Here’s the field for the CCHA Championship Tournament at Joe Louis Arena: No. 4 Bowling Green vs. No. 1 Michigan No. 3 Miami vs. No. 2 Western Michigan The Broncos and RedHawks will play the early game before Bowling Green upsets Michigan. I’m just stating the obvious, at this point (and anticipating commentary and email … Read more
I have a feeling about a specific upset this weekend — but I thought Northern Michigan would sweep and Alaska would win a game last weekend. You know by now never to take my picks to the bank. Last week: 4-4 Season to date: 126-82-25 (.594) Because it’s the playoffs and I call individual games … Read more
Here are next week’s playoff matches: No. 8 Bowling Green at No. 1 Ferris State No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 2 Michigan No. 6 Lake Superior State at No. 3 Western Michigan No. 5 Michigan State at No. 4 Miami I think we’ve learned quite a bit from the first round of the CCHA … Read more
After rebounding two weeks ago with a really strong performance, this past week was a bit disappointing. Of course, I’m talking about my picks. Last week: 7-4-1 Season to date: 122-78-25 (.598) Clearly, my math was way off last week. I’m still happy with anything over .500. This week We have three best-of-three, first-round, single-site … Read more
Congratulations to Ferris State, your 2011-12 CCHA regular-season champions. This is the second title for the Bulldogs, who last won in 2002-03. Should this team go as far as it is capable of going, the Bulldogs may someday become icons of the kind of league that once upon a time existed in college hockey. So, … Read more
Winter has returned to Flint, Mich., and the snow is a definite improvement over the everlasting gray of these past several weeks. There are three CCHA games televised in my area Friday night: Ohio State at Miami and Michigan State at Notre Dame (CBS), and Ferris State at Western Michigan (Fox). Comcast is covering Saturday’s … Read more
A quick glance at the standings after this past weekend’s play shows us something we haven’t seen all season: nearly every team occupies a place of its own in the CCHA standings. Only Notre Dame and Northern Michigan share a spot — and what a surprise it is that those two teams are tied nearer … Read more
We are coming down to it. Theoretically, eight CCHA teams are in the hunt for the regular-season title. Theoretically. That’s everybody above 10th place except for the Buckeyes, who have two fewer regular-season games remaining than everyone else above 10th place. All the Bulldogs or Broncos have to do is win out to win it … Read more
Three things from the weekend: 1. Ferris State is taking care of business. I don’t know of any better way to put it. In a season when sweeps are rare, the Bulldogs are able to close that deal better than anyone else in the second half — and that simple fact may lead to a … Read more
Coming down to the last few weeks, there is so much uncertainty in the CCHA — and the standings are so very close — that it’s overwhelming to consider all the permutations. Here are a few interesting tidbits, though: Ferris State and Western Michigan are the only two teams near the top of the standings … Read more
With just three weekends of play remaining, nothing will be decided until the very end. Three things from this most recent weekend of play. 1. The Ferris State-Western Michigan series at the end of February will determine the regular-season champion, unless … 2. …the Wolverines have something to say about it. Okay, so this is … Read more
It’s the beginning of the end — of this season, anyway. Here’s how I’m doing: Last week: 6-3-1 Season to date: 95-63-23 (.588) Remember that adage about a broken clock and the frequency of its accuracy? Yeah. Like that. This week Everyone plays this weekend. All series are Friday-Saturday, single site. The games in Ann … Read more
Yet again, a weekend of play reminds us of how unpredictable this season is. Three quick things: 1. Ferris State may be the story of the year — or not. Raise your hand if you thought the Bulldogs would be in first place at any point this season. Okay, so if you’re a die-hard Bulldogs … Read more
What a strange season. In one of those if-the-season-were-to-end-today scenarios, seven CCHA teams would likely make the NCAA tournament; all seven of those teams are currently ranked. Lake Superior State just dropped out of the current rankings. To be honest, I don’t know what to think. In past years when the CCHA has appeared strong … Read more
Three quick things from the weekend. 1. You can’t fight city hall. At the beginning of the 2011-12 season, Miami and Michigan were picked to finish second and third, respectively, in both the coaches and media preseason CCHA polls. At the end of the first half of the 2011-12 season, Michigan was eighth in the … Read more
It’s impossible that we’re in the third week of January — with only six weekends of regular-season hockey remaining — but here we are. How have I done this season? Sigh. My picks percentage is as brutal as the temperature this morning in Flint. Last week: 5-3-2 Season to date: 82-58-20 (.575) I am grateful … Read more
This is the CCHA. The landscape changes quickly around here. Three things from this past weekend? We could pick a dozen or more. 1. Home-ice advantage? Not exactly. Friday night was brutal for the home teams. Three of them lost outright and two ended up tied after taking a lead into the third period — … Read more
It’s Friday the 13th. Could there be anything scarier than my picks percentage? Last week: 6-3-4 Season to date: 77-55-18 (.573) One of my better weeks. I’m beginning to think, though, that certain teams should pay me to pick against them. This week It’s a full slate of CCHA hockey, including Sunday’s Frozen Diamond game … Read more
I didn’t expect 2012 to be such a fascinating year. Sure, the Mayans have predicted some exciting things, but I certainly didn’t think that the scenery would move so quickly the first weekend in January. Here are three things that have changed my perspective a bit following the past weekend of hockey. 1. Six points … Read more
Oh, my friends, how poorly I fared for the holiday tournaments. Last week: 6-8-0 Season to date: 71-52-14 (.569) The week There is a lot of action this week, including games that pit ranked teams from a couple of different conferences against ranked CCHA teams. Days and times are noted in each series or game. … Read more