Sunday, February 27, 2011

Not so fast....

Home ice for the Hockey East playoffs in NOT a done deal for the Terriers just yet.

The Boston Hockey Blog's Scott McLaughlin has posted an update about the possibility of a three-way tie between BU, Merrimack and Maine that would leave the Terriers in fifth place. Here is his update:

***Reporter's note: Due to the unforeseen possibility of a three-way tie for third, a previous report that BU clinched home ice for the Hockey East quarterfinals was incorrect. This blog, the BU athletic department and Hockey East all stated before this weekend that the Terriers could clinch home ice with three points. However, a member of the athletic department discovered after tonight's game that that was not true. Maine's sweep of Merrimack this weekend means there is a possibility that BU, Merrimack and Maine could finish in a three-way tie for third that would leave the Terriers as the five seed and put them on the road for the quarterfinals. Here's how:

Right now, BU is third with 34 points, Merrimack is fourth with 33 and Maine is fifth with 30. If BU gets swept by Northeastern next weekend, Merrimack takes just one point from Providence and Maine sweeps Massachusetts, the three teams would end up tied for third with 34 points apiece.

The first tiebreaker in that scenario is head-to-head against the other teams involved in the tie. All three are .500 against the other two combined, so that doesn't get us anywhere. The next tiebreaker is wins in league play. Merrimack and Maine would both have 15, while BU would only have 14. Therefore, the Terriers would be the five seed. Maine would be the three because it won the season series against Merrimack, meaning BU would play at Merrimack in the quarterfinals.There's a very slim chance of all that happening, but just to reiterate, the Terriers DID NOT clinch home ice tonight.

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