Game picks by USCHO writers
With the first two weeks of Big Ten play producing some interesting results, already it looks as though the league may split into two tiers with Michigan State the single team of demarcation. Already, too, we’ve seen that Drew Claussen is better at this picks thing than I am. Last week Drew: 8-1-1 (.850) Paula: … Read more
Last week: 1-0 Overall: 1-0 It’s only the second week of the season in ECAC Hockey, but already Quinnipiac and St. Lawrence have both delayed the start of their respective seasons due to COVID-19. St. Lawrence’s first four games of the season were supposed to be against Clarkson, leaving a gaping hole in the Golden … Read more
It’s been a frantic past several weeks in ECAC Hockey, as eight of league’s twelve teams cancelled their seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there’s still a lot of uncertainty ahead, the league returning to play in even a limited capacity can hopefully provide a sense of normalcy over the coming months. Here’s a … Read more
Hey there WCHA hockey fans, we finally made it to another season. This will be a year like no other, and not just because of the global pandemic. This will be the final season of the WCHA as we know it, as seven schools have banded together to move on next season to a new … Read more
It’s been a very long offseason for Hockey East. Well college hockey in general. So it’s great to be able to return to picking the league games as the puck drops on the Hockey East season this weekend. If you’re a loyal reader of the Hockey East column, you may remember that my long-time colleague … Read more
Last Week: Dan: 0-0-0 Chris: 0-0-0 On The Season: Dan: 0-0-0 (.000) Chris: 0-0-0 (.000) Dan’s Note: All the credit in the world to Chris this week for setting and resetting this post up for me with the cancellations. I feel like it could be something we have to do to remain fluid, but he’s … Read more
We’re back! Alright, I guess Paula posted last week’s picks. So, I’m back! The Big Ten got the college hockey season underway last weekend and there’s a packed slate of games on tap for this weekend, even though none of them are actually on Saturday or Sunday. Any other season I would have probably rolled … Read more
Remember this? Published March 5, it was the last Big Ten column before the playoffs last season. Remember this? Published March 6, it was Drew Claussen’s B1G picks blog for the Big Ten playoffs. So abrupt was the end of last season, so momentous the months in between, that March 2020 feels like a lifetime … Read more
Last Week: Dan: 0-0-0 Chris: 0-0-0 On The Season: Dan: 0-0-0 (.000) Chris: 0-0-0 (.000) This Week’s Picks: Saturday, November 14 LIU at Army West Point Chris: The season begins with another variation of the Riley bowl, this time between Army West Point coach Brian Riley, in his 17th season, and Long Island University’s Brett … Read more
The 12-team field was set and besides the seeded teams awaiting to learn who their quarterfinal opponent will be, there was a lot of suspense for the first round games where none of the pairings finds any prior game action between the combatants during the regular season. This should have made for some interesting action … Read more
It is impossible to wrap my head around the abrupt end of college hockey season. This isn’t news to you by now, I’m sure, but there will be no more college hockey (or NCAA anything) for the immediate future. The last 72 hours have been surreal. Many of you know that I teach at Mott … Read more
Last Week: Dan: 5-3-0 Chris: 7-1-0 On The Season: Dan: 147-58-23 (.695) Chris: 140-65-23 (.664) This Week’s Picks: Thursday, March 12 through Sunday, March 15 Atlantic Hockey Tournament – Quarterfinals Best of Three Series Robert Morris at Sacred Heart Chris: This series starts on Thursday, with Game Two on Friday and a possible Game Three … Read more
Overtime periods in the quarterfinals could affect the play of a number of teams in this week’s women’s DI semifinals.
Well, here we go. Three conference titles in the west will be decided tonight. Two of the championship games (the MIAC and NCHA) have automatic bids on the line. The WIAC does not have an auto bid but at least one team should get in. Here are my game picks for the title games. MIAC … Read more
The WCHA playoffs are finally here, and we’ve actually got a bunch of very good matchups this weekend. The top two seeds, Minnesota State and Bemidji State, both appear to have easier draws than the other two teams with home ice, which is to be expected, but there’s always the chance for an upset in … Read more
It is finally the weekend teams all aspired to way back in the fall of 2019. Championship weekend is here and there is hope for all the remaining teams to hoist their conference championship trophy. No need for hype – coaches likely focused on trying to keep teams on an even keel for the big … Read more
The Big Ten Tournament gets underway this weekend with Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota hosting Wisconsin, Michigan State and Notre Dame. After wrapping up the regular-season title while watching the games on TV last weekend, Penn State will once again be idle this weekend after it earned the bye week for the first round. … Read more
Last Week: Dan: 6-4-0 Chris: 5-5-0 On The Season: Dan: 142-55-23 (.698) Chris: 133-64-23 (.657) This Week’s Picks: Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8 Atlantic Hockey Tournament – First Round Best of Three Series Canisius at Bentley Chris: Canisius took four of six points in the teams’ only regular season meetings, but I like … Read more
It’s hard to believe we are at the end point of the NCHC’s seventh season. I’ve covered the league with Matthew every year since it’s inception, and I love doing so. Last week, Matthew and I went 6-2 (.750). On the year, I am now 90-55-22 (.604), while Matthew is 85-60-22 (.574). Amazingly, I’ve won … Read more
The regular season is over and playoff hockey is here. I had a strong finish to move past Mark in the final week, but the playoffs are a whole new game. All series are best-of-three. Friday and Saturday’s games start at 7 p.m., while Sunday’s start times vary. Nate Last week: 9-1-2 Overall: 135-65-26 Mark … Read more