The Hockey East regular season draws to a close on Saturday with five games on tap and a playoff picture to discern.
Current number one Boston College can clinch the regular season title with a win or tie against the University of Vermont (the league's last place team.) If the Eagles happen to lose, they can still clinch the number one seed with a Boston University loss.
Boston University, currently seated in the second slot, could take the title with a win tonight against Northeastern and an Eagles loss. Otherwise, the Terriers look headed to a number two or three seed. They will clinch the second spot with a win or tie or UMass Lowell loss.
UMass Lowell's fate is reliant on the Terriers - they can only move up from their current third seeding if BU loses. The Riverhawks face Providence College this evening. Providence could finish between siery xth and eighth, but is guaranteed to make the playoffs after finishing last in the league last season.
Merrimack and Maine will finish either fourth or fifth, with their games today deciding who gets the fourth and final home ice playoff spot. Merrimack will hope to take a game at suddenly strong UMass Amherst this evening, after losing 5-1 Friday night. UMass Amherst will either finish seventh or eighth in the league.
Maine faces New Hampshire Saturday afternoon, and that game will decide not only if Maine gets home ice, but if New Hampshire will finish sixth or seventh.
The only thing for certain in the Hockey East playoff race is that Maine and Merrimack will face each other in the tournament quarterfinals next weekend.
You can catch all of the Hockey East playoff possibilities here.