Thanks to all you Hockey East readers out there for following your team in this blog. It’s been a fascinating and fun year, capped off by the league winning its fourth national championship in five years. I’d also like to remind you that I’ll be signing copies of Cracking the Ice at the Barnes & Noble … Read more
Yes, Boston College won yet another Hockey East title (third straight!) and Boston University and Maine will be in the tournament. But it is Massachusetts-Lowell that really feels like it is ready for its second life. That leads the three things we learned this weekend. 1. A second life sometimes feels better than the first The … Read more
Cornell’s win this afternoon has eliminated Merrimack from NCAA tournament consideration. The Warriors needed Cornell, Harvard, and Air Force to all lose. They were a great story, rising to number one in the country back when they were the only undefeated team 10 games into the season, but it’s all over now. This duplicates what’s been … Read more
I maintained my one-game lead last week, which means Dave will need a minor miracle if he wants to win. Man, the driver’s seat feels nice. Jim last week: 7-4-0 Dave last week: 7-4-0 Jim’s record-to-date: 123-75-17 Dave’s record-to-date: 122-76-17 Hockey East Semifinals No. 7 Providence vs. No. 1 Boston College (Fri, 5 p.m., TD Garden) Jim’s … Read more
One round of the Hockey East tournament is in the books. And while three series needed three games to decide the outcome, only one provided an upset (that would be Providence becoming the first-ever No. 7 seed to advance). That said, plenty to learn from this first round of Hockey East tournament play. 1. Goaltenders … Read more
Dave has his rally cap on. Let’s see if he has enough to complete the comeback! Jim last week: 7-2-0 Dave last week: 8-1-0 Jim’s record-to-date: 116-71-17 Dave’s record-to-date: 115-72-17 This week, we’ll pick all three games as if they are played. If a game three isn’t played, that pick doesn’t count. (All series Friday, … Read more
Eight teams remain as we bid a fond adieu to Vermont and Northeastern. And as we take our first look forward into the Hockey East playoffs, there are some teams that enter on highs, some on lows and some somewhere in between. Here is a look at each. On highs: Heaven isn’t high enough Really, … Read more
Just a few weeks left and I have leveraged a perfectly-picked split between UMass and UNH to take a two-game lead in the standings. I’m guessing Dave is about to pull the goalie in desperation, so I hope the lead is five by next weekend. Jim last week: 7-2-1 Dave last week: 5-4-1 Jim’s record-to-date: 109-69-17 … Read more
Plenty of things to take away from this past weekend, the penultimate for Hockey East. The one that strikes me the most was BU’s resilience amid the team’s greatest controversy in memory. That tops my list of three things learned this week. 1. Nothing off the ice seems to deter this BU team on the … Read more
Jim and I are now in a dead heat, not much different than Hockey East. Dave last week: 5-3-2 Jim last week: 4-4-2 Dave’s record-to-date: 102-67-16 Jim’s record-to-date: 102-67-16 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, February 24 Boston College at Providence Dave’s pick: I may not pick against BC the rest of the year. Eight straight and … Read more
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