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HappyHockeyFan wrote:Thanks for the effort Karl, but I honestly don't understand your thinking in this edition of your rankings even with your explanation. Oh well, I have noticed in the past we tend to differ anyway. I do enjoy and respect your rankings though.

Happy,

Let me guess......you don't like where Eagan was placed?

No I have no problem at all with Eagan's placement, I just don't understand how Edina is placed at #4 when they have clearly been the most dominant team thus far and their only loss is to a very quality opponent. Personally I don't like ranking teams early in the season until they get at least 5 games under their belt. I instead prefer to group them top ten, top twenty and such and then give them a number once we can judge them on a minimum of 5 games. I am keeping my own rankings right now and will post them once teams have reached that 5 game limit. I enjoy comparing them to Karl's rankings, we do tend to differ a bit I have noticed, he has his own formula and I have my own points based system.

I agree that it's tough to rank the teams after only a couple weeks, and I agree mostly with this list. I would dispute Blaine being at #2, though. Yes, they are 2-0, but they've allowed 8 goals between 2 games against only decent teams. I think you put Blaine at 4 (which is still an upgrade from preseason) and bump up Elk River and Edina a spot. Hard to tell, though. Doesn't even really matter at this point anyway...

HappyHockeyFan wrote:No I have no problem at all with Eagan's placement, I just don't understand how Edina is placed at #4 when they have clearly been the most dominant team thus far and their only loss is to a very quality opponent. Personally I don't like ranking teams early in the season until they get at least 5 games under their belt. I instead prefer to group them top ten, top twenty and such and then give them a number once we can judge them on a minimum of 5 games. I am keeping my own rankings right now and will post them once teams have reached that 5 game limit. I enjoy comparing them to Karl's rankings, we do tend to differ a bit I have noticed, he has his own formula and I have my own points based system.

I'll help you out there Happy, the way you like to see it....

Edina is in that 1-5 range.....Eagan is in the 16-30 range.

Top 5 Not In Any Order

- Hill Murray
- Edina
- BSM
- Elk River
- Blaine

Could be Top 5

- Wayzata - tough schedule so two losses may be unfair to not have in Top 5
- Duluth East - nice win over Wayzata - history says they will get better
- EP - have talent but 5-4 win over Rosemount is a head scratcher

Potential Surprise Teams

- Prior Lake - have the talent but need to show they can win big games
- Maple Grove - new coach could make a difference

I know it's still a ways away, but the Edina Classic tournament will help a lot in clearing a few questions up.

sanryam wrote:I agree that it's tough to rank the teams after only a couple weeks, and I agree mostly with this list. I would dispute Blaine being at #2, though. Yes, they are 2-0, but they've allowed 8 goals between 2 games against only decent teams. I think you put Blaine at 4 (which is still an upgrade from preseason) and bump up Elk River and Edina a spot. Hard to tell, though. Doesn't even really matter at this point anyway...

I think that's a pretty sensible order, too, and agree on the Blaine point.

At this point in the season, I completely understand the desire to simply rank teams in tiers, and on a certain level, that might be a better reflection of who is more likely to beat who, and can spare us from some of the more inane arguments that direct rankings inspire. But I'm set in my ways and would rather go out on a limb and take chances, so I do. No tiers or ties here.

Since karl's rankings have no bearing on what happens on the ice I have no problem with him putting in the effort this early on nor by using 'hard' ranks rather than tiers. I appreciate the insight, it generates for the most part a fun back and forth, as well as gives us couch geniuses something to think about.

Slap Shot wrote:Since karl's rankings have no bearing on what happens on the ice ... it generates for the most part a fun back and forth, as well as gives us couch geniuses something to think about.

As far as I'm concerned that's the "raison d'être" behind rankings in general. What makes Karl's somewhat unique is that he goes into some detail explaining why each team is ranked where it is, which in turn gives the rest of us the opportunity to either support or disagree with his rationale. Since I don't follow all the teams nearly as closely as most of you guys, I mostly just nod my head and agree. But it still makes for fun reading...

Curious to see where Duluth East falls after having two games cancelled.

Slammer wrote:Curious to see where Duluth East falls after having two games cancelled.

They haven't won a game in a week. Out of the Top Ten they go!

Lee

HShockeywatcher wrote:Can anyone shed any light on the 10-1 HF over AHA game? I know AHA was still in the football playoffs; any good players on that team?

Also, the goalie who played against St Thomas is the reason they were in that game at all. He played amazingly well, although he wasn't in net for the HF game. Good defense and a really good goalie.

The Holy Angels goalie that did play against STA also played 2 periods in the HF game which I was at, he gave up 6 goals but the Hub which is no useful source didn't acknowledge this because they are slacking... But when he played STA he came in with a chip on his shoulder to make some good saves. Also with Brown from what I've heard he is now enrolled at South Saint Paul, no idea if he is playing there or somewhere else.

the Hub which is no useful source

That's the person from your team that is supposed to enter the information correctly. I believe the winning team is responsible for entering the score sheet but every team has someone that can fix mistakes.

FREDFLINTSTONE wrote:

HappyHockeyFan wrote:No I have no problem at all with Eagan's placement, I just don't understand how Edina is placed at #4 when they have clearly been the most dominant team thus far and their only loss is to a very quality opponent. Personally I don't like ranking teams early in the season until they get at least 5 games under their belt. I instead prefer to group them top ten, top twenty and such and then give them a number once we can judge them on a minimum of 5 games. I am keeping my own rankings right now and will post them once teams have reached that 5 game limit. I enjoy comparing them to Karl's rankings, we do tend to differ a bit I have noticed, he has his own formula and I have my own points based system.

I'll help you out there Happy, the way you like to see it....

Edina is in that 1-5 range.....Eagan is in the 16-30 range.

That's about right Fred, though I would say Eagan is in the 16 to 25 range

Nah, Eagan is in the 40-50 range.

Slammer wrote:Nah, Eagan is in the 40-50 range.

Not that it really matters, but if Eagan is (at best) the 40th best team right now out of the 68 that are playing AA hockey, who are you thinking is sitting at #39?

almostashappy wrote:

Slammer wrote:Nah, Eagan is in the 40-50 range.

Not that it really matters, but if Eagan is (at best) the 40th best team right now out of the 68 that are playing AA hockey, who are you thinking is sitting at #39?

I was being sarcastic.

Slammer wrote:

almostashappy wrote:

Slammer wrote:Nah, Eagan is in the 40-50 range.

Not that it really matters, but if Eagan is (at best) the 40th best team right now out of the 68 that are playing AA hockey, who are you thinking is sitting at #39?

I was being sarcastic.

There are emoticons for that, you know.

There's not going to be much to talk about with Eagan this year but I miss the commentary of Scorekeeper and his blue and green shades.

Did I get that right with the emoticon?

Nuts&Bolts wrote:There's not going to be much to talk about with Eagan this year but I miss the commentary of Scorekeeper and his blue and green shades.

Did I get that right with the emoticon?

Personal preference, I guess. Sarcasm fits, but (lacking the option of a sunglass-wearing emoticon) I might have gone with one that emphasized your characterization of his rah-rah analysis....

As for whether there will be much to talk about with Eagan's team this year...I suspect there's a fair bit of anticipated schadenfreude. On my end, though? Time to stay cool, lay low , and track the team's slow but steady improvement over the course of the season.

almostashappy wrote:

Nuts&Bolts wrote:There's not going to be much to talk about with Eagan this year but I miss the commentary of Scorekeeper and his blue and green shades.

Did I get that right with the emoticon?

Personal preference, I guess. Sarcasm fits, but (lacking the option of a sunglass-wearing emoticon) I might have gone with one that emphasized your characterization of his rah-rah analysis....

As for whether there will be much to talk about with Eagan's team this year...I suspect there's a fair bit of anticipated schadenfreude. On my end, though? Time to stay cool, lay low , and track the team's slow but steady improvement over the course of the season.

schadenfreude: a feeling on enjoyment at hearing or seeing the troubles of another person

elliott70 wrote:

almostashappy wrote:

Nuts&Bolts wrote:There's not going to be much to talk about with Eagan this year but I miss the commentary of Scorekeeper and his blue and green shades.

Did I get that right with the emoticon?

Personal preference, I guess. Sarcasm fits, but (lacking the option of a sunglass-wearing emoticon) I might have gone with one that emphasized your characterization of his rah-rah analysis....

As for whether there will be much to talk about with Eagan's team this year...I suspect there's a fair bit of anticipated schadenfreude. On my end, though? Time to stay cool, lay low , and track the team's slow but steady improvement over the course of the season.

but realistically, I'd say they are top 20. No sarcasm