Both Dave and I had banner weeks and posted identically impressive results. Jim last week: 8-1-2 Jim year-to-date: 58-24-7 Dave last week: 8-1-2 Dave year-to-date: 58-24-7 Friday, November 22 Northeastern at Merrimack Jim’s pick: Last weekend was hardly ideal for the Huskies and Merrimack continued to struggle to score goals. I think NU will come … Read more
The Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks scheduled some difficult road trips to begin the season. That proved to be a good thing this past week as the team extended its road winning streak to six games. That leads the three things I learned this week. 1. Road tested, road approved UMass-Lowell finished what was a pretty grueling … Read more
Well, that was more like it! I out-picked Jimmy by two games and now we’re deadlocked again. Dave last week: 11-3-0 Jim last week: 9-5-0 Dave’s record-to-date: 50-23-5 Jim’s record-to-date: 50-23-5 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 15 Massachusetts at Boston College Dave’s pick: The carnage won’t be as bad for UMass as last week’s against New Hampshire, … Read more
Before we get to the conventional three things I learned this week, let me mention one unconventional thing I learned… … and that is how good Jimmy Connelly is at doing color on TV games. I knew he was good in the studio at NESN, but I DVR-ed the WBIR broadcast of the Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Northeastern … Read more
What has traditionally been one of college hockey’s best rivalries in recent decades lacked much of its luster on Friday night as Boston College severely outplayed Boston University in a 5-1 win at BU’s Agganis Arena. The game was the first for Boston University’s David Quinn as BU’s head coach and it was about as … Read more
Neither of us were very good last weekend, which means I maintain an early two-game lead over the old man. Jim last week: 6-4-1 Dave last week: 6-4-1 Jim to date: 41-18-5 Dave last week: 39-20-5 Friday, November 8 Boston College at Boston University Jim’s pick: The renewal of college hockey’s best rivalry will be … Read more
The Vermont Catamounts, the majority pick to finish among the bottom of Hockey East, proved this weekend they can play with the best, earning a split at home with No. 2 Notre Dame. But the Catamounts also showed that finishing a game is still a challenge, coming minutes away from a sweep of the Irish. … Read more
An ugly performance for me last weekend. Dave last week: 8-7-2 Jim last week: 10-5-2 Dave’s record-to-date: 33-16-4 Jim’s record-to-date: 35-14-4 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 1 Maine at Massachusetts Dave’s pick: The Black Bears took two from the Minutemen at Alfond last weekend, but I see UMass drawing first blood in the rematch. UMass 4, Maine … Read more
These are the three things I learned this week. 1. Hockey East wins the inaugural Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge. And it wasn’t even close. Hockey East took a 9-4 lead in the first week and finished it off with a 9-7 performance this past weekend to win the challenge, 18-11. The scoring system awarded two … Read more
Plenty of games threw me off last week, though Dave was only one game better thus leaving us tied after two weeks. Dave last week: 10-6-1 Jim last week: 9-7-1 Dave’s record-to-date: 25-9-2 Jim’s record-to-date: 25-9-2 Friday, October 25 Massachusetts at Maine (non-conf.) Jim’s pick: Both teams are coming off wins but UMass has been a little more impressive … Read more
The inaugural Hockey East/Big Ten challenge, a 13-game series between Hockey East and Big Ten teams, kicked off this past weekend with Hockey East teams dominating. That leads the three things that I learned this week in Hockey East: 1) Hockey East was up to the “Challenge” The Hockey East/Big Ten Challenge wasn’t very challenging … Read more
Q: When is a record of 15-3-1 a disappointment? A: When your competition goes 16-2-1. Dave last week: 15-3-1 Jim last week: 16-2-1 Dave’s record-to-date: 15-3-1 Jim’s record-to-date: 16-2-1 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Oct. 18 Wisconsin at Boston College Dave’s pick: This ranks as the Game of the Week, the number two team in the country against … Read more
Here’s the inaugural Monday morning wrapup of the season with the extended column to come on Wednesday. These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. There’s no such thing as a sure thing. The one mortal lock going into last weekend was Massachusetts-Lowell hosting Sacred Heart. The River Hawks, after all, … Read more
For the first time since 1973, Boston University began its season with a new head coach behind the bench. It will take a good while to see how similar or different the program will be under David Quinn after the 40-year reign of Jack Parker.
Welcome back to another season of great hockey. Other than Boston College, which snuck in a Thursday night game , everyone is 0-0-0. Even Jimmy. For at least this week, he’s dead even with me. We’ll see how long that lasts. Dave’s record-to-date: 0-0-0 Jim’s record-to-date: 0-0-0 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Oct. 11 Massachusetts at … Read more
So yes, Dave wins this season. Finally. The old man wasn’t even close the last two years and the way he gloated last week you would think he’d won the Lamoriello Cup. I guess once you get old you look for the little things for satisfaction. Jim last week: 2-1-0 Dave last week: 2-1-0 Jim … Read more
In this, the final, Monday morning wrapup of the season, I’m tempted to say that one I learned was that USCHO’s Jayson Moy blows away all competition when it comes to Bracketology. He did, after all, pick the NCAA tournament perfectly in all its details. Yet again. But I can’t use Jayson as the best at … Read more
If Jim weren’t such a great friend, I’d gloat just a little over how thoroughly I trounced him in the picks race this year. But since Jim is such a great friend… I’m going to gloat a lot! Hey, that’s what buddies do. I might even get a sign to put over my bed in … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Boston College coach Jerry York could miss the Hockey East championships. When news broke on Saturday that York had suffered a second detached retina of his right eye, he was ruled out of the weekend’s series with Vermont and nothing more. But with … Read more
There are a maximum of 15 games remaining to be played in Hockey East. I enter this weekend eight games behind Dave. I should be waving the white flag. But my never-give-up mentality is keeping me alive. Then again, Dave can just match all of my picks this weekend and I’m done. So let’s just … Read more