There’s a game tonight between Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. It’s a Tuesday. As the kids say, WTF — which stands, of course, for “What Tremendous Fun!” Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan. At home last weekend, the Huskies lost to and tied Minnesota-Duluth, 7-3 and 4-4. Late in the third period and down 4-2, MTU … Read more
I was in East Lansing Saturday night when the Buckeyes swept the Spartans. When I was talking to OSU coach Mark Osiecki after that game ended — before all other CCHA games ended because the OSU-MSU game began at 6:05 p.m. — little did I know that the Buckeyes were setting a trend. In four … Read more
I knew last week would be a bit painful. Perhaps I should be grateful for any week in which I at least break even. Last week: 4-3-1 (.562) Season to date: 51-29-15 (.616) Wrong-way splits … sigh. This week It’s a full slate of CCHA action this week, with 10 teams playing and Bowling Green … Read more
I spent the morning thankful for speedy internet connections and the magic of in-home laundry. I hope that your post-Thanksgiving Monday contained at least half as much gratitude. Three things from this weekend, quickly: 1. Michigan is not ready for prime time. With three wins in their last 10 games and a 5-1 loss to … Read more
It’s a light schedule this weekend, but everyone played last week. As I suspected, I didn’t do nearly as well this past weekend with predictions as I did the first three weeks of CCHA play. Last week: 5-6-1 (.458) Season to date: 47-26-14 (.621) The wrong-way split in Fairbanks hurt. The non-splits did, too. I’ll … Read more
There’s a single game tonight between Bowling Green and Michigan in Ann Arbor. I’ll post the rest of my picks for this weekend plus my picks record Friday morning. Bowling Green at No. 19 Michigan In their TMQ column this week, my friends and colleagues, Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski, ask, “How much respect … Read more
This was a strange weekend. Three things that strike me as interesting about it: 1. The number of times you shoot the puck may count for something. In Ohio State’s sweep of Northern Michigan, the Buckeyes outshot the Wildcats 77-34 and allowed only 12 shots on goal during Saturday’s 4-2 win. Alabama-Huntsville notched its first … Read more
I’m already starting out in the hole this week since I picked Michigan to win last night. This is how I’m doing so far this season, without that pick: Last week: 6-2-3 (.682) Season to date: 42-20-13 (.647) Two splits did so the right way — or, at least, the way I called them — … Read more
The Notre Dame-Michigan series is Thursday-Friday, so here’s my prediction for just that series. I’ll have the rest of my picks for the weekend Friday morning, as well as a running total of how I’m doing. No. 8 Notre Dame at No. 13 Michigan. Each team enters this series with a loss as its most … Read more
Once again, no one can close a deal in the CCHA. 1. There’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned thrashing. It’s even sweeter for a team at home, against its arch-rival. Both the Wolverines and the Spartans experienced that this weekend, with Michigan coming out of the weekend at the sour end. Friday’s 5-1 lopsided UM … Read more
The splits continued last week, without a single sweep in the bunch. Somehow, I managed to look pretty good at the end of it. Last week: 7-2-1 (.750) Season to date: 36-18-10 (.641) Once again, my gratitude to the three series that split the way I said they would. I fear that the hockey pick … Read more
If the first two weekends of CCHA play are any indication, this last season of the CCHA isn’t going to be over until it’s over. No sweeps, five teams with six points each, three shutouts. 1. A.J. Treais, dream crusher. The reason that Northern Michigan didn’t sweep Michigan at home came down to one play, … Read more
Last week was splitsville for the CCHA. Will this week bring more of the same? Last week: 6-3-1 (.650) Season to date: 29-16-9 (.620) I would like to thank Alaska, Ferris State, Miami and Michigan for making me look good last week. I love the right-way splits. This week There are five league series this … Read more
After the first full weekend of CCHA play — minus Western Michigan — there are indications that it may be a long season. That’s a good thing, given that it’s the last. 1. Six teams in third place after one weekend? Okay. That seems completely normal, given how many teams crowd a single spot in … Read more
I’m grateful that league play has begun. Too many games to pick these past two weeks — and too little sleep. Last week: 11-6-4 Season to date: 23-13-8 (.614) This is the first full weekend CCHA-on-CCHA action. Every series is Friday-Saturday, every series is single-site and games start at 7:05 p.m. local time, unless otherwise … Read more
The final weekend of nonconference play before launching into a league schedule was very informative. 1. The CCHA showed very well against the other conferences. The league went 12-5-4 on the weekend, with high-scoring wins from Michigan and Ferris State and outright impressive wins from Ohio State and Alaska. Perhaps everyone’s insistence that the league … Read more
It isn’t good … but it isn’t wretched. Yet. Last week: 12-7-3 Season to date: 12-7-4 (.609) This does not include Thursday night’s Notre Dame loss. I’ll include the whole ND series in next week’s picks percentage. We have another full schedule this week, with every CCHA team playing in nonconference action. I picked the … Read more
Hey! There’s a game tonight! This is a quick pick for the series between Minnesota-Duluth and Notre Dame, played tonight and tomorrow at the Compton Center in South Bend. The puck drops at 7:35 p.m. each night. I’ll have picks for the rest of the weekend — and my record for last weekend (hint: it … Read more
It was an uneven weekend for the CCHA and goaltending in the early going leaves a lot to speculation. 1. Notre Dame junior Steven Summerhays posted a .962 save percentage in his two wins in the Ice Breaker Tournament. ND coach Jeff Jackson has said that Summerhays saw significant improvement in the second half of … Read more
There was one D-I game played last week, the one in which Bowling Green’s senior goaltender, Andrew Hammond, stopped 28-of-30 shots in a 2-2 road tie against Niagara. Nice work, Falcons. I called the Falcons to win that one. Last week: 0-0-1 Season to date: .500 I will take that, absolutely. This week It is … Read more