Chirps from Center Ice

I apologize to the Steel City.

No, not the American version. The one in Hamilton, Ontario. I criminally underrated their Bulldogs in last weeks rankings and erroneously stated that they lost two in a row. The Bulldogs sit atop the North Division at the quarter pole in the AHL season. I have atoned for my ineptness, the Bulldogs are your biggest gainer this week, up 18 spots this week.

Five teams didn’t move at all this week.

The Abbotsford Heat, winners of 13 of their last 14, overtake the Binghamton Senators in Week 8. The B-Sens step down one spot to second.

To see where your favorite team ranks, check out the rest of the rankings below. Click through the jump if you didn’t link in from somewhere else.

Rank	Team	Last Week	Comment	This Week
1		2nd (+1)	13 of the last 14 games have been wins for the white hot Heat.	Host UTI Fri. & Sat.
2		1st (-1)	Avenge a loss to the Bears Saturday with a 5-1 drubbing of Hershey Sunday. Neck and neck with Wilkes-Barre for division lead.	Host SYR Wed., @ WBS Fri., Host STJ Sat.
3		No change	Six in a row for the hot Falcons, who are slightly ahead of the Penguins and Senators for tops in the Conference.	@ MCH Fri., Host POR Sat.
4		No change	5 out of 6 points this weekend and lead the Eastern Conference. Not too shabby.	Host SPR Fri., @ HFD Sat., BRI Sun.
5		6th (+1)	Penguins respond to a tough 2-1 loss to St. John’s by exploding for five goals in the third Saturday.	@ ADK Wed., Host BNG Fri., @ HER Sat.
6		8th (+2)	Three wins against divisional opponents this week and the Griffins are separating themselves as leaders in the Midwest.	Host TEX Fri. & Sat.
7		5th (-2)	Devils on a tear, but slowed down by division rival and leader Springfield.	Host ADK Fri., BRI Sat.
8		26th (+18)	Nice quiet four game winning streak for the Bulldogs, who lead the North.	@ RCH Wed., Host TOR Fri., LE Sat.
9		7th (-2)	If the Monsters were to find consistency, they will lead this division. A split this week with the so-so Barons.	@ UTI Tue., RCH Fri., HAM Sat.
10		No change	The MilAds might be playing for second with the Wolves in the division with Grand Rapids out front and poised to run away with things.	@ RFD Wed., CHA Sat. & Sun.
11		15th (+4)	Not a bad start to the road trip for St. John’s. 4 out of 6 and still in the discussion at the 20 games played mark.	@ HER Wed., SYR Fri., BNG Sat.
12		No change	Despite losing two of three, Stars still second in the West.	Host OKC Wed., @ GR Fri. & Sat.
13		9th (-4)	Wolves cooled off a bit with a shootout loss in Milwaukee and a loss to division leader Grand Rapids.	Host IA Wed., then home and home with RFD Fri. & Sat.
14		No change	Marlies beat the listless Checkers, lose to the better Stars and beat a resurgent Rampage team. Keeping division leader Hamilton honest.	@ HAM Fri., Host RCH Sat.
15		18th (+3)	Three out of four in Virginia for the Pirates. Not a bad weekend.	@ HFD Wed., Host WOR Fri., @ SPR Sat.
16		17th (+1)	Norfolk would have had a nice bump up if it wasn’t for a late choke job against the Pirates Saturday.	Host CHA Wed., PRO Fri. & Sat.
17		16th (-1)	Salvage a bad week with a win vs. the Checkers Sunday. Schedule not getting any easier this week.	Host MIL Wed., then a home and home with CHI Fri. & Sat.
18		11th (-7)	Four game losing streak for the Phantoms who, after winning six straight, seem to be turning in the wrong direction.	Host WBS Wed., @ ALB Fri., Host SYR Sat.
19		13th (-6)	Crunch hammered by injuries. Have lost four in a row and losing touch with the divisional leaders.	@ BNG Wed., Host STJ Fri., @ ADK Sat.
20		23rd (+3)	Sharks grit out two shootout wins this week. One good weekend and the Sharks could be right back in it.	@ POR Fri.
21		25th (+4)	Marlies halt what would have been a three game winning streak for the Rampage, who are in the mix with about six other teams at the quarter pole.	Home and home with OKC Fri. & Sat.
22		29th (+7)	Nice two game winning streak for the Comets over the Amerks, including the first home win and shutout Saturday.	Host LE Tue., @ ABB Fri. & Sat.
23		24th (+1)	A bump up for the Bears for halting the B-Sens 7 game winning streak, but not too much for stinking out Giant Center with a 5-1 loss to the same team.	Host STJ Wed., WBS Sat., PRO Sun.
24		20th (-4)	The Barons this week are thankful for the Wild, Comets and Checkers, whom all have worse records, slightly.	@ TEX Wed., SA Fri., Host OKC Sat.
25		19th (-6)	Despite one out of a possible six points, still second in the division.	@ NOR Fri. & Sat., HER Sun.
26		28th (+2)	Two losses this week to in-division opponents, yet the Wolf Pack are still in the mix at the quarter pole.	Host POR Wed., @ BRI Fri., Host MCH Sat.
27		21st (-6)	Three losses this week. One to the mighty Penguins and two to division rival Comets, including a shutout in Utica Saturday.	Host HAM Wed., LE Fri., @ TOR Sat.
28		22nd (-6)	Sound Tigers drop sixth straight (0-4-0-2) and are losing touch with the front runners in the Northeast.	Host HFD Fri., @ ALB Sat., Host MCH Sun.
29		30th (+1)	Checkers in the basement in the West. One win in last nine games.	@ NOR Wed., Host MIL Sat. & Sun.
30		27th (-3)	Six losses in a row for the Wild who, in this division, may already be done like dinner.	@ CHI Wed.

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Leave me a comment to let me know how well or how poor I have done with these rankings.