Minnesota boys hockey top games of the week (Feb. 21-26)

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Park of Cottage Grove (16-8-1) at Eastview (16-9-0), 2/21 at 6:30 p.m.

The SBLive boys hockey game of the week is the Class 2A, Section 3 quarterfinal featuring Park of Cottage Grove and Eastview.

Park of Cottage Grove has struggled in the Suburban East this season, going 5-5-1 in conference play but 13-3-0 outside the conference. The Wolfpack score a gaudy 4.44 goals per game and have cut down on their goals against in the past few weeks. The only game the Wolfpack really struggled with was against Holy Family roughly two weeks ago.

Eastview finished the season third in the South Suburban Conference but finished 7-3 in its last ten games. The Lightning have some impressive victories on their schedule against White Bear Lake, Lakeville South and Gentry Academy on the season. The Lightning defeated the Wolfpack 6-1 early in January.

Eden Prairie (12-12-1) at Holy Family (20-5-0), 2/23 at 7 p.m.

Eden Prairie and Holy Family may be one of the more underrated games in the quarterfinals. The Eagles and Fire play in the Class 2A, Section 2 quarterfinals on Thursday.

The Eagles sit at 12-12-1 on the season, but their record the last month has been impressive. Eden Prairie has wins over Stillwater, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, and Mahtomedi in the last month. The Eagles have also played two tight games with Minnetonka and lost to Holy Family 3-2 back on January 12.

Holy Family has won twelve straight games and its offense has been one of the best in the entire state in that period. The Fire have outscored opponents 148-57 on the year and many of those points have been stacked up in the last month of the season. The Fire are on fire right now, but they could be on upset alert if Eden Prairie plays up to their potential.

Roseville (15-9-1) at Gentry Academy (17-8-0), 2/25 at 7:30 p.m.

Roseville and Gentry Academy face off against one another on Saturday for the Section 4A quarterfinal.

Roseville plays in a tough conference and has had an impressive season, going 15-9-1. The Raiders have won four of their past six and have some impressive victories over Park of Cottage Grove, Stillwater and Rochester Century on the season. They travel to face a tough Gentry Academy team that has come on strong recently.

Gentry Academy has rattled off five straight games and defeated Chanhassen, Champlin Park, and a tough Hudson team out of Wisconsin in that stretch. The Stars have impressively rebounded after a tough stretch of games the previous month and now are playing their best hockey of the season. This game could go either way, but it depends on which teams show up.

Holy Angels (18-6-1) at St. Louis Park (12-12-1), 2/21 at 7:30 p.m.

Holy Angels and St. Louis Park face off in the Class 2A, Section 6 quarterfinal on Tuesday.

Holy Angels has won nine of its last ten games and look to be hitting its stride at the right time coming into the playoffs. The Stars come into this one with a much better record and have to travel to St. Louis Park.

St. Louis Park is 3-4 in its last seven games, but it is on a three-game winning streak. The Orioles have had one of the more confusing years, sitting at 12-12-1. They have beat teams like Hastings, New Prague and defeated Holy Angels 4-2 earlier this season.

East Ridge (12-12-1) at Hill-Murray (11-13-1), 2/25 at 5 p.m.

East Ridge travels to face Hill-Murray in the Class 2AA, Section 4 quarterfinal on Saturday.

East Ridge, 2-5 in its last seven games, has a tough test against an inconsistent Hill-Murray squad. The Raptors offense has struggled at the end of the season except for two blowout victories against Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper and Woodbury. Their signature victory on the season was against Roseville back on January 14.

Hill-Murray is having an uncharacteristically down year. The Pioneers sit at 11-13-1 after a 2021-22 season where they went 25-5-1. The Pioneers have lost five out of their last six games after going on a hot streak late in January. Hill-Murray can get hot and make a run in the playoffs, but it is nowhere near the team they were last season.