WIS Productions Presents ... The Effingwoods Hockey Almanac

[Felger]

Saw something recently about Chicago Blackhawks' D Duncan Keith taking a sly rip at some of the stupidity out there posing as "advanced analytics" in hockey.

Duncan Keith’s viral Corsi joke stirs debate about values of NHL’s proxy stats - Chicago Sun-Times

Asked about his 15 shots over the Blackhawks’ last two games, (Keith) joked that he was “getting the Corsi up, so you guys think I’m good.”

By laying bare the insipid stupidity of "Corsi", Keith is the EHA's Man of the Month.

In case you missed it Chuck the nerds have been taking a beating from 2-6 PM on 98.5. And this incident was referenced reverentially by the host.

[Chuck Murray]

In case you missed it Chuck the nerds have been taking a beating from 2-6 PM on 98.5. And this incident was referenced reverentially by the host.

... and let me say right here that you do a fantastic job hosting that program! :-)

Long may the nerd beatdowns on their ruination of all things sports continue ...

[Snively65]

Not hiding at all, just haven't had any off-topic hockey stuff for awhile, but yes, you did go with the favorites (BU) so you can add another frosty beverage to the running tab, Snives!!

But you did miss on the bonus question. Since there were no other participants at the time, I can disclose the answer now as none other than Joey "Buttons" Bertagna. Apparently someone at USCHO read this thread after the 12/7/20 posting, and has since been shamed into updating the true identity of the HEA commissioner from Joey Buttons to Steve "Press Release" Metcalf. I'm still not sure if it's safe to call off the APB on the new commish though, he hasn't been seen in public for almost a year now, and just about anyone could be ghosting the boilerplate HEA press releases being issued under his name.

ETA hopes to be ramping up its activities in the coming weeks, as the D-1 season winds down ...

Oh, I knew the second answer was Bretagna, but I could not resist answering with Charlie Parker, :-)

[Snively65]

Not hiding at all, just haven't had any off-topic hockey stuff for awhile, but yes, you did go with the favorites (BU) so you can add another frosty beverage to the running tab, Snives!!

But you did miss on the bonus question. Since there were no other participants at the time, I can disclose the answer now as none other than Joey "Buttons" Bertagna. Apparently someone at USCHO read this thread after the 12/7/20 posting, and has since been shamed into updating the true identity of the HEA commissioner from Joey Buttons to Steve "Press Release" Metcalf. I'm still not sure if it's safe to call off the APB on the new commish though, he hasn't been seen in public for almost a year now, and just about anyone could be ghosting the boilerplate HEA press releases being issued under his name.

ETA hopes to be ramping up its activities in the coming weeks, as the D-1 season winds down ...

Oh, I knew the second answer was Bertagna, but I could not resist answering with Charlie Parker, :-)

[Sean Pickett]

I'm still not sure if it's safe to call off the APB on the new commish though, he hasn't been seen in public for almost a year now, and just about anyone could be ghosting the boilerplate HEA press releases being issued under his name.

He was at the BU at UConn game this afternoon and even appeared on screen during the game doing an interview.

Sean

[Chuck Murray]

From his penthouse office high atop the Encore Boston Harbor Casino in picturesque Everett MA, WIS bookmaker Michel "Mikey" Nostradamus weighs in on the semifinal round of the Hockey East "tourney" 2021-style, with all games being played on campus this time around. Our pal Mikey knows all about the "games" that get played on campus, being a proud member of the Avignon U. Class of 1525, summa cum laude. Now taking the earthbound form of a pile of smoldering ashes, Mikey has weighed in with his predictions for tomorrow's headlining games.

Boston College 5 UMass Lowell 1 (Cinq-un pour BC)

From the banks of the Merrimack slowly slide
Make-believe birds who dined on red dogs
Until golden birds from the skies above ride
Dispatching the Bazins to their reservoir bogs

UMass Amherst 4 Providence 2 (Quatre-deux pour Le Drapeau)

The tale of two Carvels one works in the valley
The other makes treats like Fudgy the Whale
Military squad executes with ruthless precision
While the robed clerics gasp, all destined to fail

Well, there you go folks. Up 'til now, I've done the fast-and-quick translations for Mikey predictions, but this time around I figured folks might want to "see how the sausage is made", so to speak. He certainly does have an air about him, but he's very good at what he does, and he's literally been doing it for centuries now. We here at WIS consider it a "great catch" to be working with a worldwide, multi-epoch superstar, and he's trying his old skills at a new game now - college hockey/HEA!!

As he's done for the first two rounds of the HEA playoffs - including his specialty call of a decisive UNH win over "just happy to be here for the MBPBEGAM round" UMaine Black Bears, backed up by a wire-to-wire BC win over the 'Cats - Mikey has also set a secondary line, where you can get 3:1 odds on Le Drapeau winning its first-ever Lamoriello Trophy this weekend, while more adventurous bettors can get 9:1 odds on Coach Bazin's squad turning a pair of road upsets into their fourth and least likely date with the Lamoriello. Looking for longshot action? Go with the UConn Huskies' head coach Luce Canaan to win the Bob Kullen Coach of the Year award with a sub-.500 record an an embarrassing QF blowout loss at a healthy 666:1. Mikey wants to know how Luce made the Final 3, while the non-Fudgy Carvel didn't? I didn't have an answer for him, to be fair ...

Finally, it wouldn't be WIS without a trivia contest, now would it? Anyway, click on the video link below from our unknowing business partners, and answer this simple question (no multiple choice this time):

At the end of the video, in the aerial shot of EBH, what local landmark is hidden behind it?

[Chuck Murray]

It's been a rough 24 hours for Mikey since last night's results ... how close he came to absolutely nailing the semifinals down, but unfortunately I don't think Mikey is even aware he "virtually" nailed the late game (right on the money until an ENG with less than a minute to play). The first game ... afterwards Mikey went on a total bender. I haven't seen that godforsaken pile of ashes smoking so heavily since he blew the call on the BU-PC FF Finals a few years back, when the BU kid threw the puck into his own net. Sacrebleu this and branleur that. I hope the Knight kid has a bodyguard.

Anyhow ... hopefully Mikey will be able to shrug it off and get down to business again with his pick for the HEA Finals this weekend. Le Drapeau faces the make-believe birds. Can't wait - stay tuned ...

... in the meantime, there's a contest in the last post, let's get some action going for the weekend!

[Chuck Murray]

From his penthouse office high atop the Encore Boston Harbor Casino in picturesque Everett MA, WIS bookmaker Michel "Mikey" Nostradamus weighs in on the Hockey East Tourney Finals 2021-style, with this year's big game coming from the Calipari Center in scenic Amherst MA, featuring a long-awaited clash between the Commonwealth's two major state school hockey powers - the visitors from "Canal City", the UMass Lowell Riverhawks, and the hosts and reigning Flagship of all Flagships, the UMass Minutemen. Since Mikey now assumes an earthbound form of a large pile of smoldering ashes, one might think his heart lies with the visitors from the land of the smokestacks. But Mikey knows no prejudice when it comes to handicapping, knowing that emotion can never be allowed to get in the way of a good choice, and thus he foresees a magic evening in the Pioneer Valley, with Le Drapeau hoisting HEA hardware for the first time ever ...

UMass Amherst 3 UMass Lowell 1 (Trois-une pour Le Drapeau)

Once Upon a Time in the West of the kingdom
A scarred general swoops in to reclaim past glories
But in failing to smite the locals from their freedom
New champions emerge to tell their heroic stories

Well, there you go folks. Undaunted by his aggressive "miss" on the BC-Lowell game, where a late 4-1 BC lead was rubbing right up against Mikey's 5-1 prediction for BC, and having already classified Coach Bazin's team as a longshot for a 4th HEA tourney title in the last decade, the big call is for Coach Carvel's boys to hoist the Lamoriello for the first time on their home ice tonight. A unique opportunity that, for a program once stuck in a perpetual whirlpool of its own mediocrity. Now that problem seems to have migrated a few miles southeast to Storrs. Good luck with that.

As he's done for the first three rounds of the HEA playoffs - including his Wednesday night rebound pick of 4-2 for UMass in a game that ended up 5-2 for the Minutemen only due to a late empty netter - Mikey has also set a secondary line, where you can get 3:1 odds on UMass Lowell pulling off the road upset, filling the role of 2021's "Team Of Destiny" in knocking off the league's two top RS teams to earn a surprise bid into the national tourney ... while more adventurous bettors can get 9:1 odds on Coach Bazin's squad running up a total of 40 SOG's in regulation. Looking for longshot action? Go with UMass Lowell to spot the hosts another 3 goal lead, and come from behind again with an OT win at a healthy 666:1. Mikey refers to these as "sucker's bets", and has pointed out the last two longshot propositions (UConn to win the Lamoriello, and Luce to win the Kullen) came about as close to happening as Red Gendron having anyone confuse him for the late great Shawn Walsh.

Finally, it wouldn't be WIS without a trivia contest, now would it? Anyway, click on the video link below from our unknowing business partners, and answer this simple question (I've added multiple choices this time):

At the end of the video, in the aerial shot of EBH, what local landmark is hidden behind it?

(A) Whitey Bulger's old "Winter Hill" hangout
(B) The H.P. Hood & Sons milk processing plant
(C) Scenic Boston Edison/Mystic Generating Station
(D) The historical Bunker Hill Monument
(E) Mike & Mark Fidler Family Homestead
(F) All of the above

[Chuck Murray]

Just for the record, "Mikey" is all in on UMass Amherst to win it all. Tres bullish.

Quiz Answer: C (although all the others are within a mile as well)

[Chuck Murray]

Right now my buddy Mikey is skating a victory lap around Wellington Circle (or is it Sullivan Square?). He's been on board with UMass since the start of the postseason, and I'll be damned if that steaming pile of ashes didn't nail it stone cold dead.

More than made up for BC gacking it up to Lowell in that bizarre Hockey East playoffs loss, which looks to have been the only blot on his postseason predictions dance card.