Chirps from Center Ice

You can only ignore an undefeated team for so long. So with the month of November here, we put the teams who either haven’t lost at all yet or haven’t lost in regulation yet at the top of this weeks version of the AHL Power Rankings.

The Utica Comets haven’t lost. At all. Not in overtime, not in a shootout. They haven’t lost. Sure, they have only played a league low four games, but they haven’t lost yet and this is my blog so they get number one.

I think the top five is pretty stout. You may not see much movement off of these five for a while, maybe. I guess we will see next week?

Anyway, here’s all 31 teams.

Rank	Team	Blurb	Last Week
1		Devils get top billing this week. They haven’t lost in any game yet, they HAVE to be number one this week.	+2
2		Reign still haven’t lost in regulation, points in every game. Schedule gets busy this week.	n/c
3		Thunderbirds continue to roll. Still haven’t lost in regulation. Look like an above average team right now playing in an average division.	-2
4		There are teams that you expected to compete and Chicago is one of them, the Wolves are exceeding expectations this far, pasting Grand Rapids twice this week.	+7
5		Heat haven’t lost in regulation either. Had a game with San Jose get postponed Sunday because the Barracuda didn’t have enough players.	+5
6		AHL’s luckiest team? It just many be. Took 5 of 6 points last week.	+1
7		Monsters playing where they should, at the top of the division. Only three Monsters games have been decided in regulation and the Monsters have points in every game they have played except for their first game of the season.	+9
8		Play a competitive series against Cleveland this weekend. Springfield and Wilkes-Barre will get all the plaudits this far with their performances, but don’t forget about 11-time.	-4
9		Split with Manitoba up in Winnipeg this past weekend. Looking like the only team early on who can run with Chicago.	-3
10		4 of 6 points from last week. Two more with Bridgeport this week who they beat pretty handily last week.	-2
11		Swept Laval this week. Nothing flashy with this team, but they will play run and gun with you.	+6
12		Staying ahead of the North with a split with the Wild at home. Moose play on the road till the third week of November.	-3
13		Fewest games played so far than any other team in the Pacific. Barracuda are dealing with a COVID deal. What, you didn’t think we were done with that, did you?	n/c
14		Sweep three this week using overtime or better to get there. Host an undefeated Utica Friday in what’s going to be a banger. Should be higher in these Rankings.	-2
15		Pair of wins to start, then a pair of losses, so of course the pattern continues with a split this past weekend with Henderson.	n/c
16		split with Rockford. Pacific trip for the next two weeks for the Stars. Have to maximize those points, especially against a struggling Colorado side this weekend.	+4
17		Offense is sputtering but the defense is OK. .500 team as we head into November.	+4
18		Let it slip away Sunday in Springfield. Head home to host a still winless Lehigh Valley this weekend.	-13
19		Beat a bad Milwaukee side then got pasted by an elite Wolves team. The games sometimes are what we think they are.	+7
20		Toiling around mid-pack in the Atlantic.	-1
21		Middle of the North. Swept Belleville by identical 5-2 scores this weekend. Schedule gets tough with Rochester and Utica this week.	+1
22		They aren’t just going to hand you things. Rocket drop two to the Amerks at home this weekend. Things don’t get any easier with Utica and Syracuse this week.	+2
23		Split a pair in Bakersfield this weekend. There are two teams in this division who have yet to lose so the Silver Knights are just fine.	-5
24		Canucks have seen enough of Ontario, whom they have played four times already. A trip to Stockton this weekend.	-10
25		It’s surprising how low the Bruins are in the standings. If it wasn’t for Lehigh Valley’s struggles, the Bruins would be the talk of the Atlantic on how out of place they look at the bottom of the division.	n/c
26		Gritted out a split in Texas. Five game homestead starts this Saturday against Grand Rapids.	+2
27		Picked up their first win this past week in Tucson. Could possibly get their second this Saturday against a bad Colorado team. Penalty kill is dead last in the AHL.	+4
28		Last place in the North – a 2-5 start isn’t great, but there is time, lots of it, to turn it around in Belleville.	-1
29		Yikes. Four straight losses. Busy month gets ripping quick against a good Manitoba team, a better Iowa side and an great Chicago club this weekend.	-6
30		At this pace, Colorado will let in 100 goals by Thanksgiving. Already have 34 in on them.	-1
31		This team stinks.	-1