Hockey East picks: Feb. 3-8

Jim and I differed on only one game last week. Fortunately, I got that one right to creep a little closer.

Baby steps.

Here are this week’s picks:

Friday, Feb. 3

Maine at Providence 
Dave’s pick:  The Black Bears aren’t going to break their winless road streak against one of the hottest teams around.
PC 5, UM 2
Jim’s pick: Agree here. I believe Providence is playing its best hockey right now. So even though Maine got two wins last weekend, Providence is too tough for the Black Bears.
PC 4, UM 2

UMass Lowell at Northeastern
Dave’s pick: Northeastern has won four straight. Lowell has lost four straight. The game is at Northeastern. All logic points to a Huskies win, but I’m going to make the totally illogical pick.
UML 4, NU 3 (OT)
Jim’s pick: The reality is that Lowell was less than eight minutes from a somewhat convincing win against Northeastern last Friday before Dylan Sikura took over. I don’t believe that will happen again.
UML 3, NU 1

Boston College at New Hampshire
Dave’s pick: It doesn’t feel as though the Eagles are running on all cylinders right now, but after getting swept at home last weekend, UNH has a surprisingly mediocre 7-6-2 mark there. So I don’t see home ice bailing out the Wildcats.
BC 4, UNH 3
Jim’s pick: I think BC has begun to find its way. Give me the Eagles.
BC 5, UNH 2

Connecticut at Merrimack
Dave’s pick: Merrimack is only a game over .500 at home, but after its sweep of BU last week, I’m going with them to add a third straight win.
MC 3, UConn 2
Jim’s pick: I saw Merrimack’s sweep of BU and that opened by eye. But so, too, did UConn win over Vermont.
UConn 3, MC 2

Massachusetts at Boston University 
Dave’s pick: After getting swept at Maine last weekend, the Minutemen are looking more and more like the league’s eventual last-place team.
BU 5, UMass 1
Jim’s pick: Massachusetts has some decent players who can make life miserable for other teams and will do so once or twice before this season ends. But it won’t be against BU.
BU 4, UMass 2

Vermont at Notre Dame 
Dave’s pick: Jim’s lead in our picks race (and then some) can be traced to him believing in the Catamounts long before I did. So as a kiss-and-make-up gesture, I picked them last week to beat UConn by the severely hyperbolic margin of 152-3. Of course, they lost. Catamounts, you are officially dead to me.
ND 2,994,672 UVM -13
Jim’s pick: I will give you a realistic pick here. But given the fact that the Irish are at home, I’m using that as the deciding factor.
ND 3, UVM 1

Saturday, Feb. 4

Merrimack at Connecticut 
Dave’s pick: UConn will rebound from a tough road loss to get back to .500 inside the league.
UConn 4, MC 2
Jim’s pick: This feels like such a crazy pick to me (more because of Merrimack’s recent success), but I think that UConn can sweep this one.
MC 3, UConn 2

Vermont at Notre Dame
Dave’s pick: I suppose I can’t make another bajillion-to-a-negative-number pick again. I suppose I’ve made my point. But the Catamounts are still dead to me.
ND 2, UVM 1
Jim’s pick: Call this a jump in Vermont’s road, but I see Notre Dame grabbing four points this weekend.
ND 3, UVM 1

New Hampshire at UMass Lowell
Dave’s pick: The River Hawks complete a big bounce-back weekend with a second win.
UML 3, UNH 1
Jim’s pick: I will agree, particularly if the River Hawks keep UNH’s top line off the board.
UML 4, UNH 2

Maine at Providence
Dave’s pick: In a week of really tough choices, this series is a no-brainer. I’m good at no-brainers.
PC 4, UM 1
Jim’s pick: Well said. Providence remains Hockey East’s hottest team..
PC 4, UM 2

Monday, Feb. 6
Beanpot

Northeastern vs Harvard 
Dave’s pick: Every year I pick Harvard to lose in the Beanpot, and the Crimson never let me down. But since they’ve allowed only three goals in their last four games, I’ll make the bizarro pick.
HU 2, NU 1
Jim’s pick: I don’t think this pick is bizarro at all. And in fact, I agree. Harvard is playing its best hockey right now.
HU 4, NU 2

Boston University vs Boston College 
Dave’s pick: Despite getting swept by Merrimack, BU still holds my rank as the league’s best team.
BU 4, BC 3 (3 OT)
Jim’s pick: BU is 2-0-0 against the Eagles this year. Let’s make that 3-0.
BU 3, BC 1

Wednesday, Feb. 8

Providence at Connecticut 
Dave’s pick: I am firmly back on the Friars bandwagon.
PC 3, UConn 2
Jim’s pick: The Friars certainly have turned a corner. Expect them to post a lot of wins down the stretch and likely climb into a top four position. This week will go a long way to making that a reality.
PC 4, UConn 2