Minnesota high school hockey top games of the week (Feb. 14-19)

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Minnesota high school hockey top performers of the week (Feb. 6 - 12)

Minnetonka boys hockey shuts out Edina

Boys hockey

Warroad (24-0-0) at Sartell-St. Stephen (15-5-2), 2/18 at 2 p.m.

Warroad looks to finish the season undefeated and Sartell-St. Stephen is the only team standing in its way. This Warroad team may have an argument as one of the best teams in the history of the state. The Warriors likely have its eyes on the tournament and may be overlooking the Sabers in this one.

Sartell-St. Stephen is 3-2-1 in its last six games and are coming off a 3-0 loss to Moorhead. The Sabers have struggled against top teams on their schedule and will likely need to pull out an all-time performance to upset the Warriors in this one.

Edina (16-5-1) at Wayzata (16-5-2), 2/18 at 2:30 p.m.

Edina at Wayzata is the SBLive Minnesota boys hockey game of the week this week.

Edina has won six of its last seven games and defeated Wayzata 5-3 on Jan. 26. The Hornets are coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Minnetonka on Saturday and have struggled with the Skippers this season. The Hornets have an impressive resume thus far, and another win over a great Wayzata team may solidify their positioning in the playoffs.

Wayzata has two tough games this week against Rogers and Edina. The Trojans finish their season against the Hornets. The Trojans struggled in January, losing three straight, but they have won three games in a row. Their last three games have been against teams that are not near the level of the Hornets.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s (16-7-0) at Chanhassen (20-3-0), 2/14 at 7 p.m.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s defeated Chanhassen 4-1 on Jan. 26. That was the most impressive victory for the Red Knights this season. The Red Knights have struggled some down the stretch, going 3-2 in their last five games and losing to an average Eden Prairie team during that period. Chanhassen is battling to win the conference and Benilde-St. Margaret’s has a chance to sweep one of the better teams in the state here.

Chanhassen is 4-2 in its last six after only losing one game the entire season. The Storm have a prolific offense and a goalie tandem that can take them the distance in the state tournament, but they first have to prove they can beat a team like Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

White Bear Lake (16-5-0) at Cretin-Derham Hall (15-8-1), 2/14 at 7:30 p.m.

White Bear Lake is 3-3 in its last six games, and it has struggled against the better teams on its schedule. The Bears are coming off a loss to Cretin-Derham Hall only ten days ago. The Bears are sitting atop the Suburban East and Cretin-Derham Hall is nipping at its heels.

Cretin-Derham Hall has struggled the last few weeks, going 2-4 in its last six. The Raiders have been one of the more confusing teams in the state this year, going on long winning streaks and struggling to maintain momentum against lesser teams. This one could be a huge momentum builder for either team going into the playoffs.

Stillwater (13-7-3) at Rogers (15-5-3), 2/14 at 7 p.m.

Stillwater travels to Rogers in what should be a great matchup leading into the playoffs. The Ponies have struggled this season and are 3-3 in their last six games. The Ponies have kept the season afloat with a long early winning streak and have essentially gone .500 since early January. Rogers has been one of the hotter teams and will be a tough test for Stillwater.

Rogers is 3-3 in their last six, but previously had been on a hot streak going 6-0-1 in that stretch. The Royals are leading the Northwest Suburban Conference, one of the top conferences in the state. The Royals, if they play to their capabilities, can make a deep run in the playoffs.

Girls hockey

Champlin Park/Coon Rapids (17-7-2) at Maple Grove (18-6-1), Class 2A, Section 4 semifinal, 2/14 at 5 p.m.

Champlin Park/Coon Rapids travels to face Maple Grove in the Class 2A, Section 4 semifinal game.

Champlin Park/Coon Rapids has won six straight games and are getting hot at the right time. It lost to Maple Grove 4-2 in late December, but with its current winning streak, it has a great opportunity to pull off an upset.

Maple Grove has slowed down going into the tournament after an early season winning streak. The Crimson started the season winning eight straight games, but they have struggled since going 10-6-1. The Crimson have dominated lesser opponents, but they have struggled with the elite teams on their schedule. 

Champlin Park/Coon Rapids is neither elite or lesser, and an upset is not out of the question.

Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (18-8-0) at Orono (18-3-4), Class 1A, Section A semifinal, 2/14 at 7 p.m.

Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian and Orono is another great playoff matchup.

The White Hawks defeated Orono earlier in the season 2-1 and have won four of their last five games. The White Hawks defense and goaltending have been fantastic over the last month, and they will need a similar output to defeat Orono again.

Orono has won eight straight games and has dominated opponents during that stretch. The Spartans have outscored opponents 52-7 in the last eight games and will look to continue that torrid pace in the postseason

Gentry Academy (22-2-0) at Stillwater (19-7-0) Class 2A, Section 4AA semifinal, 2/14 at 7 p.m.

Gentry Academy is 17-1 in their last eighteen games and draws a tough Stillwater team in the 4AA Semifinals.

Gentry Academy defeated Stillwater 5-3 earlier in the season and 5-1 a little over two weeks ago. Their only losses have been against an elite Warroad and Proctor/Hermantown team. The Stars likely have their eyes on a lengthy playoff run, but Stillwater is one of the worst draws for them early on.

Stillwater had a tough stretch of games to end the season against top teams in the state. The Ponies previously won seven in a row and were looking like a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Their recent cold streak is concerning, but they can hang with Gentry Academy.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s (17-7-2) at Edina (19-4-2), Class 2A, Section 6 semifinal, 2/15 at 8 p.m.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Edina is the SBLive Minnesota girls hockey game of the week.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s has won five of its last six games and lost a close 2-1 game to Edina late in January. The Red Knights are coming off a dominant victory over an elite Hill-Murray team, 5-2, a week ago. They seem to be getting hot at the right time, and Edina should be worried.

Edina is coming off a 1-1 tie to North Wright County and had won its seven previous games. The Hornets only gave up two goals in those seven games. Benilde-St. Margaret’s will be a tough out in the tournament and Edina has been susceptible if its offense struggles.

Northfield (20-7-0) at Lakeville North (20-7-0), Class 2A, Section 1 Championship, 2/16 at 5 p.m.

Northfield and Lakeville North should be in consideration for the SBLive girls hockey game of the week this week.

Northfield has won nine of its last ten games and are looking for a clean sweep of Lakeville in the playoffs. The Raiders have some great wins this season and will ultimately face its toughest test of the season against Lakeville North on Thursday.

Lakeville North has won four of its last five games and have nearly the exact same resume as Northfield this year. The Panthers struggled against Lakeville South a few weeks ago, a team that Northfield beat. The Panthers also defeated Owatonna, a team that Northfield has lost twice to this year.

This game is truly a coin flip.