A sweep of St. Lawrence puts Northeastern back into the conversation of the relevant teams in Hockey East and leads the three things I learned this weekend. 1. Northeastern may be poised for a big second half The Huskies swept St. Lawrence on the road this weekend, which one might have believed would be improbable given … Read more
Holee smokes! I’ve shaved two games off Jim’s lead. Something good must have been in my holiday eggnog. Dave last week: 7-3-3 Jim last week: 5-5-3 Dave’s record-to-date: 100-46-25 Jim’s record-to-date: 103-43-25 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Jan. 8 Providence at Boston College Dave’s pick: I think there’s a razor-thin difference between these two clubs, so I’m going … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Providence is mortal. The Friars went longer than any other team before sustaining a loss, but since the holiday break they’ve lost two of their last three. Losing in overtime to a 9-2-2 Cornell team in the first game out of the break … Read more
The post-holiday action continues with more nonconference play. Jim last week: 5-5-0 Jim to-date: 98-38-22 Dave last week: 5-5-0 Dave to-date: 93-43-22 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Jan. 1 Mariucci Classic Connecticut at Minnesota Dave’s pick: UConn finished strong in the first half, but I’m going with the Gophers on their home ice. UM … Read more
Thanks to Union’s overtime win against Vermont, I went perfect and gained a game on Dave in the slow week before Christmas. A five-game lead feels like a luxury entering the second half but one bad week and that lead could be gone. Jim last week: 3-0-0 Jim to-date: 93-33-22 Dave last week: 2-1-0 Dave … Read more
Dave was able to pick up a single game last weekend during light action. Jim last week: 3-3-1 Jim to-date: 90-33-22 Dave last week: 4-2-1 Jim to-date: 86-37-22 Saturday, Dec. 19 Michigan State at Northeastern Jim’s pick: This is a tough one to pick as I think Northeastern has played well of late and Michigan … Read more
There remains just one unbeaten team in the country thanks to Boston University. That leads the three things I learned this week. 1. A motivated BU team knocks off Quinnipiac Maybe a 3-2 loss on Friday night to Yale was the motivation that Boston University needed as a night later, after falling behind, 1-0, to … Read more
Even when I have a strong week, Jimmy matches me. And when I don’t… Dave last week: 8-4-2 Jim last week: 8-4-2 Dave’s record-to-date: 82-35-21 Jim’s record-to-date: 87-30-21 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Dec. 11 Merrimack at Connecticut Dave’s pick: A week ago, I’d have gone with the Warriors, but it’s hard to ignore UConn’s sweep of Massachusetts-Lowell … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Connecticut sweeps Massachusetts-Lowell! UConn got off to a surprisingly strong start in Hockey East last year, but came into the weekend struggling with a 1-7-0 league record. And since the Huskies were facing a Lowell squad that was undefeated in Hockey East play, … Read more
Dave and I had equally as impressive weeks last week, thus my lead stands at five games. (Did I hit “bold” there?) Jim last week: 12-2-1 Jim to-date: 79-26-19 Dave last week: 12-2-1 Dave to-date: 74-31-19 Friday, December 4 Vermont at Boston University Jim’s pick: I feel like Vermont is better than it is playing right … Read more
Shootouts are not the norm in college hockey, particularly for schools out east. But this weekend, they twice translated to trophies for Hockey East teams. 1. UMass-Lowell plays comeback kids at inaugural Friendship Four Wild and wooly is the only way to explain UMass-Lowell’s championship at the inaugural Friendship Four tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland. … Read more
Last week, Jim and I disagreed on only two picks. One of those games ended in a tie. In the other, he correctly picked the order of the Boston University – Michigan split, getting them both right. Could it be that Jimmy is smarter than I am? As Vizzini said in The Princess Bride, “Inconceivable!” … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Providence, Boston College, and Massachusetts-Lowell are separating themselves from the rest of the league. These three teams continued their undefeated play within Hockey East. Providence swept Northeastern, Lowell took three of four points from Notre Dame and BC defeated New Hampshire. While several … Read more
Let the good times continue to roll! For the third straight week, I’ve picked up games on Dave and have increased my lead to four. That, along with the fact that I was an unbeaten 7-0-4 last week, should have the old man ready to pull out all the punches. How else can he carry … Read more
It was a series you circled when the schedules were announced: Boston University and Providence, a rematch of last year’s national title game. And though fans were probably entertained at each venue, neither night of the home-and-home series produced a winner. That leads the three things I learned this weekend. 1. When it comes to … Read more
Jim and I differed on only two games last week, and in both cases he chose the right team, tripling his lead. Since this is Friday the 13th, perhaps all that bad luck will go his way and I’ll get back to even. Dave last week: 9-6-0 Jim last week: 11-4-0 Dave’s record-to-date: 48-25-10 Jim’s record-to-date: 51-22-10 Here … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned from this all-or-nothing weekend. 1. The All: Teams swept all four league series Hockey East is typically so tough top to bottom that it’s extremely difficult to take four points from a league foe. That, however, is exactly what happened this weekend in all four league series. … Read more
Both Dave and I had equally impressive weeks last week which means I hold my single-game lead in the standings. Jim last week: 13-2-1 Jim to-date: 40-18-10 Dave last week: 13-2-1 Dave to-date: 39-19-10 Friday, November 6 Maine at Boston College Jim’s pick: Boston College seems to be clicking on all cylinders. Maine definitely is … Read more
Our guests on the Nov. 3 edition of USCHO Live! will be Providence coach Nate Leaman, whose 2015 national champion Friars are at No. 2 in this week’s USCHO.com men’s D-I hockey poll with a 6-0-1 record, and Brad Elliott Schlossman, nationally-recognized sports writer and beat writer for the Grand Forks Herald, covering this week’s No. 1 North Dakota. Join us live at http://www.uscho.com/uscho-live/2015/11/02/leaman-schlossman-join-us-on-nov-3-edition-of-uscho-live/
Don’t look now but Providence’s Jake Walman is tied for the nation’s lead in goals per game. That tops my list of three things in Hockey East that I learned this week: 1. Walman a beast on the blue line for the Friars On a weekend where the Providence Friars buried 11 goals, it was defenseman … Read more