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 in Peabody, Massachusetts, this Saturday at 2 o’clock.  If you’re in the area, stop by and say hi.

Again, thanks and have a great off-season. Don’t forget that USCHO doesn’t shut down over the summer. Keep checking back for what’s new.

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 UMass-Lowell River Hawks didn’t want to fall in the Hockey East quarterfinals. But the River Hawks team, which has to feel like it is playing with the house’s money after improving from five wins a year ago, is ready for its second life. Lowell is headed back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996 – a 16-year absence – and that chance is plenty to inspire this team. Head coach Norm Bazin called his team “dangerous” on Sunday, because of the fact it will get back to the ice after a week off. This hungry Lowell team will face a fast-paced, high-flying Miami team that was one of the darlings down the stretch until it was knocked off by CCHA champ Western Michigan in the league semifinals.

2. BU needs consistency; Maine needs health

Friday night proved what many thought after the BU Terriers snuck by New Hampshire last weekend: BU isn’t playing well. In saying that, maybe the word inconsistent is the best way to describe the Terriers play of late. That inconsistency isn’t game to game. It’s minute to minute and needs to improve if the Terriers are to get past a tough Minnesota team on Gopher ice next weekend.

For Maine, missing Spencer Abbott, injured on Friday against BU, seemed to really have an impact in Saturday’s final. There has been little said about Abbott’s prognosis but you have to believe that if the nation’s best player is missing next weekend, advancing in the NCAA tournament could be tough.

3. BC simply can’t get in its own way

The Boston College Eagles not only enter the tournament as the number one overall seed, but this team is riding a 15-game winning streak, the longest in head coach Jerry York’s tenure at the Heights. If BC loses in the NCAA tournament, one would have to think it has to shoot itself in the foot. This is a team playing so incredibly well that is feels impossible to pick against them right now. And yes, the Eagles are my easy pick to win yet another title!

And speaking of picks, let me take this time to hoot and holler about the fact that, for the second straight year, I win the Hockey East picks title over Dave! Nice try, Ol’ Man!

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 written in Jayson Moy’s excellent Bracketology Blog as well as our Hockey East Live Blog, but I wanted to make sure Hockey East fans got this information.

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 pick: Maybe I should’ve learned something picking against Providence last weekend, but I’m still going with the Eagles, who will extend their nation’s best 13-game winning streak.
BC 4, PC 2
Dave’s pick: No way am I picking against BC. The Friars surprised me last week and kudos to them, but I think the clock will strike midnight at about 7:15 on their Cinderella trip to the Garden.
BC 3, PC 1

No. 4 Maine vs. No. 3 Boston University (Fri., 8:00 p.m., TD Garden)
Jim’s pick: Another team I picked against last week will be my victim of negative again this weekend. I’m going Black Bears.
Maine 3, BU 2 (OT)
Dave’s pick: This game could easily go either way so to make up ground against Jim, I have to pick against him.  But I’m glad he went with Maine because I like BU just a little better. (Sorry to one of my favorite Maine fans, Al in Kandahar. Stay safe, man.) Maine has put together a much better stretch run while BU has been all over the map, but my money is on Kieran Millan after his 150 saves in the quarterfinals and 68 in game three.
BU 2, Maine 1 (2 OT)

Championship Game

PC/BC vs. Maine/BU (Sat., 8:00 p.m., TD Garden)
Jim’s pick: My pick entering this weekend is Boston College (seriously, how can you pick against the Eagles.) But I will pick all four scenarios, just to be safe.
BC 4, Maine 3; BC 4, BU 3 (OT); Maine 3, PC 2; BU 4, PC 3
Dave’s pick: If BU wins in the semifinal, I’ll have drawn even with Jim in our picks race. So do I pull the goalie in a tie game? No, I’m going to stick with my natural choices, which happen to match Jim’s, though with different scoring. If the Eagles don’t win the Hockey East tournament and then at least make it to the Frozen Four, I’ll be surprised. 
BC 3, Maine 2; BC 3, BU 2; Maine 4, PC 2; BU 4, PC 2

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 are leading the way

You can look at all of the four teams that advanced — Boston College, Boston University, Maine and Providence — and there was one common thread: all four teams’ goaltenders were phenomenal. The leader of that pack might be BU’s Kieran Millan, who was outstanding in all three games but was on another planet with a 68-save performance in game 3, a 5-4 double overtime win for the Terriers. BC’s Parker Milner may have seemingly had the easiest route — a two-game sweep of Massachusetts — but had to make 58 saves in the two games. Providence’s Alex Beaudry posted a shutout in Sunday’s third and deciding game against Massachusetts-Lowell. And Maine’s Dan Sullivan, who allowed four goals in a loss on Saturday, gave up just a single goal in Maine’s two wins. Expect the TD Garden to see some great goaltending performances next weekend.

2. One team must now wait

This will be a very difficult week for Lowell, which seemed like an NCAA lock entering the quarterfinals but, with a three-game loss to Providence now must wait and see whether its body of work through the season is good enough to land in the NCAA field for the first time since 1996. The River Hawks will need to root against teams next weekend. Providence, Michigan Tech, Bowling Green, Cornell, Harvard and Colgate can all strip NCAA bids away from bubble teams if any of those teams win their conference tournament. Thus, the only teams safe in the PairWise are those who finish 11th or higher. Lowell is currently ninth (N.B. Denver and Wisconsin are still playing as I write this and could further impact the PWR). Needless to say, Norm Bazin and his staff will have a difficult wait this week.

3. It’s hard to say goodbye

Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Merrimack all had their seasons end this weekend. For the Minutement and the Wildcats, extending the season past the Hockey East tournament would have required winning the Hockey East tournament. Both of those teams put forth incredible efforts. Merrimack, which at one point was the top-ranked team in the nation, spent the entire season nationally ranked for the first time in program history. Obviously, losing in the quarterfinals was extremely difficult for the Warriors but this team has put forward two straight solid seasons and could leverage that to be a hockey power for years to come.

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, Saturday, Sunday unless listed)

No. 7 Providence at No. 2 Massachusetts-Lowell (Thurs., Fri., If necessary: Sun.)
Jim’s pick: I think it is really difficult to beat a team four straight but at this point I also feel like Lowell and Providence are headed in different directions right now.
UML 5, PC 2; UML 3, PC 2; (if necc.) UML 5, PC 1
Dave’s pick: I can see Providence possibly stealing one game with Tim Schaller returning, but I’m still going with the River Hawks.
UML 3, PC 2; UML 4, PC 2; (if necc.) UML 4, PC 2 

No. 8 Massachusetts at No. 1 Boston College
Jim’s pick: I realize UMass won twice against BC this year. Those games were both at UMass and long before the Eagles went on their current tear.
BC 4, UMass 1; BC 3, UMass 2; (if necc.) BC 5, UMass 1
Dave’s pick: No offense to the Minutemen, but I’ll be surprised if even a single game is close. BC looks that dominant.
BC 5, UMass 1; BC 4, UMass 1; (if necc.) BC 4, UMass 1

No. 6 New Hampshire at No. 3 Boston University
Jim’s pick: This is the one series I see the lower seed having an excellent shot. BU is playing poor, UNH is playing decent. Let’s see how far off I can be.
UNH 4, BU 3; BU 5, UNH 3; (if necc.) UNH 3, BU 2
Dave’s pick: I’ll disagree with Jim over how well these two teams are playing. UNH’s past five games include a weekend split with Vermont, a split with UMass, and a loss to Maine. That’s not good enough to knock off even the suddenly vulnerable Terriers. Kieran Millan will extend The Wildcats’ offensive woes into the offseason.
BU 3, UNH 1; BU 4, UNH 2; (if necc.) BU 3, UNH 2

No. 5 Merrimack at No. 4 Maine
Jim’s pick: This is my one pick that makes me the most nervous. I’m going with the Black Bears simply because of home ice. If this series is in Andover, I’m going the complete opposite, but I believe Maine can sweep here.
Maine 3, MC 2; Maine 2, MC 1; (if necc.) Maine 3, MC 1
Dave’s pick: Even though Merrimack has gone 4-0-1 in this head-to-head matchup dating back to last year’s quarterfinals, I like the way the Black Bears played down the stretch.
Maine 2, MC 1; Maine 3, MC 2 (OT); (if necc.) Maine 3, MC 2

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, I feel like there is only one team entering on an absolute high and that’s Boston College, which has won 11 straight. As good as BC was down the stretch last season before losing to Colorado College in the opening game of the NCAA tournament, this year’s team is better. A lot better. I’m not sure if BC will lose another game, but I also feel comfortable saying that they won’t. This club is on fire, allowing less than two goals a game in every game in February and March. A team will have to crack the code if they’re going to beat the Eagles.

The other team I will put in this category is Massachusetts-Lowell. I sincerely believe the River Hawks are still a level below BC, but UML’s sweep over Providence propelled them to the #2 seed in Hockey East for the first time since 1996. UML also gets to take on the Friars, at home, in this weekend’s quarterfinals. It is very difficult to win four straight but if UMass-Lowell can do so, that will be a very hot team heading to the Garden.

In between: Keeping fingers crossed

There are so many teams that enter the playoffs playing decent hockey, yet still it is difficult to guarantee wins next weekend. The first is Massachusetts, which won its way into the playoffs in the final two weekends but have to face red-hot BC. Put the Minutemen against any other club and I’d be giving them half the chance. Feel like any team playing BC next weekend would have its work cut out for them.  I do feel like both Maine and Merrimack are playing pretty well heading to the playoffs. Friday night was a bury for Merrimack, in my opinion. Maine’s 1-0 win on Saturday wasn’t impressive but was the example this team can get the job done in a one-game scenario. I also believe that New Hampshire will be a dangerous team in the quarterfinals. Even with a loss to Maine on the final day, UNH is facing a Boston University team that simply isn’t playing well heading to the playoffs.

On a low: Send the life rafts

Two teams are in dire straits heading to the quarterfinals. Boston University earned a win on Friday in a game head coach Jack Parker said his team didn’t play well and then lost on Saturday to drop to the third overall seed. Add in the ongoing investigation into the conduct of the hockey team, BU is a team in trouble. They may survive the first round but New Hampshire, a playoff tested team, isn’t a good matchup for the Terriers. At the same time Providence has struggled in the last two weekends and will face a Lowell team that swept them by a combined 9-3 score this past weekend. Throw in that the Friars are the #7 seed and that seed hasn’t won in Hockey East history and you may believe this is a team behind the eight ball.

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
Dave’s record-to-date: 107-71-17

Friday, March 2

Vermont at Boston College
Jim’s pick: As impressive as Vermont was in almost taking down BU last weekend, I can’t pick them against this red-hot BC team. If I get one of these wrong, I know I won’t lost ground to Dave.
BC 4, UVM 1
Dave’s pick: No disrespect to the Catamounts, but I’m not desperate enough to pick against the number one team in the country. That would be pulling the goalie in the first period.
BC 5, UVM 2

Northeastern at Boston University
Jim’s pick: I have a weird feeling NU will take one of these games this weekend, but not ready to put my money where my mouth is.
BU 3, NU 2
Dave’s pick: I share Jim’s feeling that the Huskies could get a split (or at least grab one point) on the weekend, but it won’t be at Agganis with BU still holding hopes of a regular season title.
BU 4, NU 2

Massachusetts-Lowell at Providence
Jim’s pick: This will be the toughest game to pick all weekend. Would likely go with PC at home after Lowell’s showing last weekend, but knowing Tim Schaller is out of the lineup for the Friars, this feels like Lowell’s weekend.
UML 4, PC 2
Dave’s pick: Agreed. The River Hawks stumbled last weekend, but they’ve shown a lot of bounce-back resiliency all year long.
UML 3, PC 2

Merrimack at Massachusetts
Jim’s pick: The Minutemen have been great at home all year, but Merrimack looked to have found its stride a weekend ago.
MC 5, UMass 2
Dave’s pick: I’m going with the Warriors as well, although I think it’ll be a much tighter game. The Minutemen are fighting for their playoff lives while the Warriors are fighting for home ice and also are on the NCAA tournament bubble.
MC 4, UMass 2

Saturday, March 3

Vermont at Boston College
Jim’s pick: A difficult season for the Catamounts finally comes to an end.
BC 5, UVM 2
Dave’s pick: Dandy Don Meredith would have been singing “Party’s Over” for Vermont a long time ago. As for the Eagles, don’t expect a letdown. Even if they’ve locked up the Hockey East title, Jerry York has shown he always has an eye on the national picture, so this team isn’t about to fritter away a number one NCAA seed. 
BC 5, UVM 1

Massachusetts at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: A loss could mean the end of UMass’ season, thus this team may be playing at a different level. Still, not going against Merrimack at home.
MC 4, UMass 2
Dave’s pick: The Warriors haven’t been as dominant at home this year as in past ones, but I still like them holding off a life-or-death UMass team to take home ice.
MC 4, UMass 3

New Hampshire at Maine
Jim’s pick: This is the only game of the weekend for these two rivals and it could mean plenty for each team. Narrow edge goes to the home ice club here.
Maine 4, UNH 3
Dave’s pick: Here’s where I should pull the goalie, but I won’t. Maine desperately needs this game to have a shot at home ice and with the game at Alfond that would feel like pulling the goalie with the puck in my own zone.
Maine 5, UNH 3

Boston University at Northeastern
Jim’s pick: This game could mean everything for NU, but like I said earlier, not picking against BU right now.
BU 3, NU 2
Dave’s pick: Time to pull the goalie. The Huskies at home fighting for their playoff lives will be the more tenacious of the two teams and they’ll pull out the win.
NU 3, BU 2

Providence at Massachusetts-Lowell
Jim’s pick: Lowell sweeps to solidify everything from home ice to its position in the PairWise.
UML 5, PC 2
Dave’s pick: Much as I’d like to pick against Jim, I’ve got to agree.  The storybook season continues for the River Hawks.
UML 4, PC 2

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 ice

Twice this season, BU could’ve given up, thrown in the towel. First it was the loss of both Corey Trivino and Charlie Coyle, just days apart. Then last weekend, Max Nicastro joined Trivino as the second Terrier arrested for sexual assualt. There is a task force now investigating this team, which in itself could cause these players to fold like a house of playing cards. But instead, BU went to Vermont and earned a 5-0 win on national TV on Friday and then, probably in its most gutsy performance, forced overtime late on Saturday against the Catamounts and then won in the OT on an Alexx Privitera goal (Privitera returned from injury this weekend to replace Nicastro). The Terriers kept themselves not only relevant amidst controvery but in the hunt for the Hockey East regular season title. Hats off.

2. No doubt, Boston College is the clear favorite

Anyone who doubted that BC was the team to beat after a two-game sweep at Maine on January 20 and 21 has learned by now that doubt was misdirected. Since those two losses, the Eagles have won nine straight and are two wins next weekend at home versus Vermont from entering the post-season on an 11-game win streak. It is a pattern we have seen very often from the Eagles, but even so, last weekend’s desimiation of Providence by a combined 10-0 score proved this team is now in a completely different league than the nine other Hockey East clubs. I don’t know what will bring this team back to Earth. And if they never arrive back, expect another national title in Chestnut Hill.

3. Two teams really came up big under pressure

Two weekends left and I think that both Massachusetts and Merrimack hit the right note at the right time. You might add Northeastern to that group for its win over Maine on Friday, but a 7-1 loss to the Black Bears on Saturday took some of the excitement from the Huskies performance. Back to the Minutemen and Warriors, both performed well under pressure. Massachusetts was against the wall on Saturday knowing another loss could end the season. But the Minutemen responded with a 4-2 win over New Hampshire and now sit tied for eighth – and the final playoff spot – with Northeastern. Merrimack, entering this weekend with recent struggles, could have fallen right out of the home ice conversation. Instead, the Warriors earned three points against Massachusetts-Lowell and remain in the hunt for not just home ice but potentially as high as second place in Hockey East.

There is so much hockey left to play and I will elaborate on the entire playoff rate in Thursday’s column. Hard, though, not to get excited for yet another closing weekend of Hockey East play where so much will be on the line.

Jim and I are now in a dead heat, not much different than Hockey East.

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 counting.
BC 4, PC 2
Jim’s pick: Full agreement here. I’m not sure I see a game that I think BC should lose.
BC 3, PC 2

Maine at Northeastern
Dave’s pick: A tough call here. The Black Bears desperately need a win to secure home ice; the Huskies desperately need a win to make the playoffs. There isn’t an outcome that would surprise me.
Maine 3, NU 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: This, to me, is where Maine turns magical. It seems to be a year of destiny for the Black Bears and this is the weekend that really could kick things off.
Maine 5, NU 3

Massachusetts-Lowell at Merrimack
Dave’s pick: The single toughest pick of the weekend. I’m going with Lowell to extend Merrimack’s winless streak to five games.
UML 3, MC 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: As much as I want to pick differently than the Ol’ Man, I simply can’t here.
UML 3, MC 1

New Hampshire at Massachusetts
Dave’s pick: In a home-and-home series, I’d opt for the home team each night. But both games this weekend are at the Mullins Center. I’m sorely tempted to pick a UNH sweep, but the Wildcats are 3-8-3 on the road and the Minutemen are 8-3-3 at home. Not to mention that UMass has toppled Maine and BU the last two weekends.
UMass 4, UNH 3
Jim’s pick: Now here is my first point of differentiation. I like a split here but think UNH wins the first.
UNH 4, UMass 2

Boston University at Vermont
Dave’s pick: Unless the shocking events on the police blotter have the Terriers’ heads spinning, this one’s easy.
BU 5, UVM 2
Jim’s pick: I don’t think this is anywhere as easy as Dave says, but still think BU comes out on top.
BU 3, UVM 2

Saturday, February 25

Providence at Boston College
Dave’s pick: The Eagles sweep, putting themselves within two home wins against Vermont of a league title.
BC 5, PC 2
Jim’s pick: Agreed. Another sweep for the Eagles.
BU 4, PC 1

Boston University at Vermont
Dave’s pick: The Terriers ride their special teams to the sweep.
BU 4, UVM 2
Jim’s pick: This one will be closer than you think.
BU 4, UVM 3 (OT)

Merrimack at Massachusetts-Lowell
Dave’s pick: Despite the River Hawks’ loss at Tsongas last weekend to BU, they still have the best home record in the league.
UML 4, MC 3
Jim’s pick: Lowell’s sweep keeps the final weekend very interesting.
UML 3, MC 1

Maine at Northeastern
Dave’s pick: I don’t feel comfortable with this pick, but I’m going with another  sweep, this one for the Black Bears.
Maine 4, NU 3
Jim’s pick: Dave and I have the same discomfort level here.
Maine 3, NU 2 (OT)

New Hampshire at Massachusetts
Dave’s pick: I hate picking splits in series when both games are at the same venue, but I’m going to on this one, knowing full well that when the split goes the opposite way, my 0h-fer will hand the season pick’s title to Jimmy.  I just see UNH rising to the occasion.
UNH 3, UMass 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: And I will take that title, if things work out my way.
UMass 4, UNH 2