Chirps from Center Ice

Well, that was an unexpected weekend.

The Binghamton Senators go to “The Rock” and get swept by the St. John’s IceCaps. Meanwhile, the Norfolk Admirals pasted the AHL’s best Manchester Monarchs. To say that yours truly was expecting either would be wrong.

Hershey has lost six straight. The Penguins still can’t figure it out. The Crunch are too far out to be in the discussion. The B-Sens look like a Jekyll and Hyde team. Does the East Division run through Hampton Roads again?

And that discussion is just one division out of the six that comprise the American Hockey League.

The Chicago Wolves sit atop the Week 22 AHL Power Rankings this week. They are rolling. Biggest risers this week are your Norfolk Admirals.

A Comet and a Bear walk into a bar. I’m bad at jokes. But if you guessed that the punchline is that Utica and Hershey took the biggest slide this week, you get the joke.

The only team not to make a move up or down? Your Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

Click through to see where everyone else ended up if you didn’t link in direct.

Rank	Team	Last Week	Comment	This Week
1		3rd (+2)	Wolves rolling. Winners of 5 of 6. Wednesday’s game vs. Grand Rapids should be fun.	@ GR Wed., @ ABB Sat. & Sun.
2		10th (+8)	IceCaps are a contender. Swept the East leading B-Sens two ways: Obliteration Friday and defense Saturday.	Host BRI Fri. & Sat.
3		5th (+2)	Stars didn’t break a sweat Saturday in San Antonio, before the ice broke.	@ ABB Tue. & Wed., Host CHA Sat.
4		17th (+13)	Admirals rolling. Swept the AHL’s best Monarchs. Tied with the B-Sens for division lead. Is the division going through Norfolk, or?	Host CHA Tue., HER Fri. & Sat.
5		11th (+6)	Marlies are winners of five of six.	Home & home w/ LE Fri. & Sat., Host WBS Sun.
6		13th (+7)	Griffs sweep Heat in B.C., have won five in a row and lead the Western Conference the first week of March.	Host CHI Wed., IA Fri. & Sat.
7		12th (+5)	P-Bruins beat by the streaking Sound Tigers Friday, regroup with shootout wins over Springfield and Albany.	Host WOR Fri., @ MCH Sat., Host ADK Sun.
8		2nd (-6)	B-Sens all of a sudden cold. Swept on The Rock by the IceCaps, have lost 4 straight, re-opening the door for three other East Division teams.	Host UTI Sat., @ SYR Sun.
9		1st (-8)	Well, the Monarchs looked downright pedestrian this weekend in Virginia. Are they as good as everyone thinks they are?	Host ADK Fri., PRO Sat., HFD Sat.
10		6th (-4)	Amerks seem like the most vulnerable of the 6-7-8-9 teams in the West, but 10 back look like steaming piles of garbage. Little margin for error.	@ RFD Tue., Home & home w/ SYR Fri. & Sat., Host OKC Sun.
11		20th (+9)	Quiet three game winning streak has the Barons knocking on the door on the 8th seed in the West.	@ UTI Tue., HAM Fri., RCH Sun.
12		4th (-8)	IceHogs stopped by the resurgent Barons this weekend.	Host RCH Tue., Home & home w/ MIL Fri. & Sat.
13		19th (+6)	Slow down. The Crunch just were shutout by the last place Phantoms. Playoff contender? No, not yet.	Home & home w/ RCH Fri. & Sat., Host BNG Sun.
14		7th (-7)	Swept by the Griffins, last week the Wolves. In come the Stars this week, the Wolves again this weekend.	Host TEX Tues. & Wed., CHI Sat. & Sun.
15		26th (+11)	G Pekka Rinne’s rehab stint in Milwaukee nets the Admirals 4 points and back in playoff contention.	Home & home w/ RFD Fri. & Sat.
16		9th (-7)	Sound Tigers slowed down by teams they should have beat. Seven game winning streak done like dinner.	@ STJ Fri. & Sat.
17		14th (-3)	Fun fact: No more games left on the schedule against the East Division for Springfield. Falcons can feast on cupcakes the rest of the way.	@ HFD Fri., ADK Sat., POR Sun.
18		8th (-10)	Comets wake up for the first time Monday morning with a team behind them in the standings. (Lake Erie)	Host OKC Wed., WBS Fri., @ BNG Sat.
19		22nd (+3)	Quiet three game winning streak for Hamilton have the Bulldogs back in playoff discussion.	Host OKC Fri., WBS Sat., LE Sun.
20		27th (+7)	Checkers score 10 goals in Chocolatetown this weekend and sweep the Bears.	@ NOR Tue., SA Fri., TEX Sat., SA Sun.
21		18th (-3)	Wolf Pack’s four game winning streak ends with a 5-1 loss to the Pirates in Lewiston Sunday.	Host SPR Fri., ALB Sat., @ MCH Sun.
22		15th (-7)	One point for the Devils this weekend, who are clinging to the 7th seed.	@ POR Fri., HFD Sat., WOR Sun.
23		No change.	If the Penguins split the upcoming weekend like they did the weekend prior, they’ll be in good shape. Right now, lots of question marks still surround this team.	@ UTI Fri., HAM Sat., TOR Sun.
24		29th (+5)	Take 2 of 3 in a set with Hartford and beat the struggling Sharks. Not a bad week.	Host ALB Fri., @ WOR Sat., Host SPR Sun.
25		30th (+5)	5 of 6 points for the Phantoms this weekend. Not a bad weekend at all.	@ MCH Fri., Host SPR Sat., @ PRO Sun.
26		16th (-10)	Six game losing streak for the Bears. It’s not going to get easier. Heading to Norfolk this weekend.	@ NOR Fri. & Sat.
27		24th (-3)	A split with the Stars this week then a sweep in Canada wasn’t enough to keep the Monsters out of the Western basement.	Home & home w/ TOR Fri. & Sat., @ HAM Sun.
28		21st (-7)	First home game in over a month is suspended Saturday due to ice issues, then cough up a 5-3 lead late to the all of a sudden hot Barons Sunday.	Host CHA Fri. @ GR Sat.
29		28th (-1)	Sharks can’t win any games because they are one of lowest scoring teams in the AHL. 131 goals for is tied with Utica and Adirondack for fewest goals in the AHL.	@ PRO Fri., Host POR Sat., ALB Sun.
30		25th (-5)	Five game losing streak. Expanding, two wins in last ten. Once promising playoff push has disappeared.	@ GR Fri. & Sat.

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