Maple Grove vs. Duluth East
3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11

Maple Grove heads north to Duluth East for a Saturday matinee for a battle between a pair of teams with big potential and some giant wins, but also with poignant letdowns along the way. A solid showing this weekend should give the winner plenty of confidence heading into the postseason. 

Duluth East (14-6-1, 1-0) enters the week ranked No. 12 in Class 2A in the state coaches' poll, and is licking its wounds after a 4-1 loss to Elk River on Saturday, which almost certainly handed the top seed in Class 2A, Section 7 to the Elks. 

The Greyhounds will look to a deep defensive unit and an impressive offense led by Ian Mageau (9-21-30), Ryder Donovan (10-16-26) and Garrett Worth (12-13-25) to bounce back going into final two weeks of the season.  

Maple Grove (14-5, 6-3) enters early February battled-tested, having collected quality wins over Holy Family Catholic, Hill-Murray, Centennial, Blaine and and Minnetonka. But inconsistency and collective offensive production have been a challenge for the Crimson, who will need a strong finish to grab a top seed in Class 2A, Section 5.

Senior Sam Huff is averaging well over two points per game for Maple Grove, with 15 goals and 24 assists through 17 games. Six of Huff’s goals this season are on special teams.