BSM vs SSM Wed 2-6-13

[fourthlinegrinder]

Bittner and Iverson and both Walkers can play in the WHL. I dont see Baer excelling in a league like the dub. This is the most phisical junior hockey league in the world. I dont think he can compete with 19 and 20 yr old NHL draft picks. He isnt even a standout at benilde i understand he is a 97 but please, this kid cant even play at the Tier 2 junior level.

Anybody???

[Gopher Blog]

Assuming your story is true, the kid - and his parents who would obviously approved this - made a real dumb move. At the very least he/they should have asked for Pauly's permission before he just got up and left. Heck, even if he was going to visit a prospective college you don't choose to do that during the season. Personally I don't blame Pauly one bit for doing what he did (again, assuming what you say is true). Nobody - even your star player - is more important than the team.

Kids take visits to colleges all the time during the season. Although I'd suspect many of them find a time to do it when it doesn't interfere with their HS team's practices or games.

I think the difference here is that the WHL option is an option that the kid could potentially leave for right away. Something a HS kid can't do for a college. Pauly is probably pissed because the kid is flirting with an option in the middle of a season that can disrupt his team now.

Kids in this state should stick to the college hockey route anyway (unless they have academic issues that is). There are many good players in the NHL right now that played college hockey. Kids here don't need the WHL one bit.

[mnhockey30]

If anyone wanted to know bsm is leading 1-0 Besse got the goal end of 1st

[MNHockeyFan]

Assuming your story is true, the kid - and his parents who would obviously approved this - made a real dumb move. At the very least he/they should have asked for Pauly's permission before he just got up and left. Heck, even if he was going to visit a prospective college you don't choose to do that during the season. Personally I don't blame Pauly one bit for doing what he did (again, assuming what you say is true). Nobody - even your star player - is more important than the team.

Kids take visits to colleges all the time during the season. Although I'd suspect many of them find a time to do it when it doesn't interfere with their HS team's practices or games.

I think the difference here is that the WHL option is an option that the kid could potentially leave for right away. Something a HS kid can't do for a college. Pauly is probably pissed because the kid is flirting with an option in the middle of a season that can disrupt his team now.

Kids in this state should stick to the college hockey route anyway (unless they have academic issues that is). There are many good players in the NHL right now that played college hockey. Kids here don't need the WHL one bit.

All good points. I just don't recall instances of players missing their teams' games because they were off visiting someplace, especially freshmen.

[mnhockey30]

Benilde up 2-1

[Bonehead]

Benilde up 2-1

Hey - you're off topic!
Actually a pretty fun game to watch. Benilde seems bigger - more physical.

[SWPrez]

Benilde up 2-1

BSM looking good. Defense has held and Sprang has come up with some nice saves.

[GPGT]

So this is the almighty SSM...... First time I have EVER seen them play, and yes you can tell there is a ton of talent there, they don't seem "that" impressive... GR bounced BSM all over the rink physically, and to me STA has a better 1st line than BSM from the few games Ive seen...


I would love to have seen last years Duluth East team play SSM....... but with JoJo in net


CBut eh, ... coulda, woulda, shoulda

[Nuts&Bolts]

Almost embarassing for SSM with BSM having defense that would be middle of the pack on a bantam team. Watched some of the stream of SSM vs STA(A) and am generally unimpressed. What's the deal - and holy Critical Error tonight.

[O-townClown]

Benilde up 3-2 and the dumb penalty makes it 4-2. Empty net makes it 5-2. Great win for Benilde-St. Margaret's.

[MNHockeyFan]

Better stay off the cough syrup. Advantage SSM on EVERYTHING. 8-1 Shattuck

Good call, ref!

[minnscout]

What happened to all you hacks that said BSM would get blown out? You guys should watch some more HS games. Benilde does this each year, run and gun for half the season than after holidays get the right guys playing together and hit full stride come playoffs. Pauly is one of top coaches in the state and has his team ready when it counts. Benilde was the better team tonight, they were faster and played more physical. It helped Sprang came up big a couple times. They rolled 3 lines all night and also gave 4th line couple shifts each period. Benilde 2nd line with Jungels (best player on ice tonight), Fleming, and Nass was the difference, they played very well.

About #10 the story mentioned was not full disclosure. Pauly told him if he goes there and misses practice (this last couple weeks is huge) he is off the team. I respect that a coach doesn't put players before the team. It takes a lot of courage to kick a player of that calibar off the team. To bad Vancouver messed this kid up and put him in a bad spot. Pauly wants kids that are committed to the team and the program not just for 1 season. Anyway best of luck to #10, bad advice and now he is in a tough spot.

[SWPrez]

Send some crow pie my way minnscout. I was expecting 2nd and 3rd lines to be outmatched...but, they surprised and played as well or better against lines they were being matched up against.

re: #10 - right choice by Pauly. After losing three from last year...where BSM was just another stopping point to the next big thing, a good message is sent for the present and in the future for players/parents that want to send carpetbaggers to BSM.

[minnscout]

These threads are real simliar to last season. Benilde D is so bad they have no chance. They had 3 D1 guys last year and this year they play 2 9th graders 2 Sophs 1 junior and 1 senior. There is a strong chance that 2 or 3 of this years D will play D1. Austin, Newhouse Graham and Heimbold were great tonight. When you play young forwards on a regular shift it takes time and Benilde makes the adjustments as the season moves along.

[SWPrez]

These threads are real simliar to last season. Benilde D is so bad they have no chance. They had 3 D1 guys last year and this year they play 2 9th graders 2 Sophs 1 junior and 1 senior. There is a strong chance that 2 or 3 of this years D will play D1. Austin, Newhouse Graham and Heimbold were great tonight. When you play young forwards on a regular shift it takes time and Benilde makes the adjustments as the season moves along.

minnscout,

I think the criticism on the D by people has not been about individual talent. BSM had great talent last year and the four you name on this year's roster are very solid...and probably better than last year's corps. I think the criticisms over time by posters to BSM threads have been related to team defense and X's and O's.

As I said in an earlier thread....BSM dusts off a defense first game like they did against Tonka last year in sections and I don't think anyone is touching them down the stretch.

[duluth dave]

BSM looks like the best high school team I,ve seen this season. Great game with solid goaltending and lots of team speed there going to be tough for anyone to beat.

[minnscout]

SWprez, yes I guess I could see how others may say that but they play a fun brand of hockey that developes individual talent but they always tighten it up when they have to. Nothing like watching a hockey game where teams are going up and down the rink taking chances and gets the speed and skill back into the game.

[MNHockeyFan]

Nothing like watching a hockey game where teams are going up and down the rink taking chances and gets the speed and skill back into the game.

Ah, yes, the way Minnesota high school hockey used to be played, up and down with lots of great offensive chances, going both ways.

Even though the final score ended up 5-2 BSM, I have to say that it could have ended up just the opposite. SSM didn't capitalize on a half-dozen golden opportunities, and they took that 5 minute major (deserved) with about 4 1/2 to go, when the game was still in the balance. But in the end BSM did what it took to win, and they deserved to win.

Say what you will about our private schools, but I think it's pretty cool that two of our own beat what is a bonafide NATIONAL All Star Team that definitely DOES recruit and just happens to be located in Minnesota.

I'm not sure but could this be the first time ever that SSM has been shut out in two or more games vs. Minnesota high school teams in a single season?

[Lowstickside]

I stand corrected and was totally off on this one. BSM seemed to do whatever they could to keep their top guys out there so did not see the rolling of the 4 BSM lines, but it sure worked for them. BSM goalie was very good. I was just not that impressed with SSM, but a good BSM team made them look Unimpressive. Did Pauly out coach Ward?

[orm1210]

Not to take any credit away from BSM as they earned that win and definitely outplayed Shattuck, not to mention are a great team in general, but how much can we really take away from this game? It's kind of one of those games for Shattuck where if you win, no big deal you should have. If you lose, its a huge deal to everyone else. So really its a lose lose situation for them in a game that has no impact whatsoever on their season.

It is interesting however that Shattuck does not outplay high school teams in MN like most might expect. At least recently. It would be interesting to see what would happen if that team on the ice last night played a 25 game high school season with the schedule BSM has and see how far they could get.

[HShockeywatcher]

Not to take any credit away from BSM as they earned that win and definitely outplayed Shattuck, not to mention are a great team in general, but how much can we really take away from this game? It's kind of one of those games for Shattuck where if you win, no big deal you should have. If you lose, its a huge deal to everyone else. So really its a lose lose situation for them in a game that has no impact whatsoever on their season.

It is interesting however that Shattuck does not outplay high school teams in MN like most might expect. At least recently. It would be interesting to see what would happen if that team on the ice last night played a 25 game high school season with the schedule BSM has and see how far they could get.

Again, not to take anything away from either team, but my guess is that the games and intensity might be a little different. Their game against St Thomas was their 40th of the season. Toward the end of the game, when they were ahead by 1 for a while, then when it was tied up, there was no urgency on their part to win it seemed. They typically end games in ties, and they seemed content with the tie.

I obviously have no inside knowledge, but just like people always say things along the lines of "it's not about who's best in December, it's about who plays the best in March" about our teams, the same concept holds true for them.

I thought they were very good all around and played a very good game, but I can also definitely see where it could be basically a practice for them.

[Tenoverpar]

I would say that the two exhibition games showed that BSM and STA both did a better job in the last 4 years of recruiting than SSM did.

Well done recruiting department of BSM and STA and great job by the players on the ice. Arguably the 2 best teams in Minnesota.

[TheHockeyDJ]

So this game was vs. SSM Prep which is different from SSM Midget AAA? How would BSM do vs. the Midget AAA team that has Martin Brodeur's son as a goalie?

[orm1210]

Tenoverpar - i dont really think you can claim that BSM and STA did a better job of recruiting based on 2 exhibition games. There is nothing more you can really take from these games other than its great entertainment, because MN high school and USA hockey are completely different. Different styles, different seasons, different coaching, different attitudes on game nights from the players. Was BSM and STA the better team on that given night...sure. Would they win a national championship 5 times in 10 years? who knows, we never will. But i don't think you can claim better recruiting when SSM sends anywhere from 5-10 players to the D-1 programs or high level juniors a season when high school teams in MN are lucky to get 5 a season just to any level past high school. Just my two cents. I will not argue however that BSM and STA are two of the top high school teams in MN. should be a fun playoff stretch for both teams.

[observer]

DJ, the prep team is their top team and oldest.

orm1210, the reason more Shattuck players get college offers is they're the golden boys of USA AAA U18. Not all earned the hard way but given. Some prosper but many are no better than a big number of MN HS players.