Chirps from Center Ice

Okay, I put the Penguins at the top spot. There, I said it. Please don’t let that fact coming from this, “fan blog about the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins” devalue the intent of the Rankings.

The Penguins left me no choice. I had to rank them number one. There isn’t another team right now hotter in my opinion.

The Iowa Wild are your biggest gainer this week, up 9 spots from 25th last week. The San Antonio Rampage are still getting scored on by the Texas Stars, and are on a big 16 spot slide down the Power Rankings to 27th.

After the jump, if you just happened here without a link from someplace else, are my rankings. If you think your team should be higher or their rival lower, let me know in the comments.

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Rank	Team	Last Week	Comment	This Week
1		5th (+4)	Blowout Adirondack Fri. Sleepwalk through 40 minutes Saturday in Worcester, score 3 goals and win. OT thriller vs. Manchester Sunday. Team playing like it can’t be stopped. Only other undefeated team lies in Springfield.	@ BNG Fri., host NOR Sat.
2		No change	Two goals in :24 Friday led to a win, a three goal second period Saturday gets one too.	Host POR Wed., @ ALB Fri., HER Sat.
3		6th (+3)	Falcons are undefeated through three weeks. They get two with Hartford in two weeks, that’s going to be fun.	@ PRO Fri., host WOR Sat.
4		1st (-3)	Uncharacteristic loss to the Amerks Friday is enough to unseat the Marlies from the top spot. Beat Hamilton Sunday.	Host RFD Wed., RCH Sat., @ HAM Sun.
5		12th (+7)	IceHogs picking up where they left off last year. Beat the high powered Wolves Friday, then the defending champs Saturday.	@ HAM Tues., TOR Wed., host CHA Sat., TEX Sun.
6		13th (+7)	Completely obliterated the Rampage and Heat this weekend. Here’s where I wish the Conferences crossed over, would love to see how the Stars fare in the East.	Host OKC Wed., @ MIL Sat., RFD Sun.
7		9th (+2)	Monarchs are a point factory right now. Lost to the white hot Wolf Pack and Penguins this weekend, beat Providence in between.	@ WOR Wed., host STJ Fri. & Sat.
8		No change	Scrapped all weekend with the Devils. Came away with three points and hot on the heels of the Penguins for the Division.	@ ADK Fri., WBS Sat., HER Sun.
9		16th (+7)	Split with Syracuse Fri. and Sat. then won a barnburner against Bridgeport Sunday. Big test Fri. vs. the Penguins.	Host WBS Fri., ADK Sat.
10		15th (+5)	Shootout win vs. the Bulldogs this weekend.	@ ABB Fri. & Sat.
11		18th (+7)	The Ads have points in all their games played. These points add up at the end of the season. Just ask any Norfolk fan last year.	Host TEX Sat.
12		3rd (-9)	One banner in the rafters and just one point this weekend.	Host CHA Fri., @ CHI Sat., IA Sun.
13		20th (+7)	Three out of a possible four points this weekend. Are the Devils the most underrated team in the AHL?	@ UTI Wed., host HFD Fri. & POR Sat.
14		No change	Split the weekend. I still can’t get a handle on this team.	@ IA Thu., host GR Sat., CHA Sun.
15		4th (-11)	Throttled by a combined 10-3 by the Wild this weekend. Big road three-in-three coming up.	@ GR Fri., RFD Sat. and CHI Sun.
16		25th (+9)	Wild good this weekend or Checkers bad? I guess we find out next weekend.	Host CHI Thu., GR Sun.
17		19th (+2)	The Jekyll and Hyde team this week are your Syracuse Crunch. Stink up OnCenter Friday with a 6-2 loss to the B-Sens then pay it back the next night with a 4-1 win at the BCVMA.	@ UTI Fri., host BRI Sat.
18		23rd (+5)	Amerks thump the Marlies Friday. Usually, the roles are reversed. Then win an ugly game Saturday vs. Utica that saw starter Matt Hackett benched after two periods. Still, a perfect weekend.	@ HAM Fri., TOR Sat.
19		7th (-12)	Two points out of a possible six this weekend. Bump in the road or a sign of things to come?	Host LE Fri. & Sat.
20		10th (-10)	Were never really in it Friday vs. the Falcons, then lost to the Monarchs in a shootout Saturday.	Host SPR Fri., STJ Sun.
21		29th (+8)	Sharks get a bump up the standings for nearly beating the elite Penguins but not too much for beating the bad Pirates.	Host MCH Wed., @ SPR Sat.
22		27th (+5)	Split with the IceCaps this weekend. A sweep by the IceCaps would have caused bedlam in Chocolatetown.	Host HFD Sat., NOR Sun.
23		22nd (-1)	Score five unanswered goals Friday vs. Hershey then don’t score any Saturday.	@ MCH Fri. & Sat., PRO Sun.
24		No change	A so-so start for the Barons after 7 games played.	@ TEX Wed., SA Fri. & Sat.
25		21st (-4)	Blown away by the Penguins Friday, then blew a two goal lead and lost to the Falcons Saturday.	Host NOR Fri., @ BNG Sat.
26		17th (-9)	Expected losses against Lake Erie and Toronto or is this a theme?	Host RFD Tues., RCH Fri., @ UTI Sat., host TOR Sun.
27		11th (-16)	Two disastrous losses vs. in-state rival Stars. Can right the ship vs. the Barons this week.	Host OKC Fri. & Sat.
28		26th (-2)	Down 3-0 vs. the B-Sens Sunday, scrap and get a point in an OT loss.	@ SYR Sat.
29		28th (-1)	Still winless, with one point to show for it all. Not going to be easy this week.	@ HFD Wed., ALB Sat.
30		No change	Ugh. Could have beat the Amerks Saturday. Three cracks at a win this weekend with all the comforts of home.	Host ALB Wed., SYR Fri., HAM Sat.

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Is your team too low? Is your rival too high? Let me know in comments. I’ll be back with Week 4 next Monday.