Chirps from Center Ice

In Week 24 of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings, you have a dogfight in the East for jostling between positions 4 on back and a dogfight in the West for who is going to be the eighth seed.

Each of the division leaders are represented in the top 7 this week. The lone team that I have in the mix with the division leaders? The St. John’s IceCaps, who I have dubbed the “most dangerous team” in the Eastern Conference.

The Binghamton Senators and Worcester Sharks are the biggest gainers this week. The Senators win three straight and get back to the top of the East Division and the Sharks have won six straight and are starting to knock on the door for the playoffs.

Biggest drop this week belongs to the Rochester Americans, who have been crushed by call-ups, trades and injury. They are barely hanging on as a playoff team and the rabid back of dogs behind the Amerks look ready to overtake Rochester.

Went pretty deep with each teams capsule this week. Click through to see my handiwork if you didn’t link though direct:

Rank	Team	Last Week	Comment	This Week
1		3rd (+2)	Stars sweep the season series with Chicago. That may play into the minds of the Wolves players if these teams meet in playoffs.	@ IA Wed., Host OKC Fri. & Sat.
2		6th (+4)	Griffins sweep the Barons in Oklahoma this weekend, remain deadlocked with the Stars for Best in the West.	@ IA Fri. & Sat., CHI Sun.
3		2nd (-1)	Nine game winning streak ended this week by Portland, but the IceCaps may be the most dangerous team in the East.	@ HFD Fri., BRI Sat., SPR Sun.
4		No change.	Monarchs four game win streak ended by the hot Sharks Sunday. Still, the best team in the AHL.	@ SPR Sat., Host HER Sun.
5		12th (+7)	Falcons win four in a row. That upcoming Friday game in Worcester may be AHL Game of the Night material.	@ WOR Fri., Host MCH Sat., STJ Sun.
6		15th (+9)	Is this the streakiest team in the AHL? Six game losing streak erased with a perfect six point weekend and the top of the East Division.	@ ALB Wed., NOR Fri. & Sat.
7		No change.	Marlies may be the only team representing the North Division this Spring. Toronto and depleted Rochester still have to play each other five more times.	@ LE Wed., Host MIL Sat., ABB Sun.
8		14th (+6)	I’d say that it’s turned around. Stomped Hamilton Friday and shutout Noroflk Saturday, first time since 2011 that Wilkes-Barre beat Norfolk at home.	@ SYR Fri., Host UTI Sat., @ ALB Sun.
9		1st (-8)	Roads out of the West are going through either Grand Rapids, Michigan or Cedar Park, Texas. Stars sweep the regular season series vs. the Wolves.	Home & Home w/ RFD Fri. & Sat., Host GR Sun.
10		No change.	Much needed weekend for Milwuakee who are four to the good for the last playoff spot in the West.	@ HAM Fri., TOR Sat., UTI Sun.
11		19th (+8)	Ugly loss Friday to the division leading Falcons, but respond by shutting out the Wolf Pack and Crunch Saturday and Sunday. Devils still in it in mid-March.	Host BNG Wed., @ SYR Sat, Host WBS Sun.
12		5th (-7)	Salvage the weekend with a great win in Hershey Sunday. Admirals looked lost in BInghamton Friday and Wilkes-Barre Saturday.	Host CHA Wed., BNG Fri. & Sat.
13		11th (-2)	P-Bruins salvage an otherwise forgettable weekend with a win Sunday vs. Hartford. Almost lost, too. Wolf Pack got a tying goal late with goalie pulled.	Host HER Fri., WOR Sun.
14		23rd (+9)	Sharks have won six straight and are emerging as that tenth team entering the race for eight spots.	Host SPR Fri., HER Sat., @ ADK Sun.
15		13th (-2)	Comets split with the Heat when they could have used a sweep. Those were two big points left behind in Abbotsford that Utica forgot to pack.	Host ADK Fri., @ WBS Sat., Host MIL Sun.
16		8th (-8)	Nice win Tuesday vs. San Antonio but could not deal with the Griffins twice on the weekend.	@ TEX Fri. & Sat.
17		16th (-1)	Checkers making a run. Charlotte has won 7 of 9.	@ NOR Wed., Host SA Fri. & Sun.
18		No change.	Wolf Pack trying to muster a season, take three of six this weekend and could have beat Providence Sunday.	Host BRI Wed., STJ Fri., @ ADK Sat.
19		9th (-10)	Amerks decimated by injuries, trades and call-ups. Have lost four in a row and are teetering on the brink of being out of the playoffs.	@ LE Fri. & Sun.
20		No change.	Heat end eight game losing streak with split against Utica. Now hit the road for six.	@ HAM Wed. & Sat., TOR Sun.
21		17th (-4)	Yikes. Needed OT to get by Hershey, lost in a shootout to sorry Hamilton Saturday and were shutout by resurgent Albany Sunday.	Host WBS Fri., ALB Sat., @ ADK Sun.
22		27th (+5)	After losing six straight, all of a sudden the Wild have won three straight. Now host the two best teams in the West this week.	Host TEX Wed., GR Fri. & Sat.
23		21st (-2)	IceHogs drop only game this weekend, a shootout loss to those pesky Admirals.	Home & Home with CHI Fri. & Sat.
24		22nd (-2)	If the Bears miss playoffs this season, they can thank this weekend where they take only three of six. Now four out and heading on the road against really good teams.	@ PRO Fri., WOR Sat., MCH Sun.
25		24th (-1)	Monsters split with the Checkers this weekend and showed something Sunday when they battled back after the Checkers tied it late.	Host TOR Wed., RCH Fri. & Sun.
26		25th (-1)	Six game losing streak ends at home in a wild game vs. Adirondack. 14 points out with a lot of Hartford, Portland and Adirondack still on the menu.	@ HFD Wed., Host STJ Sat., POR Sun.
27		28th (+1)	Way too many problems on this Rampage team for San Antonio to sustain any kind of serious run to playoffs in this Conference.	@ CHA Fri. & Sat.
28		26th (-2)	Bulldogs find themselves at the bottom of the West after only taking out Syracuse in a shootout Saturday.	Host ABB Wed., MIL Fri., ABB Sat.
29		30th (+1)	Only took one of the three games played up in St. John’s this week. Pirates need a miracle to make playoffs at this point.	@ BRI Sun.
30		29th (-1)	Lame duck Phantoms have lost six straight. Have a set upcoming of winnable games.	@ UTI Fri., Host HFD Sat., SYR Sun.

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You Bears fans want to give me grief over ranking the Crunch higher, right? Hit me up in the comments if you think I am wrong in any ranking anywhere on the board.