Chirps from Center Ice

Things are starting to shake out here in Week 5 of the Power Rankings. No team has gone higher than 9 spots or lower than 8. There are also five teams that haven’t changed from last week.

But there’s been a change at the top, as the Manchester Monarchs rule over the Week 5 AHL Power Rankings. Can they hold onto the top spot for another week? Seems that whatever team gets named #1 is out of the top spot the next week.

If you didn’t link in from someplace else, please click through to see the rankings…

Rank	Team	Last Week	Comment	This Week
1		2nd (+2)	Monarchs sweep the Bruins this weekend. Best team in the league that keep rolling.	@ STJ Fri. & Sat.
2		4th (+2)	First sweep of the Bears on consecutive days in more than eight years. One of the highest scoring teams in the league, averaging 3.80 goals a game.	Host SYR Wed., ALB Fri., @ SPR Sun.
3		No change	Shutout the Devils Friday, lose in shootout in Bridgeport Saturday then come back late and win a shootout Sunday in Hershey. Big test at home this week with the Crunch.	Host SYR Fri. & Sat.
4		7th (+3)	Nice week for the defending champs. 6 out of 6 points.	Host RFD Wed., @ HAM Fri.
5		No change	Lose to the Phantoms then sweep the Wolf Pack. Get another crack at the Phantoms and a date with the Penguins this week.	Host ADK Fri., WBS Sun.
6		8th (+2)	MilAds sweep the weekend and are in the thick of it in the Midwest. They are also the last unbeaten (in regulation) team in the AHL.	@ TEX Fri. & Sat., SA Sun.
7		9th (+2)	It doesn’t look like the B-Sens can beat the Phantoms, yet they have their way with Syracuse. I don’t get it.	Home and home with RCH Fri. & Sat., @ HER Sun.
8		1st (-8)	Hogs go 0-3 this weekend, overtaken by the Griffins for first in the Midwest. Rematch Wednesday at Van Andel.	@ GR Wed., Host IA Fri. & Sat.
9		14th (+5)	Bulldogs are in first place in the North.	@ RCH Wed., Host GR Fri., UTI Sun.
10		12th (+2)	1-1-1-0 this week, still second in the West Division.	Host MIL Fri. & Sat.
11		15th (+4)	Decisive win vs. the Devils Wed., a SO win vs. the Amerks Fri. then a loss to the B-Sens Sat.	@ WBS Wed., NOR Fri. & Sat.
12		21st (+9)	Heat sweep the week, two over the Comets and one over the Bulldogs. Are tops in the West Division.	Host SA Tues. & Wed., TOR Sat. & Sun.
13		No change	Bulldogs overtake the Marlies for first in the North with an OT win Friday.	@ UTI Tue., ABB Sat. & Sun.
14		6th (-8)	Devils lose three this week by a combined 10-2. Oof.	@ WBS Fri., Host ADK Sat., BRI Mon.
15		11th (-4)	Monsters sputtering now. Lost to Grand Rapids in only game this weekend.	Host UTI Thu. & Fri., @ RCH Mon.
16		No change	Had the Crunch where they wanted them in the second period Friday up 4-1, stop playing, get outshot 15-9 in the third and lose in a shootout.	Host HAM Wed., home and home with BNG Fri. & Sat., host LE Mon.
17		25th (+8)	Phantoms sweep the week and are in the thick of things in the Northeast Division.	@ SPR Fri, ALB Sat., BRI Sun.
18		10th (-8)	Seemed like the first team to five this week won. Checkers lose 5-2 to GR, win 5-3 over RFD, lose 5-3 to SA.	Host CHI Thu. & Sat.
19		17th (-2)	Wolf Pack coming back to the field a bit with two losses to the Falcons, hot on their tails.	Home and home with PRO Fri. & Sun.
20		29th (+9)	Big week for the Sound Tigers. Wallop the Sharks Friday 7-1 then skate by the Admirals in a shootout Saturday.	@ HER Sat., Host ADK Sun., ALB Mon.
21		18th (-3)	Tough week for the Wild, 2 pts. out of 6. Next up, a hungry IceHogs team.	@ RFD Fri. & Sat.
22		24th (+2)	Beat Portland handily twice then lay an egg against the Sharks.	Host MCH Fri. & Sat.
23		19th (-4)	Swept by the red hot Monarchs. P-Bruins a .500 team just 10 games in.	@ HFD Fri., WOR Sat., host HFD Sun.
24		27th (+3)	Beat the Checkers in their only game this weekend.	@ ABB Tues. & Wed. Host OKC Sat., MIL Sun.
25		26th (+1)	Split with the Wolves. I’m waiting for the Barons to make a move.	@ SA Sat.
26		20th (-6)	Respond to a 7-1 throttling by the Sound Tigers with a 3-0 shutout over St. John’s. Have played the least amount of games (7)	@ POR Fri., Host PRO Sat., POR Sun.
27		28th (+1)	Split with the Barons. This team may not be as good as everyone thought.	@ CHA Thu. & Sat.
28		22nd (-6)	Unimpressive losses to St. John’s this week.	Home and home with WOR Fri. & Sat.
29		23rd (-6)	Yikes. Lose all three games this weekend. Things not looking good in Chocolatetown these days.	Host BRI Sat., BNG Sun.
30		No change	Comets lose two heartbreakers to Abbotsford. Four cracks at their first win this week.	Host TOR Tues., @ LE Thu. & Fri., HAM Sun.

–

I’m a Penguins homer and I ranked Hershey too low, didn’t I? Let me know in the comments.