Maple Grove has suffered some injuries to key players and the team has struggled playing under .500 hockey.  But in the Northwest Suburban Conference (overall), the Crimson trailed Blaine by a single game before last night.  A win in the home arena before a packed crowd on a below zero night would tie Blaine for the conference title.  The Maple Grove strategy was clear, their objective was to keep the puck off of the Notermann-Tufte-Alex Penn line’s sticks by quick puck movement and keeping the puck deep.  In the early going it worked, but as the game progressed, Blaine would solo Notermann and Tufte on different shifts making the Crimson strategy difficult to implement.

Blaine's strategy has been consistent all season.  They play their top line at the start of most periods and run all three lines at their opponents.  But they change line rotations and line compositions by just popping Notermann or Tufte out on the ice at different times.  Fans used to watching high school games where the benches often match line to line and just won't see that always happen at a Bengal game.  A fan gets into a certain game flow and bang, out pops one of the two players and suddenly the Bengal's opponent is under fire.  

Blaine's starting lineup for the Maple Grove game just before the National Anthem is played (Tufte is left and Notermann is left of the goalie)

Both teams wanted to win badly.  The first period opened with both teams revved up and moving the puck fast.  There was no “feeling out” process, just drop the puck and go!  Maple Grove’s forwards took it to Blaine in the opening minutes.  Both teams were playing physical.  The Crimson’s Matt Jaglo scored on a breakaway to put Maple Grove up 1-0.  As the period progressed, the dynamic duo was finding more and more ways to break down the defense.  One key moment came when Tufte beat the defense on the right side and charged the net.  Crimson goalie Brady Goodman stood his ground and stopped Tufte’s point blank shot.  As Tufte’s momentum carried him past the goal on the left side, he was tripped by one Crimson defender and cross-checked by a second.  This all happened in in a fraction of a second.  Somehow on the play, Tufte ended up with the roughing penalty.  One could almost hear the resolve to win set in on the Bengal bench.  They said nothing, but upped their play a notch.

Blaine drew a penalty to open the second period and scored a shorthanded goal fourteen seconds into the Maple Grove power play.  Tufte, playing the left point, knocked the puck away from the Crimson defenseman at the Blaine blue line and set sail for the Crimson net.  Notermann broke with him on the right creating a 2-on-1 rush.  Tufte fed Notermann in the slot.  Notermann’s quick shot beat Goodman for the shorthanded score to tie the game 1-1 with 13:35 minutes to play in the period and a 1:36 left on the Crimson power play.  The Crimson scored a power play goal 51 seconds later to re-take the lead.  This time the Crimson controlled the puck in the Bengal’s zone and worked it low to Jayden Walsh.  Walsh fed Jaglo alone at the top of the crease for the score.  The Crimson led again 2-1.

One of the key moments in the first period is shown in the three pictures on the left and the one below.

Picture 1 (Upper Left): Riley Tufte has beaten the Maple Grove defense and is charging Maple Grove goalie Brady Goodman.

Picture 2 (Middle Left): Goodman holds position but slides back into the net trying to make the save while the puck rebounds right.  Tufte stops and avoids touching Goodman but his momentum forces him to continue to the left side of the net.

Picture 3 (Lower Left): Tufte is tripped by a Crimson defender extending his leg (a dangerous thing for the Crimson player to do.  His leg fortunately hits Tufte in the right calf.

Picture 4 (Below): Tufte is crossed checked by a second Crimson player while the Ref is calling a roughing penalty on Tufte.  As the play in high schools hits faster and better levels, refs need to react better to the play.  After that play, the Blaine bench said nothing but really hit high gear in the second period to win the game.

A minute after the Maple Grove scored to take a 2-1 lead, Noterman hit the ice with the puck in the Crimson zone.  He gained control of the puck and literally controlled the play for the next 30 seconds moving to open ice and looking for an opening to pass or to score.  Noterman came off the end boards into the lower right faceoff circle and saw a small opening in the Crimson goalie’s net coverage in the upper right corner.  Continuing to skate as if looking for an open teammate, Notermann planted his right foot and snapped a quick shot that beat Goodman in the open right corner to tie the game 2-2.  Notermann dominated on that shift and it carried into the key play of the game.

With the second period winding down, the play of the game happened.  It was a surprise.  Blaine had just been given two successive penalties putting Maple Grove on the 5-on-3 power play.  Tufte and Notermann took the ice on the penalty kill and turned it into an assault on the Crimson net.  When most of the packed crowd’s eyes were looking with expectations of a Maple Grove score to take the lead, the two combined to score the winning goal.  This time, Tufte got the score and Notermann the assist.  Maple Grove never recovered from that score giving up three third period goals to lose 6-2.  Notermann, Blake Nastrom, and Tufte scored.  Both goalies, Maple Grove’s Brady Goodman and Blaine’s Ridge Gerads had good games.

Blaine hits their toughest stretch of games in the next two weeks playing Centennial next Thursday in a key Northwest Suburban Conference match-up and one that has great significance in the Section 5AA rankings.  They follow that with a re-match with Section 7AA’s #1 team and conference rival Elk River at the Elk’s arena Saturday.