Chirps from Center Ice

Microblog: News du jour out of Coal Street Monday were the recalls of D Nick D’Agostino and D Harrison Ruopp and Eric Hartzell being named AHL Goaltender of the Month for January.

Big streaks for the Rochester Americans (7 in a row) and the St. John’s IceCaps (9 of 10 wins) have these respective clubs in the top five this week in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings for Week 18.

But the Binghamton Senators reign above all this week with an impressive five point lead on the rabid pack of dogs in the East Division.

Speaking of the ‘Dogs, the ones that play in Hamilton, they are the team with the sharpest drop this week, down 12.

Click through the jump if you didn’t link in direct to see the rest of the Rankings!

Rank	Team	Last Week	Comment	This Week
1		4th (+3)	Lead East Division by five and are even in points with Springfield for second overall in the Conference. Are the B-Sens the AHL’s most underrated team?	Host POR Wed., HAM Sat.
2		1st (-1)	Monarchs almost perfect weekend spoiled by immediate threat St. John’s who beat them Saturday.	Host PRO Sat., ALB Sun.
3		6th (+3)	Ads draw even with Penguins for second in the division, finally.	Host HFD Fri. & Sat.
4		15th (+11)	Only other team hotter than Rochester may be the IceCaps, who have won 9 of their last 10.	Host PRO Tue. & Wed., WOR Sat. & Sun.
5		16th (+11)	Streak is up to seven. Amerks are officially hot. Pushed around the Penguins Saturday night.	Host SYR Wed., HER Fri., GR Sat.
6		7th (+1)	Bears are back in the discussion for Division contender with 4 of 6 points this weekend.	@ RCH Fri., Host POR Sat., WBS Sun.
7		3rd (-4)	Stars win one game in last four, letting Abbotsford back into the division race.	Host OKC Tue., @ ABB Sat. & Sun.
8		5th (-3)	Checkers split the series with Lake Erie in Cleveland. G Cam Ward was with the team on conditioning.	@ ABB Tue. & Wed., Host OKC Fri. & Sun.
9		2nd (-7)	Marlies still six up on Rochester but with a weekend like they had (0-1-1) won’t be for too long.	Host SA Wed., GR Fri., HAM Sun.
10		12th (+2)	Wild amassing points like crazy, points in last eight games.	Host UTI Wed., CHI Fri., @ RFD Sat.
11		No change.	Not a bad week for Rockford. Two wins and a loss to the hot Americans.	Host HAM Tue., IA Sat., UTI Sun.
12		8th (-4)	Bump in the road for the Griffs (winners of 2 of the last 6) or something to be concerned about?	Host LE Wed., @ TOR Fri., RCH Sat.
13		18th (+5)	Are the Wolves making a push for the Midwest lead? Winners of 4 of 5 now for Chicago.	Host UTI Tue., @ IA Fri., MIL Sun.
14		19th (+5)	If Worcester can maintain this run (3 wins in last 4) they will be in playoff position in no time.	@ STJ Sat. & Sun.
15		17th (+2)	Split the week with an impressive 3-0 win over division leading Springfield Saturday.	Host ALB Sat., ADK Sun.
16		9th (-7)	Five game losing streak for the all of a sudden cold Falcons. They’ve let Binghamton creep up and tie them in points for the Conference.	Host ALB Tue., A home and home with SYR Fri. & Sat., @ PRO Sun.
17		13th (-4)	Disappointing week for the Penguins, who have only scored seven goals in the last six games and are on a 0 for 36 streak on the power play.	Host POR Fri., ADK Sat., @ HER Sun.
18		21st (+3)	Heat respond nicely to last weeks sweep by the Comets with a sweep of their own to Hamilton, who scored just one goal in two games in BC.	Host CHA Tue. & Wed., TEX Sat. & Sun.
19		14th (-5)	Visions of a division lead have faded, now Devils are hanging on to one of the last qualifying spots for playoffs.	@ SPR Tue., BRI Sat., MCH Sun.
20		No change.	Absolutely no momentum carried over from the big Abbotsford trip for the Comets, who only manage three of six points.	@ CHI Tue., IA Wed., MIL Fri., RFD Sun.
21		25th (+4)	Take 5 of 6 points and now do not play a single home game in February, the next ten on the road.	@ TOR Wed., LE Fri. & Sat.
22		10th (-12)	Bulldogs only manage one goal on their trip to British Columbia. Woof.	@ RFD Tue., MIL Wed., BNG Sat., TOR Sun.
23		24th (+1)	Wolf Pack have won 3 of 4, who head to Norfolk this weekend.	Host ADK Tue., @ NOR Fri. & Sat.
24		22nd (-2)	Lose twice to division rival Hartford then split with the much better Bears.	@ HFD Tue., WBS Sat., BRI Sun.
25		28th (+3)	Barons score twelve goals this weekend, including seven against the high flying Stars.	@ TEX Tue., CHA Fri. & Sun.
26		No change.	Only team to beat Hartford this week but lost to the Sharks, just four back.	@ STJ Tue. & Wed., MCH Sat., Host SPR Sun.
27		23rd (-4)	Admirals still toiling. Maybe next four at home will be a good thing.	Host HAM Wed., UTI Fri., CHI Sun.
28		30th (+2)	Eight game losing streak ended this week with shootout win over Comets Tuesday.	@ GR Wed., Host SA Fri. & Sat.
29		No change.	Manage a point amidst a goaltending situation in flux.	@ RCH Wed., Home and home with SPR Fri. & Sat.
30		27th (-3)	Pirates gave up seven goals in each of their three games this weekend. Ouch.	@ BNG Wed., WBS Fri., HER Sat.

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Agree? Disagree? Have any ideas on how the Penguins can score a power play goal? Leave me a line in the comments!