Analyzing Merrimack's position in the Hockey East standings

What should the Warriors root for this weekend while they're on a bye week?

Merrimack celebrates a goal on Friday night against Vermont (Tyler McMahon/THE MACK REPORT

Merrimack ended the weekend tied for fifth in the Hockey East standings with Connecticut. The Warriors are 8-10-2-0 in conference games (28 points), tied with the Huskies (6-6-3-4).

However, the Huskies have one game in hand.

The Warriors are one point ahead of seventh-place Providence and three points ahead of eighth-place UMass. Merrimack leads ninth-place Vermont by six points, which is important because that differential currently determines the final home-ice spot in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs.

However, all those teams have at least one game in hand on the Warriors. Vermont and UMass have two games in hand.

Hockey East Standings
                      GP - PTS
1.  Boston College     19 - 41
    Maine              19 - 41
3.  Boston University  19 - 35
4.  UMass Lowell       19 - 29
5.  Merrimack          20 - 28
    Connecticut        19 - 28
7.  Providence         19 - 27
8.  UMass              18 - 24
9.  Vermont            18 - 22
10. Northeastern       18 - 20
11. New Hampshire      18 - 14

Using the KRACH to project the remaining Hockey East games, Merrimack has a 76 percent chance of home ice and a 24 percent chance of falling outside a home-ice spot.

Let’s analyze Merrimack’s playoff positions as they head into next weekend’s bye week.

— The Warriors can mathematically finish anywhere from 3-11 in the standings.