2/19/91 Hockey East Overall Non-league GP W-L-T Pts GF-GA || GP W-L-T GF-GA W-L-T ======================================================== 1 #Boston College 19 15-4-0 30 98-69 || 34 26-8-0 169-113 | 11-4-0 2 #Maine 20 14-5-1 29 106-71 || 36 27-7-2 199-114 | 13-2-1 3 #Boston University 19 12-5-2 26 91-59 || 32 21-9-2 177-110 | 9-4-0 4 Providence 19 9-8-2 20 88-78 || 29 19-8-2 154-106 | 10-0-0 New Hampshire 19 9-8-2 20 71-72 || 32 21-9-2 142-114 | 12-1-0 6 Merrimack 19 7-12-0 14 66-92 || 30 13-16-1 128-144 | 6-4-1 7 Lowell 20 4-15-1 9 64-105 || 32 9-22-1 117-161 | 5-7-0 8 Northeastern 19 2-15-2 6 78-116 || 31 6-23-2 129-176 | 4-8-0 #-clinched home ice 2/15/91 Boston College 7 at Lowell 3 HE Merrimack 2 at Maine 7 HE Providence 3 at New Hampshire 4 HE 2/16/91 Providence 5 at Boston University 9 HE New Hampshire 5 at Lowell 4 HE ot Merrimack 4 at Maine 7 HE 2/17/91 Northeastern 8 at Boston College 10 HE 2/20/91 New Hampshire at Merrimack HE Boston University at Northeastern HE Boston College at Providence HE 2/23/91 Boston College at Boston University HE Lowell at Merrimack HE Maine at New Hampshire HE Northeastern at Providence HE (end of regular season) 2/27/91 Hockey East Quarterfinal NC 2/28/91 Hockey East Quarterfinal NC 3/1/91 Hockey East Quarterfinal NC 3/2/91 Hockey East Quarterfinal NC at Maine 3/8/91 Hockey East Semifinals NC HockeyFest '91 3/10/91 Hockey East Championship NC HockeyFest '91 Some quick notes: HOME ICE BC, BU and Maine have all clinched home ice. PC and UNH are battling for fourth place and the last home ice spot. Each team has won a game vs. the other and they also tied, so the next tiebreaker will be number of league wins. If that is also the same (likely if they tie in points), they will go to record against the first place team, then record against the second place team, and so on. If PC had held on to win Friday night, the Friars would be hosting a playoff game. Maine claimed it would be hosting a game March 2nd, so I have penciled them in on the above schedule. That makes sense since it is the longest trip and March 2nd is a Saturday. POSITION BC can clinch the regular season title with one point in its final two games at PC and BU, or if Maine does not beat UNH. BC cannot finish any lower than second. Maine can finish first if it beats UNH *and* if BC loses to both PC and BU. The Black Bears could finish third if they lose to UNH *and* BU beats both NU and BC. Maine cannot finish any lower than third. BU cannot finish first. The Terriers will finish third *unless* they beat both NU and BC *and* Maine loses to UNH, in which case they will finish second. BU cannot finish lower than third. Providence and New Hampshire will finish 4-5, order to be determined by the final two games of the season. This is the most interesting of the races. Since it looks like it will come down to record against the #1, #2, etc. teams, here are the teams' records against the other six Hockey East teams: vs BC BU UL UM MC NU PC 0-2* 0-2-1 3-0 1-2 2-1 2-0* NH 1-2 1-1-1 3-0 0-2* 1-1* 2-1 *-one game remaining UNH looks to have the inside edge because of their wins over BC and BU. If UNH beats Merrimack and loses to Maine, and PC loses to BC and beats NU, UNH finishes fourth. In fact, tomorrow if UNH wins and PC loses, it doesn't matter what happens Saturday. PC needs a slight upset, either in itself beating BC or UNH losing to Merrimack. Merrimack will finish in sixth - no higher, no lower - and will probably travel to BU. Lowell will finish no higher than seventh. Its magic number to clinch seventh is two (combination of Lowell points in final game plus NU loss of points in final two games). Northeastern will finish eighth unless it gets three more points than Lowell in NU's final two games and Lowell's final game. LIKELY MATCHUPS Based on all this, these are what I see as the quarterfinal matchups in Hockey East: #5 Providence at #4 New Hampshire #6 Merrimack at #3 Boston University #7 Lowell at #2 Maine #8 Northeastern at #1 Boston College - mike p.s. I'll get out weekend game stories a little later, maybe tomorrow. I thought people would want to see this.