This weekend will conclude the ECAC regular season, and soon thereafter the playoffs will begin. The post-season picture is becoming clearer, especially after a number of big games last weekend. So far, six teams are in -- Dartmouth, Harvard, St. Lawrence, Brown, UNH and Northeastern. Four teams -- Niagara, Providence, Maine and Princeton -- are battling for the final two playoff spots. Here is a rundown of the teams other than Dartmouth that have clinched and those that are still in contention.
Harvard
Harvard disposed of Providence 3-2 on Saturday. With the two points that the Crimson earned from the victory and the Dartmouth loss to Niagara, Harvard took over first place in ECAC, but only for one day.
Sunday, the Crimson took to the ice against Northeastern and lost 3-2 despite outshooting the Huskies 28-11 over the final two periods of play. The loss, coupled with a Dartmouth victory, sent Harvard back into its familiar role as second best in the conference.
The Crimson will close out the season this week with games at Maine and at New Hampshire. They have already secured home ice for the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
St. Lawrence
The third-place Saints earned four points last weekend with a sweep of Cornell 5-2 and 8-2. They now have 34 points, which guarantees them home ice in the ECAC quarterfinals.
The final weekend of the season should be a relatively easy one for St. Lawrence. The Saints will host Princeton and Yale, two teams near the bottom of the conference standings.
Brown
The Bears earned two victories on the weekend, defeating Providence 6-1 and Northeaster 3-2. Currently in fourth place with 31 points and unreachable by fifth place UNH with 26 points, Brown will host its first round playoff game.
The Brown power play was exceptional this weekend, as the Bears converted on four of eight chances, bringing their season power play scoring percentage up to 24.5 percent, which is first in ECAC.
They travel to UNH and Maine this weekend to finish the regular season, before going back to Providence to prepare for the postseason, which begins Friday, March 9.
UNH
UNH defeated Yale 2-0 and Princeton 2-1 on the road last weekend to clinch a playoff berth and earn sole possession of fifth place in ECAC. This weekend will be a big test for the Wildcats, as they play host to conference powerhouses Brown and Harvard. The game against the Bears may foreshadow a likely first round playoff match-up.
Northeastern
The final team to have clinched a playoff birth heading into the final weekend of the season is Northeastern. Last weekend, they narrowly lost to Brown 3-2 before upsetting the favorite, Harvard, 3-2 on Sunday.
Northeastern will face an uphill battle in the playoffs, as they will play their first round on the road at one of the top schools in ECAC, likely St. Lawrence or Brown. But this may not be all bad for the Huskies, who have come up with big upsets this year over both Dartmouth and Harvard.
Niagara
Niagara finished its regular season last weekend with a split against Dartmouth. The Purple Eagles are currently in seventh place in ECAC, yet they do not control their own destiny in securing a playoff spot because they are idle this weekend.
Still, they are likely to make the postseason. In order for the Purple Eagles to be knocked out, Providence would have to win one of its two games this weekend and Maine would have to win both games. Princeton is not within striking distance of Niagara.
Providence
Providence currently holds the coveted eighth spot in ECAC -- the final playoff spot -- with 21 points. Regardless of the outcome of their game at Dartmouth this weekend, if they can hold on to beat lowly Boston College, they are in.
Maine
Maine's outlook for the playoffs is unlikely, but not impossible; after all, the Black Bears still control their own destiny. Nevertheless, it is an uphill climb. If Maine beats Brown and Harvard, they are in. If they get a win and a tie, and Providence loses both games, they are in. If they get a win and a tie, and Providence wins at least one game, then they will be tied with Niagara for the final spot while Providence will be in.
In short, the possible scenarios are many, but the chances of Maine making the playoffs are slim. Their first task, beating at the very least either Brown or Harvard, is a tall one.
Princeton
The likelihood of the Tigers making the playoffs is so slim it's almost laughable. But to be fair, it is possible. They would need to win at Cornell and then at third place St. Lawrence. Then, they need Maine to lose to both Brown and Harvard. They also need Providence to lose to Dartmouth and Boston College, which sports a 1-21-0 record in ECAC.
