Hockey East Week 20 Power Rankings

UNH (16-4-3, 35 points)

BC (16-6-1, 33 points)

Merrimack (15-5-3, 33 points)

BU (13-5-5, 31 points)

Maine (11-8-4, 26 points)

Northeastern (9-8-6, 24 points)

UMass (5-13-5, 15 points)

Vermont (5-13-5, 15 points)

Providence (3-14-6, 12 points)

Lowell (3-20-0, 6 points)

1. UNH - When the mighty fall, the meek shall inherit the Earth. But we’re still a little unsure of just who the meek or mighty are. But with BC and UNH being at the opposite end of three-point weekends, the pendulum has swung back in the Wildcats’ favor. We’ll know where it really falls in two weeks.

2. Merrimack - That groan you heard when Merrimack leaped into a tie for second with BC came from Huntington Avenue, where Northeastern is gunning for a return match with the Warriors. Merrimack has the tie-breaker over BC, but more importantly possesses an eight-game winning streak, second-longest in the nation to only Union.

3. BC - It’s always great to win the Beanpot, but it’s better to win those big late-season conference games. When you don’t, you tumble.

4. Northeastern - The offense showed up on Monday and Friday. The defense and goaltending took over Saturday. If the Huskies can put them together, they’re a top-15 team. It’s still yet to happen, though.

5. Maine - If a team that doesn’t play defense records two shutouts during a weekend but both shutouts are against Lowell, does it make a difference in the rankings? Here’s hoping not.

6. BU - After losing to Harvard in the Beanpot consolation game, they beat an abysmal Providence team 2-1 at home and 1-0 on the road. The only thing worse than mediocre hockey is uninspired hockey.

7. UMass - The only thing worse than uninspired hockey is whatever UMass is doing these days.

8. Vermont - Taking a point from UNH still means nothing as long as UMass has the tiebreaker over them, but if seventh place means playing Merrmack, Vermont’s actually better in eighth.

9. Providence - Somewhere, Tim Army’s still disgusted.

10. Lowell - Somewhere, Blaise MacDonald’s sitting in a dark corner, coddling a 750 of Johnnie Walker Black Label and thinking of warmer days when the sun shone and the Spinners weren’t awful.