You'd think that a first place finish in conference would be enough to get Lowell the first spot in the power rankings, wouldn't you?
1. Lowell There's no compelling argument for why the RiverHawks shouldn't be here, unless you consider Power Rankings to be a predictive measure, in which case this spot probably belongs to BC, because of the whole "been here before" thing.
2. Boston College The Eagles edge out Providence for second because, did you see Johnny Guadreau on Saturday night?
3. Providence Five months ago, nobody expected Norm Bazin's team to be atop the standings come March, but I'm sure that even fewer thought they'd have to beat the Friars to get there. Still, Nate Leaman's squad will need more than Jon Gillies to get them into the big tournament.
4. UNH The Wildcats are a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but to make it to Boston, they'll need to beat the team that's vexed them all season long. After losing and tying arch-rival Maine, UNH needs to string together a few wins so they don't head into the tournament on a backslide.
5. BU The Terriers could lose in two and be out of the postseason, or they could win the next eight games they play this year. Inconsistency has been their problem, and this isn't a time of year when inconsistent teams have much success.
6. Merrimack Mark Dennehy's got his squad playing some of their best hockey of the year (Saturday's loss notwithstanding), and they're going to be tough for BU to eliminate.
7. Maine The Black Bears caught UNH at the right time and took it to the Wildcats last weekend at the Whittemore Center. They'll need a lot more of that magic if they hope to stretch their recent success against BC.
8. Vermont It's anyone's time, but the Cats are going to need some magic to get past Lowell with the way the RiverHawks are playing.
9. UMass It's always nice to end the season with a win, even if it's as meaningless as they come.
10. Northeastern The Kevin Roy-to-the-Q watch is officially on.