Hockey East Tournament Playoff Picture: February 28, 2015

Here's where we stand heading into the final night of the regular season.

NOTES:

– With BU's loss to Northeastern, there's still a possibility that BC can earn a share of the regular season title. Northeastern needs to beat BU tomorrow and BC needs a win over Notre Dame for the Eagles to earn a share of the regular season league title. As for the Hockey East Tournament #1 seed and the second tiebreaker—"best record against the first-place team(s), then the second place team(s), then the third place team(s), and so on"—here's the scenario:

- If Lowell finishes third, BU would earn the 1 seed having finished 2-0-0 vs. the River Hawks (BC would finish 0-1-1).
- If Providence finishes third, the tiebreaker would go on to the fourth seed as both BC and BU split the regular season series 1-1-0 with the Friars.
- If Northeastern finishes third, BC would earn the 1 seed finishing 1-0-1 vs. the Huskies (BU would finish 0-2-0).

(Notre Dame could not finish in third in this scenario)

So basically, in order for BC to earn the Hockey East Tournament 1 seed, the simplest way this happens:

a) Boston College defeats Notre Dame
b) Northeastern defeats Boston University
c) Lowell loses to Vermont

Basically, it boils down to which of Northeastern and UMass Lowell has the better finish. Again, in this scenario, if Northeastern finishes higher than Lowell, BC would win the tiebreaker and the #1 seed. If Lowell finishes higher than Northeastern, BU takes it.

– Both BU and BC have locked up first-round byes for the Hockey East Tournament. Providence, Lowell, Northeastern and Notre Dame are vying for the final two first-round byes.

– Providence and Lowell are tied for the third seed with 25 points. If the season ended today, Providence would earn the 3 seed with a 2-0-0 record vs. Lowell.

– Should BC, Providence and Lowell all finish the regular season with 25 points, here's how the three-way tiebreaker shakes out:

- 2 seed = Providence (3-1-0 vs. the tied teams)
- 3 seed = UMass Lowell (1-2-1 vs. the tied teams)
- 4 seed = Boston College (1-2-1 vs. the tied teams, and loses head-to-head tiebreaker with Lowell)

– In the extremely unlikely event that those four teams finish in a four-way tie for third with 25 points...a Maine win over PC, a Vermont win over Lowell, a BU-Northeastern tie and a Notre Dame win over BC, here's how the four-way tiebreaker shakes out:

- 3 seed = Providence (4-2-0 vs. the tied teams)
- 4 seed = Northeastern (3-2-1)
- 5 seed = Lowell (2-2-2)
- 6 seed = Notre Dame (1-4-1)

– Maine and Connecticut are currently tied for 9th with 18 points. The Huskies win the head-to-head tiebreaker with a 1-0-1 record vs. the Black Bears. However, Maine still has one game to go at PC while UConn has already completed the regular season.

– Connecticut will be on the road in the first-round of the Hockey East Tournament. The Huskies will either be the 9 or 10 seed, depending on the Maine-PC outcome. A PC win over Maine gives UConn the 9 seed, Maine the 10 seed.

– Merrimack will be the 11 seed.

– Massachusetts will be the 12 seed.

And here's how the Hockey East Tournament would look if the season ended today:

Friday - Sunday, March 6-8: Best-of-Three Opening Round (a.k.a. #Octofinals Series Cup)
Play on Campus

(12) Massachusetts at (5) Northeastern (Series tied 1-1-0)
(11) Merrimack at (6) Notre Dame (Series tied 1-1-0)
(10) Maine at (7) Vermont (UVM leads 2-0-0)
(9) Connecticut at (8) New Hampshire (UNH leads 2-0-0)

Friday - Sunday, March 13-15: Best-of-Three Quarterfinal Round
Play on Campus

Lowest remaining seed at (1) Boston University
Second-lowest remaining seed at (2) Boston College
Second-highest remaining seed at (3) Providence
Highest remaining seed at (4) UMass Lowell

Friday, March 20: Semifinals Games
TD Garden

Saturday, March 21: Championship Final
TD Garden

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Gonna be a crazy final night of hockey when two more teams will earn a first-round tournament bye, while two others will fall to the #Octofinals Series Cup.