Usually the first team to punch a playoff ticket in the American Hockey League’s regular season has had a pretty decent run up to the honor and has been a staple in the tip five of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

This year is no different, as the Toronto Marlies are the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs and are the number one team in the Week 23 version of this weeks Power Rankings.

They are followed closely by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, who should be the next team to clinch.

The Tucson Roadrunners remain a staple at third in this weeks Rankings and should join the Phantoms and Marlies within the next few weeks.

Chicago has closed in on Manitoba within five points for the Central Division lead and are now within striking distance to a Moose team that was miles ahead of the competition a few months ago.

Wilkes-Barre / Scranton sweep the weekend to push into the top five.

Past the Penguins, pop past the jump to see the rest of the order if you didn’t link in here direct.

1	Last Week: PRO 3 @ TOR 4
	First team to punch a ticket to the postseason. Back to the top of the AHL Power Rankings.
+1	This Week: vs. LAV 3/12, vs. LAV 3/14, @ BEL 3/16, vs. UTI 3/18
Record: 41-16-1-1

2	Last Week: BRI 3 @ LV 2, LV 4 @ BRI 1, BNG 3 @ LV 5
	First Atlantic Division team to 40 wins. Separating themselves as the front runner to win the Atlantic.
-1	This Week: @ HFD 3/16, vs. PRO 3/17, vs. SPR 3/18
Record: 40-16-3-4

3	Last Week: TEX 1 @ TUC 2 (OT), TEX 4 @ TUC 3
	No real threat from behind now for Tucson who have some breathing room for tops in the Pacific.
n/a	This Week: @ BAK 3/14, @ STK 3/16, @ STK 3/17
Record: 31-18-4-1

4	Last Week: CHI 5 @ SA 2, CHI 4 @ MIL 3, MTB 2 @ CHI 1, RFD 2 @ CHI 1 (OT)
	Wolves slowly closing on Manitoba. Games in hand will not be an issue in this battle.
n/a	This Week: vs. RFD 3/17, vs. IA 3/18
Record: 33-19-7-2

5	Last Week: WBS 3 @ BNG 2 (OT), GR 1 @ WBS 2
	Gritted out two nice wins this weekend. Still pursuing Lehigh Valley for tops in the Atlantic.
+1	This Week: @ CHA 3/13, @ CHA 3/14, vs. HFD 3/17, vs. HER 3/18
Record: 35-17-4-2

6	Last Week: PRO 6 @ LAV 3, PRO 2 @ RCH 1 (OT), PRO 3 @ TOR 4
	P-Bruins hung with the Marlies Saturday and but for a late third period power play goal, may have had a different result.
+1	This Week: vs. RcH 3/16, @ LV 3/17, vs. BRI 3/18
Record: 36-20-3-2

7	Last Week: IA 2 @ TEX 4, TEX 1 @ TUC 2 (OT), TEX 4 @ TUC 3
	3 of 4 points in Tucson this weekend. Big points to pick up for the Stars this weekend as they still have work to do before they start feeling comfortable.
-3	This Week: vs. MTB 3/14, vs. CLE 3/16, vs. MTB 3/17
Record: 32-21-6-3

8	Last Week: HFD 3 @ CHA 4, HFD 3 @ CHA 7
	Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic became the 13th goalie in the AHL to score a goal Saturday against Hartford. In the bigger picture, the Checkers are separating themselves from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the fourth and final spot in the Atlantic.
n/a	This Week: vs. WBS 3/13, vs. WBS 3/14, vs. BNG 3/17, vs. BNG 3/18
Record: 35-24-0-3

9	Last Week: HER 2 @ SYR 1, RCH 2 @ SYR 4, SYR 4 @ RCH 5 (SO)
	Bad week for the Crunch. Still barely ahead of the Americans for the second spot in the North behind the Marlies.
-4	This Week: @ BNG 3/14, @ SPR 3/16, vs. LAV 3/17
Record: 36-19-3-4

10	Last Week: BRI 3 @ LV 2, LV 4 @ BRI 1, SPR 4 @ BRI 5
	Fell in a 4-0 hole Sunday at home then scored five straight to stun the Springfield Thunderbirds and maybe save their season. Still lots of work to do.
+2	This Week: @ HER 3/16, vs. RCH 3/17, @ PRO 3/18
Record: 30-23-5-3

11	Last Week: GR 1 @ WBS 2, GR 3 @ HER 0
	Scrapped with the Penguins Saturday then shutout the Bears Sunday in Hershey. Three this week back at home for the Griffins.
+3	This Week: vs. IA 3/14, vs. RFD 3/16, vs. IA 3/17
Record: 32-22-1-6

12	Last Week: IA 2 @ TEX 4, IA 3 @ SA 4 (SO), MTB 3 @ IA 4
	Wild still in the mix after taking 3 of 6 points out of the weekend. Big matchups this week should tell us what type of Iowa club we have here.
+1	This Week: @ RFD 3/13, @ GR 3/14, @ GR 3/17, @ CHI 3/18
Record: 28-18-8-5

13	Last Week: ONT 3 @ STK 1, STK 3 @ BAK 1, CLE 2 @ STK 6
	Heat close out the weekend strong to edge ahead of Ontario as the four seed in the Pacific. Three at home this week.
-2	This Week: vs. MIL 3/14, vs. TUC 3/16, vs. TUC 3/17
Record: 29-20-2-3

14	Last Week: RFD 1 @ MIL 2 (SO), RFD 2 @ CHI 1 (OT)
	Three of four points for the IceHogs this week. Still in the mix of a playoff spot in the Central.
+3	This Week: vs. IA 3/13, @ GR 3/16, @ CHI 3/17
Record: 30-24-3-4

15	Last Week: PRO 2 @ RCH 1 (OT), RCH 2 @ SYR 4, SYR 4 @ RCH 5 (SO)
	Road trip into the Atlantic Division coming up for the Amerks who are still fighting with the Crunch and Comets for the order of how they will finish in the North.
+1	This Week: @ BRI 3/15, @ PRO 3/16, @ HFD 3/18
Record: 30-16-10-6

16	Last Week: ONT 3 @ STK 1, SD 0 @ ONT 3, SA 4 @ ONT 0
	Clearly underestimated the San Antonio Rampage on a Sunday afternoon at home and it cost them. These points you just can’t give away this time of year.
-7	This Week: vs. CLE 3/14, vs. MIL 3/17, vs. SJ 3/18
Record: 29-20-4-2

17	Last Week: MTB 2 @ MIL 3 (SO), CHI 4 @ MIL 3, RFD 1 @ MIL 2 (SO)
	Admirals reamin in the thick of things. Heading to California in what could be make or break.
+1	This Week: @ STK 3/14, @ SD 3/16, @ ONT 3/17
Record: 31-25-4-1

18	Last Week: WBS 3 @ BNG 2 (OT), HER 0 @ BNG 3, BNG 3 @ LV 5
	Devils have been punching above their weight recently. Won’t amount to much this season with how far out they are, but it’s never too early to start building towards next year.
+3	This Week: vs. SYR 3/14, @ CHA 3/17, @ CHA 3/18
Record: 20-31-7-3

19	Last Week: CLE 2 @ SD 1 (OT), SD 0 @ ONT 3, SD 2 @ BAK 3 (OT)
	Loser points this week is all the Gulls could manufacture this week. Remember this weekend if San Diego needs the final weekend to push into the playoffs.
-4	This Week: vs. SA 3/13, vs. MIL 3/16, vs. BAK 3/17
Record: 30-20-3-1

20	Last Week: SPR 2 @ UTI 3 (OT), UTI 0 @ SPR 4, SPR 4 @ BRI 5
	Yikes. Bridgeport puts up five straight on the Thunderbirds after going up 4-0 on the Sound Tigers Sunday.
-1	This Week: vs. SYR 3/16, @ HER 3/17, @ LV 3/18
Record: 28-29-4-1

21	Last Week: MTB 2 @ MIL 3 (SO), MTB 2 @ CHI 1, MTB 3 @ IA 4
	Moose giving away points. Should be locks for a playoff spot, but in this division we don’t know anymore.
-1	This Week: @ TEX 3/14, @ SA 3/16, @ TEX 3/17
Record: 36-17-4-4

22	Last Week: CLE 2 @ SJ 6, CLE 0 @ SJ 4
	Swept the Monsters. Have a feeling that the Barracuda still have their heads barely above water as we push into the final month of the season.
+5	This Week: @ BAK 3/16, @ ONT 3/18
Record: 26-22-3-3

23	Last Week: CHI 5 @ SA 2, IA 3 @ SA 4 (SO), SA 4 @ ONT 0
	Rampage have work to do, but this weekend is a step in the right direction, shutout a strong Reign team Sunday.
+5	This Week: @ SD 3/13, vs. MTB 3/16, vs. CLE 3/18
Record: 29-24-9-0

24	Last Week: PRO 6 @ LAV 3, BEL 3 @ LAV 4 (OT), BEL 5 @ LAV 3
	Best Laval can do at this point is look to play spoiler against playoff contending teams at this point.
+1	This Week: @ TOR 3/12, @ TOR 3/14, @ UTI 3/16, @ SYR 3/17
Record: 23-30-6-2

25	Last Week: SPR 2 @ UTI 3 (OT), UTI 0 @ SPR 4
	Utica is most likely making playoffs, but an early exit is predicted here if they don’t start figuring out what it is that is killing them of late.
-2	This Week: vs. LAV 3/16, @ BEL 3/17, @ TOR 3/18
Record: 30-21-6-4

26	Last Week: STK 3 @ BAK 1, SD 2 @ BAK 3 (OT)
	Condors still toiling around in last place in the Pacific. If the book isn’t closed yet on Bakersfield’s playoff chances, it has started and is halfway there.
+3	This Week: vs. TUC 3/14, vs. SJ 3/16, @ SD 3/17
Record: 23-22-8-1

27	Last Week: BEL 3 @ LAV 4 (OT), BEL 5 @ LAV 3
	Split with Laval. Two teams not in playoff discussion.
+3	This Week: vs. TOR 3/16, vs. UTI 3/17
Record: 23-35-2-3

28	Last Week: HER 2 @ SYR 1, HER 0 @ BNG 3, GR 3 @ HER 0
	Shutout on back to back nights. If that didn’t put the nail in the coffin for the Bears chances at playoffs, we don’t know what will.
-6	This Week: vs. BRI 3/16, vs. SPR 3/17, @ WBS 3/18
Record: 25-29-4-5

29	Last Week: HFD 3 @ CHA 4, HFD 3 @ CHA 7
	Wolf Pack’s playoff chances have taken a serious dent these past few weeks. 2-7-1-0 in their last ten.
-5	This Week: vs. LV 3/16, @ WBS 3/17, vs. RCH 3/18
Record: 26-29-5-3

30	Last Week: CLE 2 @ SD 1 (OT), CLE 2 @ SJ 6, CLE 0 @ SJ 4, CLE 2 @ STK 6
	Monsters are having a hard time even playing spoiler to some potential playoff teams. West Coast trip continues this week.
-4	This Week: @ ONT 3/14, @ TEX 3/16, @ SA 3/18
Record: 20-32-4-3

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Have a great week, everyone!