Duluth Denfeld vs. Duluth East 1.7.2019

[kniven]

Battle for Duluth. When was it last Denfeld defeated the Greyhounds?

[kniven]

What % of the chance of an upset tonight?

[That guy for that thing]

Battle for Duluth. When was it last Denfeld defeated the Greyhounds?

https://www.mnhockeyhub.com/game/show/3 ... rer=552495

2012-2013 Above is the link to the box score.

Scores were close for a few years after this but its been getting to be a wider margin the last couple of years. 13-0 last year.

This year should be a bit closer with a stronger Denfeld team, and a DE team that has not scored as much as last years team has.

[Stang5280]

Denfeld has a brutal schedule this week, with their two games being against East and Hermantown. Good luck, fellas, you’ll need it.

[hockey59]

Battle for Duluth. When was it last Denfeld defeated the Greyhounds?

https://www.mnhockeyhub.com/game/show/3 ... rer=552495

2012-2013 Above is the link to the box score.

Scores were close for a few years after this but its been getting to be a wider margin the last couple of years. 13-0 last year.

This year should be a bit closer with a stronger Denfeld team, and a DE team that has not scored as much as last years team has.

Different angle, Superior hasn’t beaten DE since 03-04, but is 12-2 so far this year (albeit largely against WI schools) still I think they will give Cloquet (who they beat last year) DE & Hermantown (all) competitive games this year in late Jan-early Feb

[east hockey]

Denfeld up 1-0 in the 2nd

Lee

[east hockey]

Ricky Lyle ties it up.

Lee

[east hockey]

1-1 after 2. SOG 28-12 East

Lee

[Stang5280]

Well, that is certainly a closer contest than most anyone would have expected. We’ll see if the Hunters can withstand the likely third period onslaught.

[east hockey]

Major penalty on Ryder with five minutes left. Still 1-1

Lee

[east hockey]

Jones wins it for East in overtime! Final SOG 57-16.

Lee

[karl(east)]

Well, that was an adventure. As Lee noted, a close score in this game isn't wildly unusual, especially in years in which East does its 2-goals-a-game routine, so I wasn't totally shocked to find East down 1-0 in the middle of the 2nd. The inability to finish is exasperating; while killing a major penalty in the last five minutes of regulation they had three grade A shorthanded chances, including two clean breakaways by Lyle (one stopped, one shot totally scuffed) and one 2-on-1 (and barely even 1) in which Baker had Erickson wide open but shot instead of passing. Denfeld was completely out of gas over the course of the 3rd period and overtime, with East moving the puck at will but failing to get anything to go.

One thing's for sure: East has yet to solve the Ryder riddle. Lyle-Anderson-Jones has all four of East's goals over the past two games. Donovan flies up and down the ice, creates all sorts of chances for himself, nearly scores flying wonder goals...but it's all amounting to a big heap of nothing right now. There just isn't much cohesion when he's on the ice, and he's snakebitten. The chances, at least, are there. Unlike some past East teams that have also done this minimal scoring routine, it's not because they're being particularly poor defensively or lazy in backchecking or not getting to their game. They're actually playing reasonably well, and setting up chances as they should...they're just not finishing.

Anyway, major credit to Shawn Easty for his 57 saves, and it really was a fun night at Heritage, with great atmosphere and plenty of entertainment. I will also give Denfeld a big plug for their 10-ish member pep band. As Danny likes to complain, a full band in a small rink is often insufferable, but that smaller crew was just the right amount of sound for the rink. More teams should do that.

[WestMetro]

Who was missing from Hound lineup tonite?

[karl(east)]

Who was missing from Hound lineup tonite?

Paine, plus Fitzgerald out sick. And I guess Hagen also shows up on the injury report, though he's been out all year.

[TheNightman]

Donovan was "snakebitten" last year too. At one point do we admit he's just not a goal scorer?

[karl(east)]

Donovan was "snakebitten" last year too. At one point do we admit he's just not a goal scorer?

I'm not sure he was snakebitten so much as playing a very different role for most of last season (with the exception of the title game, when he had the best of East's chances to flip the script)...or in the Elite League, for that matter, when he was setting up Biondi regularly. Two points, though:

1. By virtue of his skillset, he is going to create at least 2 excellent scoring opportunities per game by himself, often on a breakaway. He's not going to finish all of them, no. But he has the ability to finish some, and needs to.
2. Not only are the goals not coming, the assists haven't been coming in the past two games either. Obviously that will take a hit when you're not setting up Garrett Worth, but whether it's making wiser decisions whether to pass vs. shoot or working some give-and-gos or using his size strength to the fullest extent, there are clear, identifiable ways he can make his teammates around him better and improve the team's offensive output. I think East's issues are correctable, which is not always the case. Doesn't mean they'll do it, but it's within their ability.

[WestMetro]

Karl and Lee

The low scoring Deast games that have good or great shot totals, it just cant be all opposing goaltending can it?. Are the kids hitting the goalie right in the chest, or shooting for 5 hole instead of corners, or taking two seconds on a wrister instead of 1 second so goalie gets a good look, or not waiting for man in front of net for screen or deflection, or ? or ? or ?

[elliott70]

Karl and Lee

The low scoring Deast games that have good or great shot totals, it just cant be all opposing goaltending can it?. Are the kids hitting the goalie right in the chest, or shooting for 5 hole instead of corners, or taking two seconds on a wrister instead of 1 second so goalie gets a good look, or not waiting for man in front of net for screen or deflection, or ? or ? or ?

In other words, are they not good shots....

[WestMetro]

very good summarization Elliott!

[hockey59]

Donovan was "snakebitten" last year too. At one point do we admit he's just not a goal scorer?

I'm not sure he was snakebitten so much as playing a very different role for most of last season (with the exception of the title game, when he had the best of East's chances to flip the script)...or in the Elite League, for that matter, when he was setting up Biondi regularly. Two points, though:

1. By virtue of his skillset, he is going to create at least 2 excellent scoring opportunities per game by himself, often on a breakaway. He's not going to finish all of them, no. But he has the ability to finish some, and needs to.
2. Not only are the goals not coming, the assists haven't been coming in the past two games either. Obviously that will take a hit when you're not setting up Garrett Worth, but whether it's making wiser decisions whether to pass vs. shoot or working some give-and-gos or using his size strength to the fullest extent, there are clear, identifiable ways he can make his teammates around him better and improve the team's offensive output. I think East's issues are correctable, which is not always the case. Doesn't mean they'll do it, but it's within their ability.

Part of it...and RD may be good at hiding his emotions on this...is that it can be frustrating when you go from playing with a Super-Sniper like Worth (or in the EL one of the best players in the State in Biondi) to good players, but not as gifted players regarding how they play the game and how they think the game. Mageau was a very underrated player too who did a lot of dirty work on last years MDW line. RD will be fine, he simply needs to finish on a few breakaways and a few PP shots from the top of the circle (where at least they’ve put him in the correct position)...FINALLY

[Stang5280]

It’s also much more challenging to (positively) impact a game when you’re sitting in the sin bin for 7 out of the 57 minutes. While Denfeld failed to convert either opportunity, those are still two penalties taking your most talented player off the ice at critical junctures of a close game.

[Pearley]

Well, that was an adventure. As Lee noted, a close score in this game isn't wildly unusual, especially in years in which East does its 2-goals-a-game routine, so I wasn't totally shocked to find East down 1-0 in the middle of the 2nd. The inability to finish is exasperating; while killing a major penalty in the last five minutes of regulation they had three grade A shorthanded chances, including two clean breakaways by Lyle (one stopped, one shot totally scuffed) and one 2-on-1 (and barely even 1) in which Baker had Erickson wide open but shot instead of passing. Denfeld was completely out of gas over the course of the 3rd period and overtime, with East moving the puck at will but failing to get anything to go.

One thing's for sure: East has yet to solve the Ryder riddle. Lyle-Anderson-Jones has all four of East's goals over the past two games. Donovan flies up and down the ice, creates all sorts of chances for himself, nearly scores flying wonder goals...but it's all amounting to a big heap of nothing right now. There just isn't much cohesion when he's on the ice, and he's snakebitten. The chances, at least, are there. Unlike some past East teams that have also done this minimal scoring routine, it's not because they're being particularly poor defensively or lazy in backchecking or not getting to their game. They're actually playing reasonably well, and setting up chances as they should...they're just not finishing.

Anyway, major credit to Shawn Easty for his 57 saves, and it really was a fun night at Heritage, with great atmosphere and plenty of entertainment. I will also give Denfeld a big plug for their 10-ish member pep band. As Danny likes to complain, a full band in a small rink is often insufferable, but that smaller crew was just the right amount of sound for the rink. More teams should do that.

I appreciate your commentary. I’m certain the instead of “Baker had Erickson wide open but shot instead of passing” it was Erickson had Baker wide open and shot instead of passing. I have rarely seen Baker not pass in that situation (too a fault sometimes) and in centennial game he and Zarley were a good pair. I would like to see them together more.

[karl(east)]

Well, that was an adventure. As Lee noted, a close score in this game isn't wildly unusual, especially in years in which East does its 2-goals-a-game routine, so I wasn't totally shocked to find East down 1-0 in the middle of the 2nd. The inability to finish is exasperating; while killing a major penalty in the last five minutes of regulation they had three grade A shorthanded chances, including two clean breakaways by Lyle (one stopped, one shot totally scuffed) and one 2-on-1 (and barely even 1) in which Baker had Erickson wide open but shot instead of passing. Denfeld was completely out of gas over the course of the 3rd period and overtime, with East moving the puck at will but failing to get anything to go.

One thing's for sure: East has yet to solve the Ryder riddle. Lyle-Anderson-Jones has all four of East's goals over the past two games. Donovan flies up and down the ice, creates all sorts of chances for himself, nearly scores flying wonder goals...but it's all amounting to a big heap of nothing right now. There just isn't much cohesion when he's on the ice, and he's snakebitten. The chances, at least, are there. Unlike some past East teams that have also done this minimal scoring routine, it's not because they're being particularly poor defensively or lazy in backchecking or not getting to their game. They're actually playing reasonably well, and setting up chances as they should...they're just not finishing.

Anyway, major credit to Shawn Easty for his 57 saves, and it really was a fun night at Heritage, with great atmosphere and plenty of entertainment. I will also give Denfeld a big plug for their 10-ish member pep band. As Danny likes to complain, a full band in a small rink is often insufferable, but that smaller crew was just the right amount of sound for the rink. More teams should do that.

I appreciate your commentary. I’m certain the instead of “Baker had Erickson wide open but shot instead of passing” it was Erickson had Baker wide open and shot instead of passing. I have rarely seen Baker not pass in that situation (too a fault sometimes) and in centennial game he and Zarley were a good pair. I would like to see them together more.

Thanks for the correction. I also liked the Ziemski-Baker-Jeanette line and expect they will be back together once Fitzgerald's sinuses have cleared up.

Karl and Lee

The low scoring Deast games that have good or great shot totals, it just cant be all opposing goaltending can it?. Are the kids hitting the goalie right in the chest, or shooting for 5 hole instead of corners, or taking two seconds on a wrister instead of 1 second so goalie gets a good look, or not waiting for man in front of net for screen or deflection, or ? or ? or ?

You're right...obviously they have faced off against some talented goalies this year like Boynton from Champlin, and Easty had a couple of saves on Monday night that left those of us in the stands wondering how on earth he did that. But anyone who's watched their share of East hockey over the years knows that the puck possession system lends itself to a lot of shots that aren't necessarily from great places, especially against teams that are clearly packing it in defensively. In this particular game there were a ton of wasted chances that they probably should have finished, whether that was due to hitting the chest or making the wrong decision on passing vs. shooting. (They generally do a pretty good job of generating traffic and looking for tips.) I can't comment on some of their other many shots/few goals games since many of those have been on the road.