Chirps from Center Ice
A fan blog about the AHL's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
AHL Power Rankings: Week 9
Posted by on December 12, 2016
We are here in Week 9 in the AHL Power Rankings and there is not an Atlantic Division team in the number one slot this week.
The first Atlantic Division team featured in the rankings isn’t even a playoff team.
Wait, what?
The Stockton Heat have consistently been a good team and one that is been at the top of the Pacific Division all season. So have the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins you say, but they aren’t the number two team.
That team is the Providence Bruins, a team on an absolute tear, with points in 12 straight games. With how top heavy the Atlantic is, it’s Providence that has maintained the most consistent of the top four teams in the Atlantic, so that is why they are number two this week.
Jump through to see it all laid out with the logos of the teams instead of me explaining it to you in the long form version.
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| Heat drop what they will call a disappointing contest to the suddenly spry Bakersfield Condors. Heat are the Pacific Division leaders and remain a team to watch. | ||
| Rank: 1 Last Week: 4th Change: Up 3 Record: 13-6-1-1 |
Last Week: CHA 1 @ STK 3 STK 4 @ SJ 0 STK 2 @ BAK 5 |
This Week: @ ONT 12/14 @ SD 12/16 @ SD 12/17 |
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| Bruins run their point streak to 12 games. Providence has essentially pulled themselves up from the depths of the Atlantic to the precipice of playoff contention. | ||
| Rank: 2 Last Week: 12th Change: Up 10 Record: 12-6-4-3 |
Last Week: TOR 3 @ PRO 5 PRO 3 @ ALB 1 HFD 1 @ PRO 2 (SO) |
This Week: vs. BRI 12/16 @ LV 12/17 vs. SYR 12/18 |
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| Fell flat against the Bears Friday, then rallied in a big way afterwards and scored a sum total of 10 goals to 1 for the remainder of the weekend. | ||
| Rank: 3 Last Week: 2nd Change: Down 1 Record: 16-5-3-0 |
Last Week: HER 5 @ WBS 2 HER 2 @ WBS 6 WBS 4 @ BRI 1 |
This Week: @ HFD 12/14 vs. RCH 12/16 vs. SPR 12/17 |
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| Quick two game losing streak for the Admirals who are still at the top of the Central Division. | ||
| Rank: 4 Last Week: 1st Change: Down 3 Record: 14-5-2-1 |
Last Week: MIL 3 @ IA 1 MIL 1 @ GR 3 CHI 5 @ MIL 2 |
This Week: vs. SA 12/12 @ TEX 12/16 @ TEX 12/17 |
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| Phantoms sweep the Americans but lost a midweek game with the Crunch. Lehigh Valley remain in second place in an overloaded Atlantic Division for now with three division heavyweights coming in this week. | ||
| Rank: 5 Last Week: 5th Change: n/a Record: 17-7-1-0 |
Last Week: LV 2 @ SYR 4 RCH 3 @ LV 4 RCH 2 @ LV 4 |
This Week: vs. BRI 12/14 vs. HER 12/16 vs. PRO 12/17 |
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| Crunch sweep the week and are tops in the North. Syracuse remains a strong team that a lot of people underestimate. | ||
| Rank: 6 Last Week: 6th Change: n/a Record: 15-6-0-2 |
Last Week: LV 2 @ SYR 4 ALB 2 @ SYR 4 UTI 3 @ SYR 4 (SO) |
This Week: @ HFD 12/16 @ BRI 12/17 @ PRO 12/18 |
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| Bears have another good week. Those battles with the Penguins will be fun. Big battle with the Phantoms this Friday. | ||
| Rank: 7 Last Week: 7th Change: n/a Record: 15-5-4-1 |
Last Week: HER 5 @ WBS 2 HER 2 @ WBS 6 RCH 1 @ HER 6 |
This Week: @ LV 12/16 vs. HFD 12/17 vs. SPR 12/18 |
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| Tucson is back to winning or at least getting points out of games. Despite a few bad weeks, don’t sleep on this team. | ||
| Rank: 8 Last Week: 11th Change: Up 3 Record: 10-5-3-0 |
Last Week: ONT 3 @ TUC 2 (OT) ONT 4 @ TUC 5 (OT) |
This Week: @ SA 12/16 @ SA 12/17 |
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| 5 of 6 points for a Chicago team which is near the top of the Central Division. If this team starts to get on a roll, watch out! | ||
| Rank: 9 Last Week: 14th Change: Up 5 Record: 13-9-2-1 |
Last Week: CHI 5 @ GR 6 (OT) CHI 5 @ MIL 2 GR 1 @ CHI 4 |
This Week: vs. GR 12/15 vs. CLE 12/17 vs. RFD 12/18 |
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| Bridgeport must hate seeing the Penguins on the schedule. Of the 8 losses this season so far for the Sound Tigers, 4 of them have come against the Penguins. | ||
| Rank: 10 Last Week: 8th Change: Down 2 Record: 16-8-0-0 |
Last Week: BRI 4 @ BNG 3 (OT) WBS 4 @ BRI 1 |
This Week: @ LV 12/14 @ PRO 12/16 vs. SYR 12/17 |
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| Reign took points out of Tucson which doesn’t happen much for the opponent then beat a road weary Charlotte team. Reign are back in the discussion of division leaders here in mid-December. | ||
| Rank: 11 Last Week: 15th Change: Up 4 Record: 10-5-5-0 |
Last Week: ONT 3 @ TUC 2 (OT) ONT 4 @ TUC 5 (OT) CHA 2 @ ONT 5 |
This Week: @ SD 12/13 vs. STK 12/14 vs. BAK 12/16 @ SJ 12/18 |
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| San Jose shuts out the San Diego Gulls for a pair this week and leapfrog the Gulls for fifth in the Pacific. | ||
| Rank: 12 Last Week: 20th Change: Up 8 Record: 10-6-0-3 |
Last Week: STK 4 @ SJ 0 SD 0 @ SJ 3 SD 0 @ SJ 3 |
This Week: vs. BAK 12/17 vs. ONT 12/18 |
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| Griffins open the door for the Wolves to walk right up behind them to third in the division. Eight game point streak snapped Sunday, but the Griffins get another date with the Wolves this week in Rosemont then a pair with the Checkers. | ||
| Rank: 13 Last Week: 9th Change: Down 4 Record: 14-7-1-2 |
Last Week: GR 2 @ CLE 3 (OT) CHI 5 @ GR 6 (OT) MIL 1 @ GR 3 GR 1 @ CHI 4 |
This Week: @ CHI 12/15 @ CHA 12/17 @ CHA 12/18 |
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| Positive week for the Monsters who sweep the week and the Manitoba Moose. Two visits from the Wild and a trip to Rosemont on the menu this week. | ||
| Rank: 14 Last Week: 28th Change: Up 14 Record: 11-11-1-1 |
Last Week: GR 2 @ CLE 3 (OT) CLE 5 @ MTB 1 CLE 2 @ MTB 1 (SO) |
This Week: vs. IA 12/14 vs. IA 12/16 @ CHI 12/17 |
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| Texas and their potent offense are in playoff discussion as we approach mid-December. | ||
| Rank: 15 Last Week: 17th Change: Up 2 Record: 13-8-1-1 |
Last Week: RFD 4 @ TEX 8 RFD 1 @ TEX 2 (SO) |
This Week: vs. MIL 12/16 vs. MIL 12/17 |
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| San Diego goes into San Jose and is not only swept, but is also shutout entirely by the Barracuda. San Diego’s run from the past few weeks is an afterthought, the Gulls are back to sixth in the Pacific Division after this rough week. | ||
| Rank: 16 Last Week: 3rd Change: Down 13 Record: 11-8-1-0 |
Last Week: BAK 3 @ SD 4 (OT) SD 0 @ SJ 3 SD 0 @ SJ 3 |
This Week: vs. ONT 12/13 vs. STK 12/16 vs. STK 12/17 |
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| Moose swept by the Monsters. Manitoba would have been favored to win these matchups based off of the current form of Cleveland. | ||
| Rank: 17 Last Week: 10th Change: Down 7 Record: 11-9-1-2 |
Last Week: CLE 5 @ MTB 1 CLE 2 @ MTB 1 (SO) |
This Week: @ CHA 12/13 @ CHA 12/14 @ RFD 12/17 @ IA 12/18 |
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| Bakersfield is slowly making a push out of the Pacific Division. 8 points so far this month. | ||
| Rank: 18 Last Week: 19th Change: Up 1 Record: 10-8-2-0 |
Last Week: BAK 3 @ SD 4 (OT) CHA 2 @ BAK 3 (OT) STK 2 @ BAK 5 |
This Week: @ ONT 12/16 @ SJ 12/17 |
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| Wild split a pair of shutouts with the San Antonio Rampage this week and were beaten by the division leading Admirals. | ||
| Rank: 19 Last Week: 21st Change: Up 2 Record: 11-13-1-1 |
Last Week: MIL 3 @ IA 1 SA 1 @ IA 0 SA 0 @ IA 4 |
This Week: @ CLE 12/14 @ CLE 12/16 vs. MTB 12/18 |
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| Toronto continues to slip but remain second in the North. Winnable games this for the Marlies or no? | ||
| Rank: 20 Last Week: 16th Change: Down 4 Record: 12-10-1-1 |
Last Week: TOR 2 @ UTI 3 TOR 3 @ PRO 5 TOR 5 @ HFD 3 |
This Week: @ RCH 12/14 vs. ALB 12/17 vs. ALB 12/18 |
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| Split a pair with the Thunderbirds at home this week. Back to the road for St. John’s. | ||
| Rank: 21 Last Week: 18th Change: Down 3 Record: 13-12-1-0 |
Last Week: SPR 5 @ STJ 6 SPR 2 @ STJ 1 |
This Week: @ BNG 12/14 @ UTI 12/16 @ RCH 12/17 |
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| Beat Hartford in Connecticut then went to St. John’s and split a pair with the IceCaps. The Thunderbirds are, for the most part, keeping touch with the Providence Bruins, who are on a tear of recent. | ||
| Rank: 22 Last Week: 25th Change: Up 3 Record: 10-9-3-2 |
Last Week: SPR 4 @ HFD 2 SPR 5 @ STJ 6 SPR 2 @ STJ 1 |
This Week: vs. BNG 12/16 @ WBS 12/17 @ HER 12/18 |
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| Split shutouts with Iowa and got an overtime win out of Rockford. Positive week for San Antonio, but the Rampage are still last in the Pacific. | ||
| Rank: 23 Last Week: 27th Change: Up 4 Record: 11-12-1-0 |
Last Week: SA 3 @ RFD 2 (OT) SA 1 @ IA 0 SA 0 @ IA 4 |
This Week: @ MIL 12/12 vs. TUC 12/16 vs. TUC 12/17 |
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| Three losses in a row and just two points in December for the Devils who have slipped to third in the North Division. | ||
| Rank: 24 Last Week: 13th Change: Down 11 Record: 13-11-0-1 |
Last Week: BNG 3 @ ALB 2 ALB 2 @ SYR 4 PRO 3 @ ALB 1 |
This Week: @ UTI 12/14 @ TOR 12/17 @ TOR 12/18 |
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| B-Sens punch back this week with 5 out of 6 points. This team isn’t the pushover people thought they were. | ||
| Rank: 25 Last Week: 30th Change: Up 5 Record: 7-14-2-1 |
Last Week: BNG 3 @ ALB 2 UTI 3 @ BNG 4 BRI 4 @ BNG 3 (OT) |
This Week: vs. STJ 12/14 @ SPR 12/16 vs. UTI 12/17 |
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| Wolf Pack back down this week after just getting a point out of the week. | ||
| Rank: 26 Last Week: 23rd Change: Down 3 Record: 7-13-3-1 |
Last Week: SPR 4 @ HFD 2 TOR 5 @ HFD 3 HFD 1 @ PRO 2 (SO) |
This Week: vs. WBS 12/14 vs. SYR 12/16 @ HER 12/17 |
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| 2 out of 6 points for a Rockford side which needs all the points they can get. Visits from some division heavyweights this week. | ||
| Rank: 27 Last Week: 29th Change: Up 2 Record: 7-13-2-3 |
Last Week: SA 3 @ RFD 2 (OT) RFD 4 @ TEX 8 RFD 1 @ TEX 2 (SO) |
This Week: vs. MTB 12/17 @ CHI 12/18 |
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| One point out of the week for a mediocre Utica team surrounded by a bunch of bad teams. | ||
| Rank: 28 Last Week: 22nd Change: Down 6 Record: 10-12-1-1 |
Last Week: TOR 2 @ UTI 3 UTI 3 @ BNG 4 UTI 3 @ SYR 4 (SO) |
This Week: vs. ALB 12/14 vs. STJ 12/16 @ BNG 12/17 |
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| California was not kind at all to Charlotte, who come home from their West Coast trip with just one point. Home cooking this week with visits from the Moose and Griffins. | ||
| Rank: 29 Last Week: 26th Change: Down 3 Record: 9-13-2-0 |
Last Week: CHA 1 @ STK 3 CHA 2 @ BAK 3 (OT) CHA 2 @ ONT 5 |
This Week: vs. MTB 12/13 vs. MTB 12/14 vs. GR 12/17 vs. GR 12/18 |
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| Rough Pennsylvania trip for Rochester. Swept entirely out of the Keystone State by the Phantoms and Bears. | ||
| Rank: 30 Last Week: 24th Change: Down 6 Record: 9-15-0-1 |
Last Week: RCH 3 @ LV 4 RCH 2 @ LV 4 RCH 1 @ HER 6 |
This Week: vs. TOR 12/14 @ WBS 12/16 vs. STJ 12/17 |
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A note. Next week will be the last AHL Power Rankings for the next two weeks as there are only 15 games that week because some teams won’t be playing until after Christmas. So, I am going to combine weeks after Christmas for the New Year. I’ll remind you all again next week, but wanted to note it here.
Chirp this:
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