Nationally ranked #8 Blades Fall in OT

It was an evenly played first period.  That was surprising, since the Blades scored twice in the period.  The first Blades goal came in the opening minutes of the period.  The Blades played with discipline, moving the puck and setting the play inside the Magician’s zone.  Five minutes into the opening period, they established control and move the puck to Brian Hurley at the left point.  Hurley, a 6’1” sophomore defenseman who played for St. Thomas Academy last week at the Xcel, moved slightly right and a fired as he moved catching Magician goalie Drew Scites/Prior Lake being screened.  Hurley shot the puck into the lower left side to put the Blades up 1-0.  Hurley, who has committed to Ohio State, got the goal; Sammy Walker/Edina got the assist.

After that initial score, the game settled into a pattern.  The Blades would move the puck into the Magician’s zone and control play for thirty or forty seconds until the Magician forwards would breakout beating the Blades’ defense resulting in 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 rushes on Blades’ goalie Thomas Hanson/Minnetonka.  Hanson had to make some good stops, but the Magicians forwards were making the wrong choices.  The Magician puck carrier would take a poor shot when they had the open wing or pass to the wing when the Wing was not open and only the puck carrier had a shot.  Basically, they were thinking too much.  Once a Magician rush ended, the Blades would turn the puck and gain control in the Magicians’ zone.  The Blades were shots, but not getting the good shot and the Magicians’ goalie Scites was stopping the shots they were getting until a Magicians’ slashing penalty put the Blades on the power play with less than three minutes left in the period.  With forty seconds left on the power play, the Blades’ Zach Risteau/Benilde-St. Margaret’s beat the Magician’s penalty kill and skated alone into the slot coming off the left boards.  He beat Scites on a hard shot “square to the goal”.  It was shooter versus goalie, and Risteau won.  Blades led 2-0.  Nate Knoepke/Lakeville South got the assist.  The period ended 2-0.  The Blades outshot the Magicians 11-7 in the period.

The second period was scoreless.  With no ice cleaning between the first and second periods, both teams became more defensive.  The Blades had a great power play in the first three minutes of the period that had Scites scrambling.  Some of their tougher shots were getting through the Magicians defense and just missing or hitting the pipes and bouncing harmlessly away.  The play slowed after those opening minutes.  For the first time, the puck was alone for a second or two on the ice.  The period ended with no change in score, 2-0, Blades leading.  But both teams’ play remained consistent in the second period; the Blades working on controlling the puck in the Magicians’ zone; and the Magicians beating the Blades defense on the breakout but making wrong choices on finishing the attack.

The Blades had another great power play to open the third period.  More than once, fans thought the Blades had scored only to have Scites reveal the puck under his pads after the whistle had blown.  After the power play ended, both teams returned to their cautious style of play.  Halfway through the period, Magician's goalie Scites got things going.  Tired of the puck dangling at the top of the crease, Scites banged a sharp pass up the slot to a forward in the left slot area.  The forward passed sharply to another flying off the left boards behind the Blades defense.  That forward drove the net and took a shot that went nowhere.  But it resulted in scrambling the Blades’ defensive and the puck sliding to Trevor Woytcke at the blue line center.  Woytcke one-timed the puck at the net.  The puck slid on the ice and through a screen beating the Blades’ goalie Hanson.  Jake Johnson got the assist.  The Blades still led 2-1, but the Magicians were on the scoreboard.

It changed the momentum.  The Magicians drew a penalty shortly after and killed the penalty.  The Magicians, fired up after the penalty kill, finally got their play together.  Their forwards were starting to communicate and focus on the game.  With under two minutes to play, Chaz Dufon/Lakeville North swung low left of the Blades’ net and fired a pass to Connor Clemons/Prior Lake breaking at the top of the crease.  Connors one-timed the puck into the upper right corner to tie the game and force overtime.  Two minutes into the overtime, Dufon took a Magician pass from the right end boards at the top of the crease.  Fending off a Blade defender, Dufon one timed the puck past Hanson for the game winner.  Magicians won 3-2.