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AA powers face off Friday night.

Who wins?

222 Minutes and 55 seconds is the shutout streak. It will end on Friday.

As others have pointed out, Edina's season has been up and down. They've shown glimpses of greatness but have struggled at times as well. None of their losses are bad, but they've piled up in a season with arguably the hardest schedule in the state. EP seems to have their number, and they've lost other games to the who's-who of AA teams (Moorhead, Wayzata, BSM, Cretin, STA, EP twice). Interestingly, in every one of their 7 losses they failed to score more than two goals. So they're not losing shoot-outs. This probably favors Hill Murray given their style of play and defensive prowess.

Also as others have pointed out, Hill has been steadier but with some lingering concerns around firepower to keep up with the better offenses in the state. Their 3 losses and 1 tie are to very good teams (Hermantown, BSM, Andover, GR) and aside from the Hermantown game they were in position to win the others. The Andover loss was in OT, they ended up in a tie with GR after a nice comeback, and BSM scored a couple of very late goals against a Hill team that had several solid players out.

Great coaching match-up as well - two of the very best.

I have yet to hear an update on the status of Leo Gruba for this game. If he doesn't play, it's a big blow to Hill. It's a tall order to beat Edina down your starting goalie to begin the season and one of your best defenders.

I'd be a little surprised if either team sweeps the back-to-back, and expect a split.

Hill and Edina have played 7 common opponents so far this year:

Benilde
Eden Prairie
Wayzata
St. Thomas Academy
White Bear Lake
Grand Rapids
Minnetonka

Hill is 6-1-1 in those games [two against STA]
Edina is 5-5 in those games [two against STA, EP & Wayzata]

If Edina puts up 4 goals in either game they will win. I don't see it happening.

I'm expecting a split as well.

Tonight's game is behind the paywall:

https://www.prepspotlight.tv/MSHSL


Tomorrow's game is free streaming:

https://www.kare11.com/article/sports/h ... 8f3c70e661

I think they'll either split with the home team taking the W in each game, or Hill sweeps. Edina is so up and down - depends which team shows up. Too unpredictable to have any confidence that Edina will do any more than a split.

Are there any Covid requirements or restrictions for spectators at Aldrich?

WarmUpTheBus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:08 pm Are there any Covid requirements or restrictions for spectators at Aldrich?

Not really, other than mask requirements

https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/p ... procedures

BlueLineSpecial wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:24 pm

WarmUpTheBus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:08 pm Are there any Covid requirements or restrictions for spectators at Aldrich?

Not really, other than mask requirements

https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/p ... procedures

Thanks Blue. I'm planning on making my annual visit to Aldrich tonight and didn't want to make the trek and be tripped up by something.

WarmUpTheBus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:26 pm

BlueLineSpecial wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:24 pm

WarmUpTheBus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:08 pm Are there any Covid requirements or restrictions for spectators at Aldrich?

Not really, other than mask requirements

https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/p ... procedures

Thanks Blue. I'm planning on making my annual visit to Aldrich tonight and didn't want to make the trek and be tripped up by something.

Nice! I was hoping to go tonight myself but doesn't look like I can get away. Hill is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1972 independent state champs team tonight. Love Hill's jerseys from that era.

Gruba skating in warmups.

Hill 1
Edina 1 after 1st.


Shots 9-4 Hill. No penalties. Good Game.
Clarke on a rebound for the Hornets. Godbout for Hill.

Edina 3
Hill 2 after two.

Referees letting them play. Only penalties coincidental roughing minors for playing stinky mitts.

Edina scores early on a shot from the slot by VanderVort.
Hill ties it late on a Ingebritson shot off the faceoff. Edina scores 10 seconds later. Fecho.

Shots 9-8 Hornets

Hill 4
Edina 3
Final - OT

Hill scores the tying goal with 28 seconds left in regulation. Brendan Bonin with the OT winner. Ugh.

Brodziak Fan Club wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 10:03 pm Hill 4
Edina 3
Final - OT

Hill scores the tying goal with 28 seconds left in regulation. Brendan Bonin with the OT winner. Ugh.

An interesting game to watch. Very HM like, which is up and down and not a lot of good chances either way. Edina did a great job of burying the chances they did get, but having two periods with 4 shots each is not a recipe for winning any game. I think this was a more deflating loss for Edina than it was a thrilling win for Hill. So tomorrow will be an interesting game. Can the Hornets get over their disappointment in 24 hours and respond?

And for the record, it was Anthony Madigan with the game winner...

Another interesting tidbit is that is 6 straight wins in the series for HM. Must be close to the longest losing streak against one team for Edina...

Sparlimb wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 10:09 pm

Brodziak Fan Club wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 10:03 pm Hill 4
Edina 3
Final - OT

Hill scores the tying goal with 28 seconds left in regulation. Brendan Bonin with the OT winner. Ugh.

An interesting game to watch. Very HM like, which is up and down and not a lot of good chances either way. Edina did a great job of burying the chances they did get, but having two periods with 4 shots each is not a recipe for winning any game. I think this was a more deflating loss for Edina than it was a thrilling win for Hill. So tomorrow will be an interesting game. Can the Hornets get over their disappointment in 24 hours and respond?

And for the record, it was Anthony Madigan with the game winner...

Another interesting tidbit is that is 6 straight wins in the series for HM. Must be close to the longest losing streak against one team for Edina...

It was Madigan not Bonin. I thought Begley had a great game. Referees swallowed their whistles until 5:00 minutes left in the game. I counted seven times that the Edina net jumped of off its posts.

Good to see Scott tonite , and thanks for all the reporting this season .

Hornets got some nice early momentum with goal number 1 and then had the lead twice more at 2-1 and 3-2 , but each time the Pios were able to comeback and tie it . They outshot Hornets two to one .

A huge flurry in the last minute of regulation , ultimately resulting in the Gruba tying goal . Then it was anyone’s game in OT

Another takeaway tonite -how tough Gruba and Begley
are on the blue line

perhaps 1500-2000 at Aldrich , may have been largest high school hockey regular season crowd in two years

Working with Lee , we think this was the 28th meetup between Curt Giles and Bill Lechner.

Another hilite tonite was 50th anniversary recognition of alumni of 1972 Hill’s private state trny championship team

https://twitter.com/MNPrepSpotlight/sta ... kb6lYX8RJA

GWG on a nice little play. I always say you have to clear your zone and this is a classic example of what happens when you don't.

Thats the second time this year - the other against Mahtomedi - where Hill has scored in the last 30 seconds of a game to tie it and then win it in OT. Wish I could have gone or at least watched. Thanks for the updates all

Sparlimb wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 7:05 am https://twitter.com/MNPrepSpotlight/sta ... kb6lYX8RJA

GWG on a nice little play. I always say you have to clear your zone and this is a classic example of what happens when you don't.

and it was Begley who held the zone , got down on one knee with stick and glove so to be 100% sure -a quality play

The Friday game was a bit out of character for these teams. I wouldn't say there were cheap shots or anything like that, but it was more chippy and there was more pushing and shoving after whistles. I wouldn't be surprised if the average number of penalties called is just over or even under one per game.

One penalty that could have been called is delay of game on the Edina goalie. That net came off at least 7 times, if not more. Usually the unflappable Lex works the refs enough to get a 2 minute minor out of those situations. Was that a specialty of Edina asst. coach Josh Harding in his NHL days?

A close loss to the Hornets would not break my heart. The 6 game streak is fun, but in the end we care about section and state tournament wins. The streak over White Bear got to be a distraction, and it ended at a bad time.

On the 1972 50th anniversary, Mike Randolph, who played for Duluth Cathedral, has said that the top private teams of that era were better than the top public schools.