Paula C. WestonWhat a week. Rick Comley announces his retirement at the end of the season, Jim Roque is fined on top of his one-game suspension from last weekend. And I am barely above .500. Last week: 5-3-2 (.600) Season to date: 83-48-23 (.614) Here are my picks for games this week. I did not pick for … Read more
This isn’t the column I planned for this week. Not completely, anyway. By now you’ve heard that Michigan State coach Rick Comley announced his retirement effective at the end of the 2010-11 season. In his press conference Tuesday, Comley touched on a lot of things (some of which I’ve already mentioned in my CCHA blog), … Read more
Well, I suppose I knew this was coming. I guess I’m just a little surprised that it’s happening now. Michigan State is 10-12-4 this season. Last year, the Spartans finished second in the CCHA with an overall record of 19-13-6, but their season ended when they were swept in two games at home in the … Read more
Well, I suppose I knew this was coming. I guess I’m just a little surprised that it’s happening now. Michigan State is 10-12-4 this season. Last year, the Spartans finished second in the CCHA with an overall record of 19-13-6, but their season ended when they were swept in two games at home in the … Read more
Goaltending in the CCHA and college hockey in general fascinates me this year. Twenty-two goaltenders, nationally, enter this weekend’s play with save percentages of .920 or higher. Granted, that number is inflated by three goalies who haven’t seen significant time this season. At the end of then 2009-10 season, however, only nine goalies nationwide had … Read more
Goaltending in the CCHA and college hockey in general fascinates me this year. Twenty-two goaltenders, nationally, enter this weekend’s play with save percentages of .920 or higher. Granted, that number is inflated by three goalies who haven’t seen significant time this season. At the end of then 2009-10 season, however, only nine goalies nationwide had … Read more
This is a season through the looking glass, isn’t it? I’ve been saying all along that Michigan State doesn’t look like a second-to-last place team. It’s hard to argue against parity when the 10th-place team beats the ranked third-place team and the seventh-place team knocks the first-place team out of the top spot, in the … Read more
This is a season through the looking glass, isn’t it? I’ve been saying all along that Michigan State doesn’t look like a second-to-last place team. It’s hard to argue against parity when the 10th-place team beats the ranked third-place team and the seventh-place team knocks the first-place team out of the top spot, in the … Read more
After a nail-biting third period of play, Michigan squeaked by Alaska, 4-3, to earn an important CCHA sweep and emerge from the weekend as the new No. 1 in the league, but the Wolverines had to work every minute to earn it. Leading 4-3 with less than five minutes left in regulation, Michigan (17-6-4, 14-4-1-0 … Read more
Another weekend slightly above .500. I should be grateful. Why don’t I feel grateful? Last week: 5-3-2 (.600) Season to date: 78-45-21 (.615) Here are my picks for games this week. There’s a full slate of CCHA play. Bowling Green is the team on the sidelines this weekend. All games are Friday-Saturday. Start times are … Read more
Another weekend slightly above .500. I should be grateful. Why don’t I feel grateful? Last week: 5-3-2 (.600) Season to date: 78-45-21 (.615) Here are my picks for games this week. There’s a full slate of CCHA play. Bowling Green is the team on the sidelines this weekend. All games are Friday-Saturday. Start times are … Read more
Two goals a minute apart in the middle of the first set off a seven-goal night for Michigan State as the unranked Spartans upset No. 11 Miami, 7-4, to open this weekend’s series. “We scored,” said MSU head coach Rick Comley. “The puck went in. They’re a threat, really, to take over at any time, … Read more
It’s the third week in January, which means that something’s stirring in the world of college hockey, something that moves people to speculate, to connive, to second-guess, to hope and dream, even to forget about the more immediate prize of a conference championship. I’m talking about a favorable PairWise Ranking, something that indicates that — … Read more
As the second half of the season begins to simmer and the nature of the league’s real parity begins to emerge, I found the reactions to last weekend’s games especially interesting. My favorite quote isn’t from a player or coach, but from an impassioned sports writer at Western Michigan University’s student paper. Here is some … Read more
As the second half of the season begins to simmer and the nature of the league’s real parity begins to emerge, I found the reactions to last weekend’s games especially interesting. My favorite quote isn’t from a player or coach, but from an impassioned sports writer at Western Michigan University’s student paper. Here is some … Read more
Given the state of college hockey this season, perhaps I should be grateful for any week I pick that’s over .500. Last week: 5-3-2 Season to date: 78-45-21 No. 8 Notre Dame remains in first place in the CCHA by a point because of a split with No. 20 Alaska and No. 7 Michigan’s sweep … Read more
Given the state of college hockey this season, perhaps I should be grateful for any week I pick that’s over .500. Last week: 5-3-2 Season to date: 78-45-21 No. 8 Notre Dame remains in first place in the CCHA by a point because of a split with No. 20 Alaska and No. 7 Michigan’s sweep … Read more
Nothing like a weekend slightly above .500. Given the nature of the CCHA, my success rate from last week may be as good as it gets for me from here on out. Last week: 5-4-1 (.550) Season to date: 73-42-19 (.616) Here are my picks for games this week. There’s a full slate of CCHA … Read more
Nothing like a weekend slightly above .500. Given the nature of the CCHA, my success rate from last week may be as good as it gets for me from here on out. Last week: 5-4-1 (.550) Season to date: 73-42-19 (.616) Here are my picks for games this week. There’s a full slate of CCHA … Read more
At the Great Lakes Invitational, I ran into John Markell for the first time since he was replaced as Ohio State’s head coach. I’ve known John for a long time; he became head coach when I began as USCHO’s CCHA columnist (known as a “correspondent” back in 1996). As I watched his career wax and … Read more