I think it's interesting how Maine ranked as low as sixth on one of the polls,
while BU, whom Maine is 2-0-1 against, is ranked second on the same poll.
Or is it the computer ranking? I'm not sure, but Maine obviously has proven
themselves against the Terriers this season. I'm definitely not one to argue
about Michigan being ranked #1 on many polls, especially since the west seems
to be beating itself to bits. Of course, the polls don't mean anything,
especially when it comes to a team's ability to beat another. Remember LSSU's
trouncing of BU last year? It's interesting to note that Maine only lost to
LSSU 2-1 earlier in the season, without many star players who were out due to
injury. When BU played LSSU, the Lakers had barely been able to make it to the
championship game, going to overtime twice to reach the Final Four, while BU
had a cakewalk. Maybe BU had an off night, but they were #1 in the nation.
Thism is why I personally don't put much faith in polls, which are based mainly
 
on opinions, and not always the type of schedule a team plays. It's my feeling
that if Maine and BU each had to play a steady diet of teams like Michigan,
Colorado College, Minnesota, etc., they wouldn't be ranked as high as they are,
mainly because they probably wouldn't do quite as well against these teams.
When you only get to play certain teams once or twice a year, you don't tend to
get a huge idea of how well you can do against them, or the teams they have to
play. This is probably one reason why Maine was undefeated for so long this
year, and why a seemingly harmless Princeton team, who I believe lost to Colby
(a Div. III Maine school) earlier this year, could defeat Maine on Maine's
home ice.
Essentially, the polls don't mean much, and I think should almost be thrown
out. All it is based on is opinion, which opens the whole system up for bias.
I don't think Maine is #1, and I'm one of the biggest fans of the Black Bears.
I think Michigan is #1, especially since they play a much tougher schedule.
Hockey East is getting stronger, so teams like Maine and BU may not be getting
wins as easily as in the past. However, unlike the western conferences,
especially the CCHA, many tend to forget the teams in the lower half of
Hockey East and the ECAC. Not too many Hockey East schools other than Maine
and BU are considered perrenial hockey powers, even though New Hampshire and
UMass-Lowell have had their moments in recent years. Not too many people look
too far past Harvard and Clarkson (I didn't check to see is Clarkson is in the
ECAC or not, so someone correct me if it isn't), for a consistent power in the
ECAC. I can think of many schools in the CCHA and WCHA, who are generally
looked at as powers year after year. LSSU (even though they're having a bad
year), Michigan, Michigan State, Denver, Colorado College, Miami of Ohio,
Minnesota, Minnesota-Deluth (spelling not great, correct me if I'm wrong),
Wisconsin, and others, are consistantly being looked at to provide strong teams
to send to the NCAA tournament each year. It's troublesome when the east
doesn't get that much respect, although the situation is improving, but the
recruits seem to want to go to the bigger names I mentioned above. I hate
to think that many quality schools in many places don't get the players they
want because of the schedules they play, but many don't play strong enough
schedules. Maybe the NCAA's limit on the number of regular-season games lends
to this, but even Maine, #1 in the nation on many polls, doesn't play half the
schedule Michigan does. There aren't that many ranked teams on Maine's
remaining schedule, and I wonder how long the Black Bears can keep the top
spot in the nation with as few ranked opponents as they have.
This is why I don't put too much faith in the polls
Till later,
John