I categorically deny that two weeks ago I allowed Jim to pick up three games on me in a shamelessly sadistic move, knowing full well that I’d gain four this past week. I would never, ever do that to my good buddy. Heh, heh, heh. I will say, however, that I’m enjoying my seven game lead. … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this past week. 1. The league is getting squeezed The top and the bottom of Hockey East are getting closer to each other. Boston College at the top (1A to New Hampshire’s 1B) continued its modest slumber last weekend, settling for a 3-3 tie with Yale. … Read more
Neither Dave nor I did very well last week with so many unexpected outcomes in holiday tournaments. Fortunately, Dave was three games worse than I was, helping me cut his lead in picks in half. Jim last week: 8-6-1 Dave last week: 5-9-1 Jim’s record-to-date: 61-39-10 Dave’s record-to-date: 64-36-10 Friday, Jan. 4 Yale at Boston College Jim’s pick: As much as … Read more
Two slumping Hockey East teams earned tournament titles (and a third will play for a title tonight), which leads me to ask: can winning your holiday tournament serve as a springboard to the second half? 1. Maine, Vermont win titles, hope to earn confidence Holiday tournaments are strange creatures. Your team generally is coming off … Read more
Well, it’s just about the New Year, which personally I hope translates to much improved success in picking these games. To this point, I’m six games behind my elderly elder. Seeing as there is no column this week, we decided to take a bit of an expanded look at each of the upcoming weekend’s holiday … Read more
Question: How do you write a “three things I learned” Monday wrapup when Hockey East teams only played a single game over the weekend? Answer: Stretch the boundaries a bit. So here goes. These are the three things I think I learned. Three. Hockey East sits pretty atop the national rankings. You’ve probably already noticed … Read more
Kermit the Frog sang years ago that it’s not easy being green. Well, it’s also not easy being the number one team in the USCHO.com poll. New Hampshire became another Hockey East team to learn that this weekend, and that leads the three things I learned this week. 1. The King is dead, long live … Read more
Jimmy and I only disagreed on a single game last week. Which means we both got shellacked on Friday and had to make do with modest Saturday comebacks. Even though he picked up a game on me, I’m still ahead by five so I’ll be heading into the holidays with a nice cushion barring a cataclysmic collapse. … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. Three: Home ice isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. I’d commented earlier this season that home ice appeared to be more dominant than usual this year. Well, this weekend may have singlehandedly changed all that. One might have thought that the Boston … Read more
When Boston College coach Jerry York recorded his 500th win back in 1996, USCHO was in its first year of existence. There was no room for us in many press boxes and some coaches were befuddled by exactly what USCHO was all about. “What’s this Internet website thing?” one coach asked me, his face clouded … Read more
After blowing a 4-0 lead on Friday night, finishing in a 4-4 tie with Colorado College, it looked like New Hampshire’s trip to Colorado could be a disaster when the Wildcats fell behind, 3-0, to Denver on Saturday. Then something changed. That leads my three takeaways from this weekend. 1. Comeback makes long flight more … Read more
I’m thankful I enjoyed such a good picks record last week. I’m unhappy, though, that Jim did, too. With this week’s slate of nonconference games, I’ll be surprised if we once again emerge with the same results. Just too many unfamiliar teams to disagree on. Dave last week: 8-1-1 Jim last week: 8-1-1 Dave’s record-to-date: 41-17-3 Jim’s record-to-date: … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. Three: Boston College can get away with occasionally playing like pyromaniacs. The Eagles have earned their unanimous number one ranking, but they’ve played with fire a couple times this season and gotten away with it. They kicked off their current nine-game winning streak with a … Read more
That which I receive, I giveth back. Very useless week for me. Jim last week: 6-4-0 Dave last week: 8-2-0 Jim’s record-to-date: 29-20-2 Dave’s record-to-date: 33-16-2 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 16 Merrimack at Boston College Jim’s pick: Let’s keep this simple… I’m not betting against BC right now. BC 4, MC 2 Dave’s pick: Agreed 100 percent. I won’t … Read more
After an election week where every major news network wanted to be the first to call each of the 50 states, I want to make a very early call about Hockey East. Three teams seem definitively head and shoulders above the rest, and that leads my three things that I learned this weekend: 1. Hockey … Read more
I gave up some ground to Jimmy last week. Time to reestablish that four-game lead. Dave last week: 5-5-0 Jim last week: 7-3-0 Dave’s record-to-date: 25-14-2 Jim’s record-to-date: 23-16-2 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 9 Maine at Massachusetts-Lowell Dave’s pick: The River Hawks have gotten off to a slow start, but Maine’s has been glacial. UML … Read more
Here are the three things I think I learned this week. Three: Merrimack could be a force yet again this year. I’ll admit it. I thought this season would be a tough one for the Warriors. They’d excelled the past couple years despite the attrition, but they’d just lost too much this time around. Which is why I … Read more
Finally a bounce-back week for me but I still couldn’t gain any ground on the Old Man. Jim last week: 7-1-2 Dave last week: 7-1-2 Jim’s record-to-date: 16-13-4 Dave’s record-to-date: 20-9-2 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 2 Boston College at Maine Jim’s pick: Though I still am not convinced that Maine is a cellar-dwellar, I can’t pick the … Read more
No team wants a goaltending controversy. And even though Northeastern seems to have found a diamond in the rough in Bryan Mountain, that may not be the best thing for this club. That leads my three things I learned this weekend: 1. Rawlings struggles, Mountain shines Chris Rawlings is supposed to be the backbone to … Read more
Hockey East had a tough weekend and many of those losses extended to Jim and me. We both believed a little too much in the league. We’ll be hoping for better results this week for all concerned. Dave last week: 5-5-1 Jim last week: 4-6-1 Dave’s record-to-date: 13-8-2 Jim’s record-to-date: 9-12-2 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, October 26 … Read more