On Wed, 2 Apr 1997, Tuschen, Terry wrote:
 
 
>On Wed, 2 Apr 1997, Tuschen, Terry wrote:
>
>>>Minnesota teams.  You can win 30 or 35 games a year but if you don't
>>>win the final game of the NCAA Hockey season, you are not the
>>>champions
>>
>>Very true.
>>
>>>nor are you the best team.
>>
>> In your opinion.  In my opinion, you cannot throw out the entire
>> regular season when determining the best team.  Just forget the other 30+
>> games?  Hardly.
>>
 
>Alan, your opinion makes a good point.  How would you include those
>wins in a formula to determine "the best" team?  The best regular
>season teams almost always get a first round bye (which may or may not
>be an advantage I suppose).
>
 
Well, first of all, I readily acknowledge that North Dakota is the NCAA
champion this year.  That being said,  I notice that the various computed
ratings still have Michigan as the number one team.
 
But what would really help would be to drop the sudden death format of the
playoffs and adopt a best of three series.  I'd also like to see a sixteen team
field, which would rid of the first round byes.
 
That, to me, would give the championship more weight when talking about the
"best" team.
 
 
-Alan Harder
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 Go Blue!
 
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