Note: UIC beat Michigan 5-4 in OT last night; UND won 4-3 over OSU.
 
Another note: the play-off system this year works like this: #10 hosts
UAF in the preliminary play-in on the Tuesday after the regular
season.  The winner advances and teams may be re-seeded (if UAF wins).
The top 5 host the bottom 5 on campus best of 3. The lowest two
advancing seeds play in the finals play-in on the Wednesday before the
finals start.
 
Important places to avoid: 10th; 4th or 5th, since you will be in the finals
play-in unless there are first round upsets.
 
Important places to finish: 3rd, to avoid the finals play-in; 5th,
getting home ice; 9th, to avoid UAF.
 
 
                         Games  Max   Hi   Lo   Points to clinch...
   Team             Pts   Left  Pts  Fin  Fin   1  2  3   4  5   6  7  8   9
 1 Michigan          35    6    47    1    4    6  4  3   0  0   0  0  0   0
 2 Bowling Green     29    6    41    1    7    - 10  8   7  2   1  0  0   0
 3 Miami             29    4    37    1    7    -  -  -   7  2   2  0  0   0
 4 Michigan State    27    6    39    1    8    -  - 12   8  4   3  1  0   0
 5 Lake Superior     25    5    35    2    8    -  -  -   -  6   5  4  0   0
 6 Ferris State      20    5    30    2    8    -  -  -   -  -   -  8  0   0
 7 Illinois-Chicago  18    6    30    2   10    -  -  -   -  -   - 11  1   1
 8 Western Michigan  16    6    28    4   10    -  -  -   -  -   -  -  3   2
 9 Notre Dame        11    4    19    7   10    -  -  -   -  -   -  -  -   7
10 Ohio State         6    6    18    7   10    -  -  -   -  -   -  -  -   -
 
The CCHA race really tightened up last weekend. Only Michigan has home
ice (5th place) clinched. Four teams can still win the title; four
teams can still finish last. The magic point total for most to clinch
home ice is 31.
 
Michigan can clinch first with 6 points in its last 6 games; only needs
3 points to clinch 3rd and avoid the finals play-in on 3/15; can clinch
first with two wins this weekend (vs BGSU and MSU).
 
Bowling Green can clinch home ice with 2 points; needs 8 to avoid the
possibility of a play-in.
 
Miami cannot clinch 3rd, since it only has 4 games left; 2 points to
clinch home ice.
 
Michigan State can clinch 3rd by winning its last 6 games; 8 points
will ensure it ends up ahead of LSSU and finishes at least 4th; 4
points for home ice.
 
Lake Superior can still finish as high as 2nd; needs 6 points to
guarantee home ice.
 
Ferris State can still finish second, but for this to happen, it must
win its last 5, BG must lose its last 6, Miami must be held to 1 tie in
its last 4, and MSU and LSSU must also falter to a large extent; is
1-1-1 (with an equal number of goals for and goals against) vs UIC, so
the third tiebreaker may come into play if these teams end up tied on
points.
 
Illinois-Chicago can also finish 2nd with divine intervention; needs
just 1 point to guarantee an 8th place or better finish.
 
Western Michigan can stil earn home ice, but anything short of a sweep
at LSSU in two weeks will mean home ice is very unlikely; needs just 2
points to avoid the play-in with Alaska-Fairbanks.
 
Notre Dame can still finish 7th, but it must win its last 4 while UIC
loses its last 6 and WMU loses 5 of its last 6; can clinch 9th with 7
points.
 
Ohio State can also catch UIC by winning all of its remaining games
while UIC loses its remaining.