Eagan @ Minnetonka, Tuesday 12/04/12

Older Topics, Not the current discussion

Who wins?

Tonka
21
62%
Eagan
13
38%
 
Total votes: 34

HappyHockeyFan
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Location: Lakeville

Post by HappyHockeyFan » Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:28 pm

UntouchableFlow wrote:Anxious to hear what Happy and AlmostHappy have to say about this one. No PP goals in the third with a more than 7:00 of PP time?
Well I didnt see it but it sounds like a strong showing by the Wildcats despite losing. We lost by 2 goals last year too. Once again we were short a couple key players but we gotta do better on the power play, it hurt us in the Hill game too. I like the prospects for this team moving forward.
It's not the Best players, it's the Right players! HB

Bonehead
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Post by Bonehead » Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:59 pm

Eagan's first line was really fun to watch tonight! Great speed & skill but for some reason couldn't quite finish off plays.

Tonka had trouble completing a pass (or even getting a pass near a stick) at times. But they looked sharp killing penalties! Eagan not shooting on the power play had something to do with it.

scorekeeper
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Post by scorekeeper » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:11 pm

UntouchableFlow wrote:Anxious to hear what Happy and AlmostHappy have to say about this one. No PP goals in the third with a more than 7:00 of PP time?
The power play definitely needs work. Credit Tonka d-men as well. They played a really strong game in front of the net. Especially during the PK. A couple goal saving stick checks.

tonkafan77
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Post by tonkafan77 » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:15 pm

Also, congratulations to Max Coatta for breaking the Minnetonka all time career points record tonight. He took it away from his cousin, Jack Paul, who previously held the record.

almostashappy
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Post by almostashappy » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:18 pm

UntouchableFlow wrote:Anxious to hear what Happy and AlmostHappy have to say about this one. No PP goals in the third with a more than 7:00 of PP time?
It was a great game to watch. And it was more like 10min of pp time in the 3rd. Tonka had great kill. They are very, very good. Eagan had its chances...more so when they were 5 on 5 in the 1st then on the pp in the 3rd.

And so it's time to regroup, reload, and disinfect (in the hope of chasing away that pesky norovirus). The ISD196 Challenge Series starts Saturday!

keepyourheadup
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Post by keepyourheadup » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:23 pm

A very entertaining game! While sloppy at times the kids on both sides played hard. Tonka started very slow and quite frankly could have been down 2 or 3 half way through the first but Eagan couldn't finish on two or three breakaways. It seemed the skippers where ready to pull away late in the second and then gave up a terrible goal..not the goalies fault...as time expired in the second. The Eagan PP was awful tonight, 5 guys moving the puck around the perimeter with no real plan on how they were going to attack the net. In the end it cost them, I think they might have been better off declining the penalties because the frustration they were feeling on the the man advantage was obvious. Note to Eagan....Let the 9th grader run the power play, other than Glienke he's got the best hands on the team.

Neither of these teams possess a ton of skill up front, the first lines for both are strong but after that its mostly grinders. Tonka defense clearly superior tonight, #21 was the best player on the rink.

Overall Eagan was better than I expected and while I'm hardly a wildcat fan I can see where this team has the potential to get much better. Very impressed with how hard they play and their willingness to share the puck.
Tonka on the other hand will go as far as their defense can take them, Coatta is a stud upfront but after that its mostly a group effort.

Granttenn
Posts: 95
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:24 pm

Eagan

Post by Granttenn » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:34 pm

Ok I said 5-2 and it was 5-3 but fundamentals are the same... Scorekeeper and others, I hope Eagan's coach has Lechner's ability to mold a team over the course of a year and firing on all cylinders by playoff time.. Not so much maybe for Lechner this year as he is already 3-0 (W 5-0 vs LVS) and just moved SSM transfer Slattery (5 goals in 1st 3 games) to center Willie Brown and Lavalle on 1st line, replacing Funk (scored in 2 games last yr) so that line should be clicking and kicking soon. HM still not in league of BSM who they play on Sat. IMO..... If Dugas is phenom. it could be 4-3 type game though....
Last edited by Granttenn on Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Wallyworld
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:25 pm

Re: Tonka dominates

Post by Wallyworld » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:42 pm

almostashappy wrote:
Wallyworld wrote:Did anyone see that Tonka dropped 47 shots on Apple Valley and limited them to 14.. This is a team without a weakness and will show it tonight, if the stars are aligned.. 5-2 Tonka
If the Skippers don't have a weakness, then why would anyone care where the stars are positioned? ](*,)
The "if the stars are aligned" part referred to my 5-2 score prediction. I was off by a goal. I'll fix that..


]

scorekeeper
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Post by scorekeeper » Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:04 pm

HappyHockeyFan wrote:a close game and within 1 or 2 goals either way.
Very prophetic. Exactly as you called it. A very evenly played game between two evenly matched teams. Both potential Top 4 squads and a possible preview of a big game in March

HappyHockeyFan
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Location: Lakeville

Post by HappyHockeyFan » Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:25 pm

scorekeeper wrote:
HappyHockeyFan wrote:a close game and within 1 or 2 goals either way.
Very prophetic. Exactly as you called it. A very evenly played game between two evenly matched teams. Both potential Top 4 squads and a possible preview of a big game in March
The power play concerns me, it hurt us at the end of that Hillmurray game as well. Following this team closely for the past 5 years I have noticed a trend that the Wildcats always seem to struggle on the power play, even last year it was not a strength. Coach Taylor needs to get that figured out because he is going to need it more than he has the past two years.
It's not the Best players, it's the Right players! HB

almostashappy
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:07 pm

Post by almostashappy » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:14 am

HappyHockeyFan wrote:The power play concerns me, it hurt us at the end of that Hillmurray game as well. Following this team closely for the past 5 years I have noticed a trend that the Wildcats always seem to struggle on the power play, even last year it was not a strength. Coach Taylor needs to get that figured out because he is going to need it more than he has the past two years.
Happy, I think that we should wait a few weeks before we diagnose the Cats' PP as symptomatic of a chronic problem. I'm not looking to make excuses for last night's loss, or to buy into scorekeeper's keychain theories, but on this point it is worth noting that it was Muck's turn to sit out with the flu last night. His replacement did a good job in a tough situation (heckuva game to step into the #4 varsity dman spot for the first time), but they (from what I saw) chose not to put the new guy out there on the PP or 4 on 4 situations. So as the 3rd period played out, you had the other 3 blue liners covering 12 minutes of special teams play (almost 12m straight). And aside from the tired legs, 2/3 of that time you d pairings who haven't worked together much (either in game or practice situations), and that did make a difference in executing the pp.

With that said, most of last year's PP had Sam Wolfe parked in front of the goalie while Zajak played out on top. I wouldn't be surprised if we eventually see a comparable configuration this year.

Tripod
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:03 am

Tonka

Post by Tripod » Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:38 am

is always sooo overrated. Too many years we hear of all the D1 studs on their team and either in sections (last year) or the tourney, they go belly up.

BogeyMan
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Post by BogeyMan » Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:21 am

The power play concerns me, it hurt us at the end of that Hillmurray game as well. Following this team closely for the past 5 years I have noticed a trend that the Wildcats always seem to struggle on the power play, even last year it was not a strength. Coach Taylor needs to get that figured out.......



Hmmmm..........trend you say?? :idea:

BodyShots
Posts: 1921
Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:44 am

Post by BodyShots » Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:51 am

scorekeeper wrote:
HappyHockeyFan wrote:a close game and within 1 or 2 goals either way.
Very prophetic. Exactly as you called it. A very evenly played game between two evenly matched teams. Both potential Top 4 squads and a possible preview of a big game in March
I'm not sure where you are going to fit in....

BSM
Edina
and you just lost to HM and Tonka.

You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team.

scorekeeper
Posts: 569
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:08 am

Post by scorekeeper » Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:59 am

BodyShots wrote:
scorekeeper wrote:
HappyHockeyFan wrote:a close game and within 1 or 2 goals either way.
Very prophetic. Exactly as you called it. A very evenly played game between two evenly matched teams. Both potential Top 4 squads and a possible preview of a big game in March
I'm not sure where you are going to fit in....

BSM
Edina
and you just lost to HM and Tonka.

You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team.
Actually, they aren't as far out as you think.

Right now Edina and BSM are clear 1/2 although it's not clear which is which.

EP has played itself out of the top 4 early on. Granted it's early.

Minnetonka, Hill Murray, Burnsville and Eagan are the next 4 teams. They have played each other super close, with all outcomes up for grabs late in each game. No significant advantage in the strength of these 4 squads early. You do have to give Minnetonka and Hill Murray the early edge for the 'W' but the other two are right there.

As is Wayzata, Duluth East and even Prior Lake.

Early on in the season we have a 2 clear front runners and 8 teams on their heels could land anywhere from 3-10.

Shinbone_News
Posts: 458
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:50 am

Post by Shinbone_News » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:53 pm

BogeyMan wrote:The power play concerns me, it hurt us at the end of that Hillmurray game as well. Following this team closely for the past 5 years I have noticed a trend that the Wildcats always seem to struggle on the power play, even last year it was not a strength. Coach Taylor needs to get that figured out.......



Hmmmm..........trend you say?? :idea:
My view of the Eagan PP: They moved the puck well, but SLLLLLLLLLLLLOW. It was like they figured it was a major (twice) so they have all the time in the world, which they do-- but they don't. If you move the puck as slowly as they did, you'll never break open the box and get a shot inside the house. Tonka was very disciplined, but it doesn't take much to shut down a PP when you can bend down and retie a skate in the time it takes for one D-man to move the puck to other one.

Eagan was just as strong as Tonka, first lines were a nice matchup. Individually, you want Coatta on your team to make those solo goals (which he did, twice. Reports over-exaggerate the assists on those two goals, they were effectively defensive breakdowns leading to solo breakaways).

But as a team, Eagan is deeper in offensive skill, especially puckhandling.

IMHO, naturally.

I predict the next meeting, which may not be until March (?), will favor Eagan. I see a lot more upside there, especially in goal.

Slap Shot
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Post by Slap Shot » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:09 pm

The hand-holding for Eagan here is immensely pleasurable. Tonka played without Ramsey (just as Eagan played without some players) and Eagan isn't the only team that will improve between now and March. They may not compete with BSM in the end in VI, but Eagan is lucky they aren't in the same section because they wouldn't make the semis.

almostashappy
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:07 pm

Post by almostashappy » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:18 pm

Slap Shot wrote: They may not compete with BSM in the end in VI, but Eagan is lucky they aren't in the same section because they wouldn't make the semis.
:-({|=

Bonehead
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Post by Bonehead » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:19 pm

Slap Shot wrote: Tonka played without Ramsey
Ramsey DID play - but he looked rusty.

Wallyworld
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Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:25 pm

Blaine is a top 5 if Eagan is anywhere near that group

Post by Wallyworld » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:28 pm

scorekeeper wrote:
BodyShots wrote:
scorekeeper wrote:
HappyHockeyFan wrote:a close game and within 1 or 2 goals either way.
Very prophetic. Exactly as you called it. A very evenly played game between two evenly matched teams. Both potential Top 4 squads and a possible preview of a big game in March
I'm not sure where you are going to fit in....

BSM
Edina
and you just lost to HM and Tonka.

You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team.
Actually, they aren't as far out as you think.

Right now Edina and BSM are clear 1/2 although it's not clear which is which.

EP has played itself out of the top 4 early on. Granted it's early.

Minnetonka, Hill Murray, Burnsville and Eagan are the next 4 teams. They have played each other super close, with all outcomes up for grabs late in each game. No significant advantage in the strength of these 4 squads early. You do have to give Minnetonka and Hill Murray the early edge for the 'W' but the other two are right there.

As is Wayzata, Duluth East and even Prior Lake.

Early on in the season we have a 2 clear front runners and 8 teams on their heels could land anywhere from 3-10.


"you just lost to HM and Tonka. You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team"...

My sentiments exactly.. I'm a Hill fan and I'm not sure about a top 5 spot and we knocked out B'ville and Eagan (w/o our top D for 5 of periods because of misconduct and we are thin at D to start - except for G w/ .93 GAA) and we blasted LVS 5-0....

& the B'ville game wasn't as close as score, with shots 39-17... Also, Eagan had 15 shots in last two periods, after Hill got warmed up (probably looking past Eagan to LVS game:). So they had one decent period in that game and they are celebrating that....

Actually one team that I saw that probably belongs ahead of B'ville, Eagan, and Hill is Blaine.. Don't overlook them. They dropped 52 shots on Roseau and looked exceptional. Wave after wave of small, quick, talented F's fed by quick D breaking out of zone... Same with Wayzata but just a notch down.. Eagan & B'ville - not so much.. Let me know when you have a winning record, at least..

-

Shinbone_News
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Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:50 am

Post by Shinbone_News » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:59 pm

Slap Shot wrote:The hand-holding for Eagan here is immensely pleasurable. Tonka played without Ramsey (just as Eagan played without some players) and Eagan isn't the only team that will improve between now and March. They may not compete with BSM in the end in VI, but Eagan is lucky they aren't in the same section because they wouldn't make the semis.
Agreed, but Eagan is the younger team with the younger goalie. That's why I think there's more upside there (not even going into whether they can get a PP unit online that shows some urgency). The consensus, at least among some, was that this was going to be a lopsided game. It wasn't.

There are at least three good teams in VI that won't make semis that ~would~ make it in III or X or any other section. Call the MNSHSL and let them know you have a problem, I'm sure they'll get right on that.

BlueLineSpecial
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Re: Blaine is a top 5 if Eagan is anywhere near that group

Post by BlueLineSpecial » Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:04 pm

Wallyworld wrote:
scorekeeper wrote:
BodyShots wrote:
scorekeeper wrote:
HappyHockeyFan wrote:a close game and within 1 or 2 goals either way.
Very prophetic. Exactly as you called it. A very evenly played game between two evenly matched teams. Both potential Top 4 squads and a possible preview of a big game in March
I'm not sure where you are going to fit in....

BSM
Edina
and you just lost to HM and Tonka.

You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team.
Actually, they aren't as far out as you think.

Right now Edina and BSM are clear 1/2 although it's not clear which is which.

EP has played itself out of the top 4 early on. Granted it's early.

Minnetonka, Hill Murray, Burnsville and Eagan are the next 4 teams. They have played each other super close, with all outcomes up for grabs late in each game. No significant advantage in the strength of these 4 squads early. You do have to give Minnetonka and Hill Murray the early edge for the 'W' but the other two are right there.

As is Wayzata, Duluth East and even Prior Lake.

Early on in the season we have a 2 clear front runners and 8 teams on their heels could land anywhere from 3-10.


"you just lost to HM and Tonka. You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team"...

My sentiments exactly.. I'm a Hill fan and I'm not sure about a top 5 spot and we knocked out B'ville and Eagan (w/o our top D for 5 of periods because of misconduct and we are thin at D to start - except for G w/ .93 GAA) and we blasted LVS 5-0....

& the B'ville game wasn't as close as score, with shots 39-17... Also, Eagan had 15 shots in last two periods, after Hill got warmed up (probably looking past Eagan to LVS game:). So they had one decent period in that game and they are celebrating that....

Actually one team that I saw that probably belongs ahead of B'ville, Eagan, and Hill is Blaine.. Don't overlook them. They dropped 52 shots on Roseau and looked exceptional. Wave after wave of small, quick, talented F's fed by quick D breaking out of zone... Same with Wayzata but just a notch down.. Eagan & B'ville - not so much.. Let me know when you have a winning record, at least..

-
Agree completely. Eagan obviously has a nice squad and is/will be a top 10 team. That said, the Wildcat homers on this forum are out of hand :lol: If those boys lose, there is always a dozen reasons why. When the boys win, its "I told you so". That said I love the passion for your favorite team. BTW, I'm a Hill homer

UntouchableFlow
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Location: Maplewood

Re: Blaine is a top 5 if Eagan is anywhere near that group

Post by UntouchableFlow » Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:24 pm

BlueLineSpecial wrote:
Wallyworld wrote:
scorekeeper wrote:
BodyShots wrote:
scorekeeper wrote:
HappyHockeyFan wrote:a close game and within 1 or 2 goals either way.
Very prophetic. Exactly as you called it. A very evenly played game between two evenly matched teams. Both potential Top 4 squads and a possible preview of a big game in March
I'm not sure where you are going to fit in....

BSM
Edina
and you just lost to HM and Tonka.

You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team.
Actually, they aren't as far out as you think.

Right now Edina and BSM are clear 1/2 although it's not clear which is which.

EP has played itself out of the top 4 early on. Granted it's early.

Minnetonka, Hill Murray, Burnsville and Eagan are the next 4 teams. They have played each other super close, with all outcomes up for grabs late in each game. No significant advantage in the strength of these 4 squads early. You do have to give Minnetonka and Hill Murray the early edge for the 'W' but the other two are right there.

As is Wayzata, Duluth East and even Prior Lake.

Early on in the season we have a 2 clear front runners and 8 teams on their heels could land anywhere from 3-10.


"you just lost to HM and Tonka. You better set your sights a little lower until you actually beat a quality team"...

My sentiments exactly.. I'm a Hill fan and I'm not sure about a top 5 spot and we knocked out B'ville and Eagan (w/o our top D for 5 of periods because of misconduct and we are thin at D to start - except for G w/ .93 GAA) and we blasted LVS 5-0....

& the B'ville game wasn't as close as score, with shots 39-17... Also, Eagan had 15 shots in last two periods, after Hill got warmed up (probably looking past Eagan to LVS game:). So they had one decent period in that game and they are celebrating that....

Actually one team that I saw that probably belongs ahead of B'ville, Eagan, and Hill is Blaine.. Don't overlook them. They dropped 52 shots on Roseau and looked exceptional. Wave after wave of small, quick, talented F's fed by quick D breaking out of zone... Same with Wayzata but just a notch down.. Eagan & B'ville - not so much.. Let me know when you have a winning record, at least..

-
Agree completely. Eagan obviously has a nice squad and is/will be a top 10 team. That said, the Wildcat homers on this forum are out of hand :lol: If those boys lose, there is always a dozen reasons why. When the boys win, its "I told you so". That said I love the passion for your favorite team. BTW, I'm a Hill homer
I guess that's what separates the winners from the other guys, winners don't make excuses when they lose. It's convenient how many Eagan fans flood the forums to promote them. Can I ask Happy and AlmostHappy a question? What do you think the score would have been against Hill if they still had Voltin, Guentzel, and Heinrich? Some teams make excuses, some make results. At this point, a close game means absolutely nothing. What does a close game with East Ridge say about your Eagan squad? Quit taking pride in your close losses and get some results, then we can throw you into the discussion.

almostashappy
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:07 pm

Re: Blaine is a top 5 if Eagan is anywhere near that group

Post by almostashappy » Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:43 pm

UntouchableFlow wrote: I guess that's what separates the winners from the other guys, winners don't make excuses when they lose. It's convenient how many Eagan fans flood the forums to promote them. Can I ask Happy and AlmostHappy a question? What do you think the score would have been against Hill if we still had Voltin, Guentzel, and Heinrich? Some teams make excuses, some make results. At this point, a close game means absolutely nothing. What does a close game with East Ridge say about your Eagan squad? Quit taking pride in your close losses and get some results, then we can throw you into the discussion.
It's amazing (and amusing) to look back at my own posts over the last few weeks and note just how outrageously rah-rah they have become within the minds of the critics. A game of telephone on steroids...I say quite clearly that I didn't want to make excuses as preface to a potential explanation of why the Wildcat PP was off last night (to someone who wasn't there to see for themselves), and within a few hours it has morphed into the mass flooding of a dozen different excuses, and an expression of "pride" for a close loss.

The "What if" challenge is pointless. What would H-M's record have been last year if Guentzel had stayed at Woodbury or East Ridge rather than jump to the "East Side All-Stars"? What would have the score have been this weekend without the Pioneer's latest high-profile recruit? Who knows? Who cares?

The tone of this specific thread has been established for more than a few hours. Sick of what you are seeing here? Don't click on the latest response. :idea:

Bonehead
Posts: 199
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 11:48 am

Re: Blaine is a top 5 if Eagan is anywhere near that group

Post by Bonehead » Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:44 pm

BlueLineSpecial wrote: That said I love the passion for your favorite team.
+1 on that!

The 'STA should listen to me' & '(any team that beat yours) recruits their success' bitterness really gets old.

Armstrong supporter here - I've got a reason to be bitter ;-)

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