AA Rankings for 1/24/09

[karl(east)]

No meandering paragraph to start the rankings this week. I’ll just deliver the goods:

1. Minnetonka (18-0)
-A perfect record, a healthy Max Gardiner, and a shock-and-awe performance against Edina. Oh, to be young and a Skipper. Face the only team that might--might--be capable of beating them this week that they haven’t seen yet.
This week: Thurs vs. Armstrong, Sat at #4 Wayzata

2. Eden Prairie (13-2)
-Took care of business against Jefferson to all but clinch the Lake title and survived some ugly conditions to beat one of the finest teams in class A. A very complete team that’s hitting its stride at the right time; an important game on Tuesday.
This week: Tues at #7 Eagan, Thurs vs. Chaska, Sat vs. Lakeville North

3. Hill-Murray (15-1-1)
-The win over Holy Angels was a bit close for comfort, but with Edina tying AHA recently, it’s enough to slide them up for now. As I’ve said a couple times with Hill this year, this feels a little artificially high, but they’re playing well and have avoided doing anything stupid.
This week: Thurs at South St. Paul, Sat vs. Simley

4. Wayzata (13-2-1)
-Prestige of the Edina win took a hit when Tonka came out and whacked Edina. Regardless, it’s an important win for this team, and now they get the first of two shots at Minnetonka. All they need to do is keep it close to hold this spot in the rankings (or perhaps even move up).
This week: Tues vs. Champlin Park, Sat vs. #1 Minnetonka

5. Edina (12-4-1)
-The Hornets were humbled by the Tonka and are in a bit of a rut with only one win in their past 4 games. This is when they hit the wall last year too, if memory serves. The good news is that they get something of a respite this week, though both of their opponents will have a shot if they can’t shore up their defense a bit.
This week: Tues vs. Cretin-Derham Hall, Thurs vs. Hopkins

6. Blaine (11-3-3)
-Got an important win over Andover, then took care of Coon Rapids. The lack of clarity in the rest of the conference actually hurts their SOS some since no one is really stepping up to challenge them. The losses to Edina don’t look nearly as good in the aftermath of that Tonka-Edina game, but they will definitely move up if those ahead of them fall, and there is a sizeable gap between them and #7.
This week: Thurs vs. #15 Osseo, Sat vs. Anoka

7. Eagan (13-2-1)
-Once again I must express my discomfort at putting them this high, but they got an important win over LVS this week and are holding the course for now. The next four games represent their moment of truth as they take on EP, Burnsville, and Jefferson. Time for them to either prove their mettle or find themselves plummeting in the rankings.
This week: Tues vs. #2 Eden Prairie, Thurs at Lakeville North, Sat at Burnsville

8. Bloomington Jefferson (12-3-2)
-Fell to EP but responded by taking out their anger on the bottom level of the Lake. If they play well, they’re in good position to move up. An interesting week ahead of them, as these are the sorts of games that have held Jefferson back this year.
This week: Thurs vs. Lakeville South, Sat at Apple Valley

9. Elk River (10-5-2)
-I spent a lot of time waffling over what to do here, but ultimately arrived upon the Improperly Pluralized Deer as my #9. Why? They took control of their section with a win over Duluth East, for one, and they’re also 6-1-1 in their last eight, the only loss coming against Blaine; against the NWSC and a strong non-conference schedule, that’s worth something. They get a chance to avenge the one result on their schedule that looks a bit out of place as they host Maple Grove on Saturday.
This week: Thurs vs. Anoka, Sat vs. Maple Grove

10. Duluth East (10-5-2)
-Drop behind ER due to the loss, but they’ve won over many of the teams just behind them and therefore stay up here. This team’s been walking a fine line all year, and now head into a crucial week of 7AA play. A slip-up will cost them dearly and relegate them to a #3 seed or lower for the first time in over a decade.
This week: Tues at Forest Lake, Fri vs. Andover

11. Holy Angels (9-6-1)
-Move up despite losing this past week, but no one can deny that they’ve been playing well lately. They now launch into the meat of the mighty Missota, meaning they’ll be adding seven wins to this record in no time. Only difficult games remaining are against Shattuck and the season finale at Benilde.
This week: Tues at Red Wing, Thurs vs. Farmington

12. Benilde (11-3-2)
-I continue to not know exactly what to do with this team. The tie against Osseo doesn’t look as good now with the Orioles beginning to plummet, and they’re giving up a decent number of goals to some bad NSC teams. But there are still enough positive results on the schedule to maintain a decent ranking. I’m curious to see what happens when Moorhead comes down to visit.
This week: Tues at Cooper, Fri vs. Moorhead, Sat at Chisago Lakes

13. Roseau (13-2-1)
-Only game last week postponed due to weather. I’m still not sure where to go with the Rams; maybe they should be in the top ten, maybe they shouldn’t be ranked at all. I’ll continue to take the middle ground until something convinces me to do otherwise. The Moorhead re-match will be a good barometer.
This week: Tues vs. Moorhead

14. Centennial (9-5-2)
-Continue their streakiness as they gather steam through the NWSC, going 3-0-1 in their past 4, three of which were quality teams. In this week’s version of ranking roulette, that’s enough to buy a top-15 spot. Face their last big non-conference opponent this week, and it’s one that could conceivably give them problems.
This week: Thurs vs. Coon Rapids, Sat vs. Moorhead

15. Osseo (10-4-2)
-The birds come crashing back to earth after an 0-2-1 week; we’re seeing now what a nice benefit that weak early schedule was. The good news: 4 of the next 5 are against the underbelly of the NWSC, though the Blaine re-match is in there as well.
This week: Tues at North Metro, Thurs at #6 Blaine, Sat at Champlin Park

On the Bubble
Burnsville (8-6-3)
-Once again I have difficulty not ranking them, but with a big week ahead including Apple Valley and Eagan, they’ll have their chance. I would not be at all shocked to see them make a leap.
Andover (12-4-1)
-Got the big win I’ve been waiting for by knocking off Osseo; I now consider them a serious threat, and things will get very messy if they can bring down Duluth East this week.
Maple Grove (9-5-3)
-Languishing a bit as other teams around them pick up big wins. Visit Elk River this week.
Apple Valley (12-5)
-Continue their steady march through the Lake; huge week ahead of them with Burnsville and Jefferson.
Moorhead (6-6-2)
-Lest anyone had forgotten about the Spuds, they do have some decent results on that schedule, and they have a monster week ahead of them with road games against Roseau, Benilde, and Centennial. A win against any of them would be a big boost to the defending runners-up.
Lakeville South (10-7)
-A decidedly mixed week; they whipped Rochester Century to seize control of 1AA, but fell by 3 goals to two of the better Lake teams, showing they still have a ways to go to be considered for a ranking.
Woodbury (11-6-1)
-A one goal win over Park is hardly confidence-inspiring, but it’s an improvement over the first meeting, and that’s six in a row for the Royals. Interesting games ahead vs. Stilly and Flake.
White Bear Lake (9-7-1)
-After essentially ignoring them for the past two weeks, we can finally go back to ranking them properly now that the suspensions are over.
Stillwater (9-7-1)
-Gathering steam as they head into the home stretch and could disrupt the SEC.
Forest Lake (10-3-2)
-Quietly putting together a very strong record.
Brainerd (13-2)
-Great record, but lost 6-0 to Moorhead.
Grand Rapids (7-10-1)
-Ugly record, but have proved they can stick with just about anyone in the state.
Bemidji (11-6)
-Lurking in 8AA as a possible spoiler.

I should probably stop there before I end up ranking the entire class.


Forgive the lack of bells and whistles this week; section-by-section run-throughs and something else creative will re-appear next week. There are some good games out there over the next seven days; get yourself to a hockey rink and have fun.

[wbmd]

Woodbury (11-6-1)
-A one goal win over Park is hardly confidence-inspiring, but it’s an improvement over the first meeting, and that’s six in a row for the Royals. Interesting games ahead vs. Stilly and Flake.

For your information sir Karl, Woodbury and Park is actually a rivalry game. The two schools, along with East Ridge, are in the same district. Basically anything can happen in rivalry games - no matter how good one team is and no matter how bad the other team may be.

[slapstkhound]

Woodbury (11-6-1)
-A one goal win over Park is hardly confidence-inspiring, but it’s an improvement over the first meeting, and that’s six in a row for the Royals. Interesting games ahead vs. Stilly and Flake.

For your information sir Karl, Woodbury and Park is actually a rivalry game. The two schools, along with East Ridge, are in the same district. Basically anything can happen in rivalry games - no matter how good one team is and no matter how bad the other team may be.

In addition, Woodbury was leading 5-2 entering the 3rd and for reasons known only to him, Bolin put in the backup goalie who gave up 3 goals on 5 shots. Also playing the 3rd line a lot in the 3rd. No one knows why.....

[HShockeywatcher]

Woodbury (11-6-1)
-A one goal win over Park is hardly confidence-inspiring, but it’s an improvement over the first meeting, and that’s six in a row for the Royals. Interesting games ahead vs. Stilly and Flake.

For your information sir Karl, Woodbury and Park is actually a rivalry game. The two schools, along with East Ridge, are in the same district. Basically anything can happen in rivalry games - no matter how good one team is and no matter how bad the other team may be.

In addition, Woodbury was leading 5-2 entering the 3rd and for reasons known only to him, Bolin put in the backup goalie who gave up 3 goals on 5 shots. Also playing the 3rd line a lot in the 3rd. No one knows why.....

wbmd,

you are right, anything can happen. But in the event that "anything" does happen, the winning team is obviously not that much better, rivalry or not.

Tonka/Edina, St Thomas/Cretin, and Hill/WBL are HUGE rivalries. Why did anything not happen? Because one of the teams is way better than the other.

We use "anything" happening to explain why a good team doesn't dominate a bad team in a rivalry game. If "anything" happens, the winner isn't that dominant. Which is why Woodbury is on the outside looking in and not on the list...the loss to park may have something to do with that also

[Goldfishdude]

For your information sir Karl, Woodbury and Park is actually a rivalry game. The two schools, along with East Ridge, are in the same district. Basically anything can happen in rivalry games - no matter how good one team is and no matter how bad the other team may be.

In addition, Woodbury was leading 5-2 entering the 3rd and for reasons known only to him, Bolin put in the backup goalie who gave up 3 goals on 5 shots. Also playing the 3rd line a lot in the 3rd. No one knows why.....

wbmd,

you are right, anything can happen. But in the event that "anything" does happen, the winning team is obviously not that much better, rivalry or not.

Tonka/Edina, St Thomas/Cretin, and Hill/WBL are HUGE rivalries. Why did anything not happen? Because one of the teams is way better than the other.

We use "anything" happening to explain why a good team doesn't dominate a bad team in a rivalry game. If "anything" happens, the winner isn't that dominant. Which is why Woodbury is on the outside looking in and not on the list...the loss to park may have something to do with that also

Does this support your theory or hurt your theory, Watchie?? 'Cause, Goldie ain't sure!!

Hill beat WBL 5-0, then a couple weeks later, struggled to just beat them 4-3 in Schwans... Did "anything" happen, or is H-M NOT more dominant than WBL????

I tend to believe that H-M IS more dominant over WBL than the 4-3 score indicates, so I tend to poo-poo the Woodbury-Park score, especially, if a goalie switch was made. Shots were like 48-30 in favor of Woodbury. That's pretty dominant. I think something has to be said in regards to the rivalry play. The loss to Park was with the same goalie that gave up 3 goals on 5 shots.

And Oh... Karl...... good job as usual... I agree the Andover win starts to put a new wrinkle in the mix, as it doesn't look like they have had many quality wins, and their losses haven't been the best, but a huge win, nonetheless, versus my favorite team logo, the Orioles.

[HShockeywatcher]

As always, good rankings. Just putting in my two cents. I won't dare to put out my rankings as having an opinion is looked down on around here. Good games this coming up week. Good luck everyone.

Blaine
Yes, they have three ties on their record; two of them are to teams in your top 15 and the other is a bubble team in their conference. Their only losses are to Edina (who I think is too low) both by 1 goal and to Tonka. Why are they three spots behind a Hill Murray team who they beat?

Edina
Yes, Wayzata beat them twice, but their only other losses are to Tonka.

Hill Murray
Tied your #12, beat your #11 in OT, beat your #10, lost to your #6 and sit at #3? I'm all for ranking private schools artificially high, but #3?

Wayzata
All losses/ties/OT games were not home games. While it's not an excuse, they were by 1 goal. Look at Warroad/TRF. While they did beat 1 good team twice by a combined 3 goals, I don't believe the other mishaps are enough to bring them up that high.

East
Put them higher. They deserve it. Refusing to play privates or certain class A schools leaves their schedule open for many difficult opportunities. Losing to them doesn't bring them down that far.

Holy Angels
As I said East is too low, the Stars tied #5 and brought #3 to OT. I really wish they scheduled Burnsville/Jefferson; I would hate to see them play Edina first round.

[east hockey]

As always, good rankings. Just putting in my two cents. I won't dare to put out my rankings as having an opinion is looked down on around here. Good games this coming up week. Good luck everyone.

Blaine
Yes, they have three ties on their record; two of them are to teams in your top 15 and the other is a bubble team in their conference. Their only losses are to Edina (who I think is too low) both by 1 goal and to Tonka. Why are they three spots behind a Hill Murray team who they beat?

Edina
Yes, Wayzata beat them twice, but their only other losses are to Tonka.

Hill Murray
Tied your #12, beat your #11 in OT, beat your #10, lost to your #6 and sit at #3? I'm all for ranking private schools artificially high, but #3?

Wayzata
All losses/ties/OT games were not home games. While it's not an excuse, they were by 1 goal. Look at Warroad/TRF. While they did beat 1 good team twice by a combined 3 goals, I don't believe the other mishaps are enough to bring them up that high.

East
Put them higher. They deserve it. Refusing to play privates or certain class A schools leaves their schedule open for many difficult opportunities. Losing to them doesn't bring them down that far.

Holy Angels
As I said East is too low, the Stars tied #5 and brought #3 to OT. I really wish they scheduled Burnsville/Jefferson; I would hate to see them play Edina first round.

You forgot the Tongue In Cheek emoticon.

Lee

[blueblood]

HSHW:

I have been predicting an AHA vs. Edina matchup for a few weeks now. Zamman and I agree that the schedule and politics of section seeding will probably not be kind to AHA.

With 3 Lake Conference teams in the top 10 right now (Eagles, 'Cats and Jags), Edina being Edina, and the Blaze making a mid-season rise, the Missota schedule is going to hamper the Stars seeding.

The trip out east was probably fun for the kids, but the section coaches have nothing to compare those teams to. So what's left:

- Poor showing in the Schwan's Cup
- Another loss to Tonka (on their home ice)
- A gaudy record against the Missota
- A strong Lake Conference with the Jags and Blaze
- A stronger yet Classic Lake Confernce with the Cake

All of this points to a #4 seed and a potential meeting with the cake in the 2AA semifinals.

But, before that can happen, they will most likely get Chaska West in the 1st round quarterfinals.

Chaska West will be amped for this match-up against many of their former teammates now playing at Chaska East.

The playoff road is paved with lots of potholes for the Stars....

[mj79]

Great report, yet once again.. I really hope Wayzata can stop Tonka, I dont know why, but I just do, and its the team that I said could do it a few times this year..

In 7AA , East has no choice but to win all week, but I easily see an upset that could be happening here

[HShockeywatcher]

HSHW:

I have been predicting an AHA vs. Edina matchup for a few weeks now. Zamman and I agree that the schedule and politics of section seeding will probably not be kind to AHA.

With 3 Lake Conference teams in the top 10 right now (Eagles, 'Cats and Jags), Edina being Edina, and the Blaze making a mid-season rise, the Missota schedule is going to hamper the Stars seeding.

The trip out east was probably fun for the kids, but the section coaches have nothing to compare those teams to. So what's left:

- Poor showing in the Schwan's Cup
- Another loss to Tonka (on their home ice)
- A gaudy record against the Missota
- A strong Lake Conference with the Jags and Blaze
- A stronger yet Classic Lake Confernce with the Cake

All of this points to a #4 seed and a potential meeting with the cake in the 2AA semifinals.

But, before that can happen, they will most likely get Chaska West in the 1st round quarterfinals.

Chaska West will be amped for this match-up against many of their former teammates now playing at Chaska East.

The playoff road is paved with lots of potholes for the Stars....

I have analyzed their schedule and know all of your points. But I don't think Jefferson or, especially, Burnsville has done anything to get up there. The Stars tied the Hornets, while the Blaze got crushed by them.

I think it would be silly to give Edina the #1 seed then a team who recently tied them the #4 seed. I don't get the logic in that.

On the flip side, the Jags and Blaze tied. Really tough to say.

My opinion:
1. Edina
2. Holy Angels
3. Jefferson
4. Burnsville

[blueblood]

only time will tell.

[karl(east)]

Responding to several points:

-The wording of the Woodbury comment was perhaps a bit harsh; trust me, I know what can happen in rivalry games. But acknowledging that doesn't change the rankings.

-AHA's section seeding: I agree with HSHW's logic, but I also agree that, due to politics and such, AHA will probably end up with the 4-seed anyways. Which is unfortunate. But we'll see; despite the record Edina needs to pull themselves together, and the Burnsville/Jefferson re-match could have major implications. We'll see how 2AA unfolds.

-I agree that Wayzata and Edina have pretty good cases for being ahead of Hill, but Edina is not playing well right now; hence the drop. I'm a bit unsure on Wayzata; beating Edina twice is good, but they are the only top-6 team with a loss to anyone outside the top 6 (and they have 2 of them). So I couldn't quite bring myself to put them higher. The bottom line right now is that Hill found a way to win its big game this past week; Edina definitely didn't, and Blaine's ties still weigh them down, though there are signs that they're righting the ship. If that continues, they may jump and Hill may slide backwards even without doing anything wrong.

-East: I'm actually quite happy with where they are in the rankings now. The ER loss was a setback, and I no longer see any convincing reason to put them above Jefferson.

Thanks--keep the discussion coming.

[HShockeywatcher]

Responding to several points:

-The wording of the Woodbury comment was perhaps a bit harsh; trust me, I know what can happen in rivalry games. But acknowledging that doesn't change the rankings.

-AHA's section seeding: I agree with HSHW's logic, but I also agree that, due to politics and such, AHA will probably end up with the 4-seed anyways. Which is unfortunate. But we'll see; despite the record Edina needs to pull themselves together, and the Burnsville/Jefferson re-match could have major implications. We'll see how 2AA unfolds.

-I agree that Wayzata and Edina have pretty good cases for being ahead of Hill, but Edina is not playing well right now; hence the drop. I'm a bit unsure on Wayzata; beating Edina twice is good, but they are the only top-6 team with a loss to anyone outside the top 6 (and they have 2 of them). So I couldn't quite bring myself to put them higher. The bottom line right now is that Hill found a way to win its big game this past week; Edina definitely didn't, and Blaine's ties still weigh them down, though there are signs that they're righting the ship. If that continues, they may jump and Hill may slide backwards even without doing anything wrong.

-East: I'm actually quite happy with where they are in the rankings now. The ER loss was a setback, and I no longer see any convincing reason to put them above Jefferson.

Thanks--keep the discussion coming.

Wayzata: yes a tennis analogy-
Roger Federer is definitely the top player in the world right now. But if you look at Federer v. Nadal, Nadal is the better of the two. That doesn't make Nadal the best player in the world, he just happens to be better head to head against the best player.
Similarly, I would say that Edina is still a top 3 team, there just happens to be a team out of the top 5 that is better than them head to head.

So if Burnsville beats Jefferson in their second meeting, do they become the 2nd seed? Personally, I say shame on all 4 for not scheduling games against each other so this would be easier; I know a couple of the teams consider a finals loss the same as a quarterfinals loss. Not making it to state is not making it to state, period. Whether your semi game is easy or your final game is easy, doesn't matter. The Stars and Hornets are the two best teams in the section, no matter the politics.

I wish the top four teams, and maybe the bottom four, could add an addition 3 games to their season the following year of head to head games after the regular season to help with section seeding.

[theoneandonly1]

HSHW what are your reasonings for AHA being ahead of Jefferson?
I look at this way:
Jefferson's record vs. Teams from Karls Top 15-(2-2-1)
Jefferson's record vs. Bubble Teams-(4-0-1)
Jefferson's record vs. Non-Ranked Teams-(6-1-0)
AHA's record vs. Teams from Karls Top 15-(1-4-1)
AHA's record vs. Bubble Teams-(0-1-0), also 1-1 record vs. teams from out east.
AHA's record vs. Non-Ranked Teams-(7-0-0)
So with this AHA has 1 maybe 2(Mount St.Charles) quality wins to Jefferson's 6.

[karl(east)]

Wayzata: yes a tennis analogy-
Roger Federer is definitely the top player in the world right now. But if you look at Federer v. Nadal, Nadal is the better of the two. That doesn't make Nadal the best player in the world, he just happens to be better head to head against the best player.
Similarly, I would say that Edina is still a top 3 team, there just happens to be a team out of the top 5 that is better than them head to head.

So if Burnsville beats Jefferson in their second meeting, do they become the 2nd seed? Personally, I say shame on all 4 for not scheduling games against each other so this would be easier; I know a couple of the teams consider a finals loss the same as a quarterfinals loss. Not making it to state is not making it to state, period. Whether your semi game is easy or your final game is easy, doesn't matter. The Stars and Hornets are the two best teams in the section, no matter the politics.

I wish the top four teams, and maybe the bottom four, could add an addition 3 games to their season the following year of head to head games after the regular season to help with section seeding.

I don't really like the tennis analogy, and the reason has to do with sample size. We know Roger Federer is the #1 player in the world because he's absolutely dominated tennis for the past decade or so and because he's won hundreds upon hundreds of matches. When comparing Edina and Wayzata, we're dealing with teams that have played 17 and 16 games, respectively--two of them against each other. In this sample, that deserves a lot of weight.

I agree with theoneandonly1; I don't see any real reason to say AHA is one of the best two teams in 2AA, or at least not definitively. I say they should probably get the 2 seed because they tied Edina, but that's only in the context of section seeding, which is (supposed to be) heavily based on head to head results--when we look at the big picture, Jefferson should be ahead of AHA right now.

[Slap Shot]

My goodness, the Blaine/Eegan fellating and Jefferson bashing gets old from supposed adults acting more like grade schoolers.

[blueblood]

theoneandonly is correct:

Only quality win for AHA this year is vs. the Elkaholics.

They are not worthy of a #2 seed based on a 4-4 tie with Edina.

C'mon HSHW, I like your passion, but your logic is flawed. Give us something else to consider.

But don't start with they are playing better hockey now than the Schwan Cup tourney. Playing better doesn't cut it with seeding. RESULTS get it done.

[HShockeywatcher]

Wayzata: yes a tennis analogy-
Roger Federer is definitely the top player in the world right now. But if you look at Federer v. Nadal, Nadal is the better of the two. That doesn't make Nadal the best player in the world, he just happens to be better head to head against the best player.
Similarly, I would say that Edina is still a top 3 team, there just happens to be a team out of the top 5 that is better than them head to head.

So if Burnsville beats Jefferson in their second meeting, do they become the 2nd seed? Personally, I say shame on all 4 for not scheduling games against each other so this would be easier; I know a couple of the teams consider a finals loss the same as a quarterfinals loss. Not making it to state is not making it to state, period. Whether your semi game is easy or your final game is easy, doesn't matter. The Stars and Hornets are the two best teams in the section, no matter the politics.

I wish the top four teams, and maybe the bottom four, could add an addition 3 games to their season the following year of head to head games after the regular season to help with section seeding.

I don't really like the tennis analogy, and the reason has to do with sample size. We know Roger Federer is the #1 player in the world because he's absolutely dominated tennis for the past decade or so and because he's won hundreds upon hundreds of matches. When comparing Edina and Wayzata, we're dealing with teams that have played 17 and 16 games, respectively--two of them against each other. In this sample, that deserves a lot of weight.

I agree with theoneandonly1; I don't see any real reason to say AHA is one of the best two teams in 2AA, or at least not definitively. I say they should probably get the 2 seed because they tied Edina, but that's only in the context of section seeding, which is (supposed to be) heavily based on head to head results--when we look at the big picture, Jefferson should be ahead of AHA right now.

You can choose to agree or not, but outside of against Nadal, Federer is amazing. Outside of against Wayzata, Edine is amazing. Like Nadal, Wayzata had many losses to players (or teams) of below his supposed talent.

Match Wayzata up against the #2 team, it would be a fair match, maybe in their favor. Match them up against many of the other top 10 teams, fair game.

Yes, larger sample size for tennis players. Analogy's the same.

[HShockeywatcher]

theoneandonly is correct:

Only quality win for AHA this year is vs. the Elkaholics.

They are not worthy of a #2 seed based on a 4-4 tie with Edina.

C'mon HSHW, I like your passion, but your logic is flawed. Give us something else to consider.

But don't start with they are playing better hockey now than the Schwan Cup tourney. Playing better doesn't cut it with seeding. RESULTS get it done.

You're kidding, right? You give one team the #1 seed, the only other team to tie them doesn't get the #2 seed? How do you figure? This isn't the NHL where we play 82 games against equal competition, we play 25 games, and in AHA's situation, 9 against comparable competition. The one in their section they tied the #1 seed. How do you put them anywhere else?

[buddish4mrhockey]

1) Edina-obvious 1 seed
2) Jefferson-next best team
3) AHA-playing better as of late, tie to edina
4) Burnsville- good but not good enough

[schwang17]

1) Edina-obvious 1 seed
2) Jefferson-next best team
3) AHA-playing better as of late, tie to edina
4) Burnsville- good but not good enough

The next 4 weeks are gonna tell it all for Jefferson. If they can take care of biz against the teams they should beat and then take out EP, Burnsville, Eagan and Moorhead it would make it very difficult come seeding time.

[schwang17]

good work as always, Karl.

My prediction: Jefferson runs the table and Eagan's hell week is upon us. We'll see who's "overrated" then.

[Slap Shot]

You're kidding, right? You give one team the #1 seed, the only other team to tie them doesn't get the #2 seed? How do you figure?

Because one game - which is only a tie - given the entire sampling isn't enough to get them a 2 over Jefferson at this stage. AHA is an average team this year, Jefferson is better than average.

[blueblood]

Wow - You have taken over the lead as the #1 cheerleader for AHA from Z'Man.

No, I'm not kidding. Take off your blue and gold blinders.

If you play 9 comparable teams (your words) out of 25 games and Jefferson and Burnsville play 18 Lake Conference games, there is no comparison. The Missota is a terrible hockey conference (outside of AHA). The Lake Teams will ALWAYS have the seeding advantage when AHA has an AVERAGE year.

CASE DISMISSED....

[schwang17]

theoneandonly is correct:

Only quality win for AHA this year is vs. the Elkaholics.

They are not worthy of a #2 seed based on a 4-4 tie with Edina.

C'mon HSHW, I like your passion, but your logic is flawed. Give us something else to consider.

But don't start with they are playing better hockey now than the Schwan Cup tourney. Playing better doesn't cut it with seeding. RESULTS get it done.

You're kidding, right? You give one team the #1 seed, the only other team to tie them doesn't get the #2 seed? How do you figure? This isn't the NHL where we play 82 games against equal competition, we play 25 games, and in AHA's situation, 9 against comparable competition. The one in their section they tied the #1 seed. How do you put them anywhere else?

They should ban HSHW for killing brain cells and raising people's blood pressure.