>Paul, if they catch a guy voting that way I hope they burn him, but I think
>there's a reasonable explanation other than favoritism.  Could it be that
one
>voter actually considered the strength of Minnesota's schedule?  That 4-7-2
>record includes six games against teams ranked 1-2-3 in this week's poll,
which
>accounted for 5 losses and a tie, two overtime games and an average goal
>differential of only one per game (total goals 18-24).  Though they lost
both
>games to #7 in Colorado Springs (total goals 2-4), they split with #12 in
Boston
>and swept the only team they've played that didn't receive votes in the
current
>poll.  Each result seems about right for a tenth place team.  Has any other
team
>played a schedule that even approaches Minnesota's for difficulty?
 
A couple of corrections: Minnesota split with Colorado College rather than
getting swept, and the series against BC was in Minneapolis.  Other than
that, you're about right, though I'd make the Gophers beat more of the
unranked teams upcoming before I voted for them.  Still, it is plausible.
 
J. Michael Neal
 
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