Jim Connelly

Two slumping Hockey East teams earned tournament titles (and a third will play for a title tonight), which leads me to ask: can winning your holiday tournament serve as a springboard to the second half? 1. Maine, Vermont win titles, hope to earn confidence Holiday tournaments are strange creatures. Your team generally is coming off … Read more

Well, it’s just about the New Year, which personally I hope translates to much improved success in picking these games. To this point, I’m six games behind my elderly elder. Seeing as there is no column this week, we decided to take a bit of an expanded look at each of the upcoming weekend’s holiday … Read more

Thirteen days ago when Providence battled to a 3-3 tie with Boston College, it was a tie that felt much more like a win. On Thursday night in a 4-4 draw with Vermont, this was a tie that felt very much like a loss. The Friars broke open a tied game in the third period … Read more

Massachusetts-Lowell received scoring from three different defensemen and rookie netminder Connor Hellebuyck posted his second consecutive shutout as the River Hawks skated past Harvard 5-0 in a rare Monday night affair at Harvard’s Bright Hockey Center. While the story for Lowell may have been the play of the defenseman in the lineup, for Harvard it … Read more

Kermit the Frog sang years ago that it’s not easy being green. Well, it’s also not easy being the number one team in the USCHO.com poll. New Hampshire became another Hockey East team to learn that this weekend, and that leads the three things I learned this week. 1. The King is dead, long live … Read more

Boston College coach Jerry York was 10.5 seconds away from being college hockey’s all-time wins leader. Now, he and his Eagles will have to wait 22 days before they’ll have another crack. York’s Boston College Eagles (11-2-1, 9-2-1 Hockey East) let a two-goal third period lead slip away and surrendered the game-tying goal to Providence’s … Read more

The Boston College Eagles entered the weekend with the chance to write a Hollywood-like story for head coach Jerry York, who was one win shy of tying and two wins away from passing legendary coach Ron Mason for the most all-time wins and facing heated rival Boston University. After a lackluster effort, though, on Friday … Read more

After blowing a 4-0 lead on Friday night, finishing in a 4-4 tie with Colorado College, it looked like New Hampshire’s trip to Colorado could be a disaster when the Wildcats fell behind, 3-0, to Denver on Saturday. Then something changed. That leads my three takeaways from this weekend. 1. Comeback makes long flight more … Read more

Fast starts have always been part of Boston College’s equation for success. On Saturday, quick beginnings to each period earned the Eagles the victory. No. 1 Boston College scored four of its six goals in the opening five minutes of periods and held off a very pesky No. 11 Dartmouth squad, 6-3, in front of … Read more

With nearly half a game in the books on Friday night, things looked pretty grim for the No. 1 Boston College Eagles. Trailing Merrimack, 3-0, at home, the Eagles were getting plenty of offensive chances, but couldn’t solve Merrimack goaltender Sam Marotta (38 saves). Then the Eagles’ top line took over the game, particularly senior … Read more

That which I receive, I giveth back. Very useless week for me. Jim last week: 6-4-0 Dave last week: 8-2-0 Jim’s record-to-date: 29-20-2 Dave’s record-to-date: 33-16-2 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 16 Merrimack at Boston College  Jim’s pick: Let’s keep this simple… I’m not betting against BC right now. BC 4, MC 2 Dave’s pick: Agreed 100 percent. I won’t … Read more