LPH rankings 12 29

[WestMetro]

Rankings leading into this weeks tourneys:

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/latest-ra ... chool.html

BVL at 9 and East at 12 seem a little high..... shows the lack of clarity below the top 7 or 8.



Today to add further confusion, BSM beats PL and EP beats HM, and Mtka in OT with Edina

[Nuts&Bolts]

PL was high at 8 IMO. They rarely win the big HS games and really have never won anything at the HS level. The fact that they lost to BSM doesn't come as a surprise. BSM is the best 17th ranked team in the state. Now we can wait for DJ to chime in since he claims there is little difference between the #3 and 35 ranked teams and hear how LN and Edina are in a class of there own. Not sure if DJ will add Tonka to this "elite" class since they just tied the Hornets.

[gitter]

PL was high at 8 IMO. They rarely win the big HS games and really have never won anything at the HS level.

They have never had any expectation to win at the HS level. The first group of really good players from Prior Lake isn't coming through until next year at least (the group that one the Peewee AA state tournament in 2012). And they already lost one player from that group to Shattuck, so who really knows if others will bolt from the program also.

That being said, I've watched them play a couple games, and they are overranked. They remind me of a muck and grind team that grind out wins. Their execution of plays is sloppy and get careless in their zone which ends up causing them to chase. They have one really good player (soph), but he seems to be lacking a supporting cast. I'd probably have them somewhere in the 12-14 range. They will end up in the 2 or 3 seed in 2AA, playing Burnsville in the semis for the right to lose to Edina at Mariucci (but with one and done games, crazy things can and do happen, but it wouldn't mean the better team won).

[WestMetro]

Regarding Prior Lake....

I went to Mondays game to see Scites, Fellows and Harris, had not seen any play before. Had been impressed with Scites save percent, and read some good stuff about Fellows and Harris the last couple years. Going in , figured PL 8th ranking was deserved since didnt really know,

PL got off to great early start in 1st, scoring 3 ( but all upperclassmen not their sophomores.) Fellows looked good but not great on the ice. In first, Scites look as good as his stats would have predicted. Figured Lakers were going to win in a runaway.

BSMs Long came in game to replace Bischell in 2nd. Connor Mayer became more of a force for rest of game I thought, something I hadnt seen in BSMs Hill Murray game. They shut down Lakers . Risteau, of all people, got three, two of which I thought Scites should have had.

Talking to some PL fans leaving at end, they put the blame more on PL offense going dark and D not protecting Scites, rather than putting it on Scites.

Anyway, it was a close fun game to watch.

Im still not clear why BSM shows up some games and not all others. This gang has all the pieces and should be disciplined enough to be consistent, except maybe goaltending only good not great.

I notice PL AA Bantams are ranked 7th and AA PW ranked 12, so good things coming in pipeline.

[Zamman]

Just remember because the youth are doing well, does not mean the high school team will be as good. Players change and some end up at other schools. But you never know.

[Nuts&Bolts]

I get it they were over-ranked. Isn't it funny how some get all the talk but the kid that is lighting up the score sheet gets none. I have my pick for who there real top underclassman is for PL.

[WestMetro]

Harris and Hansen both out injured recently. Yet PL keeps racking up decent wins.

I wonder if both will be healthy for upcoming Jan 8 LVN game?

Meanwhile Clemons , Denman and others posting up some good points, as
Nuts and Bolts points out