I think I'll make this my game of the week and venture out to St. Louis Park tomorrow. It's a huge one for 6AA seeding, with the winner likely landing a top-2 seed and an easy first round, and the loser being left with #3 or #4.
It also features two teams I'm not sure what to make of. Wayzata has been a puzzle this season, as detailed elsewhere on this forum, but there's no denying the talent there. Benilde has been pretty good, but seems to have the eternal Benilde problems of moving the puck well but being a bit too open and soft in back. Can anyone step up and make a run?
Wayzata at Benilde, 2/10/15
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
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karl(east)
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Just Checking
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SidneysDogHouse
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Depends on goaltending for both teams. One team scores, one team blocks shots, neither starting goalies are hot...Just Checking wrote:I go, BSM 4-2 en. BSM has had an easier road the last 10 and they are 8 and 2, with loses to Blaine and EP. Wayzata is 3-7. Looking at shots against for these teams looks like some goalie inconsistency for both.
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karl(east)
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Wayzata wins 2-1, with a goal with 1:40 left. I haven't had any trouble finding fun games to watch lately.
The Trojans seemed to have settled on a fairly steady lineup after all of the rotating lately, and that was a good thing. The top two lines were out there a lot, but they were spelled often enough. When Benilde generated a lot of zone time in the final five minutes I thought we might be seeing the effects of their low confidence after the recent losses, so pulling this one out was big. They forecheck well, block shots as always, and for everything that has gone wrong this year, I still think they are the most talented squad in 6AA. We'll see if they can build on this.
Benilde got a great game out of Bischel in goal, but other than that...eh, I think I may have them a bit overrated. They have plenty of quality players, but no one who can really take over a game for them. They snuck Jungels behind the defense a couple of times for breakaways, but beyond that they seemed oddly restrained for a Benilde team, and a bit too patient or selfless at times. The more defensive play is probably a good concession to their lack of dominant forwards, and that makes sense, but I left the arena wondering what exactly their identity was.
Barring surprises later in the week, Wayzata should be the 2-seed and Benilde should be the 3-seed, so we have decent odds at a semifinal rematch between these two. If it happens, it'll be a fun one. There's no love lost between these two.
The Trojans seemed to have settled on a fairly steady lineup after all of the rotating lately, and that was a good thing. The top two lines were out there a lot, but they were spelled often enough. When Benilde generated a lot of zone time in the final five minutes I thought we might be seeing the effects of their low confidence after the recent losses, so pulling this one out was big. They forecheck well, block shots as always, and for everything that has gone wrong this year, I still think they are the most talented squad in 6AA. We'll see if they can build on this.
Benilde got a great game out of Bischel in goal, but other than that...eh, I think I may have them a bit overrated. They have plenty of quality players, but no one who can really take over a game for them. They snuck Jungels behind the defense a couple of times for breakaways, but beyond that they seemed oddly restrained for a Benilde team, and a bit too patient or selfless at times. The more defensive play is probably a good concession to their lack of dominant forwards, and that makes sense, but I left the arena wondering what exactly their identity was.
Barring surprises later in the week, Wayzata should be the 2-seed and Benilde should be the 3-seed, so we have decent odds at a semifinal rematch between these two. If it happens, it'll be a fun one. There's no love lost between these two.
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Bayside Tigers
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That last paragraph summed it up for my liking. I left with anticipation of the playoff rematch. It's going to be fun.
Who would Eden Prairie rather see in the final??
I was also wondering if after a dismal season, this was the victory the Wayzatas were close to a few times but on the wrong side of, and the injection of confidence they were needing, right in time for when winning games counts. Will they use this to pave a way, now in an illusioned sense of an underdog? They took the pressure of expectations off their back by losing all the time, now they can ride a wave of reckless abandon to success. They took the target and gave it to the Eagles. Pretty clever.
p.s. Bischel has the sickest glove in the league. I always love the Knight's goalies.
Who would Eden Prairie rather see in the final??
I was also wondering if after a dismal season, this was the victory the Wayzatas were close to a few times but on the wrong side of, and the injection of confidence they were needing, right in time for when winning games counts. Will they use this to pave a way, now in an illusioned sense of an underdog? They took the pressure of expectations off their back by losing all the time, now they can ride a wave of reckless abandon to success. They took the target and gave it to the Eagles. Pretty clever.
p.s. Bischel has the sickest glove in the league. I always love the Knight's goalies.
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GoldenBear
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