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Thoughts and predictions for this Saturday's match ups. Huge of course for seedings. All 3 games are in the south.

Andover - East
I think Andover can keep this close on home ice. The key will be East's defense being about to shut down Andover's top line which isn't great, but is good enough if given chances. This should be a great goaltending battle between Perry and Parker. I think Duluth East gets twice as many shots and wins a close game, 2-1.

Forest Lake - Cloquet
Both teams have fire power up front, I would say CEC has an edge in their top line. Both teams have struggled at D and in goal. Cloquet's top line I think will score enough to win a track meet. I like CEC to win 8-5.

Grand Rapids - Elk River
Both teams have solid goaltending. Elk River had a solid win vs. Andover, and GR has recovered nicely after dropping a head scratcher in Forest Lake. Grand Rapids top line has skill and size and they punished Duluth Marshall last week wearing them down in a close game. Rapids second line features the Swede Petter Salhstrom who is showing great vision and puck handling skill and getting play on the top power play unit. Elk River is getting solid D and has a couple of pure goal scorers in Jaremko and Zerban. I think the difference in this game will be the physicality of Grand Rapids and an edge in goal. Grand Rapids wins 3-1.

I like your predictions of these big section games. I don't think the FL/CEC game will be that high scoring, but it will forsure be a good game. Do you think if FL wins this game they will have home ice for sections?

No one will have home ice after Saturday locked up. FL would put themselves in a control-your-own-destiny situation for home ice. They could do it, but the losses to Moundsview and Roseville were big eye openers and will only hurt their section meeting resume. If GR loses to Elk River and FL beats CEC then the gap created a couple weeks ago widens. Even if FL wins vs CEC, GR could leapfrog them with a 3-0 result at the Edina Classic. With that kind of response to their FL loss it would put them ahead of the Rangers at this point in the season by a wide margin and maybe propel them to top seed in 7AA. Bottom line, lots of hockey left to help or hurt teams in their battle for quarterfinal home ice.

Its a good thing that only the section 7AA coaches are involved in the Seeding. we'd all mess it up!

Some years I'd say the coaches mess it up.

Head to head Competition and common opponets carries more weight then the other games. A team like Forest Lake losing to Roseville and Mounds View means more if Grand Rapids, Cloquet or any other secyion 7AA team plays them. if not - it just is a reflection of their overall records.

Possibly - however its like the officials - it doesn't matter they call the shots and what ever they say (or Vote) is final. and don't think there's not a little strategy involved as well..

So if FL beats Cloquet they could end up sucking hind tit ??

looks like 7aa is not as strong as I thought it was.

old goalie85 wrote:looks like 7aa is not as strong as I thought it was.

Agreed, the top 6 are all within a narrow gap, but held against the rest of the state the top 6 are down compared to expectations. I still hold that there was good reason to be optimistic going into the season. Though Duluth East lost badly on the scoreboard to Centennial it wasn't like East didn't create offense. Belieu alone should have had 5 goals in that game. Elk River and Grand Rapids both had decent 2nd and 3rd periods last night, but both played so brutally in the 1st period that just can't be overcome. Andover played like the team we all thought they would be against Eden Prairie. Forest Lake really puzzles me. Even if GR isn't a top ten team, I don't understand how FL plays GR so good and then gets pummeled by Moundsview, Roseville, and Cretin. Cloquet has a top line as good as they had in 05-07, but they don't have a Reid Ellingson or David Brown to balance them and without good defense I don't see Cloquet getting past the quarterfinals even in a down year for 7AA.

TheHockeyDJ wrote:

old goalie85 wrote:looks like 7aa is not as strong as I thought it was.

Agreed, the top 6 are all within a narrow gap, but held against the rest of the state the top 6 are down compared to expectations. I still hold that there was good reason to be optimistic going into the season. Though Duluth East lost badly on the scoreboard to Centennial it wasn't like East didn't create offense. Belieu alone should have had 5 goals in that game. Elk River and Grand Rapids both had decent 2nd and 3rd periods last night, but both played so brutally in the 1st period that just can't be overcome. Andover played like the team we all thought they would be against Eden Prairie. Forest Lake really puzzles me. Even if GR isn't a top ten team, I don't understand how FL plays GR so good and then gets pummeled by Moundsview, Roseville, and Cretin. Cloquet has a top line as good as they had in 05-07, but they don't have a Reid Ellingson or David Brown to balance them and without good defense I don't see Cloquet getting past the quarterfinals even in a down year for 7AA.

Maybe the SEC is stronger than you thought.

Did I see just Stillwater take down Tonka!

I don't get FL either. Cloquet is here Sat. Rapids loses may have something to do w/long bus rides.?. They looked much better as the game went on last night. Tonghts game vs Elks is a big 7AA game.

BodyShots wrote:

TheHockeyDJ wrote:

old goalie85 wrote:looks like 7aa is not as strong as I thought it was.

Agreed, the top 6 are all within a narrow gap, but held against the rest of the state the top 6 are down compared to expectations. I still hold that there was good reason to be optimistic going into the season. Though Duluth East lost badly on the scoreboard to Centennial it wasn't like East didn't create offense. Belieu alone should have had 5 goals in that game. Elk River and Grand Rapids both had decent 2nd and 3rd periods last night, but both played so brutally in the 1st period that just can't be overcome. Andover played like the team we all thought they would be against Eden Prairie. Forest Lake really puzzles me. Even if GR isn't a top ten team, I don't understand how FL plays GR so good and then gets pummeled by Moundsview, Roseville, and Cretin. Cloquet has a top line as good as they had in 05-07, but they don't have a Reid Ellingson or David Brown to balance them and without good defense I don't see Cloquet getting past the quarterfinals even in a down year for 7AA.

Maybe the SEC is stronger than you thought.

Did I see just Stillwater take down Tonka!

Roseville and Cretin do not have overall season results to support that. Moundsview has been decent most of the year.

old goalie85 wrote:I don't get FL either. Cloquet is here Sat. Rapids loses may have something to do w/long bus rides.?. They looked much better as the game went on last night. Tonghts game vs Elks is a big 7AA game.

I think you mean Saturday, Elk River plays Edina tonight unless they've changed the schedule w/o announcement. Travel can have and impact. Duluth East hasn't faired well traveling either. A lot of Rapids players have had the flu in recent days. Bischoff will have a big impact when he comes back. It was night and day the difference Patrick White made when back in the lineup and Rapids would have never reached the 7AA final in 03 and 04 without Alex Goligoski. One superstar player can make a huge difference with a decent supporting cast.

ER v Edina tonight in the late game
ER v GR Sat. early game
Agree with Karl on ER's Zerban, needs to step it up and provide ER with some scoring. Flu bug cost ER some players last night.
Grand Rapids will be a much better team if/when Bischoff returns, this is obvious and makes them a factor in sections. Andover will slso be a scary team team to play with Perry in goal come playoffs. East is still the favorite until beaten, There strength on the back end makes them the favorite. Elk River is intriguing if they can get some scoring, They have some talented young players that will get better. There sure seemed to be a different enviroment over there with Roberts replacing Sarsland.

old goalie85 wrote:I don't get FL either. Cloquet is here Sat. Rapids loses may have something to do w/long bus rides.?. They looked much better as the game went on last night. Tonghts game vs Elks is a big 7AA game.

Jesus OG you are beginning to scare me. Starting to sound like someone else on this 'bored'.

TheHockeyDJ wrote:

old goalie85 wrote:I don't get FL either. Cloquet is here Sat. Rapids loses may have something to do w/long bus rides.?. They looked much better as the game went on last night. Tonghts game vs Elks is a big 7AA game.

I think you mean Saturday, Elk River plays Edina tonight unless they've changed the schedule w/o announcement. Travel can have and impact. Duluth East hasn't faired well traveling either. A lot of Rapids players have had the flu in recent days. Bischoff will have a big impact when he comes back. It was night and day the difference Patrick White made when back in the lineup and Rapids would have never reached the 7AA final in 03 and 04 without Alex Goligoski. One superstar player can make a huge difference with a decent supporting cast.

"bus legs" are a total myth. I bet Don Cherry never used that phrase in 13 years in the AHL.

f they are real I hope Cloquet's first line gets a bad case of them !!!

old goalie85 wrote:f they are real I hope Cloquet's first line gets a bad case of them !!!

7-1 Cloquet with the win over Forest Lake.

The Forest Lake/Cloquet game was a close game through 2 periods but Cloquet was just dominating leading in shots 28-9 after 2. Forest Lakes goalie was holding them in it the whole game, stopping like 43 shots, with 2 on 1s and 2 stopped breakaways on Kulman. None of the goals were his fault. Too many penalties for FL. In the 3rd FLs defense just gave up. Every rush for Cloquet was either a breakaway or 2 on 1.

Parker is out with a sprained ankle for tonight's game against Andover. Hopefully back for Schwans Cup!

GR takes down Elk River 3-2 in OT.
Peterson with the game winner short handed. Rapids is doing a nice job of digging themselves an opening period hole and climbing out of it. However I don't think you can keep playing like that and expect to go far. They do keep getting better as the game goes on though which is a good sign. The 2nd period had a lot of penalties, the flow of the game wasn't very good. Rapids continues to struggle badly on the PP, the dump and chase method of entering the zone is killing them. The 3rd period had opportunities for each team but both goalies stood tall. Not sure on the final shots count but it had to be close, maybe a slight advantage to GR. Overall a good, closely contested game. There was also a little extra-curricular activity after the game, fueling the fire!

Have to give Rapids credit going 1-1-1 against 3 good teams. What will they look like when Bischoff returns. Elk River couldn't finish there chances, pipe late in the third could have been buried. What does the schedule look like for Rapids the rest of the year? Any more trips south?

a Save % of 83% is not going to do it in Section 7AA. Goaltending and play in D-zone need to get stronger. to many big rebounds, lose men, ans arrent passes, also giving up to many odd man rushes.. Haven't played well lately, but they do have the ability to surprise a team from time to time.