Hockey East Down to the Wire

[claver2010]

Around now is usually the best time to look at the HE standings as most teams have played the same amount of games. I can't remember it ever being closer, only 2 points separates #1 from missing home ice. As a reminder, the top 8 make it.

GP W L T Points
UMass Lowell 21 14-7-0 28
Boston College 21 13-7-1 27
Boston University 21 13-7-1 27
Merrimack 21 11-6-4 26
Maine 22 12-8-2 26
Providence 21 10-10-1 21
New Hampshire 22 9-11-2 20
Massachusetts 21 6-11-4 16
Northeastern 21 7-12-2-16
Vermont 21 2-18-1 5

I think one of the best cases you can make for BC really making a move is the 2 home games versus UVM to end the season. Next weekend is also huge as the top 4 teams play home & homes (UML & BU, BC & Mack)

[wolverineneshl]

Lowell is having a great season and not surprise if they take HE but still plenty of time for BC to eke it out for 1st.

Merrimack has a good goalie but weak on offense as was BC when they were slumping. But BC has found some offense of late and hopefully continue to roll.

BU and Maine still have a chance but may be cooling a bit.

[SeaCaptim]

BU has two tough games vs. Umass Lowell coming up...they may end up 3rd or 4th in Hockey East, but will likely remain very high in the natioanal Pairwise rankings. We want Umass Lowell to finish somewhat strong, as BC holds the Pairwise edge on them.

[claver2010]

BU has two tough games vs. Umass Lowell coming up...they may end up 3rd or 4th in Hockey East, but will likely remain very high in the natioanal Pairwise rankings. We want Umass Lowell to finish somewhat strong, as BC holds the Pairwise edge on them.

Monday night was huge not only to grab a trophy but to jump ahead in the PWR. Granted there is a ton of time to go and way too much still in the air to play out all of the scenarios but in simple terms there are 3 teams in the running for the 2 #1 seeds in the east (Worcester & Bridgeport). Grabbing a 1 seed is the easiest way to avoid going west like last year and playing in friendly confines.

Right now we're ahead of both BU (t-3rd) & UML (t-5th).

Just keep winning

[bignick33]

BU has two tough games vs. Umass Lowell coming up...they may end up 3rd or 4th in Hockey East, but will likely remain very high in the natioanal Pairwise rankings. We want Umass Lowell to finish somewhat strong, as BC holds the Pairwise edge on them.

Monday night was huge not only to grab a trophy but to jump ahead in the PWR. Granted there is a ton of time to go and way too much still in the air to play out all of the scenarios but in simple terms there are 3 teams in the running for the 2 #1 seeds in the east (Worcester & Bridgeport). Grabbing a 1 seed is the easiest way to avoid going west like last year and playing in friendly confines.

Right now we're ahead of both BU (t-3rd) & UML (t-5th).

Just keep winning

Claver, as between Worcester and Bridgeport, do you have a preference?

[claver2010]

Claver, as between Worcester and Bridgeport, do you have a preference?

Eh there are positives of both I guess (part of this is personal reasons with me going to the basketball regional in Boston on Thursday & Saturday)

Bridgeport:
Positives:
Usually is the easiest bracket as a EZAC team gets placed in there.
Lot of alums in NYC area and it's an easy drive or the train (Amtrak & MetroNorth stops there)
Negatives:
Friday games and the #1 seed would play first (usually 5:00) meaning would have to take off work or half day and train it down there
Shitty city

Worcester:
Positives:
Location, easiest for alums & students to get to BC has always had a very strong presence there
York is money in that rink. Last 3 NCAA championship runs have started there
Seniors & juniors have played there (2010)
Saturday at 1:00 would allow me to get back for 8:00 regional final in Boston
Negatives:
Shitty city

So I guess I'd prefer Worcester but what a fucking epic weekend that would be if we got Worcester
Thursday: Basketball regionals in Boston
Friday: Day of rest with both hockey & basketball tourneys
Saturday: 1:00 BC game 8:00 regional final
Sunday (god willing): 3:00 game for a trip to the Frozen Four

[bignick33]

Claver, as between Worcester and Bridgeport, do you have a preference?

Eh there are positives of both I guess (part of this is personal reasons with me going to the basketball regional in Boston on Thursday & Saturday)

Bridgeport:
Positives:
Usually is the easiest bracket as a EZAC team gets placed in there.
Lot of alums in NYC area and it's an easy drive or the train (Amtrak & MetroNorth stops there)
Negatives:
Friday games and the #1 seed would play first (usually 5:00) meaning would have to take off work or half day and train it down there
Shitty city

Worcester:
Positives:
Location, easiest for alums & students to get to BC has always had a very strong presence there
York is money in that rink. Last 3 NCAA championship runs have started there
Seniors & juniors have played there (2010)
Saturday at 1:00 would allow me to get back for 8:00 regional final in Boston
Negatives:
Shitty city

So I guess I'd prefer Worcester but what a fucking epic weekend that would be if we got Worcester
Thursday: Basketball regionals in Boston
Friday: Day of rest with both hockey & basketball tourneys
Saturday: 1:00 BC game 8:00 regional final
Sunday (god willing): 3:00 game for a trip to the Frozen Four

I think you're right that Bridgeport is advantageous from a competitive standpoint. I worry about a bracket in Worcester of something like this there: 1: BC, 2: BU, 3: MSU, 4: Michigan State. That would obviously be a bear of a bracket. Then again, 2009 was strong with UND, Yale, and Alaska-Fairbanks, and we rolled through it.

As for the fan's perspective, unless you live in NYC, Worcester is obviously preferable. It's an easy drive or train ride. I also think it's much better than Bridgeport from the perspective that it has a lot of bars and restaurants withing close walking distance (including a great BBQ restaurant), and the likelihood of getting shot is much slimmer than it is in Bridgeport.

The possible conflict with the regional in Boston on Saturday night hadn't occurred to me.

[claver2010]

I think you're right that Bridgeport is advantageous from a competitive standpoint. I worry about a bracket in Worcester of something like this there: 1: BC, 2: BU, 3: MSU, 4: Michigan State. That would obviously be a bear of a bracket. Then again, 2009 was strong with UND, Yale, and Alaska-Fairbanks, and we rolled through it.

As for the fan's perspective, unless you live in NYC, Worcester is obviously preferable. It's an easy drive or train ride. I also think it's much better than Bridgeport from the perspective that it has a lot of bars and restaurants withing close walking distance (including a great BBQ restaurant), and the likelihood of getting shot is much slimmer than it is in Bridgeport.

The possible conflict with the regional in Boston on Saturday night hadn't occurred to me.

Agreed, I can see Worcester getting the bracket from hell. Only time will tell though, if we win the HE championship I assume the teams we beat along the way will vault us to the #1 in Worcester regardless of what happens in the final 3 weeks (within reason).

Also another potentially amazing weekend:
Friday 3/16:
2nd day of NCAA tournament
HE Semis at 5 & 8
Saturday 3/17:
St. Patricks Day
Full day of basketball
8:00 HE Championship

[bignick33]

I think you're right that Bridgeport is advantageous from a competitive standpoint. I worry about a bracket in Worcester of something like this there: 1: BC, 2: BU, 3: MSU, 4: Michigan State. That would obviously be a bear of a bracket. Then again, 2009 was strong with UND, Yale, and Alaska-Fairbanks, and we rolled through it.

As for the fan's perspective, unless you live in NYC, Worcester is obviously preferable. It's an easy drive or train ride. I also think it's much better than Bridgeport from the perspective that it has a lot of bars and restaurants withing close walking distance (including a great BBQ restaurant), and the likelihood of getting shot is much slimmer than it is in Bridgeport.

The possible conflict with the regional in Boston on Saturday night hadn't occurred to me.

Agreed, I can see Worcester getting the bracket from hell. Only time will tell though, if we win the HE championship I assume the teams we beat along the way will vault us to the #1 in Worcester regardless of what happens in the final 3 weeks (within reason).

Also another potentially amazing weekend:
Friday 3/16:
2nd day of NCAA tournament
HE Semis at 5 & 8
Saturday 3/17:
St. Patricks Day
Full day of basketball
8:00 HE Championship

That weekend will be very bad for my health. I think the Super Bowl lull is ending this weekend for me. I'm going BC/Mack hockey tonight, Harvard/Yale basketball tomorrow night, and BC/Duke basketball on Sunday. In a couple weeks, we'll have conference hockey and basketball tournaments followed by NCAA tourneys, then Triple Crown and hockey playoffs, which will lead into the summer.

[wolverineneshl]

IMO BC has to win out to take 1st place in the HE standings. I don't see BU, Lowell, or Maine losing their games. BC on paper should take PC and Vermont for 8 points.

[claver2010]

Was just going to update this, a guy on USCHO is way over the top on breaking it down but has some good CONTENT so I'll steal from that

Team Points [Possible Seeds]
BC 31 [1-6]
UML 30 [1-6]
BU 29 [1-6]
ME 28 [1-7]
MC 26 [1-7]
PC 23 [1-9]
UNH 22 [4-9]
UMA 18 [5-9]
NU 18 [6-9]
UVM 7 [10]

[claver2010]

BU down 2-0 to UVM after 1, that's too bad

[wolverineneshl]

OK we need 3 points next weekend vs. VT to clinch first place.

BU wins in OT 3-2 vs. hapless VT, BU remains 2 points behind and they win the tie breaker against BC.

[claver2010]

A combo of 3 points from BC & NU next week will do it. Would've been nice for BU to tie/lose last night so we could clinch only with a win next Friday.

[claver2010]

After the weekend

Team PTS Max Possible Seeds

BC 35 - 39 [1-3]
BU 33 - 37 [1-3]
--- Home Lock - 33 ---
UML 31 - 35 [1-5]
ME 30 - 32 [3-5]
MC 29 - 33 [3-5]
UNH 24 - 26 [6-7]
--- In - 24 --
PC 23 - 27 [6-9]
NU 20 - 24 [7-9]
UMA 20 - 24 [7-9]
--- Out ---
UVM 7 - 11 [10]

[claver2010]

SCENARIOS FOR TODAY
Boston College (37 points, vs Vermont)
Seeded 1st with a win or a tie.
Seeded 1st with a loss and a Boston University loss or tie.
Seeded 2nd with a loss and a Boston University win.

Boston University (35 points, at Northeastern)
Seeded 1st with a win and a Boston College loss.
Seeded 2nd with a win and a Boston College win or tie.
Seeded 2nd with a tie.
Seeded 2nd with a loss and a UMass Lowell loss or tie.
Seeded 3rd with a loss and a UMass Lowell win.

UMass Lowell (33 points, vs Providence)
Seeded 2nd with a win and a Boston University loss.
Seeded 3rd with a win and a Boston University win or tie.
Seeded 3rd with a loss or a tie

Maine (30 points, vs New Hampshire)
Seeded 4th with a win.
Seeded 4th with a tie and a Merrimack loss or tie.
Seeded 4th with a loss and a Merrimack loss.
Seeded 5th with a tie and a Merrimack win.
Seeded 5th with a loss and a Merrimack win or tie.

Merrimack (29 points, vs Massachusetts)
Seeded 4th with a win and a Maine loss or tie.
Seeded 4th with a tie and a Maine loss.
Seeded 5th with a win and a Maine win.
Seeded 5th with a tie and a Main win or tie.
Seeded 5th with a loss.

New Hampshire (24 points, at Maine)
Seeded 6th with a win or a tie.
Seeded 6th with a loss and a Providence loss or tie.
Seeded 7th with a loss and a Providence win.

Providence (23 points, at UMass Lowell)
Seeded 6th with a win and a New Hampshire loss.
Seeded 7th with a win and a New Hampshire win or tie.
Seeded 7th with a tie.
Seeded 7th with a loss and a Massachusetts loss or tie.
Seeded 8th with a loss and a Massachusetts win.

Massachusetts (22 points, at Merrimack)
Seeded 7th with a win and a Providence loss.
Seeded 8th with a win and a Providence win or tie.
Seeded 8th with a loss or a tie.

[claver2010]

1 Boston College 39
2 UMass Lowell 35
Boston University 35
4 Maine 32
5 Merrimack 31
6 New Hampshire 24
7 Providence 23
8 Massachusetts 22
Northeastern 22
10 Vermont 7
_______________
So it's
UMass @ BC (UMass won series 2-1)
PC @ UML (UML won series 2-1)
UNH @ BU (BU won 3-0)
Mack @ Maine (Mack won series 2-0-1)