Chirps from Center Ice

In the Week 13 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings, it would appear that I am dissing teams with their rankings.

For example, the Binghamton Senators. The B-Sens are your highest riser this week, up 15 spots to 9th, but the Norfolk Admirals are up 5 spots and slot in 3rd. How can I rank the B-Sens, who lead the East Division by a point over the Penguins and two over the Admirals, six places behind the Admirals?

How are my top two teams second place teams in their respective divisions? Yeah, Manchester stumbled this week, but are still 7 points ahead of the Devils in the Conference. The Heat are six points ahead of the Stars for both their Conference and West Division.

The Chicago Wolves win two games this week and go down one spot? Huh?

It’s not a “what have you done for me lately” ranking system. If you win more than you lose, you are rewarded with a higher seeding. If you lose three straight and win two, lose three and win two, you don’t jump up as high as others.

I haven’t heard anyone say to me that my rankings are terrible either, so I must be doing something right.

Anyway, if you haven’t figured it out yet, the Albany Devils and the Texas Stars take the top two spots this week. It’s a four way tie for teams with the biggest slide down the rankings this week from last, down 8 spots this week. If you didn’t link in direct, click through to see who, and where everyone else ended up….

Rank	Team	Last Week	Comment	This Week
1		5th (+4)	Devils have points in every December game played except one. That is impressive.	Host SPR Fri., @ ADK Sat.
2		6th (+4)	Three out of four for the Stars, who may have nothing left to play for division wise, with Abbotsford so far ahead and the rest so far behind.	@ OKC Tue., CHA Thu. & Fri.
3		8th (+5)	Three game winning streak for the Ads. Is it a matter of time before they run away with the division like they did two years ago?	@ BNG Tue., Host BRI Fri. & Sat.
4		1st (-3)	Class of the AHL stumble this week with two losses to Portland and St. John’s. A foray into the East Division is up this weekend.	Host PRO Tues., @ BNG Fri., WBS Sat., HER Sun.
5		2nd (-3)	Falcons have enough of a pad on the division lead that losing two of three isn’t that devastating. Just don’t let it become a trend.	Host STJ Tues., @ ALB Fri., Host PRO Sun.
6		15th (+9)	Heat sweep Barons at home rather handily, now welcome Hamilton this weekend.	Host HAM Fri. & Sat.
7		3rd (-4)	Griffins slowed this week with losses to division foes Chicago and Milwaukee. Get to go outside and play in the ballpark Monday against the Marlies.	Host TOR Mon. & Tues., CHI Fri., @ RFD Sat.
8		4th (-4)	Two losses to the Bulldogs and the once healthy North Division lead is trimmed to one. Go to Detroit to play outdoors vs. the Griffs this week.	@ GR Mon. & Tues., Host SYR Fri., UTI Sat.
9		24th (+15)	B-Sens win four straight, lead East Division by one over the Pens, two over the Admirals. Huge New Years Eve date with the Ads looms.	Host NOR Tues., MCH Fri., SYR Sat., @ WBS Sun.
10		9th (-1)	Lopsided weekend for the IceCaps with a loss to last place Worcester and a win against first place Manchester.	@ SPR Tue., Host POR Sat. & Sun.
11		19th (+8)	Dogs win three straight this week and two against Toronto and now trail the Marlies for the division lead by one.	@ ABB Fri. & Sat.
12		7th (-5)	Many could’ve and should’ve this week. Help could be on the way, though.	Host SYR Tue., @ HFD Fri., Host MCH Sat., BNG Sun.
13		11th (-2)	Impressive Thursday win against Manchester, then couldn’t replicate it Saturday in Albany.	Host BRI Tue., @ STJ Sat. & Sun.
14		18th (+4)	Milwaukee in a fight for second in the division with Chicago and Rockford. Grand Rapids is ahead of the division by 12 points.	@ LE Fri. & Sat.
15		13th (-2)	Monsters split with the Wolves this week. Still two back of the division lead in the North.	@ UTI Wed., Host MIL Fri. & Sat.
16		17th (+1)	Wild win three straight against so-so opponents, then run into the big bad Milwaukee Admirals and are shutout on Sunday.	@ RFD Fri., CHI Sat.
17		22nd (+5)	Impressive shootout victory over the Falcons, then were shutout by Albany and rallied to beat Providence. Phantoms still relevant as the calendar turns to 2014.	Host WOR Tue., HER Fri., ALB Sat.
18		10th (-8)	Shootout win against the Penguins Saturday halts what would have been a three game losing streak, which never happens in Hershey.	@ ADK Fri., Host RCH Sat., MCH Sun.
19		25th (+6)	Monarchs stumble this week while the P-Bruins win two of three. Back to where we were two weeks ago in this divisional battle.	@ MCH Tue., Host WOR Fri., @ SPR Sat., Host WOR Sun.
20		12th (-8)	Beat by lowly Hartford and elite Springfield this week before eking out a shootout win vs. Albany Sunday.	@ POR Tue., NOR Fri. & Sat.
21		20th (-1)	Split with the Monsters then kept the Checkers around much closer than anyone in Rosemont liked.	@ GR Fri., Host IA Sat., RFD Sun.
22		14th (-8)	Just a shootout loss point to show for the weekend for the Comets.	Host LE Wed., RCH Fri., @ TOR Sat.
23		No change.	Rochester has been playing, just not in any AHL games. They’ve been overseas competing in the Spengler Cup.	@ UTI Fri., HER Sat.
24		16th (-8)	Five game losing streak for the IceHogs.	Host CHA Mon., IA Fri., GR Sat., @ CHI Sun.
25		26th (+1)	Checkers manage a split this weekend. A winnable game in Rockford Monday then host a tough Stars team.	@ RFD Mon., Host TEX Thu. & Fri.
26		21st (-5)	Ugly losses to Providence and Hartford this week. A win vs. St. John’s sandwiched in between.	@ ADK Tue., PRO Fri., HFD Sat., PRO Sun.
27		No change.	Rough times in Syracuse. Said last week these were make or break times. Right now I see more break than make.	@ WBS Tue., TOR Fri., BNG Sat.
28		30th (+2)	Long losing streak halted by two wins this week against Bridgeport and Worcester., then are KO’ed by the Monarchs Sunday.	Host WBS Fri., WOR Sat.
29		No change.	Split with Texas this week. A winnable week vs. the Barons lies ahead.	Home and home with OKC Fri. & Sat.
30		28th (-2)	Barons pasted in Abbotsford. In a three way tie for last in the West.	Host TEX Tue., then a home and home with SA Fri. & Sat.

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If you are a fan of one of the teams you think I dissed, please leave me a comment. I promise, I will try and do better the next time.