These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. It’s looking like a three-way race at the top. A week ago, five teams were clustered together, all within two points of first-place Massachusetts-Lowell. Now those five co-favorites are down to three as Boston College, Lowell, and Boston University have put some separation … Read more
Call me the comeback kid, the UMass-Lowell of picks, whatever. There are three weeks left in the regular season and, for the first time all year, I’m back in first place! Dave last week: 3-6-1 Jim last week: 7-2-1 Dave’s record-to-date: 97-64-14 Jim’s record-to-date: 98-63-14 Friday, February 16 Merrimack at Boston College Jim’s pick: So many difficult games … Read more
The end is near to the Hockey East regular season and the race for the league title, home ice and the final playoff spot all tightened up this past weekend. What a few weeks back was five points separating three teams for the league title is now two. Two weeks ago it seemed like New … Read more
Jim and I finally put together an excellent week. Let’s see if we can make it two in a row. Dave last week: 10-1-0 Jim last week: 10-1-0 Dave’s record-to-date: 94-58-13 Jim’s record-to-date: 91-61-13 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, February 10 Maine at Providence Dave’s pick: Two teams going in different directions. The Black Bears … Read more
These are three things I think I learned from this past weekend. 1. Only one Hockey East Beanpot team was thinking about Monday on Friday. Coaches and fans of Beanpot teams always worry about the Friday night before the Beanpot. Will their team be looking ahead to the contest three nights ahead at the Garden when they should be … Read more
Yet another mediocre weekend of picks for Dave and me. Guess that’s a product of how tight this league is. Jim’s last week: 5-4-0 Dave’s last week: 5-4-0 Jim’s record-to-date: 81-60-13 Dave’s record-to-date: 84-57-13 Friday, February 3 Boston University at Merrimack Jim’s pick: Even though I rarely pick against Merrimack at home (though did last weekend and … Read more
There were four weekend sweeps in Hockey East – Massachusetts-Lowell over Massachusetts, Maine over Boston University, Boston College over New Hampshire and Northeastern over Vermont – that taught me just one thing (that can be divided into three different groups). So here are the three classes that will make up the Hockey East race as … Read more
Was there a more pathetic performance last weekend than my picks? I’ll give you Kyle Williams and Billy Cundiff but can you name a third? I didn’t think so. Dave last week: 4-6-0 Jim last week: 5-5-0 Dave’s record-to-date: 79-53-13 Jim’s record-to-date: 76-56-13 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, January 27 Maine at Boston University Dave’s pick: … Read more
These are three things I think I learned from this past weekend. 1. Northeastern is in trouble. The Huskies, who two weeks ago projected to be an NCAA tournament bubble team after running off eight straight wins, now sit in ninth place in Hockey East and 27th in the Pairwise. Making matters worse, the teams immediately ahead of … Read more
Neither Dave nor I had stellar weeks, but at least I picked up a game on the old man (finally!) Jim’s last week: 5-3-1 Dave’s last week: 4-4-1 Jim’s record-to-date: 71-51-13 Dave’s record-to-date: 75-47-13 Friday, January 20 Providence at BU Jim’s pick: Love the way the Terriers are playing right now. Providence, not so much. … Read more
One Hockey East team earned two wins this weekend and that’s the Boston University Terriers. They lead my list of three things I learned this weekend: 1. Terriers beginning to fill offensive gaps: They may have lost some of their top scorers, but the Boston University Terriers seem like one of Hockey East’s hottest teams. … Read more
BOSTON – The 2012 version of Frozen Fenway is officially over. Let me be the first to say, “Thank heaven.” I know. I’m what you might call a Negative Nelly. You can say I don’t appreciate the aura of Fenway Park or the nostalgia of outdoor hockey. To that I would disagree. I think outdoor … Read more
The departure of two of Boston University’s most prodigious scorers severely thinned the Terriers’ offensive ranks during the December holiday break. First, Corey Trivino – BU’s leading goal scorer – was dismissed from the team after an off-ice incident. Just four days later, Charlie Coyle left the Terriers to sign with the Saint John Sea … Read more
I could have resorted to the four-corners offense last week — you youngsters out there will need to look that one up on Wikipedia — but I didn’t. I went against Jim’s picks in three of the five games and almost went three-for-three. But as Meatloaf once sang — more Wikipedia research there for you, kids … Read more
Yes, there were other games but when I looked at the top three things I learned, they all centered on the Fenway games. 3. The Minutemen are heating up In the first half, Massachusetts had some very nice ups (wins over Boston College and Northeastern) and some not-so-nice downs (two five-game winless streaks). More recently, … Read more
“We have to find our Fenway.” The Vermont Catamounts have endured a brutal season so far, entering their Frozen Fenway contest against Massachusetts with a 4-14-1 overall record and even worse, a 1-10-1 mark within Hockey East. That left them seven points behind in the race for the last playoff berth. But going against UMass, an … Read more
Whenever you play an outdoor game and the temperature rises, the immediate concern is how well the ice will hold up. While the temperature dropped to a manageable 49 degrees by the start of the second game, it stood at 59 degrees for the first. “It was a little bouncy out there, I’m not going … Read more
The New Hampshire – Maine nightcap to the Frozen Fenway doubleheader is now expected to start at 8:00. It was originally penciled in for 7:30, but the actual time depended on how long the first one lasted. Of course, if there’s overtime — Vermont and Massachusetts are now tied, 2-2, partway through the third period … Read more
While fans of the schools involved (and those not involved) will certainly focus on the change in teams, there are a few other differences from the first Frozen Fenway, two years ago in 2010. First, the 2010 weather made the phrase Frozen Fenway truly apt. Family members of mine who attended both ends of the doubleheader were … Read more
Welcome to the New Year! Hopefully I can do something to close the old man’s gap in the picks department. Jim’s last week: 9-6-2 Dave’s last week: 10-5-2 Jim’s record-to-date: 64-46-11 Dave’s record-to-date: 68-42-11 Saturday, January 7 Merrimack at BU Jim’s pick: Even though they’re at home, I don’t have much confidence in BU right … Read more