TC North First Round Predictions

Roseville over New Brighton

Brainerd over Brooklyn Center

White Bear over Maplewood

Plymouth over Lino Lakes

Fergus Falls over Alexandria

Stillwater over Mounds View

Brooklyn Park over Sauk Rapids

Blaine over Anoka
 

Second Round Preview - Twin Cities North


#10 Roseville Rockets vs Blaine Spartans
The Rockets are coming off a big win, but Blaine is a team on the rise who just showed they can take down teams with more playoff experience than them. Will Roseville keep it going and return to the Super Series for the second time? Or will Blaine make the show in their very first Playoff appearance?

Alexandria Norsemen vs Lino Lakes Herons
Two teams coming off big upset wins who will have a lot of momentum behind them as they both look to make their first ever SS birth. Will Alec put together another dominant performance and handle the Herons? Or will Great Blue follow in the footsteps of the Posse and make the Super Series in their inaugural season?

#12 Brainerd Lumberjacks vs Brooklyn Park Panthers
This is the matchup most expected when seeing this region, two of the better teams of the past 5 years or so facing off for a ticket to St. Paul. Brainerd made light work of the Catamounts in the first round, and will hope to repeat that against the other Cats. BP is coming off a comeback win against a good Sauk Rapids team, so they should have some momentum on their side as well. Will the Jacks get the win and make their 10th Super Series appearance? Or will Brooklyn Park pull off the upset up north and make it 2 straight SS appearances?

#21 Maplewood Retrievers vs Stillwater Volunteers
It's a couple of East Metro rivals in the final matchup of the TC North Region. Maplewood is coming off perhaps their biggest win in franchise history while Stillwater is coming off a solid game of their own. Will the Goldies build off their win over White Bear and return to the Capital? Or will Stillwater send the Retrievers to the pound?

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!

1983 Kellogg Cup Playoffs: First Round - Twin Cities South


#3 Twin Cities Vulcans vs Wayzata Wolverines
Augsburg Arena was shaking all night long as the hometown Vulcans put on a show. Wayzata had no answer whatsoever to the offensive onslaught of the third ranked team in the MAHL. The Wolverines were pinned in their own zone for what seemed like the entire game, mustering only 6 shots on goal for the game, the same amount of goals the Vulcans happened to net in the game. The final horn sounded to finally end the Wolverines suffering, the Twin Cities Vulcans advance with a 6-0 shellacking of Wayzata.

Bloomington West Terriers vs Eagan Oaks
Two teams only a short drive across a river from one another facing off for the first time ever. The Terriers were the favored squad heading in, but Eagan was quick to turn some heads by striking only 11 seconds into the game. The Oaks pushed their lead to two, then three before the first period finally came to an end. West was on the ropes again in the second, but their netminder bailed them out on a couple of occasions. The Dogs finally got one past the Oaks goalie 3:54 into the third, but an Eagan goal a few minutes later sucked all the life out of the Terrier fans and players. The Oaks killed off the remainder of the clock to advance with their second playoff win in team history, upsetting Bloomington West 4-1.

#13 Richfield Roosters vs Minnetonka Muskies
It was a battle of former WMHL rivals at Richfield Arena as the Roosters took on the Muskies from Minnetonka. It was a physical opening period without many scoring chances. The refs were letting pretty much everything go, which led to the physicality to pick up even more in the second with a couple players even coming to fisticuffs after a Musky crashed hard to the net and bumped the Richfield goalie. Minnetonka was able to bury a 2 on 1 chance late in the second to get on the board and really suck the life out of Richfield heading into the third. Minnetonka went into a defensive shell in the third, keeping three men back at all times and throwing their bodies in front of everything. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. The Roosters pulled their goalie in the final minute and were still unable to get one across the line. Tonka holds on, knocking out Richfield with a 1-0 shutout win.

#19 Apple Valley Cardinals vs Burnsville Bucks
There's no love lost between these South Metro rivals and powerhouses. It wasn't a high scoring game, but it was a very gritty and hard working game played a lot along the boards and down low in the dirty areas. The Cards struck first on the powerplay, but the Bucks answered with a powerplay goal of their own in the second to tie it. Burnsville was buzzing for the next few minutes and you could just feel another goal coming. A shot from the point was stopped but a Buck was there for the rebound to give his team a 2-1 lead after 2. Apple Valley would not go down quietly, coming out for the third with a fire lit under their asses. It was all Cardinals for the first half of the period, but the Bucks were able to keep their lead. Finally, on the fourth or fifth rebound attempt, the Cardinals got one to find the back of the net to tie the game at two apiece. Overtime was needed with the Cards and Bucks tied 2-2 after regulation. Over 7 minutes had passed in OT and a winner had still not been decided. Apple Valley broke out of their zone, but a bad pass in the neutral zone got a Cardinal winger laid out in center ice with Burnsville scooping up the loose puck and going in on a quick break. The puck was passed up high and then down to a winger on the corner of the crease who deflected it behind the Apple Valley goaltender and into the back of the net. Burnsville players and fans went crazy while the Apple Valley crowd sat in silence, heartbroken. The Bucks have knocked off their arch rivals in overtime, advancing to the second round.


#5 Edina Cake Eaters vs Inver Grove Heights Lions
It was another case of one team just being a much better hockey team than the other. Edina is one of the top ranked teams in the MAHL for good reason, and they let IGH know that with a 43 shot game which saw 5 Cake Eater goals. The Lions were kept off the board on all 10 shots, sending Edina to the second round with a comfortable 5-0 win at the Hornets Nest.

Mound Marauders vs Shakopee Six
If you like goals, this game was the one for you. The top two teams in the Hennepin Hockey League got paired up against each other in what turned out to be a fire fight. The scoring didn't start right away, with Mound getting the only goal of the first with 5:04 left in the frame. The second was where things really took off with both teams scoring thrice to send us to the third with the Marauders up 4-3. Shakopee came out quick in the third and were rewarded with a deflection goal a couple minutes in to tie the game at 4-4. Mound didn't let the goal get in their heads though and were able to get a couple chances shortly after. The Bucs were able to find a man behind the Shakopee defensemen who was in all alone and beat the goalie five hole. The momentum was all for Mound after the go ahead goal, and before they knew it, the Six were down by a pair of goals. Shakopee would have no response as Mound holds on and advances with a 6-4 win.

#6 St. Paul Victorias vs Bloomington Bears
It was a sold out house at the St. Paul Auditorium as the V's took the ice to battle the Bloomington Bears. After a slow start, the play picked up in the back half of the first. Bloomington drew first blood, getting a shot from the point past the St. Paul goaltender thanks to a nice screen in front. The V's took the ice in the second looking more aggressive, winning puck battles in the corners and creating scoring chances. The Bears were caught on their heels a bit as the explosive Victorias offense worked around the offensive zone. It was only a matter of time before one of their chances found the back of the net, and once it did another one was quick to follow. St. Paul didn't let off the gas in the third, extending their lead to 3-1 on a rocket from Tschida Trophy winner Mark Parker. That would prove to be enough to carry the V's to the finish line, advancing to the second round with a 3-1 win over Bloomington.

South St. Paul Mavericks vs Falcon Heights Raptors
Getting off to a good start is essential in playoff hockey, and South St. Paul was able to do this better than even they could have dreamed. The Mavs lit up the Raptors goaltender early, getting 14 shots on goal in the first 7 minutes of play. During that span, the hopes and dreams of Falcon Heights was quickly and mercilessly destroyed as SSP put not one, not two, but three in the back of the net. A fourth all but put this game away in the second. Falcon Heights looked defeated on the bench and the Mavericks were more than happy just dumping it deep and killing the clock. The Raptors were able to avoid the shutout on a one timer in the third, but it wasn't enough to get them back into the game. South St. Paul would hold on, knocking off Falcon Heights with a dominant 4-1 win at home.

Hoping for an Oaks / Bucks border battle in the next round.  

1983 Kellogg Cup Playoffs: First Round - South


#14 Brookings Buffaloes vs Hastings Rivermen
Brookings Memorial Arena was sold out to watch the Buffaloes take on the Rivermen from Hastings. The Buffs gave the capacity crowd something to cheer about midway through the first as they opened the scoring on a snipe from the slot. Hastings would poke home a rebound a couple minutes into the second tie the game at one apiece. It was all Brookings for the last 5 minutes of the second, but the Rivermen were able to keep the game tied as we went to the third. The Buffs kept that momentum going into the third and were able to pop a pair of goals home to give themselves a 3-1 lead. They killed off the remainder of the clock to advance, knocking off Hastings by a score of 3-1.

Eau Claire Rubber Kings vs Red Wing Chiefs
This one lived up to the hype with two good hockey teams playing to keep their seasons alive. Eau Claire fed off the atmosphere of a packed Hobbs Municipal Ice Center in the first as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. A last second goal by Red Wing would swing the momentum in the other direction at the end of the frame. The Chiefs kept it going in the second and converted on a powerplay chance to tie the score 2-2. Eau Claire was able to get a late goal of their own as the second neared an end, finding the back of the net with just over 2 minutes to play in the period. Red Wing came fighting back in the third, finding a man up ice for a breakaway to tie the game once again. Overtime was required and the tension could be felt by the nearly 1,500 fans sitting on the edge of their seats as the teams returned to the ice. Both teams took it cautious and shots were down from what they had been. Over 15 minutes had passed before a winner was finally crowned. The Rubber Kings lost a draw in the neutral zone, but the Eau Claire left winger read the Red Wing defenders and picked off a pass at their blue line. He was in all alone with nobody but the goalie to beat. He took a shot from the hashmarks that was stopped, but the rebound popped right in front for the King to pick up and tuck around the downed goaltender, winning the game for Eau Claire and sending them to the second round.

#23 Mankato Moose vs Marshall Pheasants
Mankato got off to a rocky start, giving up a couple odd man rushes early that were pushed aside by their netminder. Marshall was finally able to take advantage of a turnover in the offensive zone 12:31 into the game to take a lead on the road. The Pheasants kept pressing at the end of the period, but they couldn't get any more past the Moose goaltender. Mankato seemed to have finally woken up as they returned for the second, looking like a completely different team and finding themselves up 2-1 after 20 minutes. The third was pretty even with Marshall getting a couple grade A chances denied to keep Mankato in front 2-1. An empty netter put the game away with 24 seconds left to play, sending Mankato to the second round with a 3-1 win.

Willmar Posse vs Northfield Outlaws
Posse vs Outlaws, cops vs robbers, two historic towns facing off with their seasons on the line. The first was physical with only a handful of shots for both teams, that didn't stop Willmar from getting one on the board though. The Posse extended their lead by two in the second before Northfield could finally get one to find the twine. Down 3-1 heading into the third, Northfield was in a bad spot, and it didn't get any easier with the Posse scoring on their first shot of the period to make it a 3 goal game. The Outlaws would get one with a man advantage, but it was too little too late as Willmar holds on to advance with a 4-2 win.


#15 Rochester Mustangs vs Menomonie Sawyers
The first period looked like a battle between two explosive offenses with both teams finding the back of the net twice after 20 minutes. That speed and explosiveness kept going for the rest of the game on the Rochester side, Menomonie on the other hand just seemed to have lost whatever spark they had in the first. The Sawyers could only muster 8 more shots on goal in the second and third combined while the Mustangs dominated time of possession and lit the lamp twice more. The 15th ranked team in the MAHL advances, beating Menomonie by a score of 4-2.

Austin Mavericks vs Sioux Falls Packers
The Mavs and Hogs are facing off for the third time ever, the first two meetings went either way with the series tied 1-1. Both teams are coming in a bit under the radar, still boasting some of the most experienced and skilled teams in the South Region. The play on the ice was evident of this with both teams putting on a show. It was back and forth both on the ice and on the board until Sioux Falls put it out of reach with 3 unanswered goals in the third. It was an incredible game of hockey that just happened to go to the visitors on the night. The Sioux Falls Packers take down the Austin Mavericks on the road by a final score of 5-3 to advance to the second round.

#17 New Ulm Bavarians vs Le Sueur Green Giants
If they didn't consider themselves rivals before, the Bavarians and Green Giants definitely do now. These Blue Earth Hockey League foes have had their skirmishes in the past, but things really got chippy in this game. It started early with both teams finishing their checks and one thing led to another before it inevitably came to fisticuffs. It didn't help that the score was so close throughout, with no team holding a lead larger than 1. It was back and forth, back and forth, until Le Sueur could come back no more. New Ulm's 4 goals were just enough to carry them to the finish line. New Ulm reigns victorious in a game that neither team is going to forget anytime soon. The Diamonds move on to the second round, taking down the Giants 4-3.

Cottage Grove Yellow Jackets vs Faribault Flickertails
It was a classic playoff hockey game in Cottage Grove between the Jackets and Tails. Faribault got on the board first, but Cottage Grove scored two in a row to take a brief lead before the Flickertails made it a 2-2 game near the end of the first. Cottage Grove scored 36 seconds into the second to take back their lead, but Faribault tied it up yet again with 6:49 left in the second. The Flickertails carried that momentum into the third and were able to get their second lead of the game, now up 4-3. Cottage Grove would be kept off the scoresheet for the remainder of the game, sending Faribault to the second round with the upset win on the road.