Hockey East Power Rankings: 2.3.10

We're into the regular season's final full month -- and yet there are still a number of teams in Hockey East that are seemingly impossible to figure out. Just when you think somebody's ripe for a breakthrough, or someone is about to fold, they put up a result that throws your thinking totally off track.

That said, here's how the league stacks up at this point in time:

1		UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (13-8-4, 12-3-3) Last week: 1 * HE points: 27 * PairWise: 9 A winless weekend against Merrimack would've been disastrous, and the Wildcats were 11.1 seconds from that fate -- when they made the play they needed at the perfect time. Isn't that what champions do?
2		UNIVERSITY OF MAINE (12-9-3, 9-6-2) Last week: 2 * HE points: 20 * PairWise: T15 This weekend's series with New Hampshire is absolutely huge for the Black Bears. After taking three of four points at Vermont, they're a tiebreaker away from an NCAA berth. And G Scott Darling is back.
3		BOSTON COLLEGE (14-8-2, 10-6-2) Last week: 4 * HE points: 22 * PairWise: T11 The Eagles put together a pair of solid wins, including a 6-0 rout of Harvard in the Beanpot opener. They're scoring at quite a clip lately, with at least four goals in five of their last six games (4-2-0).
4		MASSACHUSETTS (16-10-0, 11-8-0) Last week: 3 * HE points: 22 * PairWise: T7 UMass got shellacked by BU (6-2), then went to Providence the next night and picked up a quality road win. They're still on the roller coaster, but as of right now that doesn't stop 'til the national tourney.
5		UMASS-LOWELL (14-10-2, 8-7-2) Last week: 5 * HE points: 18 * PairWise: T18 It looked as if the River Hawks were starting to put something together, but a 2-1 loss to Northeastern last Friday could be a big one. Lowell can't afford to stumble too much more often down the stretch.
6		BOSTON UNIVERSITY (10-11-3, 7-9-2) Last week: 7 * HE points: 16 * PairWise: T22 Don't look now, but might the Terriers have a shot at the NCAAs? BU has won six of eight, is back under PairWise consideration, and has just one more road game against a team that's .500 in the league.
7		UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT (12-9-3, 6-8-3) Last week: 6 * HE points: 15 * PairWise: 14 The Catamounts continue sliding in the PWR, but are still in NCAA position despite a winless home weekend against Maine. Vermont is scuffling at 2-3-1 over the last month despite four home games.
8		NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (11-12-1, 7-10-1) Last week: 8 * HE points: 15 * PairWise: NR Although the Huskies are currently in eighth place, no team is going to want to play them in the league quarters. Not with the way goalie Chris Rawlings is playing in the second half of his freshman season.
9		MERRIMACK (9-14-0, 6-10-0) Last week: 9 * HE points: 12 * PairWise: NR The Warriors' power play ranks second in the league at 26.2 percent -- and based on what they showed against UNH, that's no fluke. The combination of Barton, Da Costa and Stollery is legitimately scary.
10		PROVIDENCE COLLEGE (9-15-1, 4-13-1) Last week: 10 * HE points: 9 * PairWise: NR The Friars played five games in 12 days after a two-game win streak -- and lost all five. They've now lost 11 of 13 since starting the season at 7-4-1, and trail UVM and NU by six points for a playoff spot.