These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. UNH suffered an embarrassing loss. I’ll admit it. When I saw that New Hampshire lost in overtime to Arizona State, I instinctively concluded that the Wildcats were in for a loooong season. After all, Arizona State only began playing varsity hockey last season, … Read more
Just when you would think you would gain some games, Dave goes (almost) perfect on the week. Jim last week: 7-2-3 Jim to date: 38-33-13 Dave last week: 9-0-3 Dave to date: 43-28-13 Friday, November 11 Massachusetts at Merrimack Jim’s pick: Neither team is playing incredible. Neither is playing well but neither is playing that … Read more
Now Boston College fans, don’t try to crucify me here. But with a 7-0-1 record in its last eight games, Boston College has the nation’s longest unbeaten streak. How many people who are part of the BC faithful knew that? That leads the three things I learned this week. 1. Boston College: We’re going streaking … Read more
Because of some scheduling glitches with my travel, I ended up picking first last week. And Dave made only one pick differently from me and picked up a game. The season is early (or so I keep reminding myself). Jim last week: 6-6-1 Jim to date: 31-31-10 Dave last week: 7-5-1 Dave to date: 34-28-10 … Read more
News of the suspension of four of its captains before the season cast plenty of doubt over the start to Vermont’s season. Now, with that quartet back in the lineup, the Catamounts are proving to be a team to reckon with. That leads the three things I’ve learned this week. 1. Watch out for the … Read more
Jim is still stuck at .500 while I’m only two games better. We’re both hoping our numbers take off in the upcoming weeks. Dave last week: 11-7-6 Jim last week: 9-9-6 Dave’s record-to-date: 27-23-9 Jim’s record-to-date: 25-25-9 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Oct. 28 Providence at Boston College Dave’s pick: Other than its Icebreaker game against Denver, this … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Things are looking a lot better at Merrimack. The Warriors got off to a rocky start on the season with three losses: 2-1 to Sacred Heart, 4-0 to Clarkson, and 4-1 to St. Lawrence. A look at the details made those losses look … Read more
When you have two people who are wearing Hockey East tinted glasses and picking non-league games, well let’s just say their records aren’t going to be very impressive if Hockey East struggles as it has been. But hey, .500 is an excellent batting average, right? Jim last week: 8-8-3 Dave last week: 9-7-3 Jim to-date: … Read more
With Hockey East going a collective 7-9-3 this weekend in non-league play, the league’s early-season collective struggles continue. While March seems so far away, might the results this month rear their ugly head come March? That leads the three things I learned this weekend. 1. Non-league woes could translate to thin NCAA representation come March Sure, … Read more
It’s hard to believe Jim opened the season by going .500 and… taking the lead! Dave last week: 7-9-3 Jim last week: 8-8-3 Dave’s record-to-date: 7-9-3 Jim’s record-to-date: 8-8-3 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Oct. 14 Merrimack at Clarkson Dave’s pick: When you open the season with a 2-1 home loss to Sacred Heart despite getting a 14-5 advantage … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1.Beware the Atlantic Hockey Conference. It wasn’t that long ago that games against the Atlantic Hockey Conference were considered close to automatic wins. Maybe not by the lower end of the Hockey East, but certainly among the elite. Not this past weekend. Atlantic teams … Read more
After handily beating Dave last year in our weekly picks contest, I know he’ll be looking for revenge. With this weekend’s non-conference action, I think there are a lot of difficult games to pick. So fingers crossed for a good start! Friday, October 7 Air Force vs. Boston College (at Icebreaker Tournament, Denver, Colo.) Jim’s … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this weekend (other than “triple overtime takes a long time!”). 1. Northeastern won its second Hockey East title and first since 1988. Who’d a thunk it back when the Huskies were 1-11-2? Has there ever been a turnaround from an opening record like that to a … Read more
Dave went with strategy over intelligence last weekend and made a bad deficit a horrid one. Butt-kick central. This is like a six-goal victory. On to the Garden. Jim last week: 8-1-0 Jim to date: 189-65-36 Dave last week: 3-6-0 Dave to date: 174-80-36 Friday, March 18 Hockey East Semifinals (at TD Garden, Boston) No. … Read more
A year ago, the NCHC made history placing six teams in the NCAA field, the most any conference had ever placed in a single season. Could Hockey East repeat that feat? That leads the three things I learned this week. 1. Hockey East could have six teams in NCAA field We know some simple facts … Read more
Stick a fork in me. I’m done. With a six-game deficit staring me in the face last week, I had to go for some long shots. And for a while on Friday night, it looked like I might pick up an amazing four games on Jim heading into Saturday. My faux thoroughbreds, however, couldn’t hold … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Once the playoffs start, there are no easy games. I’ll admit it. I thought that Maine and Massachusetts had the proverbial snowball’s chance in Tampa. UMass had been getting shellacked by seemingly everyone over the second half. Boston University, by contrast, had positioned … Read more
I’m not going to prematurely celebrate as things can still change on a dime, particularly if Dave decides to leave his brain behind and pick differently than I do in most games this weekend in a singular attempt to catch up. But I picked up two more games on Dave last weekend and hold a six … Read more
A five-team race late in the season became a three-team race in Hockey East’s final weekend. And in the end, though Boston College captured the top seed in the playoffs, the Eagles and the Providence Friars ended up atop of the league. That leads the three things I learned this weekend. 1. Eagles and Friars … Read more
The regular-season is coming to an end and thanks to calling the Merrimack/Maine split correctly last weekend, I maintain my four-game lead over Dave with four weekends of play remaining. Jim last week: 7-3-1 Jim to date: 165-59-36 Dave last week: 7-3-1 Dave to date: 161-63-36 The picks below are made according to series with … Read more