John Duffill said Friday night's results were the best of all possible
worlds--a Maine win and a BU loss. So true, in ordinary times, but these are
not ordinary times. Here's why...
 
Believe it or not, Maine still has a chance--a very good chance, in fact--to
earn home ice for the Hockey East playoffs, but we need a little bit of help.
. . from BU, among others. Maine is competing for the fourth home playoff spot
with Northeastern, Lowell, and Providence. As of this morning (Saturday),
Northeastern has six Hockey East games remaining--two with Maine and the other
four with "Top 3" teams (BU, UNH, BC). Lowell and Providence also have six HE
games remaining--two with lower-ranked teams and four with the Top 3.
 
If Maine wins all its remaining HE games (2 vs. UMA and 2 vs. Northeastern),
we will have 26 points. To beat us out for home ice, Northeastern would have
to gain five points (two wins and a tie) in its four games against the Top 3.
Providence would have to win both its games against lower-ranked teams and
three of four against the Top 3; and Lowell will have to win both its games
against lower-ranked teams and two of its four remaining games against the Top
3.
 
So, if we want Maine to get the home ice advantage in the HE playoffs, we have
to hope that BU, UNH, and BC win (ugh!) when they play Lowell, PC, and
Northeastern.
 
If Maine loses one game to UMA, we're still in the hunt, but Lowell, PC, and
Northeastern have to win one fewer game to beat us out. However, if we lose
either of our two games with Northeastern, we're out of the hunt, because the
best we could hope for would be a tie in the final standings with the Huskies,
and they'd have the series edge, 2-1.