The Vermont Catamounts, the majority pick to finish among the bottom of Hockey East, proved this weekend they can play with the best, earning a split at home with No. 2 Notre Dame. But the Catamounts also showed that finishing a game is still a challenge, coming minutes away from a sweep of the Irish. … Read more
An ugly performance for me last weekend. Dave last week: 8-7-2 Jim last week: 10-5-2 Dave’s record-to-date: 33-16-4 Jim’s record-to-date: 35-14-4 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 1 Maine at Massachusetts Dave’s pick: The Black Bears took two from the Minutemen at Alfond last weekend, but I see UMass drawing first blood in the rematch. UMass 4, Maine … Read more
These are the three things I learned this week. 1. Hockey East wins the inaugural Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge. And it wasn’t even close. Hockey East took a 9-4 lead in the first week and finished it off with a 9-7 performance this past weekend to win the challenge, 18-11. The scoring system awarded two … Read more
Plenty of games threw me off last week, though Dave was only one game better thus leaving us tied after two weeks. Dave last week: 10-6-1 Jim last week: 9-7-1 Dave’s record-to-date: 25-9-2 Jim’s record-to-date: 25-9-2 Friday, October 25 Massachusetts at Maine (non-conf.) Jim’s pick: Both teams are coming off wins but UMass has been a little more impressive … Read more
The inaugural Hockey East/Big Ten challenge, a 13-game series between Hockey East and Big Ten teams, kicked off this past weekend with Hockey East teams dominating. That leads the three things that I learned this week in Hockey East: 1) Hockey East was up to the “Challenge” The Hockey East/Big Ten Challenge wasn’t very challenging … Read more
Q: When is a record of 15-3-1 a disappointment? A: When your competition goes 16-2-1. Dave last week: 15-3-1 Jim last week: 16-2-1 Dave’s record-to-date: 15-3-1 Jim’s record-to-date: 16-2-1 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Oct. 18 Wisconsin at Boston College Dave’s pick: This ranks as the Game of the Week, the number two team in the country against … Read more
Here’s the inaugural Monday morning wrapup of the season with the extended column to come on Wednesday. These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. There’s no such thing as a sure thing. The one mortal lock going into last weekend was Massachusetts-Lowell hosting Sacred Heart. The River Hawks, after all, … Read more
For the first time since 1973, Boston University began its season with a new head coach behind the bench. It will take a good while to see how similar or different the program will be under David Quinn after the 40-year reign of Jack Parker.
Welcome back to another season of great hockey. Other than Boston College, which snuck in a Thursday night game , everyone is 0-0-0. Even Jimmy. For at least this week, he’s dead even with me. We’ll see how long that lasts. Dave’s record-to-date: 0-0-0 Jim’s record-to-date: 0-0-0 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Oct. 11 Massachusetts at … Read more
So yes, Dave wins this season. Finally. The old man wasn’t even close the last two years and the way he gloated last week you would think he’d won the Lamoriello Cup. I guess once you get old you look for the little things for satisfaction. Jim last week: 2-1-0 Dave last week: 2-1-0 Jim … Read more
In this, the final, Monday morning wrapup of the season, I’m tempted to say that one I learned was that USCHO’s Jayson Moy blows away all competition when it comes to Bracketology. He did, after all, pick the NCAA tournament perfectly in all its details. Yet again. But I can’t use Jayson as the best at … Read more
If Jim weren’t such a great friend, I’d gloat just a little over how thoroughly I trounced him in the picks race this year. But since Jim is such a great friend… I’m going to gloat a lot! Hey, that’s what buddies do. I might even get a sign to put over my bed in … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned this week. 1. Boston College coach Jerry York could miss the Hockey East championships. When news broke on Saturday that York had suffered a second detached retina of his right eye, he was ruled out of the weekend’s series with Vermont and nothing more. But with … Read more
There are a maximum of 15 games remaining to be played in Hockey East. I enter this weekend eight games behind Dave. I should be waving the white flag. But my never-give-up mentality is keeping me alive. Then again, Dave can just match all of my picks this weekend and I’m done. So let’s just … Read more
In 28 years, no team with a name other than Boston College, Boston University, Maine or New Hampshire ever won the Hockey East regular season title. Saturday night, that changed when Massachusetts-Lowell, a team that began the season 2-6-1 in league play, finished off an incredible late-season run to capture its first Hockey East regular … Read more
Many coaches have said that the Hockey East league title will come down to the final night of the regular season. All of them were correct. By virtue of Providence beating Massachusetts-Lowell, Boston College and Vermont skating to a 4-4 tie, and Maine’s victory over New Hampshire, tomorrow’s game between Lowell and Providence has virtually become … Read more
For a while there, my plummeting position in the picks race was starting to resemble the September, 2011 Red Sox. I became so despondent, I had to console myself with a bucket of fried chicken. Fortunately, the proper order to the universe has been restored, which means my lead widened by another two games last … Read more
Our guests on the March 5 edition of USCHO Live! will be two coaches looking to clinch a regular season title: St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko, whose WCHA first-place Huskies will try to nail down the MacNaughton Cup this weekend at Wisconsin, and Massachusetts-Lowell coach Norm Bazin, whose River Hawks stand atop Hockey East … Read more
These are the three things I think I learned. 1. Northeastern’s season ends next week. When the Huskies managed only a single point in Orono, their season went from being on life support to a flat line. With a sweep of BU, they can catch Massachusetts for ninth place if the Minutemen also get swept … Read more
Dave may have felt he was done in by the Curse of Nicole. Personally, I was done in by the Curse of Making Bad Picks. The white flag is in my hand right now, just about ready to be waved. Jim last week: 5-5-1 Jim to date: 94-71-20 Dave last week: 7-3-1 Dave to date: … Read more