Preview of the top Minnesota boys hockey section games: Minnetonka and Chanhassen meet in 2AA final
SBLive's Minnesota boys hockey Power 25: Warroad remains on top, Duluth East makes jump (Feb. 28)
Minnesota boys and girls hockey top performers of the week (Feb. 20-26)
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Edina (19-6-1) at Wayzata (19-6-2), 3/1 at 7 p.m.
Edina travels to face Wayzata in the Section 6AA championship on Wednesday.
Edina is coming off a huge bounce-back victory over a solid Benilde-St. Margaret’s team, but it now has to face a Wayzata team that blanked them 7-0 a little over a week ago. Edina is a hockey powerhouse, but this is likely the worst draw the Hornets could have early in the sections.
Wayzata is 6-2 in the last month and has come on strong down the stretch. The Trojans dominated the Hornets a little over a week ago but lost to them 5-3 a little over a month ago. If the Trojans can put together a game like they played against the Hornets a few days ago, they will be a tough team to beat.
Photo by Earl Ebensteiner
Andover (20-6-1) at Duluth East (20-6-1), 3/2 at 7 p.m.
Andover and Duluth East face off on Thursday in the Section 7AA championship.
Andover is 13-2 in its last fifteen games and comes into the sections as one of the hottest teams in the state. Andover has shut down opponents during that stretch and have outscored them by a wide margin. The only team as hot as Andover may be Duluth East.
Duluth East has won twelve games in a row and turned its season completely around after a cold start. The Greyhounds have an explosive offense to match up with the Huskies, and this should be one of the better games of the week.
Minnetonka (25-2-0) at Chanhassen (24-3-0), 3/2 at 7 p.m.
Minnetonka and Chanhassen match up in the SBLive boys hockey game of the week in Minnesota. This game will be for the Section 2AA Championship.
This matchup is between two powerhouse programs this season. Minnetonka, traditionally, is renowned for their hockey prowess, and Chanhassen is a new team on the hockey scene in Minnesota. It’s a shame only one of these teams will reach the state tournament.
Minnetonka has won sixteen games in a row and have the look of a favorite to win the state title. The Skippers lost to Chanhassen 4-1 earlier in the season but have been on an undeniable hot streak and have the pedigree to win it all.
Chanhassen is coming off a thrilling victory over Eden Prairie, and a rematch with Minnetonka should pose a much bigger problem. The Storm have come on strong this year and have outscored opponents by over one hundred goals on the season.
The winner of this game could easily win the Class 2A state title.
Photo by Jon Namyst
Champlin Park (17-9-0) at Maple Grove (20-5-1), 2/28 at 7:30 p.m.
Champlin Park and Maple Grove face off in the Section 5AA semifinal on Tuesday.
Champlin Park has had a very successful season and has improved its record from last year. The Rebels have hung with a lot of the top teams on their schedule. The only issue with the Rebels is they have seemed to struggle to get over the hump against those top teams. The Rebels did defeat Maple Grove 2-1 on January 19th
Maple Grove is on a four game winning streak and they have defeated Andover, Hill-Murray, St. Thomas Academy, and Osseo in that stretch. The Crimson will likely go as far as Wisconsin commit Finn Brink can take them. Brink has had one of the better seasons in the state, and Maple Grove will need to get past pesky Champlin Park to continue their run to the state title.
Gentry Academy (18-8-0) at White Bear Lake (20-5-0), 3/1 at 5 p.m.
Gentry Academy, fresh off a girls state title, will look to continue their recent run of success in hockey when they travel to play White Bear Lake in the Section 4AA Quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Gentry Academy has won six straight games defeating quality opponents in Chanhassen and Champlin Park down the stretch. The Stars have played plenty of close games this year, and it should have prepared them for a potential long playoff stretch.
White Bear Lake has won six straight games after a small stretch of losses in late January. The Bears have had moderate success over the last few years but always seem to struggle to come up big come playoff time. The Bears have victories over Stillwater and Cretin-Derham Hall in the last few weeks and this game is a tough draw for them.
Roseau (17-9-1) at Moorhead (18-9-0), 3/1 at 7 p.m.
Roseau and Moorhead play on Wednesday in the Section 8AA championship.
Roseau is 7-3 in its last ten games after struggling early in the season. The Rams are well known for its hockey success and this year, sitting at 17-9-1, is considered a down year for them. The Rams lost to this Moorhead team on Valentine’s Day 3-0 and will likely be looking for revenge.
Moorhead is 9-1 in its last ten games and their only loss is against an elite Warroad team. Goalie Kai Weigel, only allowing 1.82 goals per game, is a likely catalyst for the spuds to continue their playoff hopes.
Rock Ridge (18-8-1) at Hermantown (24-2-1), 3/1 at 7 p.m.
Rock Ridge and Hermantown face off Wednesday in the Section 7A championship.
Rock Ridge has won six games in a row and have come a long way in the two years of their existence. The Wolverines have some impressive victories on their schedule this season and have a solid group of upperclassmen and youth to continue their quick ascension in Minnesota hockey. Hermantown is the toughest team that Rock Ridge has played all year.
Hermantown has rattled off twelve games in a row and outscored opponents by over one hundred goals this year. The Hawks defeated Rock Ridge 6-1 three weeks ago and will likely continue their torrid pace to the title round.
Cretin-Derham Hall (17-9-1) at St. Thomas Academy (19-7), 3/1 at 7 p.m.
Cretin-Derham Hall and St. Thomas Academy match up in one of the best early matchups in the Section 3AA Championship on Wednesday.
Cretin-Derham Hall is hanging on after an early win streak this season. The Raiders started the season on a torrid pace and have faded down the stretch to this point. The Raiders rebounded well against some easy opponents to get to this point, but St. Thomas Academy poses a much larger threat than the last two teams on their schedule.
St. Thomas Academy split with Cretin-Derham Hall this year and the Cadets have had a better stretch run than the Raiders. The Cadets will rely on Colgate commit Tommy Cronin, like they have all season, in order to continue their run through the playoffs.
Photo by Jeff Lawler
East Grand Forks (16-11-0) at Warroad (26-0-1), 3/2 at 7 p.m.
East Grand Forks and Warroad play in the Section 8A Championship on Thursday.
East Grand Forks has played Warroad tough all year, losing 4-2 on February 6 and 3-2 on February 7. The Green Wave have won four out of five games and pose about as tough a problem to Warroad as any other team can due to its familiarity and modest success against them this year.
Warroad’s season has been unbelievable. The Warriors have outscored opponents 149-34, and it has two players averaging more than three points per game. The Warriors may have no one standing in their way of a state title.
Centennial (15-10-1) at Rogers (17-6-3), 2/28 at 7 p.m.
Centennial and Rogers wrap up the top ten boys hockey games in the Section 5AA semifinal.
Centennial has two players averaging over 2.5 points per game and have had great offensive output throughout the season. The Cougars goaltending has been an issue for them throughout the season and in the playoffs hot goaltending can carry a team. They face a Rogers team with much better goaltending and an offense that can keep pace.
Rogers is plus fifty five in goals scored versus goals against this season and has had one of the more consistent seasons from start to finish. The Royals Defeated Centennial 9-5 back on January 21, and if the Cougars goaltending continues to struggle their season may be over.
