I don't think a team should ever intentionally lose a game to better their position for championship play. The reason is this: if the ratings ever reward a team for losing then the rating system is flawed. A win should always be more beneficial than a loss (or a win and loss). Good sportsmanship and honesty (IMO) require that a team try to win and not try to exploit flaws in the system. This is especially the case for college hockey (as opposed to professional) where teaching the right values should be important. Just my 2 cents. Keith