We are past the holidays and things are starting to get serious for teams as they begin the slow build towards the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs as we are now at Week 14 here in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

Wouldn’t you know it, there is a new team at the top of the Rankings this week and they are the Rochester Americans. The Americans have been consistently the best team in the AHL for a while now. I remember the old NASCAR points scoring that awarded consistency. You didn’t have to win every week, but as long as you finished in the to five or top ten in each race, you would have a serious shot at a Championship. That is the Rochester Americans right now. They aren’t the best team in the AHL (that’s the Manitoba Moose) or even the best team in their division (that’s the Toronto Marlies) but Rochester has been nothing but consistent, and that is why they are the number one team this week looking to stay there a good while.

Manitoba didn’t drop far, they only fell to second after a hard charging Chicao Wolves team got them in overtime.

The aforementioned Wolves team is third and looking to chase down Manitoba for the top spot in the Central. Something which was unthinkable a few weeks ago.

Toronto leads the North and are in fourth followed by Tucson who lead the Pacific in fifth.

Pop past the Roadrunners to see 6 on back if you didn’t link in direct.

1	Last Week: BRI 2 @ RCH 3 (OT), LV 1 @ RCH 3
	Amerks have earned the top spot in this weeks Rankings. Battled with the Sound Tigers Friday and then took down the Phantoms Saturday.
+2	This Week: @ BEL 1/10, vs. BNG 1/12, @ SYR 1/13
Record: 22-8-3-3

2	Last Week: MTB 3 @ CHI 4 (OT), MTB 4 @ IA 3
	Clipped this week by Chicago in OT but are still racking up points and remain a dangerous team. Home stand continues this week with stops in by the Griffins and Wild.
-1	This Week: vs. GR 1/8, vs. GR 1/10, vs. IA 1/13, vs. IA 1/14
Record: 25-6-2-2

3	Last Week: CHI 2 @ IA 1, CLE 3 @ CHI 5, MTB 3 @ CHI 4 (OT), GR 0 @ CHI 2
	14 game point streak for the surging Wolves, also ending Grand Rapids 7 game points streak in the process. Wolves are all of a sudden up to second in the Central.
+6	This Week: @ SD 1/10, @ BAK 1/12, @ ONT 1/13
Record: 18-12-5-2

4	Last Week: TOR 5 @ LAV 2, LV 2 @ TOR 3 (SO), BRI 1 @ TOR 6
	Patrick Williams said it best this week, “It would appear that little slump the Marlies had is over. They lead the Eastern Conference, and [the 6-1 win over Bridgeport Saturday] makes four wins in a row.”
+3	This Week: @ CHA 1/12, @ CHA 1/13
Record: 26-11-0-0

5	Last Week: ONT 3 @ TUC 4, ONT 6 @ TUC 3
	Split with Ontario. Head to California as the division leaders against some stiff competition.
+1	This Week: @ STK 1/0, @ ONT 1/12, @ SD 1/13
Record: 17-10-2-1

6	Last Week: HFD 3 @ PRO 2, PRO 6 @ SPR 2, SYR 4 @ PRO 3
	Two losses this week, and the gap that the Bruins enjoyed at the top of the Atlantic have been slimmed down to .009 percentage points thanks to the run that Wilkes-Barre is on all of a sudden.
-4	This Week: vs. BRI 1/12, @ BRI 1/13, vs. SPR 1/14
Record: 22-10-3-0

7	Last Week: SYR 3 @ HFD 2, SYR 4 @ PRO 3
	Six point lead on third place. Are the Crunch poised to make a charge at Rochester and Toronto? We find out fast, they meet Rochester this week.
+3	This Week: @ BNG 1/10, @ UTI 1/12, vs. RCH 1/13
Record: 20-12-1-2

8	Last Week: BAK 4 @ SA 0, SA 2 @ STK 1 (SO), SA 3 @ STK 4
	Rampage remain solidly in the top four of the Pacific Division. Getting a visit from another solid top-four team from another division in Milwaukee this week.
n/a	This Week: @ SJ 1/19, vs. MIL 1/12, vs. MIL 1/14
Record: 20-14-2-0

9	Last Week: BRI 2 @ WBS 3 (OT), SPR 2 @ WBS 4, BEL 0 @ WBS 6
	Five wins in a row for the Penguins now, who seem to have figured out what was costing them points a few weeks ago. Now up to second in the Atlantic.
+10	This Week: @ BEL 1/12, @ LAV 1/13
Record: 21-10-2-1

10	Last Week: GR 4 @ MIL 2, RFD 3 @ GR 5, GR 0 @ CHI 2
	Seven game point streak ends Saturday against Chicago, but this run puts the Griffins back to .500 on the season.
+5	This Week: @ MTB 1/8, @ MTB 1/10, vs. CLE 1/12, vs. CLE 1/13
Record: 16-16-1-4

11	Last Week: SD 4 @ TEX 3, SJ 0 @ SD 5, SJ 2 @ SD 3
	Gulls are 8-2 in their last ten and won all three games this week. That has them to fourth in the Pacific at this time. Tough teams dropping in this week.
+9	This Week: vs. CHI 1/10, vs. TUC 1/13
Record: 18-13-1-0

12	Last Week: GR 4 @ MIL 2, IA 3 @ MIL 4 (SO), MIL 5 @ RFD 4 (SO)
	Milwaukee is third in the Central, trying to keep up with a hard charging Wolves team in second and a pesky Rockford team in fourth. Don’t sleep on Iowa or Grand Rapids either.
+2	This Week: vs. CLE 1/10, @ SA 1/12, @ SA 1/14
Record: 18-13-4-0

13	Last Week: LV 2 @ TOR 3 (SO), LV 1 @ RCH 3
	One point out of the week and dip to third in the Atlantic. A pair this week with Hershey after the Thunderbirds drop by.
-9	This Week: vs. SPR 1/12, vs. HER 1/13, @ HER 1/14
Record: 21-11-2-3

14	Last Week: CLE 4 @ RFD 1, RFD 3 @ GR 5, CLE 3 @ RFD 4 (SO), MIL 5 @ RFD 4 (SO)
	Tough week for Rockford who are going to battle slides like this all season. Are they division championship material? No. But are they possible playoff material? Absolutely.
-2	This Week: @ ONT 1/10, @ SJ 1/12, @ BAK 1/13
Record: 19-15-1-2

15	Last Week: SA 2 @ STK 1 (SO), SA 3 @ STK 4
	Heat take three of four away from their series with the Rampage last week and are back to second in the division.
+2	This Week: vs. TUC 1/10, vs. TEX 1/12, vs. TEX 1/13
Record: 17-10-2-3

16	Last Week: CHA 1 @ HER 5, CHA 0 @ HER 3
	Swept in Hershey. Now host a Toronto team on a tear this week. Things need to turn around quick.
-11	This Week: vs. TOR 1/12, vs. TOR 1/13
Record: 21-14-0-1

17	Last Week: CHI 2 @ IA 1, IA 3 @ MIL 4 (SO), MTB 4 @ IA 3, CLE 1 @ IA 4
	Wild close out a busy week with a big win Sunday over a hapless Monsters team. Scrapped with the Moose on Saturday, proving they can hang with the Central’s elite.
-4	This Week: @ MTB 1/13, @ MTB 1/14
Record: 16-12-6-3

18	Last Week: CHA 1 @ HER 5, CHA 0 @ HER 3
	Are the Bears back? A game over .500 after hovering around there all season long. A pair with Lehigh Valley this week is a stiff test facing Hershey.
+6	This Week: vs. SPR 1/10, @ LV 1/13, vs. LV 1/14
Record: 17-16-1-3

19	Last Week: LAV 2 @ UTI 5, UTI 5 @ HFD 1
	Comets are a modest 5-2-1-2 in their last ten. Just laying in the weeds for a bit. Get a crack at third place Syracuse this week.
+4	This Week: @ LAV 1/10, vs. SYR 1/12, @ BNG 1/13
Record: 15-13-4-3

20	Last Week: HFD 3 @ PRO 2, SYR 3 @ HFD 2, UTI 5 @ HFD 1
	Hartford is trending downwards again, and there is a surge that smells like chocolate that have already passed the Wolf Pack. Three on the road this week.
+1	This Week: @ BRI 1/10, @ LAV 1/12, @ BEL 1/13
Record: 14-17-3-3

21	Last Week: SD 4 @ TEX 3, BAK 2 @ TEX 3 (OT), BAK 4 @ TEX 2
	Coughed up a lead Saturday in what they are calling the worst loss of the season for the Stars, who sit fifth in the Pacific. Does that bad loss to Bakersfield make or break Texas? Turnaround time will be fast, Stars visit the Condors this Wednesday.
-5	This Week: @ BAK 1/10, @ STK 1/12, @ STK 1/13
Record: 19-14-3-1

22	Last Week: ONT 3 @ TUC 4, ONT 6 @ TUC 3
	Split a pair in Tucson. Middling around the .500 mark and have been for some time.
+4	This Week: vs. RFD 1/10, vs. TUC 1/12, vs. CHI 1/13
Record: 16-14-1-1

23	Last Week: TOR 5 @ LAV 2, LAV 2 @ UTI 5, LAV 3 @ BNG 1
	Another crack at the Comets at home this week before the Wolf Pack and Penguins come calling. Lost to Toronto and beat Binghamton in other action last week.
-5	This Week: vs. UTI 1/10, vs. HFD 1/12, vs. WBS 1/13
Record: 15-16-5-2

24	Last Week: BRI 2 @ WBS 3 (OT), BRI 2 @ RCH 3 (OT), BRI 1 @ TOR 6
	0-1-2 this week. The valley between 4th place and where the Sound Tigers are in 5th its getting wider.
-13	This Week: vs. HFD 1/10, @ PRO 1/12, vs. PRO 1/13
Record: 16-13-4-1

25	Last Week: BAK 4 @ SA 0, BAK 2 @ TEX 3 (OT), BAK 4 @ TEX 2
	Still last in the Pacific but on a five game point streak. Still shouting distance of the top four, have to see this point run continue.
+3	This Week: vs. TEX 1/10, vs. CHI 1/12, vs. RFD 1/13
Record: 14-13-6-0

26	Last Week: SJ 0 @ SD 5, SJ 2 @ SD 3
	Swept by the Gulls this week, including a shutout. Return home for a date with the Rampage and IceHogs.
-4	This Week: vs. SA 1/9, vs. RFD 1/12
Record: 15-14-0-2

27	Last Week: SPR 2 @ WBS 4, PRO 6 @ SPR 2
	Dropped both games this week to the top two teams in the division. Tough road trip this week.
-2	This Week: @ HER 1/10, @ LV 1/12, @ PRO 1/14
Record: 14-21-1-1

28	Last Week: BNG 2 @ BEL 3 (SO), BEL 1 @ BNG 6, LAV 3 @ BNG 1
	Small victory in smashing Belleville at home Saturday is a bright spot on an overall terrible season for the Devils.
+1	This Week: vs. SYR 1/10, @ RCH 1/12, vs. UTI 1/13
Record: 11-18-4-2

29	Last Week: BNG 2 @ BEL 3 (SO), BEL 1 @ BNG 6, BEL 0 @ WBS 6
	Outclassed in their last two games. We get that it’s a young, inexperienced team, but come on, hit back.
-2	This Week: vs. RCH 1/10, vs. WBS 1/12, vs. HFD 1/13
Record: 14-20-0-3

30	Last Week: CLE 4 @ RFD 1, CLE 3 @ CHI 5, CLE 3 @ RFD 4 (SO), CLE 1 @ IA 4
	Busy week for the Monsters who beat the IceHogs, then only took one point out of the other three games they played. Road trip continues this week.
n/a	This Week: @ MIL 1/10, @ GR 1/12, @ GR 1/13
Record: 10-17-3-3

—

Have a great week, everyone!