It’s a holiday week (in case you hadn’t noticed), so no guest-guesser this time.
Last week
Me: 8-4-1 (.654)
Stephen Shablak: 6-3-0 (.667)
Season record
Me: 39-21-9 (.630)
Guest guessers: 32-28-6 (.530)
Head to head: Sullivan 4, Guests 2*
*Shablak didn’t predict Tuesday’s outcomes, and I lost when his boys – Colgate – fell to Niagara. You gonna tell me he’d have picked Niagara over Colgate? I’m bitter.
This week
All times Eastern
Friday, November 26
Clarkson vs. Air Force – 6:37 Denver Cup; Denver, Colo.
The Falcons are a satisfactory 4-2-1 since a season-opening four-game slide, and have scored four goals a game in their last five. Clarkson is on a similar 4-2-2 run, but when the Knights have been victorious, it’s been thanks to their defense as often as not. The ‘Tech power play is abysmal, but so is AFA’s PK… Clarkson’s PK is fourth in the nation (89.9 percent), Air Force’s power play is 15th (21.7 percent). Should be an interesting chess match at high altitude: 3-2 Clarkson.
Connecticut at Rensselaer – 7:00 Rensselaer Holiday Tournament
UConn is 1-3-0 in its last four, with the sole win a 5-4 squeaker over American Int’l. RPI’s had two weeks to prepare for its 60th annual tournament, and I doubt the Engineers will be anything short of starving for some action. RPI in a walk, 5-2.
Dartmouth at Harvard – 7:00
The Big Green has demonstrated the scoring touch that Harvard simply hasn’t. Kyle Richter and a solid defense notwithstanding, the Crimson can not win if nobody answers the call up front. 3-1 Dartmouth.
Saturday, November 27
Lake Superior State vs. Clarkson – 6:37 Denver Cup; Denver, Colo.
LSSU had won three in a row before stumbling at Michigan twice last weekend. The Lakers are in the bottom third in the nation in scoring and team defense, and they don’t take many penalty minutes so Clarkson won’t have to waste time diddling through ineffective power plays. This is a big chance for the Knights to put some space between themselves and .500. 4-3 Clarkson.
Harvard at Dartmouth – 7:00
Same song, second verse. Harvard: score or be picked against. 4-2 Big Green.
Brown at Boston University – 7:00
Brown stunned New Hampshire on Tuesday and was under two minutes from victory, but instead settled for a frustrating 5-5 draw. Don’t tell me BU didn’t notice. 4-3 Terriers in a tight one.
Bowling Green at Rensselaer – 7:00 Rensselaer Holiday Tournament
Can RPI keep rolling in the waning light of its emotional split with Union? BGSU is a good way to keep doing just that, with the nation’s fourth-worst offense (2.07 goals per game) and 40th-ranked defense (3.36 goals against per game). 4-1 RPI.
Quinnipiac at Massachusetts – 7:00
UMass is a below-average team with a really terrible record. The Minutemen aren’t as bad as their results might have you believe, but they’re not exactly snake-bit either. UMass just won its first game of the year Tuesday at home against Vermont, and you know it’s not going to want to let go of the most momentum it’s had all year. QU has won three of four and is looking especially strong on the back end, but make no mistake, this will be a test. 3-2 Bobcats.
Cornell vs. Colgate – 7:30 Prudential Center; Newark, N.J.
Colgate is officially tagged with “Brown Rule” status: until the Raiders start winning, I can’t in good conscience pick them to do so. 3-1 Cornell in the Garden State.
Tuesday, November 30
Merrimack at Harvard – 7:00
This ain’t no pushover for Harvard. The Warriors are 4-2-4, scoring three goals a game, only giving up two and a third, and are on a 3-1-2 run right now. Harvard will struggle to slow down a dynamic ‘Mack offense while still pushing for goals, and I’m having a hard time seeing that happen at this point in time; maybe I’ll regret this pick by Sunday, but… 3-2 Merrimack.
Can turkeys tweet? I don’t think so, but I can: SullivanHockey on Twitter.
