With every CCHA team in action this past weekend, we learned a little bit more about how this season is shaping up. Here are three of the scariest things that emerged from the most recent games. Michigan’s offense is scary good. There is no other way to put this. Averaging 4.88 goals per game and … Read more
I knew it! That 2-0 Thursday night record was so sweet — and perfection so brief. How did I do last night? Not as bad as I thought I would: 1-1-1. Seriously, I thought it would be 0-3 the moment I posted the picks. Last Week: 4-5-2 Last night: 1-1-1 Season to date: 29-19-6 (.593) … Read more
These series that begin Thursday are killing me. Some weeks, there just isn’t enough coffee. So far, I’m 2-for-2 on Thursdays this season, but given that there are three games tonight, I’m sure my brief and uncharacteristic flirtation with perfection will come to an end. Here’s how I’ve done so far. Last Week: 4-5-2 Season … Read more
Raise your hand if you thought you’d see Ferris State, Lake Superior, and Ohio State Nos. 1, 2, and 3 — in that order — at any point in the season. Put it down. Liar. No. 1? Really? Apparently it’s a curse. In the preseason USCHO.com Division 1 Men’s Poll, Notre Dame was the top … Read more
Hey! I’m 2-for-2 in Thursday night picks! Last Weekend (including Thursday): 9-6-2 Season to date: 24-13-3 Win percentage: .705 When your pick percentage is as stunning as mine is over the course of a season, you cling to the little things. This Week The CCHA’s 41st season continues with five conference series and one nonconference … Read more
These Thursday quick picks so far this season have a Ryan Dzingel-specific theme. Last week, I apologized for calling Dzingel “Danny” in my column. This week, Dzingel is popular with the ladies. The 12-year-old ladies. In the eye of the adolescent beholder A message came my way via email that’s too good not to share. … Read more
Last Monday, we were looking back at the first weekend of Division I play. This week, we had a taste of CCHA action and a second look at some opening weekend trends. First, there’s nothing like a fast start. Five CCHA teams are still undefeated after four games, but it’s which teams that haven’t lost … Read more
So I had a feeling that the Wolverines would beat St. Lawrence last night, but 10-3? Not surprisingly, someone had a hat trick. Senior Luke Glendening — who had eight goals in 44 games last season — recorded his first career three-goal game. Including last night’s win, here’s how I’m doing so far with the … Read more
Two things, CCHA fans: 1. A big apology to Ryan Dzingel, who is clearly not Danny Dzingel, as I originally wrote in today’s column. Dzingel is a freshman forward for Ohio State. I am a middle-aged columnist-slash-teacher living in Flint. I hope that clears things up. 2. There’s a game tonight, so there must be … Read more
Well, that was interesting. With 18 nonconference games featuring CCHA teams, we were given a good early look at the league, top to bottom. Three things stand out. 1. No one is invincible. No. 1 Notre Dame opened its season with a 4-3 loss to Minnesota-Duluth … which is the same way the Irish ended … Read more
It was a good week for the CCHA, with three nonconference wins and a bunch of exhibition victories (and one notable exception — congratulations, Ontario IT) but this week really kicks off the regular season. Last week: 3-0 Season to date: 3-0 Hey, that was easy! Click on any team’s name to see its season … Read more
How was your summer? Quiet? So much to talk about in the world of college hockey in the coming weeks and months, including the impending — and sad — demise of the CCHA. In the meantime, however, there is hockey to be played and within the next five days, two CCHA teams are playing hockey … Read more
I just heard someone say, “Michigan will need their best game to beat Colorado College.” I think that’s only partly true. I think that Michigan’s best game may not be enough to beat the Colorado College team I saw last night. My pick: CC 4-3.
What struck me most about Colorado College’s 8-4 win over Boston College was twofold. First, these Eagles were completely unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of this kind of drubbing and had never had to experience an NCAA tournament loss. Second, this was not the same CC team that I saw in the Great … Read more
I know that fans only want to talk about Kevin Lynch’s game-winning goal that sent Michigan ahead and ended Nebraska-Omaha’s season. Unfortunately, the way the game ended overshadows the great sixty minutes of regulation hockey and two minutes of OT that preceded it. The Mavericks scored at 1:35 and 8:18 in the first; the Wolverines … Read more
Just quick picks – winners, losers, scores – and no justification whatsoever for my choices, although I will be happy to respond in the comments section when I can, given travel and work this weekend. I will say that I surprised myself with my Frozen Four field. Midwest Regional No. 4 Rensselaer vs. No. 1 … Read more
It is hard to know where to begin. On Saturday morning, I listened to then-CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos discuss the ways in which he and the CCHA would deal with the impending Big Ten league. On Monday morning, the Big Ten made its Big Announcement. On Wednesday afternoon, Michigan State announced that now-former CCHA commissioner … Read more
According to several Lansing media outlets, including WLNS TV, current CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos will be the new Michigan State head coach. An announcement is supposed to come today at 4:00 p.m. Now you know as much as I do. Until this story started making its way around the internet, the name most talked about … Read more
Stealing Miami’s thunder Leave it to the Big Ten to steal the attention away from the Miami RedHawks and their first CCHA playoff championship. Well, I’m not going to talk about that today. That can wait until midweek. There’s hockey being played now. There was hockey in Detroit just two days ago. There are four … Read more
It’s a sunny, warm day in downtown Detroit – gorgeous day, in fact. Fans seem to be very pleased with the Fan Fest that the CCHA has put together this year – complete with a ceremonial slap shot yesterday with Detroit mayor Dave Bing – and fans from two teams are very pleased, indeed, about … Read more