>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 HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.