bottomline is to find a way. Bring on Saturday!

[rainier]

i think most players would like to play sections at home, period

If the trip to Duluth to play a team that doesn't even play their home games at the playoff venue is so terrible, then we must move the state tournament away from the X, because by having it in St. Paul it is a home game for any team from the metro.

If ER makes it to state, then any school further from the X than they are is at a huge disadvantage, according to your logic. How about we measure the exact midpoint between East and ER high schools and build a new arena there? Would that satisfy you?

[CB00]

i think most players would like to play sections at home, period

If the trip to Duluth to play a team that doesn't even play their home games at the playoff venue is so terrible, then we must move the state tournament away from the X, because by having it in St. Paul it is a home game for any team from the metro.

If ER makes it to state, then any school further from the X than they are is at a huge disadvantage, according to your logic. How about we measure the exact midpoint between East and ER high schools and build a new arena there? Would that satisfy you?

Yep. Sounds good

[east hockey]

i think most players would like to play sections at home, period

If the trip to Duluth to play a team that doesn't even play their home games at the playoff venue is so terrible, then we must move the state tournament away from the X, because by having it in St. Paul it is a home game for any team from the metro.

If ER makes it to state, then any school further from the X than they are is at a huge disadvantage, according to your logic. How about we measure the exact midpoint between East and ER high schools and build a new arena there? Would that satisfy you?

Yep. Sounds good

With ISD #728 funding, of course.

Lee

[dumbpuck]

I will go with Rapids- They just seem to be confident and I think there orange pride will push them to win

[slyer]

it's been over 2 decades, what other section is like this.