I went .500 in my picks for the semifinals. I will take that. Tonight, we know that a national champion from the ECAC will be crowned and I am happy for that league, its members, its teams. Tonight, we also know that hearts will be broken. The older I get and the longer I cover … Read more
Well, my hockey-minded friends, we are down to it. As I’ve said repeatedly, I picked Notre Dame to go all the way in my bracket. Since I was wrong and I am here, though, I figured I’d post some picks with which many people are likely to disagree, especially my Hockey East counterpart, Dave Hendrickson. … Read more
CCHA fans, it’s Monday the week of the Frozen Four and we are without a representative this week in Pittsburgh. Well, unless you count me. I’ll represent. I’ll do so poorly and limit my representation to that which occurs off the ice, but I’ll represent. I was glad I made the trip from Grand Rapids … Read more
Well, my picks last weekend were legendarily bad. Fitting. Last week: 1-2 (.333) Season to date: 130-96-29 (.545) I’m happy to have finished the final CCHA season above .500. This week Having only two CCHA teams in the NCAA tournament in the conference’s final season is disappointing. I have Notre Dame winning the whole thing … Read more
How different the world looks this Monday morning, after a weekend in Detroit. Sure, that’s a truism all by itself, but after the final weekend of CCHA play, it’s a bit more specific. I learned so much in 30 hours over two days that it’s difficult to choose what to write about here. One of … Read more
DETROIT — Here’s video from the end of Notre Dame’s 3-1 win over Michigan in the CCHA championship game on Sunday and clips from the postgame news conferences: [youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/c78CRE-8f1Y width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/Dk4fI8CzIt4 width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/zN-CA2vQXjc width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/Hn0znmePbVM width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/8EpTW3LyhKw width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/1KVPNPP7qFc width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/mQ44wuPJw-c width=500]
DETROIT — Here are videos of the news conferences after Michigan’s 6-2 victory over Miami in the CCHA semifinals on Saturday: [youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHauym7F3MA&feature=youtu.be width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-nePjjmw1U&feature=youtu.be width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGrDk_f6yVM&feature=youtu.be width=500]
DETROIT — Here are videos of the postgame news conferences after Notre Dame’s 3-1 victory over Ohio State in the CCHA semifinals on Saturday: [youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjsynqTvf5M&feature=youtu.be width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuBjjkn-o1Y&feature=youtu.be width=500] [youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU9z_CQg-Yw&feature=youtu.be width=500]
My last-ever, CCHA-only picks. But first, here’s how I’ve done so far. Last week: 7-4-0 (.636) Season to date: 129-94-29 (.569) Who knew I could improve, even a little, toward the end? CCHA playoff championship The semifinal games are televised by FOX Sports Detroit PLUS. The championship game is carried by FOX Sports Detroit. There … Read more
What a weekend of hockey in the CCHA! Two sweeps, two series that took three games, and the team that won the very first conference regular-season and playoff championships returns to participate in the last-ever battle for the Mason Cup. It’ll be Michigan vs. Miami and Ohio State vs. Notre Dame March 23-24 in Detroit’s … Read more
I knew the series in Fairbanks and Sault Ste. Marie would go to three games. I was wrong, however, about who would advance from those series. Last week: 4-4-0 (.500) Season to date: 122-90-29 (.566) Typical. This week This is the second round of the CCHA playoffs. The winners from these four series advance to … Read more
What a weekend of hockey! What did we learn? 1. Be wary of those last-place teams. At the end of the 2011-12 season, the last-place Bowling Green Falcons beat Northern Michigan on the road in the first round of the CCHA playoffs and Ferris State on the road in the second. This year, last-place Michigan … Read more
The last regular-season weekend of the CCHA was exciting. It was also difficult — and I’m not talking about my picks. Last week: 8-3-1 (.708) Season to date: 118-86-29 (.569) I don’t know how that happened. This week We begin the CCHA playoffs this weekend with three best-of-three series at single sites. Times are local. … Read more
The final weekend of regular-season CCHA play was very interesting, thanks to a couple of upsets and some overtime. 1. Miami is the last-ever CCHA regular-season champ. The RedHawks needed to win one game to capture the regular-season championship, but they needed to play two to do so. After losing 3-0 to Ohio State Friday … Read more
I think that this is the first time in my tenure as CCHA columnist for USCHO.com that I’m glad that all 11 teams make the playoffs. I’ve never been an advocate of letting everyone into the playoffs. I like the idea of someone not having played well enough to earn a chance to make it … Read more
The second-to-last weekend of CCHA play taught us a few things. 1. Notre Dame and Western Michigan are well matched. The Fighting Irish played two games against the Broncos in Kalamazoo and the teams split their points evenly but unconventionally. The teams tied both nights, with the Broncos taking the extra shootout point after Friday’s … Read more
As we head into the penultimate weekend of CCHA regular-season play — ever — here’s how I’ve done so far. Last week: 3-6-1 (.350) Season to date: 106-79-26 (.564) I suppose I should content myself with the possibility of an overall regular-season picks record above .500. This week With two weekends left, every game in … Read more
Some weekends are more interesting than most. Disclaimer: I haven’t worked out every possible permutation with ties and shootouts, so these are reasonable (but rough) estimates. 1. Four teams are still in the hunt for the regular-season title. Interestingly, each of them was paired this past weekend against another still mathematically capable of capturing the … Read more
Please forgive my omission of a pick for the Tuesday Northern Michigan-Michigan Tech game. Some Februaries are more challenging than others. Last week: 6-4-0 (.600) Season to date: 103-73-25 (.575) Certainly better than last week — and it would have been much better, had Ohio State and Alaska split in the way that I had … Read more
While winter was bearing down on the East Coast, the hockey in the Midwest couldn’t have been hotter. 1. Notre Dame controls its own destiny. The Fighting Irish beat Michigan twice while everyone else around them split, most notably Miami and Western Michigan. It’s the first two-game sweep Notre Dame has managed in the new … Read more