Chirps from Center Ice

So they have flown under the radar for long enough and likely just keeping the seat warm for the team they dethroned from the top spot, but the Colorado Eagles are the new number one team in this weeks Power Rankings. This is a team that hasn’t lost in regulation since before Christmas, have a home ice advantage unlike anything in the AHL (need more cowbell!) and, oh by the way, have a boat load of games at the Budweiser Events Center coming up in the month of February.

Utica didn’t go far, Stockton stays the same and I finally put Manitoba over Chicago this week. We will see how long this holds.

Here is the whole list, in all it’s glory.

Rank	Team	Blurb	Last Week
1		What Stockton and Ontario do ahead of them may not matter for the Eagles if they keep this run going. Haven’t lost in regulation since before Christmas. A lot of games in February are at home, and that’s a tough place for opponents to play.	+5
2		Never fear Utica fans, share your top spot with others for one week. The Comets are turning the North into a runaway.	-1
3		One game this past weekend and a huge win over the Reign. Trip up to the listless Canucks this weekend.	n/a
4		Managed a split with Abbottsford at home and keeping the Central race with Chicago modest. Stars stop in this week and a good chance the momentum keeps rolling.	-2
5		Points in three straight, despite a 1-0 shootout loss setback to Rockford on Saturday.	+2
6		I mean the wins against San Jose are fine, but you have to win games that matter and that game Saturday against the Heat mattered. Now the gap to first widens, slightly.	-2
7		A fourth horse has entered the Atlantic Division race. Didn’t like that shutout that the Phantoms came in and laid on Saturday, though.	+3
8		Condors are 8-1-1 in their last ten and have a showdown with the Eagles this weekend at home.	+3
9		Split in Texas and could have used all four points, but are 7-3 in their last ten. Showdown in Utica this weekend.	+3
10		IceHogs charging up the standings, points in four straight. Showdown with equally hot Milwaukee Wednesday.	+8
11		There isn’t another team hotter in the Central. The Admirals have turned things around and in a big way. Pasted Grand Rapids, OT win at home against the IceHogs Friday. Showdown this weekend in Chicago.	+9
12		7-3 in their last ten, may be turning a corner and ready to get out of the Atlantic basement. That answer is coming this week, we think.	+4
13		Wild sweep a hapless Gulls team and beat Rockford in overtime. I think there is something there, but this is the same team that the Eagles humbled last weekend.	+15
14		Phantoms back to .500 with a big win home Sunday against the Bears. Is this the best team in Pennsylvania?	+1
15		Paste the Penguins Tuesday, which is par for the course, then edge the Islanders in OT at home Saturday and lose in Allentown on Sunday. This team is Superman when playing the Penguins and Clark Kent against everyone else.	-7
16		Bruins are injured and have guys up on taxi squad duty. Tough to win a lot of games in this current condition.	-11
17		Marlies with a good turnaround from last week, going to Grand Rapids last Monday and gritting out a win then thumping a rested Belleville side. Toronto may be the only team that could give Utica a run.	+2
18		OT win over Utica and then a blowout win in Syracuse. Yeah, it was a good week for the Charlotte Checkers.	-5
19		Silver Knights couldn’t ride the wave of success out of their comeback in Stockton the week prior and Colorado beat them twice at home. Right back on the horse (pun intended) against San Jose!	-10
20		Utica is turning the North into a runaway and Rochester isn’t doing much here to keep pace.	-3
21		Respectable 5-2-2-1 in their last ten, but last place in the Atlantic. There could be winnable games this week.	+4
22		Happens every year at this time. Springfield starts plummeting. 3-5-2 in their last ten and a tough schedule ahead.	n/a
23		Managed a split in Winnipeg which is something to build on when the Heat stop by this weekend.	-2
24		Yikes. 5 straight losses and 2-8 in their last ten. Hello North Division basement!	-10
25		Split the weekend with the Rocket, but they are so far behind on percentage and there are teams mid pack making a surge that a split isn’t enough at this point in the season.	+1
26		Roadrunners out of the basement, thanks to the listless play of the Gulls and Barracuda. Next two are in San Diego.	+5
27		Not a large sample size to go off of here due to lack of games. Schedule gets busy this week against Syracuse and Laval.	-4
28		Woof. Couple weeks ago had Syracuse as a team to watch. One win against a putrid Cleveland team to show for it this week.	-1
29		Double woof. 0-5 (technically 0-4-1) here. Toronto and Ontario come calling this week. Good luck.	-5
30		Are probably sick of playing Ontario by now. Good news is that they don’t see the Reign at all in February.	-1
31		Went to Iowa and got throttled. Colorado (uh-oh) drops by this Wednesday.	-1