Everybody, please welcome my newest competitor, Stephen Shablak. Colgate devotee and ECAC Hockey super-fan, Shablak is also a master of brevity. (He really out-did himself in that regard, risking derision and failure by not even picking Tuesday’s games!)
Among his justifications for pixel-usage:
“3) I’ve followed ECAC hockey since it’s inception
4)I played in the NAHL with all the guys from the movie “Slapshot”
5) On USCHO every day staying current with our league”
That’s good enough for me, Stephen… or should I call you Andre “Poodle” Lussier?*
*Not much opined this week, but it must be said: opinions expressed by the guests are not necessarily those of USCHO or this correspondent.
Last week
Me: 6-6-0 (.500)
Season record
Me: 31-17-8 (.625)
Guest guessers: 26-25-6 (.509)
Head to head: Sullivan 4, Guests 1
This week
All times Eastern
Friday, November 19
Harvard at Princeton – 7:00 (TV: FiOS1 N.Y./N.J., tape delay)
Harvard split at home. Harvard split on the road. I think Harvard just likes nice, reasonable two-point weeks. Princeton, on the other hand, likes making prognosticators look like idiots. Four points at Colgate and Cornell? Seriously? You’re not going to catch me napping again, Tigers… I’m onto you. 4-2 Stripes.
SS: Princeton
Brown at Colgate – 7:00
Is this a match of two teams at the same level, going in opposite directions? Hard to get a feel for Brown with only four games played, but at least they’re averaging a nice, steady three goals a game. Unfortunately for the hosts, that’s more than Colgate is averaging. Colgate is falling dangerously close to qualifying for “The Brown Rule” that SLU so quickly escaped two weeks back. 3-2 Bruno.
SS: Colgate
Dartmouth at Quinnipiac – 7:00
I just wrote about how good Dartmouth is! They must be good! Quinnipiac is 1-3-1 in its last five, averaging two goals a game in that stretch. I don’t think that’ll get it done against the Big Green. 4-2 Dartmouth.
SS: Dartmouth
Yale at Cornell – 7:30
Lynah should… nay, will be like some kind of horrific genetic cross between a lion’s den and a hornet’s nest for this one. This is a game that Yale really has to win in order to re-assert its spot as the league’s top dog. I have very little confidence in this pick, but I’d have even less confidence in its opposite, so here ‘goes: 5-4 Bulldogs.
SS: Yale
Saturday, November 20
Dartmouth at Princeton – 4:00
Dartmouth may roll in as a slightly hotter team, but Princeton has the revenge factor working for it following the Big Green’s season-opening 2-1 victory over the Tigers at the Ivy Shootout. I only mention that because “revenge” worked when picking Princeton over Brown two weeks back… so I’ll let it ride once more. (Plus, 4pm start time equals minimal rest for Dartmouth.) 4-3 Tigers.
SS: Dartmouth
St. Lawrence at Clarkson – 7:00
Home ice gets the edge in an all-bets-off rivalry game. 3-2 ‘Tech.
SS: Clarkson
Harvard at Quinnipiac – 7:00
Interesting game. Harvard looks promising (have we heard that one before?) but QU is playing at home and is looking to bounce back off the mat. I’m going to give the edge to the Bobcats despite Harvard’s early and totally irrelevant tendency toward two-point weekends, on the strength of the home-ice advantage and QU’s superior special teams. 3-1 Bobcats.
SS: Quinnipiac
Brown at Cornell – 7:00
There is no way that Cornell can afford to lose this game, regardless of what happens on Friday. A loss to Yale would risk another winless home weekend, but a win over the Bulldogs gives the Big Red another shot at a national ranking and a little respect… as long as they take care of business against Brown, of course. 4-2 Cornell.
SS: Cornell
Yale at Colgate – 7:00
Suffice to say, a Raiders win would be surprising. 6-3 Bulldogs.
SS: Yale
Tuesday, November 23
Princeton at Quinnipiac – 7:00
Travel-partner showdown. The Tuesday night before Thanksgiving is usually pretty dead around college hockey, attendance-wise, so that edge might be minimal. Princeton’s been hot in the last two weeks, so I could conceivably see the Tigers pull off the road win between two exhausted squads. 3-1 Princeton.
Brown at New Hampshire – 7:00
Hey Bruno, I’m all about you winning this one… but I don’t think your odds are high in Vegas, is all I’m sayin’. 5-3 Wildcats.
Sacred Heart at Yale – 7:00
If Yale coughs this one up, I’m dropping them from my top-20 ballot entirely. Go ahead, try me. 6-2 Bulldogs.
Colgate at Niagara – 7:05
Nothing like a little non-conference break to ease the pressure. Hope Colgate can make this one happen at the 5-3-2 Purple Eagles. I’m holding out a flicker of faith in you, Raiders! 3-2 ‘Gate.
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