Big weekend could narrow Hockey East's tournament prospects

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

There are six games remaining for most teams, but this weekend could be the decisive blows for a lot of teams could be landed this weekend in one way or another.

Two huge blows were already dealt to a couple of national tournament hopefuls before the games have even begun this week. Boston University had just started playing well and has thrust themselves into the conversation, but now will have to try to make it all the way back without their first line center, Corey Trivino after fracturing his fibula in a 5-2 win over Maine on Saturday. Vermont has been unable to put away winable games lately (1-2-3 in the last 6 games against Maine, Providence and Merrimack), is on the dangling on the edge in terms of the PairWise Rankings and just dismissed Justin Milo from the team. It was said to be in the best interest of the team, so you have to wonder what was going on to cause the coaching staff to kick the team's second-highest scorer while in the middle of the stretch run.

That will make things interesting heading into the final weeks, especially with some key matchups coming up this weekend. Let's take a look at the standings and some of those matchups.

1. UNH 13-5-3, 29 points (14-10-4 overall)
2. Boston College 12-7-2, 26 points (17-9-2)
3. Maine 11-8-2, 24 points (14-11-3)
4. Boston University 10-9-2, 22 points (13-12-3)
5. UMass 11-11-0, 22 points (16-13-0)
6. Northeastern 10-10-1, 21 points (15-12-1)
7. UMass-Lowell 9-10-2, 20 points (15-13-2)
8. Vermont 7-9-5, 19 points (13-10-5)
9. Merrimack 8-11-1, 17 points (11-15-1)
10. Providence 4-15-2, 10 points (9-17-2)

UNH and Vermont have a huge series tonight and tomorrow. The Wildcats are clinging to a three-point lead in the Hockey East standings and could use a pair of quality wins to improve their PWR. Vermont is fighing for its tournament lives. While the Catamounts are eighth in Hockey East and are not playing their best hockey at this point. Still, they're in a four-way tie for ninth in PWR with UNH (League's leader and 8th place team ranked the same nationally. Crazy, huh?), Cornell and Minnesota-Duluth. A split does neither team much good. A sweep puts one team in great position, while the other is most likely done, unless it can win the conference tournament.

UMass-Lowell is on the outside looking in and needs to sweep the series with Maine in order to have any shot outside of winning the Hockey East tournament. Lowell has been in a freefall lately, going 1-4-0 in their last five games and needs a huge spark. They have been in every game during that span, but have had a very hard time finding the back of the net, wirth the exception of the 4-1 win over Boston College. Maine has been resurgent this season and once again is an elite team in the year. They were on a tear, going 5-0-1, but has lost their last two games, giving up seven and five goals in a sweep by BU. Maine had the quandry of possibly losing ground if they swept BU because of the RPI rankings, but getting swept by the Terriers took care of that, too. Maine is ranked 17th and needs wins.

BU has also rediscovered themselves and is now in a position for home ice in the Hockey East tournament, but now must go the rest of the way without one of its leaders. It shouldn't be much of a problem against Providence, but it remains to be seen how much good a sweep of such a weak team would do for the rankings. It certainly doesn't help the strength of schedule, but given the fact the Terriers are only a game above .500 at this point, they can ill afford to lose to the Friars.

Boston College has a real shot to give themselves a No. 1 seed in the national tournament if they finish strong. Taking at least three points from Northeastern, another team fighting for a chance to play beyond the conference tournament would go a long way towards doing that. BC is possibly the hottest team in Hockey East other than BU, going 5-1-0 in their last six games, including a Beanpot championship. The Huskies have struggled all season long and really don't have much chance of tournament play beyond Hockey East, but it's all about getting hot at the right time. They are coming off a weekend sweep of UMass and have won their last four, so three or four points stolen from BC could change their prospects very quickly.

Tension building in Hockey East

By Chris Maza Fan
Fanatic Sports Staff

And down the stretch they come! The Wildcats in the lead with Newton University and Black Bears in second, neck and neck! Minutemen falling back with Boston University coming up strong!

Yep, it's getting into mid-February and there's bunching at the top of Hockey East. UNH had a commanding lead, but let it slip through its fingers by failing to record a point in a lost weekend against rival Maine last weekend and needs to rebound. Boston College is coming off a high-flying week with a commanding 7-1 drubbing of UMass and a Beanpot championship over BU. The Black Bears improved their stock with the four-point weekend and BU, other than the Beanpot championship loss, has been playing its best hockey after the holiday break.

Let's take a look at the standings:

1. UNH 12-5-3, 27 points (13-10-4 overall)
2. Boston College 11-6-2, 24 points (16-8-2)
3. Maine 11-6-2, 24 points (14-9-3)
4. UMass 11-9-0, 22 points (16-11-0)
5. Boston University 8-9-2, 18 points (11-12-3)
6. UMass-Lowell 8-9-2, 18 points (14-12-2)
7. Vermont 7-8-4, 18 points (13-9-4)
8. Northeastern 8-10-1, 17 points (13-12-1)
9. Merrimack 7-11-0, 14 points (10-15-0)
10. Providence 4-14-2, 10 points (9-16-2)

If the Wildcats want to maintain their lead, they need to pick up two points tonight as they only have one game, while both Maine and Boston College have home-and-homes.

Maine is in a very interesting situation in terms of its national tournament hopes. While a sweep of BU would be monumental for its hopes for a regular season title, it could actually hurt their USCHO PairWise Rankings as Boston University's RPI rating would drop dramatically.

In fact, having a handful of teams fighting for home ice could only help Hockey East teams in terms of national tournament seedings. If teams start falling off quickly, it could lead to fewer of the top teams in the league making the national scene. The college hockey tourney is a funny thing. After all, UNH is on top of the league, but is squarely on the bubble for the tournament at this point, thanks largely to a very difficult early schedule that didn't go so well for a very young team.

It's coming down to the wire and every point counts for each of the top eight teams. Stay tuned.

Fantasy Baseball Friday: The Top 25

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Welcome to the first Fantasy Baseball Friday edition of the 2010 MLB Season. The fantasy baseball season is among us, so we will start our season long quest for fantasy greatness today. Fan Fanatic Sports will start the positional rankings analysis starting next week, so that means today's article is going to be a bit different. I will be highlighting my personal Top 25 fantasy players for 2010 as well as creating a few, fun lists that should help you prepare for the 2010 season. Now, let's get to it.

Ingy's Top 25 Fantasy Ballplayers for 2010:

1. Albert Pujols

2. Hanley Ramirez

3. Alex Rodriguez

4. Ryan Braun

5. Matt Kemp

6. Chase Utley

7. Carl Crawford

8. Tim Lincecum

9. Miguel Cabrera

10. Evan Longoria

11. Ryan Howard

12. Mark Teixiera

13. Prince Fielder

14. Roy Halladay

15. Matt Holiday

16. David Wright

17. Joe Mauer

18. Ian Kinsler

19. Troy Tulowitzki

20. Justin Upton

21. Zack Grienke

22. Felix Hernandez

23. Victor Martinez

24. Joey Votto

25. Ichirio Suzuki

Well, I think it's safe to say everyone will have Pujols at the top of his/her list after the season he had in 2009. Matt Kemp in the top 5? Yes, you will see that Kemp will explode as a 5 tool superstar this season. He had a good breakthrough year last year and will take it to the next level in 2010. I can't believe he is still such a raw player. The only other player that might surprise you in the Top 15 is Matt Holiday. He was amazing after being traded to the Cardinals last year and I really look for him to put together a Coorsesque season hitting behind Pujols.

Ingy's 2010 Overachiever/Breakthrough Lineup:

C. Matt Wieters - BAL

1B. Joey Votto - CIN

2B. Orlando Hudson - MIN

SS. JJ Hardy - MIN

3B. Kevin Kouzmanoff - OAK

OF. Matt Kemp - LAD

OF. Adam Jones - BAL

OF. Carlos Gonzalez - COL

DH. Nick Johnson - NYY

SP - Rich Harden - TEX

CL - Mike Gonzalez - BAL

Matt Wieters had a very good 2nd half in 2009, and I really look for him and the Orioles to make great strides this season. Much like Kemp, most fans don't realize the year Joey Votto had last season. He hits in a little bandbox, and will continue to improve on his season of .322, 25, 84. I am also a big fan of the Rangers bringing in Rich Harden.

Ingy's 2010 Underachiever/Bust Lineup:

C. Benji Molina - SF

1B. Daniel Murphy - NYM

2B. Jose Lopez - SEA

SS. Marco Scutaro - BOS

3B. Adrian Beltre - BOS

OF - Manny Ramirez - LAD

OF - Mike Cameron - BOS

OF - Jason Bay - NYM

DH - David Ortiz - BOS

SP - Ben Sheets - OAK

CL - Jose Valverde - DET

Obviously, I am not high on the Boston Red Sox this year. With the exception of the John Lackey acquisition, I strongly disagreed with the rest of their moves. I don't quite understand adding 300 strike outs to your lineup in Cameron and Beltre. Both are easy outs against good pitching. Jason Bay is a very good player, but Citi Field is death to home run hitters.

Ingy's 2010 Rookies/Youngsters Lineup:

C. Buster Posey - SF

1B. Justin Smoak - TEX/ Gabby Sanchez - FLA

2B. Scott Sizemore - DET

SS. Alcides Escobar - MIL

3B. Brandon Wood - LAA

OF. Jason Heyward - ATL

OF. Colby Rasmus - STL

OF. Nolan Reimold - BAL

SP. Brian Matusz - BAL

RP. Daniel Bard - BOS

Posey, the best hitting catching prospect in the game needs more seasoning at AAA, but will soon be up. Jason Heyward is the best prospect in all of baseball, so watch out for him making the opening day roster. My honorable mention is Josh Bell of the Orioles. The O's stole him from the Dodgers in the George Sherill deal last year and will most likely just be a September call up. Watch out for him next year though.

Well, there you have it. Look for the positional rankings to begin next week. Until then, good luck and enjoy!

Will the Bruins say goodbye to Thomas?

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

At this point, no one knows what's going to happen to the Boston Bruins prior to the trade deadline. I am not even sure GM Peter Chiarelli has made up his mind yet. They could be buyers or they could be sellers. What we do know is something major is going to happen. Over the past few days, there have been rumors that Tim Thomas may be on his way out of Boston. Personally, I'd love that if it were true. Despite the fact I am a fan of Chiarelli's work, I hated the bloated deal he gave Thomas last year. There is no way a 35 year old, journeyman goalie should have been given a 4 year $20 million contract that includes a no trade clause for the first two years. Throw in the fact that you have Tukka Rask, the B's goalie of the future, and it makes the deal look even worse.

So far the rumors have involved the Chicago Blackhawks and the Washington Capitols. Both teams need an upgrade at the goaltender position. These rumors include the Bruins getting a top 6 forward and a backup goalie in return. The real question is whether or not Tim Thomas can be moved? Will another NHL team deem Thomas good enough to pick up the remainder of his contract? Will Thomas waive his no trade clause? Earlier this week it was reported Thomas may not waive the clause do to a cancer issue with a family member. Hopefully, Thomas will realize it's not wise to stay with a team that may consider you backup as soon as the end of this season. If he goes to Chicago, it gives him a legitimate chance at the Cup.

Personally, if the Bruins can trade Thomas, even just for salary cap relief, then they have no choice but to do it. With a roster freeze set to take place on Friday thank in part to the Olympics, you might see something get done in the next 24 hours. All we have to do is wait and see.

I Can Feel Manning's Pain

By Dan Shouse
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Don't get me wrong, I was rooting for the Saints last Sunday, but I fully expected the Colts to win, and win big. Even trailing 24-17 late in the fourth quarter, I still felt certain that Manning would bring the Colts back, and claim a seat along side Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the greatest quarterbacks I can remember seeing.

So when Tracy Porter picked off Manning and returned it for TD to ice the game, I was stunned, although in a good way. Seeing Manning after the game however, made me think of the Patriots and Giants a few years back and how devastated I was after that game. It also made me think of other stunning defeats my teams have suffered.

Without a doubt Sunday must have been the worst defeat of Manning's career, but as a fan it made me wonder what were the worst losses I can remember. I came up with a list of five losses that have stuck with me long after the games had ended.

1. Game 6 of the 1986 World Series

I know I may be making myself look real old, but this is the mother of all loses. The pain has subsided a bit given the Red Sox recent success, but this was just such a historic loss that nothing else can compare.

I can still remember the top of the 10th when Dave Henderson hit the go ahead home run, and then Wade Boggs scored from second on a single by Marty Barrett to put the Red Sox up 5-3. Calvin Schiraldi then got 2 quick outs in the bottom of the inning. The camera showed the Red Sox dugout, and the players were just waiting to run onto the field. At that point, remember I was only 13 at the time, my parents let me get a VHS Tape to record the final out.

Instead I taped the worst sports moment of my live. After the ball went through Buckner's legs, my brother got up, took the tape out of the VCR, and threw it against the wall, breaking it into a million pieces. I did not sleep a wink that night. Game 7 did not matter. There was no way the Red Sox could bounce back from that.

2. Super Bowl XLII

The Patriots had a chance to become the greatest franchise in NFL history, and let it slip away. People point to the David Tyree catch as the biggest moment of the game, but I still think back to what happened earlier in that same play. The Patriots had Eli Manning sacked, but he escaped. If they just brought him to the ground, it would have been around 4th and 15 with about a minute left. With no timeouts, time would have likely run out on the Giants.

There are so many other plays that stick with me. Pierre Woods had a golden opportunity to recover a fumble deep inside Giants territory in the 2nd quarter. If the Pats could have added another score there, things could have been different.

There was also the decision to go for it on 4th and 13 in the 3rd quarter rather than kick a 48 yard field goal. Often overlooked is the final Patriots possession. Brady and Moss nearly hooked up for 70 bomb. Watch the replay. Brady and Moss were scary close to connecting. What makes this loss so tough is that if any of those things had happened, there would no longer be any argument about who was the best QB ever. It would be Tom Brady.

3. Game 7 2003 American League Championship Series

At the start of the bottom of the 8th, with the Red Sox ahead 5-3, my wife walked into the room, saw the score and said, "Wow, they have this one in the bag." I still blame her for the loss.

Funny thing is later when I finally went to bed that night, she asked me if they won. When I said no, she could not figured out why I was so devastated and then said, "Don't worry, they'll get them next year." We then started to argue because at that moment, I was convinced that the Red Sox would never win a World Series. Turns out my wife was right though. They did get them next year.

The Aaron Boone home run was the iconic moment of the game, but the moment I remember most is when Jorge Posada hit a little blooper to center that scored Hideki Matsui to tie the game. At that point I knew the game was lost. When Boone hit the home run, I was almost glad to be finally put out of my misery.

4. 2006 AFC Championship Game

Looking back, this is when the Patriots good fortunes really began to turn. With a 21-3 lead late in the 2nd quarter, Brady hit Ben Watson with pass for a 1st down to put Patriots inside the Colts 30 yard line. A score here would have put the game out of reach. There was a penalty called against the Patriots however (I don't remember who the call was on, or what for) that pushed the Pats back, and eventually they had to punt. Instead the Colts got the ball back and kicked a field goal right before the half. What could have been a 28-3 lead at the half was only 21-6 instead.

I won't even bring up the Reche Caldwell drop of a sure TD, or the Reggie Wayne fumble on the Colts final drive that some how popped up right back into his hands. If the Pats had won this one, and then completed the perfect season one year later, you could have easily made the argument that the New England Patriots were the best franchise in NFL history.

5. Game 4 1987 NBA Finals

Not too many people remember this game, but the Celtics really let this one get away. Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Celtics had to have this one to have a chance to repeat as champs.

The Celtics dominated most of the game, and were up by 16 points at the half. The Lakers rallied to take the lead in the final minute, but Larry Bird nailed a 3 pointer to put Boston back ahead, which at that point was the biggest clutch play I had ever seen. I was sure that the Lakers would fold. Magic Johnson had other ideas, as his baby hook over Kevin McHale gave the Lakers the win. Although they played for a few more years, this was really the end of the original "Big 3."

It time to move on however. This is starting to get depressing. Next time maybe I should write about the biggest wins. That would far more enjoyable.

Saints win the Super Bowl; MVP Brees an elite QB

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl and being able to hoist up the prestigious Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Well, the Saints were the underdog against the Colts, but they were clearly the big dog when the chips were on the table.

And how about Drew Brees?

While Tom Brady and Peyton Manning steal all the spotlight as the best QB's in the NFL -- and rightly so because they are both outstanding signal-callers -- but don't you think Brees should start being mentioned in that same sentence?

I know Brees hasn't has the career success as Brady or Manning, but right now -- in 2010 -- he's no doubt a top-3 QB in the league. Rank them any way you want, you can't go wrong.

But it's now time for people to start talking about Brees as an elite QB. Yes, he's now a Super Bowl champion and a Super Bowl MVP. He's got the bling, and that's how all great QB's are judged.

Brees delivered on the biggest stage, while Manning surprisingly faltered just like Brett Favre did in the NFC Championship game with a big INT that cost his team the game.

But I look at it more like the Saints won the game; the Colts and Manning didn't lose it.

How can you not be happy for the city of New Orleans? If you've got a heart at all, you've got to love the fact they are now champions.

Congrats to the Saints on a job well done.

Let the party begin.

Who dat?

Like it or not, Manning is the best QB in the NFL and he's going to win another Super Bowl title

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

So you hate Peyton Manning? Well, get ready to do a little more hating after you see him hoist up the Vince Lombardi trophy after the Colts win the Super Bowl.

Yes, it's going to happen.

And yes, Peyton Manning is that good. Believe it Patriot Nation, Manning is even better than Tom Brady.

I said it, and it pains me to say that. Two years ago I wouldn't have made that statement, but Manning just keeps getting better, while Brady isn't.

As for the Super Bowl, I'll be wearing my NFL-issued Drew Brees No. 9 jersey and rooting on the Saints and the city of New Orleans.

But I think the Colts are a better team -- in all three phases of the game.

But I don't think it's going to be a cakewalk, either.

The Saints can win this game, but they need to play flawless football to do so. And I think the Colts won't let the Saints play perfect ball, either.

Manning is so good that even if the Colts trailed by 14 points in the first three quarters -- perhaps even in the fourth -- I'm not going to go run and hide and think the Colts don't have a chance. With Manning at the helm, it's hard not to be confident in him running the show. Plus, he's got so many weapons in the passing game (Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon). I don't care if the Colts can't run the football (but they can against a poor Saints run defense), they don't need to anyway.

With that offensive line protecting Manning like a mother and father do with their newborn, it doesn't matter what the Saints throw at the Colts and Manning. He's seen it all before. The Saints physically beat up an old Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game, but Manning is stronger and his offensive line is great at identifying the blitz and picking it up. If Manning has time in the pocket, expect a completion and potentially a big play.

But if the Saints can get base pressure without leaving their corners on an island one one one because they have to blitz, they've got a chance to frustrate Manning (admit it, we all want to puke when Manning is shown shaking his head after a poor play) and get a much-needed turnover.

Forcing turnovers is the only way the Saints have a shot to win.

Plus, Drew Brees and the Saints offense -- perhaps the only offense in the league that could go score for score with the Colts -- need to sustain drives and scored TDs, and not settle for field goals.

The Saints have balance -- Brees is a master in the pocket and also has great targets (Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson), plus they also feature the X-factor, Reggie Bush, a running back that is more like a wide receiver.

Bush is also scary on special teams where he can return a punt for a TD at any time, but I think the Colts can neutralize Bush because the Colts' defense is based on pure team speed, not beef. They flow to the football and it's hard to make big plays against them (credit playing Cover 2 for that), although those corners are weak and something I'm betting Brees is going to attack.

I've seen so many Saints games this year and down the stretch, that offense sputtered at times for a multitude of reasons. Whether it was poor pass protection, receivers not getting open, or running backs (Pierre Thomas must be a factor in the run game for the Saints) not doing the job, for as good as that offense has been, they've had slight issues moving the ball down and they can't do that in the Super Bowl.

Chad's Take: Manning is going to pick apart the Saints. The Saints will dial up every blitz under the sun, but it's not going to fluster Manning and the Colts. Indy knows how to break down opponents, and chucking the ball against the Saints is the way to go, although don't be surprised to see Joseph Addai have a good game out of the backfield since the Saints will be so focused on stopping the pass.

The Colts just might run up and down the field scoring a boatload of points, but the Saints will do it, too. The Saints' defense has been opportunistic in the turnover department all season -- they are not that great as a team defense because they give up so many yards in the air and on the ground -- but don't expect to see Manning throw more than one pick. The Colts know how to protect the pigskin and they also know that's why the Saints are here because that defense is a ball-hawking unit.

This is going to be a great Super Bowl, but I think Manning steals the show. He's the best in the NFL at what he does, and he'll show everyone again that he's the best.

Expect more commercials with Manning's mug on the TV screen after he wins another Super Bowl title.

Prediction: Colts, 37-30