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
Our guests on the March 1 edition of USCHO Live! are Connecticut coach Mike Cavanaugh, whose Huskies clinched a Hockey East home playoff series with a dramatic, come-from-behind win on Saturday, and Paula C. Weston, USCHO.com Big Ten columnist. Join us live at http://www.uscho.com/uscho-live/2016/03/01/uconns-cavanaugh-uschos-weston-are-march-1-guests/
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
It looked as if the Notre Dame Fighting Irish might be headed to their first Hockey East regular season title, in just year three in the league, heading into last weekend. And for about 53 minutes on Friday, there was plenty of reason to believe that might happen. That changed quickly and leads the three … Read more
Good grief, I only got one game wrong last week but made up no ground on Jim. Dave last week: 10-1-2 Jim last week: 10-1-2 Dave’s record-to-date: 154-60-35 Jim’s record-to-date: 158-56-35 Friday and Saturday, February 19-20 Because every team except Massachusetts and Massachusetts-Lowell is playing a two-game series against the same opponent, we will list picks for each series … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Notre Dame is now the team to beat. But… The Irish have their destiny in their own hands with a one-point lead with two weeks to go. That’s thanks primarily to their own strong play, sweeping Maine last weekend to make them 11-1-0 … Read more
Thanks to Northastern’s win over Harvard in the Beanpot consolation game and a late Merrimack goal last Saturday night to earn a tie with Connecticut, I picked up a key game late in the season on Dave. It’s almost getting to the point that he’s going to have to begin to get desperate, pinching the … Read more
Ever since Hockey East changed to a three-weekend playoff format two years ago, the weekend between Beanpot games created a must-watch couple of days for the Hockey East standings as most of the games in hand that have been accumulated throughout the season level off just three weeks prior to the regular-season finale. That was … Read more
No ties last week. It’s been a while since we could say that. And hey, I picked up a game on Jim, so life is good. Dave last week: 9-3-0 Jim last week: 8-4-0 Dave’s record-to-date: 136-57-31 Jim’s record-to-date: 139-54-31 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Feb. 5 New Hampshire at Boston College Dave’s pick: The Wildcats’ split with … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. All four Beanpot schools are going into Monday night’s games on high notes. Boston College and Boston University polished off Notre Dame and Merrimack, respectively, by identical 4-0 scores. The Eagles get the extra tip of the fedora considering that Notre Dame was … Read more
Darn it, UConn. A tie against Boston College and a loss to Sacred Heart was the only thing that kept me from perfection last week. Still at 11-1-1, I picked up a game on Dave, which is a better-than-average consolation prize. Jim last week: 11-1-1 Jim to date: 131-50-31 Dave last week: 10-2-1 Dave to … Read more
It was an 8-0 decision for Boston College over Massachusetts that gave BC head coach Jerry York his 1,000th career win. That doesn’t make the value of the victory any less. 1) 1-0 or 8-0, York’s victory on Friday was special I honestly don’t care about the final score. But Boston College head coach Jerry … Read more
Jim and I had pretty good weeks, but both games we differed on ended as ties so I made up no ground. So that’s a good week for him and a bad one for me. Dave last week: 8-2-3 Jim last week: 8-2-3 Dave’s record-to-date: 117-52-30 Jim’s record-to-date: 120-49-30 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Jan. 22 Massachusetts-Lowell at … Read more