Eagan Wildcats

[HappyHockeyFan]

Well it was a little strange seeing the boys on the ice without Zajac, Merchant and the Kuchera brothers, but it was still good to see them out there. It looks like a solid group but like I expected it might be a slow start. 5 - 4 win over East Ridge was tighter than I like, guess I got used to 8 - 1 blowouts the past two years, lol. It was nice to see 5 different players put the puck in the net. Eagan was missing Cullen Willox and Josh Loew to injury which are first line talented players, so that didnt help, hopefully they will return soon. A couple big tests coming up in Hillmurray on Saturday and Minnetonka on Tuesday. Excited that the season is finally underway...Go Cats !!

[scorekeeper]

It looks like a solid group but like I expected it might be a slow start. 5 - 4 win over East Ridge was tighter than I like, guess I got used to 8 - 1 blowouts the past two years, lol.

Although, last years game against East Ridge, the Cats scored exactly the same 5 goals. Gleinke led the scoring in that game with 2 and he had 1 & 1 in this one.

Willox will be sorely missed if he doesn't play Saturday. He is an impact player and the second highest returning scorer. In fact, he was in on 2 of the 4 goals in last seasons 4-2 win over Hill Murray.

If Willox plays Saturday, I think the Cats are in good shape. maybe even a small favorite over Hill Murray. If he doesn't play, the Pioneers are likely small favorites.

Either way - should be a good game.

[almostashappy]

It looks like a solid group but like I expected it might be a slow start. 5 - 4 win over East Ridge was tighter than I like, guess I got used to 8 - 1 blowouts the past two years, lol.

Although, last years game against East Ridge, the Cats scored exactly the same 5 goals. Gleinke led the scoring in that game with 2 and he had 1 & 1 in this one.

Willox will be sorely missed if he doesn't play Saturday. He is an impact player and the second highest returning scorer. In fact, he was in on 2 of the 4 goals in last seasons 4-2 win over Hill Murray.

If Willox plays Saturday, I think the Cats are in good shape. maybe even a small favorite over Hill Murray. If he doesn't play, the Pioneers are likely small favorites.

Either way - should be a good game.

These points have been made in a few threads...I figure this is the best place to offer counterpoint.

Last year the score was Eagan 5 - East Ridge 0. Cats outshot Raptors 47-17 in a dominating performance...biggest surprise that night was that there was no score after one. Last night was a 5-4 nail-biter, with shots roughly equal...there were some unlucky deflections at play, and you can quibble with whether the East Ridge goalie got short-changed on the save count, but you can't compare last night's team (and game result) with last year's.

The May/Wolfe McGovern/Kuchera blue line pairings that stepped onto the ice in last year's opener not only had a full year of starting varsity experience (minimum)...they had that experience with the same line mate. This year's blue line has great potential, but they all lack significant blue line experience at the varsity level (and weren't paired that way last year either). Same with the forwards...overall, only 3 of the 14 skaters who touched ice last night had significant Eagan varsity experience last year. Would have been four if Willox had dressed, I know. But good teams have to work through injuries, and you can't use one guy's absence as an excuse (even if he's big-time player).

With that said, there were some good things to take away from the season opener (aside from the assurance that the team won't suffer from irrational exuberance when they host Hill tomorrow). Jack Jensen swapped out one blue sweater for another, and stepped into Eagan's top line as if he'd been there for years. Great hustle, game sense, and skill. It's going to be fun watching him synergize with Glienke and Willox this season. And Stebbing's varsity debut was only an empty-netter away from a hat trick...played with poise on a second line (Stebbing/Elsenheimer/Gabrielle) that has the potential to approach last year's second-line production.

Bottom line...Happy is right be cautious, and to look forward to how Eagan should be playing by mid-January, when they're out on Pokegama Lake. In the meantime....I'd say that Hill-Murray is a favorite if Willox dresses, and a strong favorite if he does not. Hope that I'm proven wrong.

[BodyShots]

It looks like a solid group but like I expected it might be a slow start. 5 - 4 win over East Ridge was tighter than I like, guess I got used to 8 - 1 blowouts the past two years, lol.

Although, last years game against East Ridge, the Cats scored exactly the same 5 goals. Gleinke led the scoring in that game with 2 and he had 1 & 1 in this one.

Willox will be sorely missed if he doesn't play Saturday. He is an impact player and the second highest returning scorer. In fact, he was in on 2 of the 4 goals in last seasons 4-2 win over Hill Murray.

If Willox plays Saturday, I think the Cats are in good shape. maybe even a small favorite over Hill Murray. If he doesn't play, the Pioneers are likely small favorites.

Either way - should be a good game.

Bottom line...Happy is right be cautious, and to look forward to how Eagan should be playing by mid-January, when they're out on Pokegama Lake. In the meantime....I'd say that Hill-Murray is a favorite if Willox dresses, and a strong favorite if he does not. Hope that I'm proven wrong.

Is this really coming from the same guy who had this quote for me in a previous post?

"Or better yet, find me in the stands when Hill plays Eagan and bet cash on the outcome. It'll be easy to spot me...I'll be the guy who is still rolling his eyes. "

[almostashappy]

Bottom line...Happy is right be cautious, and to look forward to how Eagan should be playing by mid-January, when they're out on Pokegama Lake. In the meantime....I'd say that Hill-Murray is a favorite if Willox dresses, and a strong favorite if he does not. Hope that I'm proven wrong.

Is this really coming from the same guy who had this quote for me in a previous post?

"Or better yet, find me in the stands when Hill plays Eagan and bet cash on the outcome. It'll be easy to spot me...I'll be the guy who is still rolling his eyes. "

Yes it is.

While I'll admit that the quote you snipped was a tad zealous/melodramatic, I still stand behind the sentiment. It was rather silly to predict that Hill would beat Eagan tomorrow based solely on one person's one-line assessment of the Wildcat's performance during the first-week scrimmages at EP.

It is less silly to assess how they might play tomorrow based on real actual game results and injury reports.

Not that I wouldn't still be willing to make a small wager with you over the outcome, even if that bet is based more on my heart than my head.

[TheNightman]

Were Lindgren and Guck in net last night?

[scorekeeper]

These points have been made in a few threads...I figure this is the best place to offer counterpoint.

No need for counterpoint. I am basing my statements on potential. I am looking at where they will be in March, let alone January. Merely pointing out that last years Cats had their own struggles ... 3-2 sxqueaker over Woodbury. Two early season losses most thought they would win. Etc.

I maintain the Wildcats will have an edge against Hill Murray IF we are healthy on Saturday. If we are shorthanded again, then the edge goes to the Pioneers IMO

It shouldn't be more than a 2 goal spread either way.

[BodyShots]

These points have been made in a few threads...I figure this is the best place to offer counterpoint.

No need for counterpoint. I am basing my statements on potential. I am looking at where they will be in March, let alone January. Merely pointing out that last years Cats had their own struggles ... 3-2 sxqueaker over Woodbury. Two early season losses most thought they would win. Etc.

I maintain the Wildcats will have an edge against Hill Murray IF we are healthy on Saturday. If we are shorthanded again, then the edge goes to the Pioneers IMO

It shouldn't be more than a 2 goal spread either way.

Have you been introduced to the East Metro All Stars team? I realize Eagan has pulled in a couple of players from outside this past year, but you are going up against the leaders in that category from the East Metro. Even though they had a couple of underclassmen depart, I believe they got a new kid from SSM that looks pretty good. Talk about reloading...

[almostashappy]

Have you been introduced to the East Metro All Stars team? I realize Eagan has pulled in a couple of players from outside this past year, but you are going up against the leaders in that category from the East Metro. Even though they had a couple of underclassmen depart, I believe they got a new kid from SSM that looks pretty good. Talk about reloading...

Are private school supporters supposed to be a little less candid about their recruiting?

[BodyShots]

Have you been introduced to the East Metro All Stars team? I realize Eagan has pulled in a couple of players from outside this past year, but you are going up against the leaders in that category from the East Metro. Even though they had a couple of underclassmen depart, I believe they got a new kid from SSM that looks pretty good. Talk about reloading...

Are private school supporters supposed to be a little less candid about their recruiting?

Me? Hardly. Just ask StPaul.