Normally I would have written something on Monday talking about news from over the weekend but I just couldn't formulate the ideas yesterday. A little Monday blues after the events of this weekend. Considering what has been seen from the Boston teams of late I think we can definitively say that the honeymoon is over and the "City of Champions" tag can be mothballed for the time being. The way our teams are playing right now there is probably no titles in the foreseeable future (I have the right to change my mind come September). I find myself out of sorts at times, when I was growing up Boston was always the town of "almost". Buckner, Glen Wesley hits the crossbar, Parcells' Pats, Jamie O'Leary hits the crossbar. Since 2001 its been a parade of titles of varying degrees across all sports (yes, even the Revolution). I think that the ownership of many of the teams have learned how to win so I don't think it will be quite as long a drought between the next titles (1986 to 2001 was a looooong time - yes I am intentionally neglecting BU's hockey national title in 1995) but Bostonians may be waiting a few years.
On to my weekend observations:
- Frozen Fenway was a great way to start the weekend. It was cold, it was snowing. there was an ice rink at Fenway Park (by the way, how cool is that?? Ice rink at Fenway? does it get any better?). Unfortunately for us Eagle fans the product on the ice was not as good as the surroundings. Because of the snow, BC was unable to get their speed game going and looked downright lost on the ice for a period and three quarters. By the time they actually figured out how to play on that ice they were down 3-0 and just couldn't get that final shot off. Was this a great experience? Absolutely (though my toes would argue against that statement as they ceased to exist by the third period). The game itself was not one to write home about. It was sloppy, the snow slowed it down to limit quality scoring opportunities, 4 of the 5 goals we sloppy bouncers, and neither team looked good. It will be very interesting to see what BC has for BU a week from Friday when they meet at Conte for the final Hockey East tilt between the two teams this season (there is always Beanpot and tournament game possibilities). Boston College is the better team at this point in the season. Though BU has won two key Hockey East games one was against a scuffling UMass team and the other was a game that if played indoors may have gone drastically different. The Terriers are far from the championship form of last year and BC has proven over the last three games that they are still a young team looking to find a solid direction this season. It has cost them Pairwise positioning (currently out of the tournament - from #2 to out of the tourney in 2 weeks) and it could be a struggle to get back to form.
- Speaking of the Pairwise, currently the highest ranked Hockey East team is Vermont at #10. However, Vermont is only 6th in the conference standings. When was the last time that a Hockey East team was in the projected tourney field simply because they lead the conference and not because they were in the top 16 teams in the nation (New Hampshire). Some of the teams at the top of Hockey East are going to need to a hurting on the lower teams consistently in order to improve the RPI & strength of schedule for the conference in general so they can get more teams in the tourney.
- My comment on the Pats is only this - Brady tried to do too much and I think the injuries bothered him more than he would admit. And Wes Welker would not have made a difference in that game. Run defense would have.
- Good to see that Mark McGwire was finally able to admit he used steroids. It only took the rest of the league to get caught and for him to realize that it was not going to make his Hall of Fame chances any worse. What do we think went into his decision to come out? The fact that more and more writers and commentators (including the Rant) have said that steroids don't matter anymore. That we're all sick of hearing about it and just want it to go away. That many are even lobbying to allow the steroid users into Cooperstown in a special "steroid era" section. As I mentioned before in this space when news of Ortiz' use came out, if everyone was doing it, Big Mac was still doing it better than most and maybe that should be acknowledged. I don't give him absolution because he is still a coward for his "I'm not here to talk about the past" in front of Congress (at least he didn't lie - yes, I'm talking to you Mr. Palmeiro). He came out now because it was safe and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep his new Cardinals job without addressing it and putting it to bed before the season started. Not matter what he may be, he's still better than Bonds & Clemens. Time to own up gentlemen.
- The Bruins will make the playoffs. There I said it. They can't score and they are having trouble winning but they are still competing on a nightly basis and Stuart, Ference, Savard, and Bergeron will not be out forever. They will be a better team when they have all their players back in the line-up. Provided they can get 100% healthy (I would settle for 90% at this point - I think they made a pact that anyone with freshly minted contract extensions (Savard & Lucic) were not allowed to stay on the active roster at the same time this year), this team can make a run. It won't be easy as they have a 7 game road trip in early March but it can be done. Of course, landing Ilya Kovalchuk wouldn't hurt either (a man can dream, can't he? yes, I know, Atlanta is going to want way more than Chiarelli is willing to let go).
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
A whole new team?
February approaches and with it three of the most anticipated words in the sports world to start the new year - "pitchers and catchers". For baseball fans everywhere those three words mark the beginning of a new season and the beginning of the hopes and dreams of 30 MLB teams vying to be the last man standing (and perhaps having to play the Japanese champion as talks surface about a possible true World Series).
But we are still several weeks away from pitchers and catchers so the Rant's eye turns to the continuing off-season which has been an eventful one for Red Sox Nation. We have seen many new signings (Mike Cameron, John Lackey, Marco Scutero, and soon Adrian Beltre to name a few), sad goodbyes (Jason Bay), goodbyes to failed experiments (Rocco Baldelli, Casey Kotchman), almost goodbyes (Mike Lowell), and general moving parts (to left with you Jacoby). One thing is for sure, this will be a very different Boston Red Sox team than the one that took the field in 2009. But the changes are not over Red Sox Nation. The term "bridge team" has been thrown about and the 2011 Red Sox will certainly be much different than even the 2010 version.
This year is all about putting a competitive team on the field to keep fan interest and keep the merchandise selling while also looking to the future and the mass changes that could be on the horizon. Mike Lowell will certainly be gone before the 2010 season is finished and whatever salary the Red Sox absorb to make the trade happen will be off the books in November as well. Also coming off the books are David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Victor Martinez, and Josh Beckett. Adrian Beltre is on a one year deal with a player option at almost a 50% rate for 2011. All this means one thing - the Sox are looking to be major players in the 2010-2011 offseason free agent market (Joe Mauer anyone?).
Granted, the Sox will always have the option to extend Martinez, Beckett & Beltre but Varitek and Ortiz are almost certainly departing at the end of the year unless Ortiz has a rejuvenated season after his down year of 2009. Martinez is likely to hit the free agent market as the Sox will make the push for Mauer but will face heavy competition from the Yankees who are in need of an everyday catcher as well. Should Minnesota pull money out of a magic hat and somehow lock up Mauer during the season or do a sign and trade at the deadline with another club, the likelihood of a Martinez return certainly increases.
Beckett is a different issue. He has been dominating at times over the past two seasons but not like he was in 2007. That Beckett may be gone for good, we'll see. Should Dice-K and Clay Bucholtz have solid seasons, Beckett becomes expendable since the Sox have a top two of Lester and Lackey sewn up beyond 2010. The Sox could dip into free agency for a cheaper #2 or #3 starter or make a trade and still have a solid rotation at a cheaper value than their current starting five.
Adrian Beltre is essentially on a try-out contract. If he comes to Fenway and has a monster year and flashes that Gold Glove quality at third while staying healthy, the Sox may be inclined to offer an extension and keep him around for a few years to offer some middle order thump from the hot corner position. As much as I hate to see Mike Lowell go from a sentimental stand-point, it was just painful to watch him attempt to play his position last year and the Sox need to get younger and faster if they want to stay in the hunt long term.
The other question mark is Jonathan Papelbon. The boy can't keep his mouth shut. His arrogance is approaching the "just get him out of here" point. We all know you're good, kid, you don't have to keep reminding us. Personally, I would like to see Daniel Bard progress to the point where Papelbon becomes tradeable and maybe he can be a piece that can land them Adrian Gonzalez. Should Ortiz be dismissed at the end of the season, plugging Gonzalez or someone of his caliber in as the DH would go a long way to ease the pain of the end of the Big Papi era.
Change is a-coming for the Boston Red Sox. I would predict as many as 5 players from the opening day starting roster may not be with the team come opening day 2010. Nevermind the changes in the 40-man. The other consideration is that some of these guys may just be let go and the likes of Ryan Westmoreland, Josh Reddick, and Casey Kelly could be manning the field at Fenway in 2011.
But we are still several weeks away from pitchers and catchers so the Rant's eye turns to the continuing off-season which has been an eventful one for Red Sox Nation. We have seen many new signings (Mike Cameron, John Lackey, Marco Scutero, and soon Adrian Beltre to name a few), sad goodbyes (Jason Bay), goodbyes to failed experiments (Rocco Baldelli, Casey Kotchman), almost goodbyes (Mike Lowell), and general moving parts (to left with you Jacoby). One thing is for sure, this will be a very different Boston Red Sox team than the one that took the field in 2009. But the changes are not over Red Sox Nation. The term "bridge team" has been thrown about and the 2011 Red Sox will certainly be much different than even the 2010 version.
This year is all about putting a competitive team on the field to keep fan interest and keep the merchandise selling while also looking to the future and the mass changes that could be on the horizon. Mike Lowell will certainly be gone before the 2010 season is finished and whatever salary the Red Sox absorb to make the trade happen will be off the books in November as well. Also coming off the books are David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Victor Martinez, and Josh Beckett. Adrian Beltre is on a one year deal with a player option at almost a 50% rate for 2011. All this means one thing - the Sox are looking to be major players in the 2010-2011 offseason free agent market (Joe Mauer anyone?).
Granted, the Sox will always have the option to extend Martinez, Beckett & Beltre but Varitek and Ortiz are almost certainly departing at the end of the year unless Ortiz has a rejuvenated season after his down year of 2009. Martinez is likely to hit the free agent market as the Sox will make the push for Mauer but will face heavy competition from the Yankees who are in need of an everyday catcher as well. Should Minnesota pull money out of a magic hat and somehow lock up Mauer during the season or do a sign and trade at the deadline with another club, the likelihood of a Martinez return certainly increases.
Beckett is a different issue. He has been dominating at times over the past two seasons but not like he was in 2007. That Beckett may be gone for good, we'll see. Should Dice-K and Clay Bucholtz have solid seasons, Beckett becomes expendable since the Sox have a top two of Lester and Lackey sewn up beyond 2010. The Sox could dip into free agency for a cheaper #2 or #3 starter or make a trade and still have a solid rotation at a cheaper value than their current starting five.
Adrian Beltre is essentially on a try-out contract. If he comes to Fenway and has a monster year and flashes that Gold Glove quality at third while staying healthy, the Sox may be inclined to offer an extension and keep him around for a few years to offer some middle order thump from the hot corner position. As much as I hate to see Mike Lowell go from a sentimental stand-point, it was just painful to watch him attempt to play his position last year and the Sox need to get younger and faster if they want to stay in the hunt long term.
The other question mark is Jonathan Papelbon. The boy can't keep his mouth shut. His arrogance is approaching the "just get him out of here" point. We all know you're good, kid, you don't have to keep reminding us. Personally, I would like to see Daniel Bard progress to the point where Papelbon becomes tradeable and maybe he can be a piece that can land them Adrian Gonzalez. Should Ortiz be dismissed at the end of the season, plugging Gonzalez or someone of his caliber in as the DH would go a long way to ease the pain of the end of the Big Papi era.
Change is a-coming for the Boston Red Sox. I would predict as many as 5 players from the opening day starting roster may not be with the team come opening day 2010. Nevermind the changes in the 40-man. The other consideration is that some of these guys may just be let go and the likes of Ryan Westmoreland, Josh Reddick, and Casey Kelly could be manning the field at Fenway in 2011.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Random thoughts
Another year is about to come to a close and we are full of lists about the greatest things of the past decade. It gets a little tiring. "Greatest books of the decade", "Best 1B of the decade", "All-Decade AFC Team", "Best latte of the decade". Ok, so I made the last one up but you get the point. I am not going to give in to the list mentality. I shall simply forge ahead has I always have and treat this like any other post - giving you my thoughts about events since the last time I posted.
- BC could have won that bowl game. As a BC fan it was disheartening to see the team play so well offensively in the second quarter only to revert to the terrible team in the third. Fumbles and interceptions became the norm and they bowed to the Trojans. Everyone wants to point to Shinskie's interception in the 4th quarter that ended any hope of a rally but Montel Harris' fumble after the great interception by Bowman was the turning point in that game. BC had all the momentum going into the locker room and the early pick kept that going. Had BC been able to even put a field goal on the board and take the lead it would have been a huge morale booster and put the Trojans behind to a team everyone expected them to beat. I truly believe that a touchdown in that situation would have been enough for BC to ride to victory. But I suppose that's why they lost 5 games this year in because of the inexperience on offense. I take some positives from this game in that they were able to hang tough with USC. They should be a much better team next year.
- The Bruins need Milan Lucic back. Too many games are being played without the energy and killer instinct that Lucic brings to the arena. They are losing too many games 1-0, 2-1 to teams they should be pasting. Though close it looks like Lucic will not be back for the Winter Classic. Here's hoping he is back for Monday's game against the Rangers.
- Speaking of the Winter Classic. The latest forecast, rain. And lots of it. How will that affect the playing surface with constant water falling on it. When the game was in Buffalo and there was snow it was OK as they just swept the surface every once and a while but rain can be a whole different animal that could affect puck movement and cause potential puddles on the ice. It will be interesting to see how they handle this on New Year's Day. As it stands right now, the BC v. BU game on the 8th is looking to have a little better luck. It will be colder but no precipitation is called for as of yet.
- Jason Bay signed with the Mets. The chances of him coming back to Boston died the minute they signed Mike Cameron. The owners do not want to become the Yankees and pay the luxury tax which is what they would have had to do in order to sign Bay with Cameron, Lackey, and the newly returned Mike Lowell still on the roster. I don't think this means the Sox are done dealing. If they can trade Lowell to someone else at a discount they may still sign Adrian Beltre. They may sign Beltre anyway and just get rid of Lowell after he recovers from surgery and proves he can still play. The Sox still need something else in that lineup. As it stands right now replacing Jason Bay with Mike Cameron does not improve their offense and with question marks in Lowell, Ortiz, and Drew there is a potential huge power hole after Youkilis and Martinez. Pitching will only carry them so far but the rotation looks very deep, especially if Dice-K can have a rebound season.
- The college hockey season got back into the swing last night with a mini-slate of game highlighted by the Great Lakes Invitational and other holiday tournaments. Losses by Quinnipiac, Union, and Cornell shook up the Pairwise rankings and after the hot start Quinnipiac is 14th and in danger of falling out of the tournament field. Sometimes success can be a bigger killer of your season than adversity. Not only did the Bobcats lose last night but they lost to a very bad Harvard team who won just their second game of the season. It will be interesting to see if the Q can pull it together for a second half run and get themselves back into a #1 seed.
- BC is nearing the end of their grueling streak of 9 out of 10 games away from Kelley Rink. So far they are 6-0-1 in the first seven games (8-1-1 in their last 10) and have vaulted themselves to #2 in the PWR. It's still early but the energy and scoring ability of this young BC team has surprised me (they have scored 3 or more goals in all but 2 games this season). The sophomores have been contributing nightly (led by early season surprise Cam Atkinson's 8 goals and 15 points) and Parker Milner (4-0-0, 2.25GAA, .905 save %) has proven to be a solid backup for still recovering John Muse. The pieces are there to make a run and should super-freshman Chris Krieder find the scoring touch he seems to be using in the World Junior tournament, the Eagles should be a player in the national picture come March.
- BC could have won that bowl game. As a BC fan it was disheartening to see the team play so well offensively in the second quarter only to revert to the terrible team in the third. Fumbles and interceptions became the norm and they bowed to the Trojans. Everyone wants to point to Shinskie's interception in the 4th quarter that ended any hope of a rally but Montel Harris' fumble after the great interception by Bowman was the turning point in that game. BC had all the momentum going into the locker room and the early pick kept that going. Had BC been able to even put a field goal on the board and take the lead it would have been a huge morale booster and put the Trojans behind to a team everyone expected them to beat. I truly believe that a touchdown in that situation would have been enough for BC to ride to victory. But I suppose that's why they lost 5 games this year in because of the inexperience on offense. I take some positives from this game in that they were able to hang tough with USC. They should be a much better team next year.
- The Bruins need Milan Lucic back. Too many games are being played without the energy and killer instinct that Lucic brings to the arena. They are losing too many games 1-0, 2-1 to teams they should be pasting. Though close it looks like Lucic will not be back for the Winter Classic. Here's hoping he is back for Monday's game against the Rangers.
- Speaking of the Winter Classic. The latest forecast, rain. And lots of it. How will that affect the playing surface with constant water falling on it. When the game was in Buffalo and there was snow it was OK as they just swept the surface every once and a while but rain can be a whole different animal that could affect puck movement and cause potential puddles on the ice. It will be interesting to see how they handle this on New Year's Day. As it stands right now, the BC v. BU game on the 8th is looking to have a little better luck. It will be colder but no precipitation is called for as of yet.
- Jason Bay signed with the Mets. The chances of him coming back to Boston died the minute they signed Mike Cameron. The owners do not want to become the Yankees and pay the luxury tax which is what they would have had to do in order to sign Bay with Cameron, Lackey, and the newly returned Mike Lowell still on the roster. I don't think this means the Sox are done dealing. If they can trade Lowell to someone else at a discount they may still sign Adrian Beltre. They may sign Beltre anyway and just get rid of Lowell after he recovers from surgery and proves he can still play. The Sox still need something else in that lineup. As it stands right now replacing Jason Bay with Mike Cameron does not improve their offense and with question marks in Lowell, Ortiz, and Drew there is a potential huge power hole after Youkilis and Martinez. Pitching will only carry them so far but the rotation looks very deep, especially if Dice-K can have a rebound season.
- The college hockey season got back into the swing last night with a mini-slate of game highlighted by the Great Lakes Invitational and other holiday tournaments. Losses by Quinnipiac, Union, and Cornell shook up the Pairwise rankings and after the hot start Quinnipiac is 14th and in danger of falling out of the tournament field. Sometimes success can be a bigger killer of your season than adversity. Not only did the Bobcats lose last night but they lost to a very bad Harvard team who won just their second game of the season. It will be interesting to see if the Q can pull it together for a second half run and get themselves back into a #1 seed.
- BC is nearing the end of their grueling streak of 9 out of 10 games away from Kelley Rink. So far they are 6-0-1 in the first seven games (8-1-1 in their last 10) and have vaulted themselves to #2 in the PWR. It's still early but the energy and scoring ability of this young BC team has surprised me (they have scored 3 or more goals in all but 2 games this season). The sophomores have been contributing nightly (led by early season surprise Cam Atkinson's 8 goals and 15 points) and Parker Milner (4-0-0, 2.25GAA, .905 save %) has proven to be a solid backup for still recovering John Muse. The pieces are there to make a run and should super-freshman Chris Krieder find the scoring touch he seems to be using in the World Junior tournament, the Eagles should be a player in the national picture come March.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Going bowling
Despite all the deservedly low expectations for the BC program this year, they will still be bowling. Granted it is a crappy bowl but 8-4 and going to a bowl game considering all they have had to endure this year with transfers and injuries, this season is a success. But as a mark to a truly wacky season, BC will be playing perennial powerhouse USC as the Trojans have just had a disaster of a year. Typically when BC has been stuck in these lower-level bowls they have faced off with some decidedly unheralded opponents (Toledo, Colorado State, and Boise State in pre-BCS winning incarnation all come to mind). To be playing the day after Christmas and facing USC is not exactly the script one expects. This game has all the makings of a Trojan blow-out as they take out a season of frustrations on a young, inconsistent BC team. But USC has certainly had their share of inconsistency as well.
Some thoughts on the BCS pairings:
- The BCS came a few minutes away from having Clemson, Nebraska, and Pittsburgh all crash the party. Luckily for the BCS (and television ratings everywhere), Georgia Tech staged a rousing comeback, Cincinnati took full advantage of a muffed hold on an extra point, and Texas used their excellent field position from an out-of bounds kickoff to all win their respective conferences this weekend. One can only imagine the chaos that would have ensued had all three underdogs pulled the upset. "And tune in on January 7th as the storied Alabama Crimson Tide take on the ... (wait is this right...TCU?....really??...OK, if you say so)... Horned Frogs of TCU!" The worst Orange Bowl in history pitting 4 loss Clemson against Iowa without Ricky Stanzi. The Gator Bowl would actually have two teams that deserve to be there (more on that in a moment) as they could not have forced Georgia Tech to a lower bowl. Chaos. Not that I would have minded at least Nebraska to have won to see TCU get their shot.
- Speaking of TCU's shot, in one of the worst showings since the BCS has been in existence, TCU gets paired with Boise State at the Fiesta Bowl. Nevermind that they just played each other in a bowl game last year. These two teams should not be facing one another. Let's give these "outsiders" a chance to prove themselves against the big boys. Utah has done it twice, Boise State has done it as well. Are the BCS conferences so afraid of someone else crashing the party that they don't want these teams to prove it on the field? Are they afraid that a TCU win over Florida for instance or a Boise win over Georgia Tech will reopen the discussion on expanding the BCS to include the Mountain West? This pairing smells of backroom deals and trying to keep the little guys from really having a piece of the pie. Don't get me wrong, I think it will be a great game of Boise's high-powered offense against the stout TCU defense and last year's game in the Poinsettia Bowl was a classic - but the BCS should have given the college football fans what they want to see and that is to see if these teams can really beat the best or if their records are all smoke and mirrors against weak conference teams.
- Backroom deals is exactly what got Florida State to the Gator Bowl. I understand that Bobby Bowden is a coaching great and that he has a place in the history of the game that deserves to be honored - but this is not the way to do it. Florida State is a couple a breaks away from not even being bowl eligible and they get the #2 ACC bowl? They leap-frogged Clemson, BC, Miami, and Virginia Tech. All teams with better conference records and better overall records. Not to mention the fact that they lost to three of those teams and probably would have lost to VTech if they actually played them. Bowls are supposed to be rewards for programs that perform on the field. Clemson turned a bad start to their season around, made the ACC title game and came close to winning that game and making the BCS. Their reward, a Dec 27th bowl and a much smaller payday. Bowden's retirement should not buy Florida State a bowl game they did not deserve. I hope West Virginia beats them by 30.
Some thoughts on the BCS pairings:
- The BCS came a few minutes away from having Clemson, Nebraska, and Pittsburgh all crash the party. Luckily for the BCS (and television ratings everywhere), Georgia Tech staged a rousing comeback, Cincinnati took full advantage of a muffed hold on an extra point, and Texas used their excellent field position from an out-of bounds kickoff to all win their respective conferences this weekend. One can only imagine the chaos that would have ensued had all three underdogs pulled the upset. "And tune in on January 7th as the storied Alabama Crimson Tide take on the ... (wait is this right...TCU?....really??...OK, if you say so)... Horned Frogs of TCU!" The worst Orange Bowl in history pitting 4 loss Clemson against Iowa without Ricky Stanzi. The Gator Bowl would actually have two teams that deserve to be there (more on that in a moment) as they could not have forced Georgia Tech to a lower bowl. Chaos. Not that I would have minded at least Nebraska to have won to see TCU get their shot.
- Speaking of TCU's shot, in one of the worst showings since the BCS has been in existence, TCU gets paired with Boise State at the Fiesta Bowl. Nevermind that they just played each other in a bowl game last year. These two teams should not be facing one another. Let's give these "outsiders" a chance to prove themselves against the big boys. Utah has done it twice, Boise State has done it as well. Are the BCS conferences so afraid of someone else crashing the party that they don't want these teams to prove it on the field? Are they afraid that a TCU win over Florida for instance or a Boise win over Georgia Tech will reopen the discussion on expanding the BCS to include the Mountain West? This pairing smells of backroom deals and trying to keep the little guys from really having a piece of the pie. Don't get me wrong, I think it will be a great game of Boise's high-powered offense against the stout TCU defense and last year's game in the Poinsettia Bowl was a classic - but the BCS should have given the college football fans what they want to see and that is to see if these teams can really beat the best or if their records are all smoke and mirrors against weak conference teams.
- Backroom deals is exactly what got Florida State to the Gator Bowl. I understand that Bobby Bowden is a coaching great and that he has a place in the history of the game that deserves to be honored - but this is not the way to do it. Florida State is a couple a breaks away from not even being bowl eligible and they get the #2 ACC bowl? They leap-frogged Clemson, BC, Miami, and Virginia Tech. All teams with better conference records and better overall records. Not to mention the fact that they lost to three of those teams and probably would have lost to VTech if they actually played them. Bowls are supposed to be rewards for programs that perform on the field. Clemson turned a bad start to their season around, made the ACC title game and came close to winning that game and making the BCS. Their reward, a Dec 27th bowl and a much smaller payday. Bowden's retirement should not buy Florida State a bowl game they did not deserve. I hope West Virginia beats them by 30.
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Pairwise
I know its ridiculously early but I discovered the early season Pairwise Rankings have been released and the top two seeds for Detroit are... Quinnipiac & Bemidji State. The Q has quietly put together a 12-1-0 record to start the season and it has given them some house money to play with early here for their tournament hopes. Bemidji State has gone from last season Cinderella to a legit power this year owning roads victories against Miami and Minnesota along with their domination of their own conference. I would be shocked if the Beavers are not back in the national tournament this year and the way they are playing early they could even get an at-large berth should they be upset in their conference tourney. A couple other notes on the early PWR:
- Hockey East has 4 teams in the tournament and while having UNH & BC in is no shocker, adding Massachusetts and UMass-Lowell with BU not even in the "Next Four Out" is a surprise. Compounding that is the Wildcats berth in these ranking being based on the fact that they lead the conference and not because they have at-large berth credentials.
- Naturally BC is locked up with North Dakota. Pretty sure you can't have an NCAA tourney that features these two and not have them face each other. One of the better non-conference rivalries out there in college hockey today.
- WCHA is the bigger winner early with 5 entrants (6 if you count Bemidji), CCHA and Hockey East have 4, CHA, Atlantic Hockey, and ECAC each have one. However, looking at the Next Four Out we see 3 CCHA teams knocking on the door. Not good news for the ECAC that standard bearer Cornell can have the 5th best record in the country yet only manage #19 in the PWR - that is usually the type of stat you see for the CHA or Atlantic Hockey leader and that will probably happen to Bemidji as they get deeper into their conference schedule and all those wins against bad opponents pile up.
- Hockey East has 4 teams in the tournament and while having UNH & BC in is no shocker, adding Massachusetts and UMass-Lowell with BU not even in the "Next Four Out" is a surprise. Compounding that is the Wildcats berth in these ranking being based on the fact that they lead the conference and not because they have at-large berth credentials.
- Naturally BC is locked up with North Dakota. Pretty sure you can't have an NCAA tourney that features these two and not have them face each other. One of the better non-conference rivalries out there in college hockey today.
- WCHA is the bigger winner early with 5 entrants (6 if you count Bemidji), CCHA and Hockey East have 4, CHA, Atlantic Hockey, and ECAC each have one. However, looking at the Next Four Out we see 3 CCHA teams knocking on the door. Not good news for the ECAC that standard bearer Cornell can have the 5th best record in the country yet only manage #19 in the PWR - that is usually the type of stat you see for the CHA or Atlantic Hockey leader and that will probably happen to Bemidji as they get deeper into their conference schedule and all those wins against bad opponents pile up.
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