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Back by popular apathy, it's The ECAC Playoff Permutation Special! This year, the ECAC goes into its final regular-season weekend with all ten playoff teams determined, as well as the regular-season champion, so perhaps some of the drama is missing. However, there is still plenty of jockeying for better spots to do yet. First things first. The #1 seed for the playoffs will be Harvard, which locked up the regular-season title Friday night. Clarkson and Brown will join the Crimson in having home ice for the quarterfinals. Princeton and St. Lawrence are assured of being #9 and #10 in some order, and Dartmouth and Yale are the two teams that will not make the playoffs. Here's a breakdown of where each team could finish in the ECAC's final standings, along with what has to happen for them to move up to better playoff spots. The playoff picture for each team is broken down into the following categories: THIS WEEKEND: The team's weekend games, its last two of the season. ON THEIR OWN: The highest the team could finish with no help from the competition. Generally, this involves a weekend sweep. BEST CASE: The highest the team could finish if everything goes right. WORST CASE: The lowest the team could finish if everything goes wrong. This generally involves getting swept while teams nearby in the standings win. TIEBREAKERS: How the team would fare if they finished the season tied with some other team which is currently close (within 4 points) in the standings. For two or more teams tied in the standings, the ECAC tiebreakers are: 1. Head-to-head record in ECAC games (non-conference meetings, such as in tournaments, do not count). 2. Record against the top four teams in the conference. 3. Record against the top eight teams in the conference. 4. Goal differential (net goals) head-to-head. 5. Goal differential against the top four teams in the conference. 6. Goal differential against the top eight teams in the conference. Note that in the case of a tie among three or more teams, the tiebreakers are applied in order until either one team emerges as the leader or one team is eliminated, and then the whole process starts again. For example, if three teams are tied for fourth, the head-to-head record is considered first. If one team has a better head-to-head record than the other two, that team gets fourth place, leaving the other two to fight it out for fifth (starting again with the head-to-head record). Confusing? Well, what do you expect from The Academic League? :-) Here are the playoff "permutations" for each team, in order of their current position in the standings: Harvard: THIS WEEK: At Clarkson, at St. Lawrence. ON THEIR OWN: As previously mentioned, Harvard has already clinched first place. However, the Crimson have had some annoying late-season fades over the past couple of years, and the always-tough North Country trip may serve as an important tune-up for the playoffs. Harvard may already be a virtual lock for the NC$$ tournament (probably the only ECAC team that can claim that), but a poor performance in the ECAC post-season will not be looked on too kindly by the selection com- mittee. Brown: THIS WEEK: At St. Lawrence, at Clarkson. ON THEIR OWN: A win over Clarkson will give the Bears second place. BEST CASE: Second. WORST CASE: Finishes fourth if they lose twice and RPI sweeps. TIEBREAKERS: Beats RPI; could win or lose against Clarkson. Clarkson: THIS WEEK: Harvard, Brown. ON THEIR OWN: Clinches second with a win over Brown. BEST CASE: Second. WORST CASE: Finishes fourth if RPI gets at least three more points than they do on the weekend. TIEBREAKERS: Loses to RPI; could win or lose against Brown. RPI: THIS WEEK: Cornell, Colgate. ON THEIR OWN: Two points will guarantee the Engineers fourth place. BEST CASE: Would finish second with a sweep if Brown loses twice and Clarkson gets no more than one point. WORST CASE: Finishes sixth if they lose twice, Colgate beats or ties Union, and Vermont gets at least three points. TIEBREAKERS: Beats Clarkson, Colgate, and Vermont; loses to Brown. Vermont: THIS WEEK: At Princeton, at Yale. ON THEIR OWN: Clinches sixth with one point this weekend. BEST CASE: Finishes fourth with two wins if Colgate does not sweep and RPI gets no more than one point. WORST CASE: Drops to seventh if they lose twice, Colgate gets at least one point, and either Union or Cornell sweeps. TIEBREAKERS: Beats Union and Cornell; loses to RPI; could win or lose against Colgate. Colgate: THIS WEEK: At Union, at RPI. ON THEIR OWN: A sweep gives the Red Raiders fifth place. BEST CASE: Clinches fourth with a sweep if RPI does not beat Cornell. WORST CASE: Finishes eighth if they lose twice, Union and Cornell tie, and Cornell beats RPI. This would set up a three-way tie for sixth among Union, Cornell, and Colgate, and the tiebreakers would place the Red Raiders eighth. TIEBREAKERS: Loses to RPI; could win or lose against Vermont, Union, and Cornell. Union: THIS WEEK: Colgate, Cornell. ON THEIR OWN: Clinches seventh by beating Cornell. BEST CASE: Would finish fifth with a sweep if RPI beats Colgate and Vermont loses twice. WORST CASE: Finishes eighth if they lose to Cornell and the Big Red gets at least one point against RPI. If Cornell loses to RPI (and Union beats Colgate), the Dutchmen would still finish eighth if they lose to the Big Red by more than five goals. TIEBREAKERS: Beats Princeton; loses to Vermont; could win or lose against Colgate and Cornell. Cornell: THIS WEEK: At RPI, at Union. ON THEIR OWN: Clinches seventh with at least a tie against RPI and a win over Union. BEST CASE: Finishes fifth with a sweep if Vermont loses twice and Colgate loses to RPI and does not beat Union. WORST CASE: A loss to Union would place the Big Red eighth. TIEBREAKERS: Beats Princeton; loses to Vermont; could win or lose against Colgate and Union. Princeton: THIS WEEK: Vermont, Dartmouth. ON THEIR OWN: A sweep gives Princeton ninth place. BEST CASE: Ninth. WORST CASE: Finishes tenth if St. Lawrence gets at least two more points than they do. TIEBREAKERS: Loses to Union and Cornell; could win or lose against St. Lawrence. St. Lawrence: THIS WEEK: Brown, Harvard. ON THEIR OWN: The Saints have clinched tenth and can finish no higher without help. BEST CASE: Clinches ninth by getting at least two more points than Princeton does on the weekend. WORST CASE: Tenth. TIEBREAKERS: Could win or lose against Princeton. Dartmouth: THIS WEEK: At Yale, at Princeton ON THEIR OWN: Clinches eleventh with a win over Yale. BEST CASE: Eleventh. WORST CASE: Finishes twelfth if they lose to Yale and either the Elis do not lose to Vermont or Vermont does not finish in the top four. TIEBREAKERS: Could win or lose against Yale. Yale: THIS WEEK: Dartmouth, Vermont ON THEIR OWN: Will finish eleventh with a win over Dartmouth and at least a tie against Vermont. BEST CASE: Eleventh. WORST CASE: A loss to Dartmouth places the Elis twelfth. TIEBREAKERS: Could win or lose against Dartmouth. -- Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are strictly those of: Bill Fenwick | Send your HOCKEY-L poll responses to: Cornell '86 and '94 (.5) | [log in to unmask] LET'S GO RED!! Reporter: "What do you think of the team's execution?" John McKay: "I'm in favor of it." -- an exchange that occurred while McKay was coaching the 0-14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976