Good luck, Edina. You'll need it.

Section30 wrote:

Sorry for the lack of posts the last week or so, been doing a lot lately and haven't had quite as much time to get posts made. I should be back to posting on a more regular basis soon

...so that was a lie

Sorry for just kinda disappearing off the face of the earth for about a month or so there, I was starting to lose motivation for this and decided to take a little break. I went and bought Ghost of Tsushima and played that for a bad amount of time (best game I've played in a long ass time), then playoff hockey came back and I have just been sat on the couch watching that all day lol

But I'm back and am excited to get back into this after stepping away for a bit, so lets just jump into it


1979 Kellogg Cup Playoffs; First Round - North


Virginia Royals vs Cloquet Broncos
The defending champs look well deserving of the top ranking in all of the MAHL as they played an all around great hockey game. The Broncos had no answer for the Royals offense which worked and set up in the offensive zone as though they were on a powerplay. On the other side of the puck the Royals were just as dominant, keeping Cloquet out of scoring areas all game long to leave them with a goose egg on the board as the final horn sounded. Virginia moves on with a convincing 3-0 shutout victory over Cloquet, moving in front in these two's all time meetings 3 games to 2.

Sauk Rapids Bulldogs vs Winnipeg Monarchs
Two teams in purple, both known for their physical brand of hockey. One is coming off their best season in franchise history, despite being one of the worst franchises in MAHL history, the other a perennial contender in one of the biggest cities in all of the MAHL. This game was as anticipated outdoors at Northway Park Rink as the Bulldogs and Bruisers battled along the boards and in front of the net. It was a low scoring game, but it as a very hard fought one with both teams getting some good chances denied by the men in net. 3 periods came and went with the score tied 1-1 after 60 minutes, sending us to overtime in Sauk Rapids. The snow was shoveled off the ice and we resumed play to try and beat the setting sun. Winnipeg was called for high sticking a little over 3 minutes into the overtime period, giving the Bulldogs their 4th chance of the game where they looked to finally convert. Sauk Rapids won the draw and worked it to the point. The defenseman went d to d to his partner who wound up for a one timer. The shot went into a crowd in front where it was tipped by a Bulldog forward up over the Monarch goalies shoulder, just under the bar, to win the game for Sauk Rapids, their first in the playoffs.

Fargo Titans vs Coleraine Trout
It was a back and forth battle in North Dakota as the Titans would take the lead only for the Trout to answer back and tie it. This happened twice, with the Brookies tying the game at 2 with under 10 minutes to play in the game. Fargo remained undeterred, not letting Coleraine build on their tying goal. The Titans looked pissed off that they had given up the lead again and were determined to get it back, outworking the Trout in the corners and creating rebound opportunities that came so close to putting Fargo back in front. A faceoff was won by Fargo in the offensive zone and the Titans looked for an opening. It was passed down low to the corner as the center moved into the slot, receiving a pass from the corner for a one timer that beat the goalie short side to put the Titans back in front with 4:37 left to play. Coleraine would have no response as the final horn sounded to send Fargo to the second round with a 3-2 win in front of over 4,200 at the Coliseum.

Thunder Bay Giants vs St. Cloud Bearcats
The Giants and Bearcats face off for the third time with the Cats looking for their first win over the Big Red Giants. After a scoreless first, the game began to open up a bit in the second as St. Cloud found the back of the net on a rebound to take a 1-0 lead. Thunder Bay would get a sniff at goal on a couple occasions, hitting the post a couple of times and whiffing on an open shot. Somehow the Bearcats survived and took a 1 goal lead into the final period. The Giants threw everything they had at the Bearcats goaltender, getting 16 shots on net in the period, all of which were denied by the St. Cloud net minder. The Bearcats buried one in the empty net to secure the victory, upsetting the Lake Superior Hockey League champs with a 2-0 shutout win despite being outshot 41-25.


Eveleth Redbirds vs East Grand Forks Pointers
The Hipp was rocking as Eveleth welcomed back East Grand Forks who they took down in the second round here 2 years ago. Things got off to a great start for the Birds in the first, jumping in front early on a breakaway goal and extending their lead with a powerplay goal later. Eveleth made it a 3-0 game in the second and it was looking like this one was over, but then the Pointers woke up. East Grand Forks finally was able to string a couple good shifts together to get some momentum which they turned into a scrum in front leading to a goal to give them life. EGF and Eveleth went back and forth for a while in the third before the Pointers got a 3 on 1 chance that led to a one timer from the slot past the Redbird goalie to make it a 3-2 game with 9:10 to go. Eveleth didn't crumble after the goal, the experienced squad of primarily veterans was able to remain calm and collected, killing the clock and forcing the Pointers to pull their goalie. Eveleth was able to get control after a save by their goalie and they put the game away by dumping it into the empty net, sending the Reds to the second round with a 4-2 win over East Grand Forks.

Grand Forks Jets vs Chisholm Flames
Chisholm is a team that has been quietly been building into a very strong hockey team over the past few seasons, taking a perennial bottom feeder into one of the top teams in the Iron Range thanks in large part to coach Mike Vidmar. That being said, they were going up against a very good Grand Forks team who made it to the Great Eight a year ago. It became clear very early on that these two were very evenly matched with the score still 0-0 but shots were tied 8-8 after 1 as well. The scoring opened up in the second with the Flames burying a shot from the circle. The Jets would answer back with two goals late in the period to take a 2-1 lead into the third period. Chisholm got a powerplay opportunity midway through the period that they failed to score on, but just seconds after the Jet player got back onto the ice, a Flame forward picked the pocket of a Grand Forks defender and ripped a shot up and over the shoulder of the goalie to tie the game at 2. It was only fitting that we went to overtime with these two evenly matched squads battling back and forth. One overtime wasn't enough to decide this one so a second overtime period was required. The Jets were looking in control as the second overtime got underway, but an intercepted pass gave the Flames a breakaway chance. The goalie came out to challenge, but the Chisholm forward pulled the puck far to his forehand and around the lunging goalie, lofting it up and into the net to send Chisholm to the second round and avenging their season ending losses to Grand Forks the last two seasons.

Fort Frances Trappers vs Duluth Voyageurs
The scoring machine that is the Fort Frances Trappers was firing on all cylinders in this one, burying 6 pucks in the back of the Duluth net in 60 minutes to cruise to a blowout win. Le Bleus just didn't seem to have an answer for the Trappers plain and simple, Fort Frances was just the better hockey team on the night. The Voyageurs did manage to prevent the shutout with a goal with just over a minute left to make it 6-1 rather than 6-0, but that is really the only bright spot in a playoff game Voyageurs fans would like to soon forget.

Warroad Lakers vs Grand Marais Explorers
It was a battle of two ranked teams as the #13 Warroad Lakers welcomed the #25 Grand Marais Explorers to the Castle on the Corner. Warroad got off to a good start by capitalizing on a bad line change by the Explorers to jump out to an early lead. Grand Marais tied the game at one midway through the game and it was looking like this one could go either way. Both teams were playing good hockey and both teams were getting good looks, but both teams also had good goaltenders and the game remained tied 1-1. The Explorers were in the Lakers zone down in the corner below the goal line. They worked it behind the net to the other side of the ice and up to the point and back down to the corner. The winger took a stride towards the slot and ripped a shot hard and low for a rebound that went right out into the slot where it was smacked home by a Grand Marais forward to give the Explorers a 2-1 lead. Warroad would be unable to come back, falling by a final score of 2-1, giving Grand Marais their first ever playoff win.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!

Welcome back!  Yeah, sometimes you just need some time to recharge, I can imagine these projects take an insane amount of time to develop.   Glad you got to enjoy the break!  I may have to look into Ghost of Tsushima, no idea what its about but it sounds cool!

Stickman wrote:

Welcome back!  Yeah, sometimes you just need some time to recharge, I can imagine these projects take an insane amount of time to develop.   Glad you got to enjoy the break!  I may have to look into Ghost of Tsushima, no idea what its about but it sounds cool!

Thanks, and I highly recommend it, you basically get to be a Samurai who goes against the code to save his home from Mongol invaders. It reminds me a lot of the Red Dead and Uncharted franchises

Stickman wrote:

Welcome back, Section30! I'm bummed to see the Monarchs go down but I'm super happy for the Bulldogs. Nonetheless, I'll pick Virginia, Eveleth, Fort Frances, and Fargo to advance but I'll still be happy if Sauk Rapids can pull off an upset.

Also, when you said, "let's just jump into it," I got the reference right away. (I don't know if it's intentional though)

Glad to be back, and haha I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that, I figured someone was bound to

1979 Kellogg Cup Playoffs; First Round - Twin Cities


Edina Cake Eaters vs Mound Marauders
Braemar Arena was filled to capacity as the Cake Eaters took on West Metro foes Mound. It didn't take long for Edina to get on the board with Hankinson ripping a shot through a defenseman's legs, using him as a screen, to beat the Marauder goalie five hole. It then became a whole lot more difficult on Mound as the "Hornets Nest" came to life (Hornets Nest is the nickname for the Cake Eater fan base due to Edina High School being called the Hornets) chanting "E-D-INA!" The always dangerous Cake Eater offense fed off the energy of the home crowd, putting home two more goals before the horn sounded to end the first. Edina made it a 4-0 lead early in the second and began to let up a bit, playing their 3rd and 4th liners more frequently. This obviously opened up some chances for Mound who scored two goals 43 seconds apart to make it a game once again. Hankinson decided to put the Marauders back in their place, setting up a beautiful one timer near the end of the second to give Edina a 5-2 lead going into the third. Both teams would score one more, sending Edina to the second round with a fairly easy win over Mound by a final score of 6-3.

Hastings Rivermen vs Minnetonka Muskies
The 8-9 game is always exciting, especially when the League Champion getting home ice rule is in play like it is here with the Muskies actually being ranked higher at 19 compared to Hastings who are ranked 23, but the Rivermen won the St. Croix League and get an automatic home game in the first round so Tonka has to make the trip to Hastings. The play on the ice was just as entertaining as promised between these two very evenly matched teams. Both sides were in the lead at one point of the game, but all that mattered was that the score was tied at 3 at the end of regulation, sending us to overtime at Hastings Civic Arena. The puck was dropped for overtime and we were off, chants of "Lets Go Hastings" rang out in support of the teal and gold. 7 minutes passed and the Rivermen were breaking into the offensive zone. The winger took the puck wide and passed it back to his center trailing behind in the middle of the ice. A Musky defenceman slid in front to block a shot that never came, rather the Hastings forward dished it to his winger on the side of the net who fired a one timer from a tight angle past the Minnetonka goalie to send Hastings to the second round with a 4-3 overtime win.

Stillwater Volunteers vs Como Sea Lions
Stillwater was buzzing after winning their first title of any kind, the normally 500 capacity Lily Lake Arena was holding close to double that amount as the puck was dropped and the booming "Lets Go Vols" chants began. Things didn't start off the way the Volunteers had hoped with Como coming out very strong, controlling the opening 5 or so minutes and burying a rebound to give the Sea Lions an early lead on the road. Stillwater was able to regroup though, getting some chances the other way but not being able to convert. The second period began with Como up 1-0, but Stillwater had ended the first with momentum which carried over to the second as they rang a shot off the pipe a couple minutes in and again midway through the period. The Volunteers just couldn't seem to break through and the frustration began to set in when Como got an odd man rush the other way and beat the goalie low blocker side to put the Lions up 2-0. The sardines in the crowd were dead silent, but the team on the ice managed to keep their heads up and kept working. Finally, with just under 2 minutes left in the second, the Volunteers managed to get a shot past the Como goalie after about the 4th rebound to finally get on the scoreboard. The crowd found life once more and now that the Vols had broken through once, it seemed like the floodgates were ready to open, which is exactly what happened. Stillwater tied the game with a snipe from the high slot and found the back of the net again only a couple minutes later to take the lead. Como had no answer for the Vols in the third who were doing whatever they pleased, scoring a fourth to give themselves a bit of a cushion that they held to advance with a 4-2 victory.

Richfield Roosters vs Brooklyn Park Panthers
In real life a battle between a Rooster and a Panther would be a pretty one sided contest, but in the world of hockey Roosters can take down those cats with no problem. Richfield showed off their defensive prowess in this one, blocking an incredible 36 shots in the game to hold BP to only 17 shots on goal in the game, helping the Cocks advance with a 2-0 shutout win.


Highland Park Flying Aces vs Cottage Grove Yellow Jackets
Cottage Grove is coming off a big win over Plymouth, but Highland Park was just a much better hockey team on the night, scoring 1 in the first, 2 in the second, and 2 in the third to overwhelm the Yellow Jackets. The Jackets did put up a valiant effort, scoring three on the Aces is no easy task, but in the end it was never really a doubt that Highland Park was going to come out on top from the drop of the puck to the final horn. Charlie Brown would be pleased as Highland advances to the second round with a 5-3 win over Cottage Grove.

Minneapolis Millers vs New Brighton Polka
New Brighton has effectively done a 180 in the last two seasons, going from a bottom of the pack team in the East Metro to a third and now a second place finish. All that they need now is a big playoff win to show that you are truly legit. When the brackets were released it was revealed that the Polka would get just that chance, being set up to take on the perennial powerhouse and Original 10 year Minneapolis. Most people just expected the Millers to brush aside the Polka on home ice, but the Dots were putting up a hell of a fight. Minneapolis was in front 4-3 after 2, but the shots were 21-20 in favor of New Brighton. 10 Minutes passed in the period and the Millers were called for too many men on the ice, giving the Polka a powerplay chance. The Dots worked the puck to the point where a d man ripped a slap shot towards goal. The shot was stopped, but the rebound was loose. The rebound was also denied by the Miller goalie, but a second rebound would allow the Polka to tie the game 4-4. New Brighton was buzzing after tying the game, going right back in on the offensive. The Dots came into the zone 3 on 2, the puck carrier was near the right dot as he pulled up and ripped a shot hard and low off the goalies pad. The rebound went directly to the charging Polka forward on the far wing who put it home to give the Dots a 5-4 lead. That would be the final goal of the game as New Brighton holds on to complete the 5-4 upset over Minneapolis.

West St. Paul Waves vs Roseville Rockets
Roseville must have used up all of their goals in their 6-5 win in the knockout round, getting a big fat zero on the scoreboard in this one against West St. Paul. The Waves on the other hand had no problem finding the back of the net, completely blowing out Roseville by a final score of 6-0. This was one of the most one sided playoff games in recent MAHL history, and one that Roseville will hope to forget soon.

Anoka Warriors vs White Bear Lake Braves
The Dubs and Braves are facing off for the first time since 1965 when Anoka beat White Bear 1-0 in the Knockout Round. The Braves would get their long awaited revenge as they overpower the Warriors thanks to a 3 goal second period. Anoka got one back in the third, but it was far too little too late as White Bear Lake advances with a 3-1 win.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!