Weekly Rankings
By Fetch
A quick plug before I get to the rankings: if you notice at the top right corner there is a link to donate to the Boys and Girls Club of America. Do it now, damnit.
1. Yale (10-1-0) (6-0-0) Up 5
Traditional poll mechanics wouldn’t put Yale at the #1 spot, but after watching their game on Sunday vs. Union, they look like the best team in the country by far. Still, the Grand Forks Herald’s Brad Schlossman makes a good point, referring to them as college hockey’s Boise State: they can beat anybody but have the luxury of not having to play good teams every week.
2. North Dakota (11-5-2) (9-3-0) No Change
I mentioned this last Saturday, but it bears repeating. On Saturday night vs. St. Cloud the Sioux had more first period goals (5) than the Huskies had 1st period shots (4).
3. Minnesota-Duluth (12-2-2) (9-2-1) Down 2
4. Maine (7-3-4) (5-2-2) Up 3
One potential red flag for the Black Bears: if Maine wants to win a national title they are going to need better play in net. Their lone qualifying goalie has just a .885 save percentage.
5. New Hampshire (9-2-4) (7-1-2) Up 3
One of the better college hockey rivalries takes place this weekend with UNH traveling to Orono.
6. Miami (10-5-3) (8-4-2) Down 1
Carter Camper Hobey watch: 13-22–35 in 18 games, leads the country with 1.94 PPG
7. Boston College (11-5-0) (9-4-0) Up 3
Though the Eagles had two nice wins against the Terriers, John Muse struggled a bit over the weekend. Given his performance so far this year I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, but it should be monitored.
8. Boston University (7-3-5) (5-3-4) Down 4
BU’s defense has taken a hit recently: after allowing 6 goals in a 5 game stretch from October 23-November 12, BU has allowed 28 goals in their 6 games since.
9. Nebraska-Omaha (9-4-1) (6-3-1) Down 6
A series against Michigan Tech could be the cure for what ails Omaha. The Mavs have scored just 3 goals in their last two games, but Tech allows 4.31 goals per game, 3rd to last in the country.
10. Union (8-3-3) (3-2-1) Down 1
Despite it struggling against Yale on Sunday, Union’s power play remains the best in ECAC Hockey: converting at a 32.3% clip.
11. Denver (11-5-2) (8-3-1) No Change
12. Notre Dame (10-5-2) (8-3-1) No Change
13. Michigan (9-5-4) (8-3-1) No Change
14. Wisconsin (8-7-3) (4-6-2) No Change
15. Alaska (8-5-3) (5-4-3) Up 1
16. Merrimack (7-4-4) (5-4-3) Newbies
Dropped out: RPI
Maybe next week: RPI, Robert Morris, Dartmouth
Teams By Conference: WCHA 5, Hockey East 5, CCHA 4, ECAC 2