AA Quarter: #3 Blaine (21-4-3) v. Apple Valley (17-11)

[my2cents]

Let's see.

Verses top 20 teams:

AV: 2-11-0 (two wins were Eagan and Woodbury in sections)
Blaine: 12-4-3 (4 one goal losses to Tonka, Edina and Centennial)

Common opponents: Blaine vs DE 2-2 tie. AV vs DE 1-7 loss.

Goalies: AV Gretz 2.27 GA ("he's hot!") - Harper Blaine 2.27 GA ("suspect defense")

AV top 3 goal scorers: 52 combined - Blaine's 1st line: 63
AV next three: 21 - Blaine's 2nd line: 47 ("all they have is one line")
AV next three: 8 - Blaine's 3rd line: 19

Blaine's PP 42% (55% in sections)

Strength of schedule: AV: medium to tough. Blaine's: very tough

Nod goes to Blaine by 3, but, stranger things have hapened.

[newsguy35]

2 cents:

Did Blaine lose Bjug for about 2-3 weeks? Stats can be misleading as players get injured/susp. Michaelson was injured when playing their tough parts of the schedule incl Bville. I do not believe those stats can dictate this game in any way. I would say Harper is a good to above average goal tender, Gretz is better and has had to prove it on a team that does not score as much. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying Blaine is GOING to LOSE. I am saying its not a 3+ goal game. Interesting that you did not put up any real D stats about PK or D scoring. I would be interested to see some of those stats. Maybe AV is more well rounded than Blaine if Bjug leads their team in all stats...?

[LetsPlayHockey22]

Harper has also been playing very good, and Blaine may have Bjugstad, but I believe Scheid, Tufte, and Brodzinski all have over 20 goals as well. Bjugstad is an outstanding player, but Blaine has other guys who can score too.

Blaine-5
AV-2

[minnesotaice]

Gotta love the Apple Valley fans make accounts as soon as their team makes state. I hope you guys stick around after you lose in the first round of the tourney


"I would argue that Michaelson and Fasching are better players than anyone on the Blaine roster other than Bjugstad"


oh would you?
Michealson 18 Goals, 16 Assists, 34 pts
Fasching 23 Goals, 17 Assists, 40 pts


Besides bjugstad Blaine has:
Brodzinski 22 Goals, 26 Assists, 48 pts
Scheid 23 Goals, 29 Assists, 52 pts
Tufte 20 Goals, 17 Assists, 37 pts



...maybe a few years down the road AV will be decent, but they are one and done this year. Blaine's just straight up deeper than AV. The eagles will also have trouble dealing with the speed of the first two lines of Blaine, which means a lot of penalties will occur. Blaines PP is sittin at 42%

[hockeyjunkie2]

Gotta love the Apple Valley fans make accounts as soon as their team makes state. I hope you guys stick around after you lose in the first round of the tourney


"I would argue that Michaelson and Fasching are better players than anyone on the Blaine roster other than Bjugstad"


oh would you?
Michealson 18 Goals, 16 Assists, 34 pts
Fasching 23 Goals, 17 Assists, 40 pts


Besides bjugstad Blaine has:
Brodzinski 22 Goals, 26 Assists, 48 pts
Scheid 23 Goals, 29 Assists, 52 pts
Tufte 20 Goals, 17 Assists, 37 pts



...maybe a few years down the road AV will be decent, but they are one and done this year. Blaine's just straight up deeper than AV. The eagles will also have trouble dealing with the speed of the first two lines of Blaine, which means a lot of penalties will occur. Blaines PP is sittin at 42%

Hey in all fairness I have been around for a couple years now. Glad to see I have some support on my side now but they do take it a little far. Come on though it's good to see some excitment from the kids in school.

I can't say much as far as saying Michaelson and Fasching being better then everyone besides Bjugstad because I haven't seen them play since state last year. BUT stats are not everything you will leave the game no matter the outcome and be very impressed with those two. Remember Michaelson missed a few games this year and if he was around all year that would have meant both of their numbers would have gone up. I haven't seen Blaine but I don't think their speed will be something that is going to kill our first two lines. AV was having problems with discipline early in the year but in the playoffs have been much better. If they can control that going into state still the PP numbers won't matter as much.

I think this should be a good game and I'm excited to watch. I'm hoping Valley can keep on a roll and continue to play their best hockey of the year at the right time. Blaine will be a tough game and we will need to play our best to win but I think if they don't show up they will find themselves wondering what happened as well. Only thing that could worry me is if they have a slow start like they did agaisnt Woodbury and Blaine gets an early 1 or 2 goals. With state and these kids having nothing to lose and all to gain as far as respect goes I don't think it should be a problem. Best of luck to both squads and everyone playing in the tournament! One of my favorite weekends of the year!

Oh and by the way no one is one and done like you said

[keepyourheadup]

I like blaine in this one but don't be surprised if AV gives them a real run. As for the speed part..the fastest player in this game will be Michaelson..there is a reason he's being chased around by the ndtp and wisconcin and who knows how many other programs. I'm not an AV guy but this kid can flat out fly.

[minnesotaice]

I like blaine in this one but don't be surprised if AV gives them a real run. As for the speed part..the fastest player in this game will be Michaelson..there is a reason he's being chased around by the ndtp and wisconcin and who knows how many other programs. I'm not an AV guy but this kid can flat out fly.

You cant say hes faster than Bjugstad.
He was skating as fast as Wild players during the skills competition on hockey day MN

[MN/AVPuck#1]

Michaelson was out 8 games in a row and if he wouldnt of got injured i think both his and Fashings numbers would of been up more, speed wise i think both teams are the same, Blaine is a very fast team and they are going to get back and have to play one of their best Defensive games of the season, same as blaine AV is fast to and they will have to get back on D, i have watched both teams and Blaines goalie is a above average to good goaile but the Defense infront of him is to inconsistant, and i was at AVs last couple of games and Gretz has been hot and hard to score on

[bigtimescout]

This will be an absolute GONG SHOW. Blaine 6 Valley 1

[Hoops]

I like blaine in this one but don't be surprised if AV gives them a real run. As for the speed part..the fastest player in this game will be Michaelson..there is a reason he's being chased around by the ndtp and wisconcin and who knows how many other programs. I'm not an AV guy but this kid can flat out fly.

You cant say hes faster than Bjugstad.
He was skating as fast as Wild players during the skills competition on hockey day MN

You have no clue. Quit commenting on teams you've never seen play. Just watch the game and enjoy it.

[Vinko Bogataj]

Gotta love the Apple Valley fans make accounts as soon as their team makes state. I hope you guys stick around after you lose in the first round of the tourney


"I would argue that Michaelson and Fasching are better players than anyone on the Blaine roster other than Bjugstad"


oh would you?
Michealson 18 Goals, 16 Assists, 34 pts
Fasching 23 Goals, 17 Assists, 40 pts


Besides bjugstad Blaine has:
Brodzinski 22 Goals, 26 Assists, 48 pts
Scheid 23 Goals, 29 Assists, 52 pts
Tufte 20 Goals, 17 Assists, 37 pts



...maybe a few years down the road AV will be decent, but they are one and done this year. Blaine's just straight up deeper than AV. The eagles will also have trouble dealing with the speed of the first two lines of Blaine, which means a lot of penalties will occur. Blaines PP is sittin at 42%

Jebus did someone pee in your Cheerios this AM?

Since you quote me, I'll give a quick response. First of all, if you're going to pull a relatively benign comment out, at least have the decency to make note of the totality of my post.

In said post, I said: 1) I felt Blaine was the deeper team. 2) Gave credit to Bjugstad as a great player 3) Referenced Harper as an excellent netminder and 4) Said AV could pull an upset (note use of word upset- if confused, please consult a dictionary), but if Blaine got out early they should win by 2+. All this and you're outraged? C'mon, tell me I missed the joke.

That said, I repeat- if Blaine comes in as overconfident as you seem to be, AV could pull an upset. They (Valley) are a much better team in the last month than they were earlier in the season and I would say much of that has to do with the return to health of Michaelson. Like I said, regardless of outcomes, they've seen Wayzata, EP, East, Jefferson, B'Ville and Eagan this year, so they won't be in awe of their opponent. First round games historically are where the jitters come in and that usually hurts the underdog, which make no mistake is Valley. That said, their schedule should help them avoid these jitters to a degree. Really, all the pressure is on Blaine, most people think Blaine will win, so Valley just needs to play hard, if they win the game, they've exceeded the expectations most have for them, if they lose, great season, great future ahead if Michaelson and Fasching stay here rather than go to Ann Arbor. For Blaine, they go into the game knowing that if they win, no one cares- they are supposed to win, if they lose- they've choked monumentally. Should be a great game.

FWIW, I've seen Blaine play twice this year, so I've seen both teams and stand by my previous offending post. I would argue (this is not a statement of fact like your comments, simply an opinion) that Michaelson and Fasching would be the 2nd and 3rd best players on Blaine's roster. Maybe right, maybe wrong, we'll get a chance to see on Thursday. Not sure if you've seen AV but if you have would be honestly interested in your opinion.

Oh yeah-- Gotta love the cockiness of Blaine's fans. Some have been around this site for a full year and a half now. They sure aren't newbies. Wonder if they will keep posting if their team gets upset? Sorry- good as I can do at flaming right now, but its pretty close to your original. Peace

[council member retired]

[quote="Vinko Bogataj"][quote="minnesotaice"]Gotta love the Apple Valley fans make accounts as soon as their team makes state. I hope you guys stick around after you lose in the first round of the tourney


"I would argue that Michaelson and Fasching are better players than anyone on the Blaine roster other than Bjugstad"


oh would you?
Michealson 18 Goals, 16 Assists, 34 pts
Fasching 23 Goals, 17 Assists, 40 pts


Besides bjugstad Blaine has:
Brodzinski 22 Goals, 26 Assists, 48 pts
Scheid 23 Goals, 29 Assists, 52 pts
Tufte 20 Goals, 17 Assists, 37 pts



...maybe a few years down the road AV will be decent, but they are one and done this year. Blaine's just straight up deeper than AV. The eagles will also have trouble dealing with the speed of the first two lines of Blaine, which means a lot of penalties will occur. Blaines PP is sittin at 42%[/quote]

Jebus did someone pee in your Cheerios this AM?

Since you quote me, I'll give a quick response. First of all, if you're going to pull a relatively benign comment out, at least have the decency to make note of the totality of my post.

In said post, I said: 1) I felt Blaine was the deeper team. 2) Gave credit to Bjugstad as a great player 3) Referenced Harper as an excellent netminder and 4) Said AV could pull an upset (note use of word upset- if confused, please consult a dictionary), but if Blaine got out early they should win by 2+. All this and you're outraged? C'mon, tell me I missed the joke.

That said, I repeat- if Blaine comes in as overconfident as you seem to be, AV could pull an upset. They (Valley) are a much better team in the last month than they were earlier in the season and I would say much of that has to do with the return to health of Michaelson. Like I said, regardless of outcomes, they've seen Wayzata, EP, East, Jefferson, B'Ville and Eagan this year, so they won't be in awe of their opponent. First round games historically are where the jitters come in and that usually hurts the underdog, which make no mistake is Valley. That said, their schedule should help them avoid these jitters to a degree. Really, all the pressure is on Blaine, most people think Blaine will win, so Valley just needs to play hard, if they win the game, they've exceeded the expectations most have for them, if they lose, great season, great future ahead if Michaelson and Fasching stay here rather than go to Ann Arbor. For Blaine, they go into the game knowing that if they win, no one cares- they are supposed to win, if they lose- they've choked monumentally. Should be a great game.

FWIW, I've seen Blaine play twice this year, so I've seen both teams and stand by my previous offending post. I would argue (this is not a statement of fact like your comments, simply an opinion) that Michaelson and Fasching would be the 2nd and 3rd best players on Blaine's roster. Maybe right, maybe wrong, we'll get a chance to see on Thursday. Not sure if you've seen AV but if you have would be honestly interested in your opinion.

Oh yeah-- Gotta love the cockiness of Blaine's fans. Some have been around this site for a full year and a half now. They sure aren't newbies. Wonder if they will keep posting if their team gets upset? Sorry- good as I can do at flaming right now, but its pretty close to your original. Peace[/quote]

It's amazing this 9th grade kid is actually a 1st year bantam by age eligibility. I am excited for this game, you have the probable MR Hockey, and on the opponent two kids, soph and fresh that we may remember in MN high school hockey for a long long time. Skip work, by a ticket or find a spot on the couch. Is 45 showing the games, are they in HD yet?

[keepyourheadup]

Fasching struggled when Miachealson was out this year..he will be special but for now you shut down #19 on AV and they become pretty average pretty fast.

[my2cents]

A little followup here:

Goals by defense: AV 21 Blaine 15
Penalty kill I could not find.
Harper vs Gretz - for one game who knows? History says Harper has equal stats with a tougher schedule plus a ton more experience, including State Tourney experience.

AJ's injury: If he missed 8 games, he was quite an off ice talent as he was credited with 1 pt on 1/7 and 3 pts on 2/6 with four games in between with 0 pts. Assuming his injury was a one time occurance, he could have only missed four games. If it was reoccurring thru the season, then I hope he is over the nagging injury.

AJ is a top talent and he does have breakaway speed. Mr Fasching is amazing for his age. Even so, AV lost many games to lesser opponents than Blaine. I don't think Blaine will take AV lightly. They've shown good consistency thru the season. AV may be peaking at the right time, but I'll stick with Blaine by 3.

[Hoops]

A little followup here:

Goals by defense: AV 21 Blaine 15
Penalty kill I could not find.
Harper vs Gretz - for one game who knows? History says Harper has equal stats with a tougher schedule plus a ton more experience, including State Tourney experience.

AJ's injury: If he missed 8 games, he was quite an off ice talent as he was credited with 1 pt on 1/7 and 3 pts on 2/6 with four games in between with 0 pts. Assuming his injury was a one time occurance, he could have only missed four games. If it was reoccurring thru the season, then I hope he is over the nagging injury.

AJ is a top talent and he does have breakaway speed. Mr Fasching is amazing for his age. Even so, AV lost many games to lesser opponents than Blaine. I don't think Blaine will take AV lightly. They've shown good consistency thru the season. AV may be peaking at the right time, but I'll stick with Blaine by 3.

Fyi- Nagging injury to start yr...reinjured mid yr and missed 8 games..back and close to 100% for first time this yr.
Counting the 2nd EP game when skated like one shift...he missed 8 games between 1/14 and 2/4.

[FormerBengal]

Blaine bulldoses AV and rolls to a 6-0 win!! Bjugstad with the hatty. Blaine will come out firing on all cylinders. Blaine is due for a title.

[hockeyjunkie2]

Question for Blaine fans:

Does Blaine roll a short bench alot? I watched a little video on the StarTrib and it mentions they rolled a short one against Maple Grove in the section and final and the reporter mentions he asked after the game if it was typical of them and that it was. That could play a factor if that's the case, maybe not in the Thursday game if they typically do that but 3 games in a row it could start to show on them as he mentions.

Also above somone mentioned that Harper has a ton more experience...Gretz has been the varsity goalie since he wa a freshman and is in his 3rd year starting for the eagles so you can toss that arguement you were trying to make aside. Harper may have the state experience but I don't think Gretz will have any jitters coming into this.

[my2cents]

In the playoffs with home team advantage in a tight game, if the visiting team keeps throwing out their top two lines, then of course, the home team will match up, which may have been the case in the Maple Grove game. When I saw Blaine play Centennial two times this year, both teams ran 1-2-3, even in the 3rd periods.

[newsguy35]

AV beats to the march of Michaelson's drum. Also, would not expect to see lots of scoring. AV will play much more defensive minded to start the game and generally will try to keep the scoring down. I would put my money on a 3-2, 3-1 type game if Blaine wins. I do not see a 6 goal route by either team. Like I said, I smell and upset and I am betting that if Blaine does not score in the first 10 minutes AV will pull the upset. All the offensive stats look great on paper. Bjug can be the best player in the state, just dont see a 3 point night out of him against AV. Gretz will have to be ready to go as his chance to shine is right in front of him. I believe 2 section final losses might be enough for him to not take this one golden opportunity for granted along with the rest of the team... "15 years in the making"...

[wblhockeyfan8]

It'll be close, but no dice for AV...

Blaine 5 AV 3

[MnPride2]

It will not be close,AV will be embarrassed...bad

[HappyHockeyFan]

All you guys have been talking about is Bjugstad this and Bjugstag that, you cant count one one person to lead your team to victory no matter how good he is, AV might be young but they have a lot of talent and a lot of good players,they have 2 foward lines that are dangerous and when the D is on their game you cant get by them and right now Gretz is hot in goal, Blaine dose have a real good Offense i'll give them that but their D is sketchy, so im going to have to go on a limb and say AV 3 Blaine 2

Bjugstad is great no doubt and Blaine is a fine team, but I agree with AVPuck (and not just because I'm from AV). While young, there is talent there. I would argue that Michaelson and Fasching are better players than anyone on the Blaine roster other than Bjugstad (and may be as good/better by the time they graduate). So on the top end talent side, I think this game is closer than people think. The key comes down to depth and goaltending. I would concede the Blaine is probably deeper, but Valley's top two lines are excellent and good. Defense is solid and goaltending has been excellent. Gretz is hot right now and has a confident team playing in front of him with a chip on their shoulders.

The other factors that could play in IMO are that Valley will not be intimidated by Blaine as they're more than battle tested from playing in the Lake (EP, Jefferson, Eagan) and non-con games against teams like Duluth East and Wayzata. Frequently young teams wilt under the pressure of playing a top rated team at the X. This should not be the case for a Valley team that has seen great opponents this year. Simply put, they won't be afraid of the name on the front of the jersey of anyone they play. They played and won a tournament they weren't expected to be competitive in in Grand Forks (a tourney Roseau lost early in BTW), beating some good teams from NoDak so they believe they can be successful in a tournament setting as well. Lastly, there is no pressure on them because all they keep hearing is that they don't belong here. "Won't beat Eagan/Woodbury, oops beat them, well Eagan/Woodbury weren't that good anyways". I think the Eagles are the best bet to pull a first round surprise as they are confident and playing with a chip on their shoulder. The key IMO is for them to get out to an early lead, if they do, look out, they will take the play to Blaine and have a chance to pull the upset. If Blaine gets out early, they should win by two plus.

If Eagan wasn't that good then how come they beat you twice in the regular season and took you to overtime in sections. Apparently AV isn't "THAT GOOD" either... Sorry but your team of puppies are talented but will be layed to rest by the more experienced and powerful Blaine team...

[RFFalcon22]

Relax HHF...I'm pretty sure he was stating what people were saying about AV's chances in sections and how they would discredit the wins even if they came out of their section.

[HappyHockeyFan]

Relax HHF...I'm pretty sure he was stating what people were saying about AV's chances in sections and how they would discredit the wins even if they came out of their section.

Perhaps your right, I went back and looked at his statement and noticed the quotation marks I hadn't noticed before, I still think Blaine will handle them though, too much experience on their side and not enough on AV's side, but if AV can pull this one out then who knows what they are capable of...

[Vinko Bogataj]

Relax HHF...I'm pretty sure he was stating what people were saying about AV's chances in sections and how they would discredit the wins even if they came out of their section.

Perhaps your right, I went back and looked at his statement and noticed the quotation marks I hadn't noticed before, I still think Blaine will handle them though, too much experience on their side and not enough on AV's side, but if AV can pull this one out then who knows what they are capable of...

Correct, I thought Eagan was an excellent team and even with their rankings, generally not given enough credit. I'm been fortunate enough to have met/talked to Coach Taylor (who by the way was a standout at AVHS) and have nothing but great things to say about him, he is an excellent coach and an even better person. My comment was exactly what Falcon alluded to, the critics seemed to imply every team Valley played in sections was better than them. Then when Valley beat them, the critics came back and said, "Oh, well if they lost to Valley, they weren't that good anyways". I think that is disrespectful to all those teams, but Eagan especially. There were a Top 10 team all year and beating EP and Jefferson is an indicator of how good they are. I think the next couple of years will be very interesting as Eagan, Jefferson, Valley, LVS and Burnsville play in the new South Suburban. I think that conference will be one of the three best in the state from the get go. Peace.