There are more than a few really important games this weekend for teams in and out of the playoff picture as we hit the stretch driver here in the beginning of March.

Bakersfield, winners of seventeen straight, host second place San Jose for a home and home.

Rochester and Syracuse, seemingly joined at the hip since the beginning of the season, face off in a home and home.

Colorado hosts fourth place Tucson. The Roadrunners and Eagles each have 56 points.

Wilkes-Barre, a team that has made the postseason for sixteen straight years, is in Providence this Friday.

As for this weeks top five, not much has changed but for Bridgeport moving up to the five spot. After the Sound Tigers, jump past if you didn’t link in direct to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

1	Last Week: BAK 2 @ TUC 0, BAK 3 @ TUC 1
	17 in a row for Bakersfield who are approaching rarefied air. It’s really a point now of how high the streak can go. Does it survive this weekend?
n/a	This Week: vs. IA 3/1, vs. SJ 3/2, @ SJ 3/6
Record: 33-15-2-1

2	Last Week: HER 4 @ WBS 2, RFD 2 @ HER 3 (SO), HER 1 @ BRI 5, HER 4 @ HFD 1
	Point streak ended in Bridgeport Sunday and the Bears were in one late Wednesday in Hartford before rattling off four goals to beat the Wolf Pack. More tough games ahead this week.
n/a	This Week: @ UTI 3/1, vs. BRI 3/2
Record: 32-21-0-3

3	Last Week: BEL 5 @ BNG 3, BEL 5 @ RCH 3
	This team keeps rolling. Fifteen game point streak. But, are they peaking at the wrong time?
+2	This Week: vs. MTB 3/1, vs. MTB 3/2
Record: 29-23-2-4

4	Last Week: TEX 3 @ GR 4 (SO), GR 2 @ CHI 3
	Not a bad week. There are a lot of teams fighting to get in and stay in the Central race. The Griffins are soundly in, for now.
n/a	This Week: @ RFD 3/1, vs. TEX 3/6
Record: 31-17-4-4

5	Last Week: BRI 5 @ PRO 4 (OT), SPR 3 @ BRI 4 (SO), HER 1 @ BRI 5
	That game against Hershey Sunday was a huge test that the Sound Tigers passed, remaining six points clear of the Bears for second. You can probably start buying the ink for the playoff tickets.
+1	This Week: @ HER 3/2, @ LV 3/3
Record: 33-18-5-2

6	Last Week: LV 1 @ CHA 2, LV 2 @ CHA 5
	I think it’s safe to say that Charlotte and whatever ailed them a few weeks ago they are over. You also should take them as a serious contender.
+3	This Week: vs. BNG 3/1, vs. BNG 3/2
Record: 36-14-6-1

7	Last Week: RCH 4 @ UTI 3 (OT), BEL 5 @ RCH 3, RCH 3 @ UTI 1
	You think this weekends home and home with Syracuse is a big series?
-4	This Week: @ SYR 3/2, vs. SYR 3/3
Record: 34-17-3-2

8	Last Week: TOR 0 @ SYR 1 (OT), TOR 3 @ SYR 2 (OT), SYR 4 @ BNG 0
	Has it been a situation of Syracuse being criminally underrated or are they really this good? It’s a mixture of both, which is bad for their opponents.
-1	This Week: vs. LV 3/1, vs. RCH 3/2, @ RCH 3/3, @ UTI 3/6
Record: 33-16-3-2

9	Last Week: SJ 3 @ IA 4, SJ 3 @ IA 2 (SO), SJ 1 @ STK 4, IA 3 @ SJ 5
	Pick up four of six from the mini series with Iowa and lay an egg against a Stockton team who only had to play once after the Barracuda traveled from Des Moines. Bakersfield and their 17 game winning streak on the menu this week.
+3	This Week: @ ONT 3/1, @ BAK 3/2, vs. BAK 3/6
Record: 30-14-2-4

10	Last Week: SA 4 @ SD 5
	Good win in their only game to keep pace with Bakersfield and San Jose. Busy week with Stockton coming up.
+3	This Week: @ STK 3/1, @ STK 3/2, vs. STK 3/6
Record: 29-16-3-3

11	Last Week: TEX 1 @ CHI 3, GR 2 @ CHI 3, TEX 2 @ CHI 4, RFD 0 @ CHI 1
	Don’t look now but the Wolves have won five straight and are right at the top of the Central.
+8	This Week: @ TEX 3/1, @ TEX 3/2, @ SA 3/5
Record: 32-17-5-1

12	Last Week: TOR 0 @ SYR 1 (OT), TOR 3 @ SYR 2 (OT), MTB 3 @ TOR 2
	Marlies setback to Manitoba Wednesday widens the gap to the Crunch and Amerks in the North Division. Winnable games this week to make up ground.
+2	This Week: vs. CLE 3/2, @ LAV 3/6
Record: 29-19-6-3

13	Last Week: SJ 3 @ IA 4, SJ 3 @ IA 2 (SO), IA 3 @ SJ 5
	Can solidify themselves as a playoff team with 4 of 6 points this weekend in California.
-2	This Week: @ BAK 3/1, @ ONT 3/2, @ ONT 3/3
Record: 28-17-6-5

14	Last Week: SPR 2 @ HFD 3, PRO 3 @ HFD 2 (OT), HFD 4 @ PRO 1, HER 4 @ HFD 1
	Have showed promise in these past few weeks, getting points here and there.
+6	This Week: @ SPR 3/1, vs. WBS 3/2
Record: 23-26-6-3

15	Last Week: HER 4 @ WBS 2, RFD 1 @ WBS 4
	Big time games coming up this week for the Penguins which kicks off a very busy, 14 game month of March.
+3	This Week: @ PRO 3/1, @ HFD 3/2, vs. LV 3/6
Record: 26-22-5-2

16	Last Week: LV 1 @ CHA 2, LV 2 @ CHA 5
	Phantoms are slipping, and the inconsistency which has irked them all season is coming to light. Very busy week ahead.
+1	This Week: @ SYR 3/1, vs. UTI 3/2, vs. BRI 3/3, @ WBS 3/6
Record: 27-22-3-3

17	Last Week: BRI 5 @ PRO 4 (OT), PRO 3 @ HFD 2 (OT), HFD 4 @ PRO 1
	Bruins are slipping and an important game looms this Friday with Wilkes-Barre. Providence right now is the most vulnerable team in the upper four of the Atlantic.
-7	This Week: vs. WBS 3/1, @ SPR 3/2, vs. SPR 3/3
Record: 28-20-7-1

18	Last Week: RFD 2 @ HER 3 (SO), RFD 1 @ WBS 4, RFD 0 @ CHI 1
	IceHogs went winless this past week and opened the door for seeds five on back in the Central Division race. One this week with Grand Rapids.
-10	This Week: vs. GR 3/1
Record: 26-23-3-6

19	Last Week: MTB 0 @ LAV 3, MTB 1 @ LAV 3
	Nice little sweep of Manitoba this weekend, but the Rocket have their work cut out for them long term.
+4	This Week: @ CLE 2/28, @ CLE 3/1, vs. TOR 3/6
Record: 23-24-5-4

20	Last Week: COL 0 @ ONT 2, SA 3 @ COL 5, SA 0 @ COL 6
	Two at home this week against Tucson in what is sure to be an important series.
+4	This Week: vs. TUC 3/2, vs. TUC 3/3
Record: 26-22-3-1

21	Last Week: RCH 4 @ UTI 3 (OT), UTI 1 @ BNG 4, RCH 3 @ UTI 1
	A game in hand wasted Wednesday at home against Rochester. Comets are fending off a surging Belleville team. Have tough opponents coming up this week.
-6	This Week: vs. HER 3/1, @ LV 3/2, vs. SYR 3/6
Record: 29-21-5-2

22	Last Week: TEX 1 @ CHI 3, TEX 3 @ GR 4 (SO), TEX 2 @ CHI 4, MIL 2 @ TEX 4
	Rockford tumbled this week, but so did Texas. Nothing figured out yet at the cut line in the Central yet.
-6	This Week: vs. CHI 3/1, vs. CHI 3/2, @ MIL 3/5, @ GR 3/6
Record: 27-23-3-3

23	Last Week: MIL 2 @ CLE 3 (OT), MIL 5 @ CLE 6 (OT), MIL 2 @ TEX 4
	How many overtime games are the Admirals going to lose? Those points lost are going to cost Milwaukee in the long run.
-1	This Week: @ SA 3/1, @ SA 3/3, vs. TEX 3/5
Record: 23-22-11-1

24	Last Week: BAK 2 @ TUC 0, BAK 3 @ TUC 1
	We don’t think Tucson is in danger of dropping below the playoff cut line but we also didn’t think we would be having this conversation at all at any point of the season.
-3	This Week: @ COL 3/2, @ COL 3/3
Record: 25-19-4-2

25	Last Week: MIL 2 @ CLE 3 (OT), MIL 5 @ CLE 6 (OT)
	Monsters scant playoff chances remain alive for another week after two good OT wins over Milwaukee.
+6	This Week: vs. LAV 2/28, vs. LAV 3/1, @ TOR 3/2
Record: 26-23-6-1

26	Last Week: SJ 1 @ STK 4
	Pick up all six points this week against San Diego and Stockton is at 55 points and who knows, maybe the Heat can escape purgatory.
n/a	This Week: vs. SD 3/1, vs. SD 3/2, @ SD 3/6
Record: 22-25-4-1

27	Last Week: SA 4 @ ONT 2, COL 0 @ ONT 2
	Split the week. Reign playing for pride at this point. Would take a Herculean effort to get out of and through the Pacific Division.
+1	This Week: vs. SJ 3/1, vs. IA 3/2, vs. IA 3/3
Record: 17-25-5-2

28	Last Week: SA 4 @ ONT 2, SA 4 @ SD 5, SA 3 @ COL 5, SA 0 @ COL 6
	2-5-3-0 in your last ten in a tight race in an ultra competitive division has the Rampage yearning for home, where they will be for the first time in a month this weekend for a pair of games against Milwaukee.
-1	This Week: vs. MIL 3/1, vs. MIL 3/3, vs. CHI 3/5
Record: 25-26-5-0

29	Last Week: MTB 0 @ LAV 3, MTB 1 @ LAV 3, MTB 3 @ TOR 2
	Swept by a non-playoff team over the weekend, beat a playoff team on Wednesday. Hockey is a funny sport.
-4	This Week: @ BEL 3/1, @ BEL 3/2
Record: 26-25-3-2

30	Last Week: SPR 2 @ HFD 3, SPR 3 @ BRI 4 (SO)
	One point out of the week, and you can all but stick a fork in the Thunderbirds we think.
n/a	This Week: vs. HFD 3/1, vs. PRO 3/2, @ PRO 3/3
Record: 22-23-6-5

31	Last Week: BEL 5 @ BNG 3, UTI 1 @ BNG 4, SYR 4 @ BNG 0
	These past few weeks have been bad for the Devils playoff chances and this weekend in Charlotte should pretty much close the door.
-2	This Week: @ CHA 3/1, @ CHA 3/2
Record: 24-29-5-0

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Have a great week, everyone!