Week Eight Picks

Well, I'm in Vegas right now for a little R&R, so I'm going to keep it short this week and only give my prediction on the scores. I'll be back in full swing next weekend.

I went 5-5 last week and am now 52-43 on the year.

Conference Games
Anchorage @ CC, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
UAA wins Friday 3-2, CC wins Saturday 4-2

Non-conference Games
Mankato @ Lowell, Friday 6:00, Saturday 3:00
Mankato sweeps 4-1, 4-2

Notre Dame @ UND, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Notre Dame wins Friday 4-3, Sioux win Saturday 5-2

Northern Michigan @ Bemidji, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
NM wins Friday 3-2, Bemidji wins Saturday 3-1

Lake Superior @ Denver, Friday 8:37
DU wins 3-1

Air Force @ Denver, Saturday 8:07
Denver wins 4-1

Michigan @ Wisconsin, Friday 7:07
Wisconsin wins 5-4

Michigan State @ Wisconsin, Saturday 8:07
Wisconsin wins 3-1

Michigan State @ Minnesota, Friday 7:07
Minnesota wins 4-3

Michigan @ Minnesota, Sunday 4:37
Michigan wins 5-4

Week Seven Matchups

Here we are in week seven already. This season is flying by so far, which is kind of disappointing. However, there are still a lot of games to be played.

Last weekend saw Bemidji State get its first win at their new arena. Congrats to them for (finally) getting it.

UND went in to Badger country last weekend and took all four points from the Badgers for the first time in 62 games! I know some of you may not like my take on the Badgers, but I'm still not sold on them. A win last weekend would have went a long way with my, but they dropped two games at home. With that said, they're still better than I thought they would be this season. At the looks of it, they'll probably be in the top three or four to end the season.

UNO continue its hot streak when they walked in to the National Hockey Center and took three of a possible four points from the Huskies with a convincing 3-0 win Friday and a 4-4 tie on Saturday. Dean Blaise's coaching style has not changed one bit. Watching this UNO team is exactly like watching his Sioux teams. They are hard working, hard hitting, and never give up. They don't ever seem to let off of the gas, and it works.

SCSU is now 4-6-2 overall and 2-3-1 in the WCHA. Remember, this is the team that was picked to finish second or third in the WCHA this season. Their biggest problem in that they don't move their feet the entire game. They have got to start skating. They were outplayed badly by UNO last Friday until about the midway point of the second when they finally started to skate to the puck instead of gliding to it. It was still tough to get a shot through the trees they have for defensemen, but they were no longer being outplayed. Saturday's game saw the Huskies come out flying the first two periods and taking a 3-2 lead into the third. The Mavericks came out of the second intermission and were flying (very UND-esque). I don't know if the Huskies were shocked, or what, but they weren't moving their feet for the first 10 minutes of the third and that led to two UNO goals to take a 4-3 lead. It wasn't until the midway point that the Huskies started moving again, and they were reward with 1:04 left with the game tying goal. OT was end-to-end, and both teams had chances to win. The Huskies had the best chance when Ben Hanowski had a mostly open net to shoot at, but shot the puck high. When SCSU starts consistently moving its' feet, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Duluth continues its (mostly) hot start with a sweep of Michigan Tech, and Bemidji split with Anchorage in Bemidji.

Last week I went 7-5 in my picks, and would've been 8-4 had I not switched my Bemidji/Alaska picks at the last minute. I am now 47-38 on the season. This week sees five WCHA series and no non-conference series.

Minnesota @ Michigan Tech, Friday/Saturday 6:07
These teams are, surprising, very evenly matched at this point in the season. Yes, the Gophers have found a way to win more games, but the Huskies seem to playing more consistently. Tech boasts a PP that's four points better than the U's, and their PK's are pretty even with Tech getting a slight edge there too. The difference maker in this series could be determined by how many times Tech gets to the penalty box and if the Gophers can capitalize on those opportunities. In my mind, this series is really a coin flip. However, I have to go with the trend for the Gophers right now.
Tech wins Friday 4-2, Gophers win Saturday 4-2

Duluth @ Wisconsin, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This is an interesting series this weekend. When you look at the statistical comparison for each of these teams, they are very evenly matched. Special teams are with a point of each other, and scoring offense/defense is pretty even as well, with Duluth getting a slight edge in goals scored in league games. Wisconsin is coming off of a weekend where they were swept at home, and the Dogs are coming off of a home sweep against Tech. Against the upper echelon teams in the country Wisconsin is winless. With that said, Duluth has really only played UND, where they split. I think UW finally gets the monkey off its back this weekend, but it won't last long.
Wisconsin wins Friday 2-1, Duluth wins Saturday 4-3

North Dakota @ Nebraska-Omaha, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
I am looking forward to this series. I actually with that I were going to this series, because I think it's going to be a great one. Dean Blaise faces his old team for the first time since returning to the college coaching ranks. In the statistical areas, UNO wins the PK battle (almost six points better than UND), and they're scoring over one goal per game more than the Sioux. Both coaches are going to have their teams ready to play, but I don't think Blaise is going to let his predecessor get the better of him right away. This should be a fast paced, hard hitting series, and I envy you who are there.
Omaha wins Friday 5-2, Sioux win Saturday 4-3

Bemidji @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
Bemidji takes its second road trip of the season, and it doesn't get any easier at Denver than it did at St. Cloud. Denver is coming off of a sweep of Mankato at home while the Beavers split with Anchorage in Bemidji. Statistically, the Beavers hold a huge advantage on the PP and Denver holds a huge advantage on the PK. Overall, Denver outscoring its opponents by a goal and Bemidji is being outscored by a goal. This game could come down to a special teams battle. I think Denver is going to find the back of the net on the PP more often than Bemidji. Taking into account that this is a road series, in the mountains, for the Beavers, I have to call a sweep.
Denver sweeps 4-1, 4-2

St. Cloud @ Anchorage, Friday 10:37, Saturday 10:07
This is a must sweep series for the Huskies if they have any hopes of finishing in the top three or four in the WCHA. They are currently 2-3-1 so it's still not out of reach, but it's going to be tough. The Huskies holds an advantage on special teams, scoring offense, and scoring defense. Alaska holds the edge in work ethic, at least so far in this early season. Anchorage is a hard working team that will beat to lose pucks if you don't work hard as well. I am down on the Huskies right now because they can't seem to put a full game together. A road trip is just what these guys need to get their season back on track. (Here's what a roadtrip can do for a team.)
Huskies sweep 3-2, 4-3

Week Six Matchups

Congratulations to Bemidji on its first WCHA win in program history. Sadly, it came on a horribly weak goal given up by SCSU's Dan Dunn :46 into OT, but it was their first win, nonetheless.

The Gophers continued to prove that they are ready and willing to roll over to any team in the league which was evidenced by their 6-0 drubbing at the hands of the Badgers last Friday at Mariucci. I don't know what's with this team, but something's got to change for them. If I were a member of Gopher nation, I'd be worried at this point. From what I'm hearing and seeing there doesn't seem to be much in the way of team unity/chemistry right now, nor does there seem to be a will to win on most nights.

Omaha is off to a hot start this season, and remains as the lone unbeaten school in the WCHA. They just look to be clicking everywhere so far this season. Unfortunately, clicking early isn't the key. In any sport, it's not who's hot first, it's who's hot last. We'll see if Omaha can keep it up.

Denver and CC are two teams who are still trying to find their identities in this early season. Neither team really knows what's going on. They both have great nights, and the both have awful nights (see CC's 9-2 loss to the Gophers and then coming back the following weekend and beating Denver 9-2).

Tech is a team that I'm still not sure of. They showed some scoring ability early, but haven't really played anyone. In fact, the only real WCHA test they had was against the Badgers and they were swept.

I went 6-4 in my picks last weekend and am now 40-33 on the season. Things are moving in the right direction as far as that's concerned. It ought to be another interesting weekend.

Conference Games
Tech @ Duluth, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This will prove to be Tech's toughest battle in this early season. They boast one of the top PP unit's in the country, but so does Duluth, and both teams PK's are similar, with Tech killing at about a 5% higher rate. Tech has showed the ability to score some goals this season, but their Achilles heal is still goaltending. They're giving up over 3.5 GPG so far this season. They're shown the ability to score. Now, they need to show the ability to keep their puck out of their own net. I don't see that happening this weekend, however, going up against the potent UMD Bulldogs.
'Dogs sweep 6-2, 4-1

North Dakota @ Wisconsin, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This is the first true test the Badgers will have in this early season. They've played the U and Denver, but both of those teams are sketchy at best in this early season. Neither team really knows its full capabilities. The Sioux, on the other hand, is a pretty solid team. They come out to battle every night (with the blatant exception of the Maine series, of course). If what the Badgers have done so far this season is any indication of the telling tale of this team, the Sioux may have their hands full. UW boasts the 3rd best offense and 4th best defense in the nation, thus far. Again, they haven't really had strong competition thus far. It should be a fun series to watch, though, as this is one of the bigger rivalries in college hockey.
Split. North Dakota wins Friday 4-2, Badgers win Saturday 3-2

Anchorage @ Bemdji, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Having not seen Alaska play in this early season makes it difficult to really say what kind of team they are. Bemidji, on the other hand, is a quick, hardworking team that will beat you to many pucks if you're not moving. They're problem is that they have one line. Last weekend, against St. Cloud, the Beavers only line that was able to produce anything was the George-Read-Lowe line. It's good to have one top line, but you still need to have other lines that can produce. The Beavers don't look to have that yet. Anchorage is not a great team, by any means, but they have shown some heart early on when they came back from a four goal deficit to tie the Sioux. I could see Bemidji completing the sweep in this one, but I just don't think the Seawolves are going to roll over for them.
Split. Bemidji wins Friday 2-1, Anchorage wins Saturday 4-3

Mankato @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
This is one of those series that I just don't know about. Offensively, they are identical, but it's defensively where there's almost a half GPG difference in favor of DU. After last Saturday's embarrassing loss to CC, I have to say that Denver is going to come out with a vengence. They're going to be hungry to get on the board often and get the W. Mankato, on the other hand, is Mankato. They're going to play their game, but it just isn't going to be enough...especially playing at Denver.
Denver sweeps 6-0, 4-1

Omaha @ St. Cloud, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This series could very easily end up in an Omaha or St. Cloud split. The Mavericks are playing extremely well so far this season, and the Huskies have been inconsistent at best. Omaha boasts the second best offense in the nation, the fifth best PP, and the 13th best PK. I don't even want to say where St. Cloud is in those categories... Omaha is a large team, with 12 players 6'2"+ and 15 over 200 lbs. St. Cloud has eight and seven players in those categories, respectively. With that said, when St. Cloud shows up to play, they are one of the best teams in the country. They are fast, skillfull, and have a nose for the net. The Huskies problem is that they seem to forget that they are playing 60 minute games twice per weekend. They showed flashes of absolute domination in each series this season for extended periods of time, and those flashes always came when they were moving their feet. When they stop moving their feet, they get beat. If the Huskies can move their feet for 120 minutes this weekend, I'd chalk up a sweep for the Huskies. As it stands, I just don't see that happening.
Split. Omaha Friday 5-2, Huskies Saturday 4-3

Non-Conference Games
Colorado College @ Air Force, Friday 8:05
Air Force is a mis-leading team. They boast an offense that has score nearly four GPG, but they scored 12 goals in one game against American International... CC plays in the WCHA; the toughest league in the nation. They proved to themselves that they could score some goals with their 9-2 drubbing of Denver last Saturday. I think they're going to continue they're winning ways.
CC Wins 4-1

Yale @ Colorado College, Saturday 8:07
Yale comes into this game boasting a 4-0-0 record, but they haven't played anyone of any significance so far. CC has played ten games so far and should have a better grip on who they are as a team. The PK looks to be the Achilles heal of Yale. If CC can capitalize on their PP's, they should be able to get a win.
CC wins 4-2

Week Five Matchups

It was an interesting week last week. Tech showed their true colors, the Gophers had an offensive explosion, and St. Cloud continued its inability to show up for at least one game of the weekend.

A few teams will be without players this week for various reasons. The Gophers will be without Nick Bjugstad and Jake Parenteau due to mono, and they will also be missing Zach Budish after he injured his knee in a moped accident earlier in the week. Mankato's Ryan Galiardi will be out a couple more week's with a knee injury. Denver will be without Adam Murray (groin injury), Nick Shore (wrist), Dustin Jackson (mono), and Jesse Martin due to a vicious hit by UND's Brad Malone, who is suspended for Friday's game vs. UMD.

This week should be a fun week with five league series, and all of them are, or are close to, rivalries. Bemidji's at SCSU, Wisconsin travels to the Gophers, Duluth and UND square off at the Ralph, the Mavericks battle the Mavericks in Omaha, and CC and Denver play a home-and-home series. All games should be fun to watch, and all are fairly unpredictable.

Unpredictability isn't going to keep me from picking scores for the weekend. Last weekend I went 6-6 and am now 34-29 on the year. Not too bad considering how tough it is to pick scores in this league.

Wisconsin @ Minnesota, Friday/Saturday 7:07 pm
This could be one of the biggest rivalries in the game. Bucky traveling to Goldy is always fun to watch. I honestly don't know who to pick in this and on what night. I am fairly certain that this will not be a sweep for either team. The Badgers have shown some offensive prowess and defensive ability. The Gophers have shown that they can score some goals, after their offensive outburst against CC last weekend. It ought to be an interesting weekend. I'm picking a split.
Wisconsin wins Friday 5-2, Minnesota wins Saturday 3-1

Duluth @ North Dakota, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Duluth comes into this series as the nation's #2 ranked team and the only team in the WCHA that is still unbeaten in this early season. They are flying offensively and defensively, and it's going to take quite a team to take them down. I think UND is just the team to do that. With the exception of the series at Maine, the Sioux have been a pretty tough team to beat this year, too. I see a tie and win for the Sioux here.
Tie Friday 3-3, UND wins Saturday 3-2

Mankato @ Omaha, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
This could be an interesting series this early. Omaha is coming off a bye week after suffering their first loss of the season at the University of Michigan the previous week. They have scored a ton of goals so far this season, where Mankato has not. Both teams are giving up about 3 goals per game so far in this early season. I think Omaha's offense is going to be the difference maker here, though.
UNO sweeps 5-2, 6-1

CC @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Denver @ CC, Saturday 8:07
One of the bigger rivalries in the league, this has the potential to be a low scoring affair. Both teams have given up about the same amount of goals and have also scored the same. There is a half goal difference in the goals against category in favor of Denver. Traditionally, Denver is the better defensive team, but if it weren't for the performance last weekend against the Gophers CC would be tied, or leading, Denver in that category this year. Neither team is proving to be offensive power-houses, and I don't see that changing too much this weekend. I'm going to go with the home team both nights.
Denver wins Friday 2-1, CC wins Saturday 3-2

Bemidji @ St. Cloud, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This is the first meeting between these two teams since October 2008, where the teams split a pair of games in Bemidji. This is also the first conference matchup between these two teams since the 1986-87 season when both teams were playing at the D-III level. Bemidji has played only four game this season, all at home, and are 0-3-1 so far. Their PP is clipping along at 16.7% and their PK is at 68.2. In addition, Bemidji isn't the greatest on Olympic sheets, posting a 5-28-3 all-time record. Although, they were 2-1-1 last season. The Huskies PP isn't much better at 17%, but their PK is 83.3%; much better than BSU's. I think the big sheet and special teams play will spell a Husky sweep, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Bemidji squeak out a win when St. Cloud decides they don't need to show up for one of the games.
St. Cloud sweeps 4-2, 5-1