Apologies for the slowness this week; holiday travel took its toll. After a fairly tame start to the season we now have carnage, thanks to the Edina Holiday Classic and a whole bunch of upsets. My best effort:
1. Stillwater (6-0)
-While the other top teams in the state beat up on each other in Edina, the Ponies rolled along. I like this group, so by default, they get the benefit of the doubt and rise to the top spot. No surprises are likely in the coming week; after that, we’ll finally get them some games against more serious competition.
This week: Tues vs Mounds View, Thurs at Bloomington Jefferson
2. Elk River (6-1)
-On the whole, it was a strong Edina Classic for the Elks, as they took down Eden Prairie and won a key 7AA matchup with Grand Rapids. But, as the Edina game showed, when the wheels fall off, they really fall off, and that’s an ongoing concern. After that tough week, it’s now back to the regularly scheduled cruise through the Northwest Suburban.
This week: Tues vs Champlin Park, Sat at Anoka
3. Grand Rapids (7-1)
-The Thunderhawks had a very strong weekend in Edina, with a clutch win over the hosts and an impressive performance against Eden Prairie, but the loss to Elk River leaves some lingering doubts, especially within a competitive section. An interesting Brainerd team awaits in their lone upcoming game.
This week: Fri vs. Brainerd
4. Eden Prairie (5-2)
-Salvaged their Holiday Classic with a win over Edina on the last night, but the losses to Elk River and Grand Rapids exposed some real concerns. Yes, they were missing Leivermann, but this weekend unveiled some flaws that go beyond him: they’re highly dependent on individuals, and have that same general lack of cohesion that had me doubting that they could finish the deal last season. Having flaws is one thing; having those same flaws over and over again and failing to correct for them is another. Count me off the Eagle bandwagon at this point. St. Thomas Academy this week will give us a better sense of their direction.
This week: Tues at Hopkins, Thurs vs. #5 St. Thomas Academy
5. St. Thomas Academy (6-1)
-Like Stillwater, it was a week for the Cadets to lurk while the other top squads went at it. A big test against Eden Prairie awaits.
This week: Thurs at #4 Eden Prairie
6. Holy Family (6-1)
-Steamrolled Hutchinson and then picked up a quality win over Wayzata, so they hold steady here. Just one game this week, and it’s against Waconia. Poor Waconia.
This week: Tues at Waconia
7. Edina (4-3)
-Despite a 1-2 mark, the Hornets had a pretty good showing in their Holiday Classic. They certainly proved they can stick with some of the top teams, and that young defense is coming together nicely. With Wayzata struggling, the Hornets could have an easy road to State, and would be a nasty opponent there. For now, though, they do have just one more win than they do losses, so I’d caution some restraint. Up next: Cretin, in a section game that could be a trap if they’re not ready.
This week: Tues vs. Cretin-Derham Hall
8. Lakeville North (4-1-1)
-A tie against Burnsville gives them a second hiccough, and blunts the effect of the win over East some. Still, there’s enough chaos in this part of the rankings to keep them toward the top. There’s talent here, but the consistency appears to be lacking. Still, they’re doing enough to stay clear of South for now and in the top spot in 1AA.
This week: Thurs vs. Apple Valley
9. Hill-Murray (5-0-1)
-Like Lakeville North, the Pioneers put in a head-scratcher as they tied Tartan. They rebounded nicely against North St. Paul, and do stay undefeated, but it could be a warning sign heading into a big battle with White Bear on Thursday.
This week: Thurs at White Bear Lake
10. Duluth East (4-2)
-The Hounds are basically performing to their potential, which is more than can be said for a lot of teams, so they climb as other fall with a narrow late loss to Lakeville North and a strong win over Cloquet. Centennial, whom they’ve struggled with in recent years, is up on Tuesday, followed by a Marshall team that embarrassed the Hounds a year ago.
This week: Tues at #11 Centennial, Thurs at Duluth Marshall
11. Centennial (4-1)
-Rebounded from their loss to Elk River by pulling one out over Blaine and building some 5AA credibility. A win over East this week would be a nice solidifier in this part of the rankings.
This week: Tues vs. #10 Duluth East
12. Prior Lake (4-1)
-A loss to Rosemount really throws off the Lakers, who had been looking rock-solid defensively. The Minnetonka game this week will help show if they’re for real or not, and Burnsville isn’t a free win, either.
This week: Tues vs. #15 Minnetonka, Thurs vs. Burnsville
13. Moorhead
-The Spuds join the ranks of teams with questionable results over the past week, but have done enough overall to stay in the top 15. Needless to say, 8AA will not be a cakewalk, with the Spuds losing to Brainerd and St. Michael-Albertville, who I was ready to declare the section frontrunner, falling to Buffalo. Even Bemidji barely beat Rogers, so we may have actually achieved a section where literally anyone can beat anyone. Still, in the long run, I like Moorhead’s makeup. They go on the road this week to face a longtime section rival and a tough Class A team.
This week: Tues at Roseau, Thurs at Alexandria
14. Lakeville South (5-3-1)
-Went 2-1 in three games against mid-tier South Suburban teams, with the loss to Eastview dropping them a few spots. On the whole it’s still a decent start to the year, and they play just once over the next two weeks now.
This week: Thurs vs. Shakopee
15. Minnetonka (3-4)
-Rough week for the Skippers, who lost to Maple Grove and Hermantown. They’re both good teams, sure, but they’re running the risk of becoming one of those teams that plays a lot of good teams close but inevitably loses. They’re young, so there’s room for growth, but the rankings need to reflect the results. The Prior Lake game this week is key if they don’t want to get buried in 2AA.
This week: Tues at #12 Prior Lake, Thurs vs. Chanhassen
Bubble Teams
Maple Grove (4-2)
-I was ready to elevate the Crimson into the top 15 after the Minnetonka win, but then they went and lost to Blaine, which muddies up 5AA. They play Totino in their lone game this week.
Eastview (5-2)
-Call them the Lakeville killers: the Lightning have rattled off five in a row after opening the season with losses to St. Thomas and Hill-Murray. Not sure what quite to read into them yet, but they’ve certainly leapt into second position in 3AA.
Bemidji (5-2)
-Not dominating, but taking care of business against Class A and 8AA competition. The East Grand Forks game this week could be an interesting one, and they’ve got Roseau, too.
White Bear Lake (6-1)
-Not a banner week in White Bear, as they needed overtime against Mounds View and lost to Cretin. They can turn that around in a hurry with a strong effort against Hill this week.
Wayzata (1-5)
-Still not playing terribly against good teams, but that record is starting to get really ugly. Should be able to collect a couple of Ws this coming week, with St. Louis Park and Buffalo on the docket.
St. Michael-Albertville (4-1)
-Time too cool the jets here some after the loss to Buffalo, but that doesn’t erase a bunch of pretty good results in the early going. The Breck game this week will be helpful in giving them some more serious competition.
Blaine (4-2)
-Might have been prematurely written off following the ugly early loss to Minnetonka. If they can build on that win over Maple Grove, they’re certainly in a section that they could plausibly win.
Cretin-Derham Hall (3-2)
-A win over White Bear has the Raiders making their first formal appearance here this year. They’ve got some young talent that’s worth watching, and in this year’s 6AA, they could be primed for another strong playoff run.
Next week’s rankings will also probably not be on Sunday morning…it is Christmas, after all. I’ll keep you posted.
AA Rankings for 12/18/16
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nice summary once again karl. it was nice to be able to watch those games this past weekend in Edina. couple thoughts.
GR was a little deeper than I thought they would be which was nice to see. Solid tender, great first line and solid 2 line. They could go a long way.
ER D play was really good most of the time and they seem to have a nice balanced team. Thought they moved the puck well.
Edina was a little undersized at times but played really well together. Seem to be about a year away, but who knows with this team. They have talent and are always well coached.
EP. just can't figure them out. I agree with Karl. I think someone mentioned that CM was playing faster than his teammates, but all 3 of his goals against edina were because of his teammates. CM just seems off this year. A good player no doubt but seems to be struggling this year more than last year. The other lines need to pick it up. They still will need to be reckoned with come playoffs.
GR was a little deeper than I thought they would be which was nice to see. Solid tender, great first line and solid 2 line. They could go a long way.
ER D play was really good most of the time and they seem to have a nice balanced team. Thought they moved the puck well.
Edina was a little undersized at times but played really well together. Seem to be about a year away, but who knows with this team. They have talent and are always well coached.
EP. just can't figure them out. I agree with Karl. I think someone mentioned that CM was playing faster than his teammates, but all 3 of his goals against edina were because of his teammates. CM just seems off this year. A good player no doubt but seems to be struggling this year more than last year. The other lines need to pick it up. They still will need to be reckoned with come playoffs.
Good takes HG. I would simply say this about Casey: No one walks into high school hockey and completely dominates against the top teams. It's hard to "step down" from USHL and international play, and still play your regular game. Also, hard when you have "too much time". The speed of the higher levels doesn't mean that when you step back to high school you simply skate around everyone. It's like baseball and pitching: you always have to adjust to the speed of the pitch - if you swing at 70 MPH like you swing at 95 MPH, you miss... I think Edina Classic showed what most have said this year: WIDE open and 8-10 teams have a real shot. Some great section games to come.hockeygirl2 wrote:nice summary once again karl. it was nice to be able to watch those games this past weekend in Edina. couple thoughts.
GR was a little deeper than I thought they would be which was nice to see. Solid tender, great first line and solid 2 line. They could go a long way.
ER D play was really good most of the time and they seem to have a nice balanced team. Thought they moved the puck well.
Edina was a little undersized at times but played really well together. Seem to be about a year away, but who knows with this team. They have talent and are always well coached.
EP. just can't figure them out. I agree with Karl. I think someone mentioned that CM was playing faster than his teammates, but all 3 of his goals against edina were because of his teammates. CM just seems off this year. A good player no doubt but seems to be struggling this year more than last year. The other lines need to pick it up. They still will need to be reckoned with come playoffs.