There’s yet another team at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings and I get a sense that they will be staying here for a bit.
Yeah, it’s the Bears.
I’ll let the Rankings below explain myself. Again, if you disagree or whatever, the comments below are open and active. Here we go.
1. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 2nd (up 1)
Record: 6-1-1
Bears were featured on the AHL website this weekend as a target on everyone’s radar and documented their hellish three in three road trip through New England this weekend. Well, there’s a new number one in the Rankings this week as the Bears sweep the weekend and are picking up right where they left off last June. Don’t let this team get on a roll.
2. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 6-0-0-1
Were finally handed a loss (shootout) against Belleville but are still near the top overall in the AHL. Just one with Cleveland this Saturday.
3. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week: 5th (up 2)
Record: 5-1
Blew out the Islanders this past weekend and are looking very strong, very potent. We wonder if they have the dates scheduled with the Bears this week circled on their calendar.
4. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 6th (up 2)
Record: 5-1
The Barracuda are the only team to not make the expanded playoffs since its inception but are off to a good start as one of the two teams in the Pacific (Calgary) to hit double digit points in October. Not a bad start and with Iowa on the docket this weekend it looks to continue.
5. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 8th (up 3)
Record: 6-1
So far, the Griffins have swept through the Atlantic Division, taking down the Thunderbirds and sweeping the Phantoms. Midweek battle with the Wolf Pack before hosting Rockford and then traveling to Cleveland. Hell of a week of travel for Grand Rapids.
6. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 9th (up 3)
Record: 6-1
Admirals are tops in the Central after a sweep of the Wolves. Admirals head to Winnipeg to take on the Moose this weekend.
7. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 4th (down 3)
Record: 4-2
Split with the Crunch and early returns, while positive, show things need to be worked on yet to be considered a bonafide contender. Bridgeport and Hartford on schedule this week.
8. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week: 10th (up 2)
Record: 7-1
Flames are mired in an eight game homestead at the top of the Pacific. Gulls in for a pair this week which should be winnable.
9. Texas Stars
Last Week: 11th (up 2)
Record: 5-1
Maximized points against the Iowa Wild this past weekend and head to Colorado next looking to push for tops in the Central.
10. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 7th (down 3)
Record: 5-1
Sweep Utica in a pair of 4-3 contests in a home and home which seems harder then it looks. Comets are in again Wednesday before the Bruins stop in.
11. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week: 13th (up 2)
Record: 4-3
Split a pair with the Penguins. Hartford and Belleville stop in next week.
12. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 3rd (down 9)
Record: 2-1-2-1
Swept by the Roadrunners. Host the Firebirds this weekend then a five game road trip that takes them through Canada.
13. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 12th (down 1)
Record: 3-2-0-1
Canucks split with the Gulls in their home opener this past weekend. Sit in the upper half of the Pacific so in good shape for now. Roadrunners come in next for a midweek drop in then it’s off to sunny San Diego.
14. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 20th (up 6)
Record: 3-3
Roadrunners are just OK, middle of the pack in the Pacific, and have Abbotsford and San Diego this week despite sweeping Bakersfield this weekend.
15. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 25th (up 10)
Record: 3-3
Sweep Cleveland and will be looking to do the same with Utica this weekend.
16. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 18th (up 2)
Record: 2-2
Firebirds have only played four games and need points in the robust Pacific Division. The start of a six game road trip takes them to San Jose and Bakersfield this week.
17. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 21st (up 4)
Record: 3-2-0-1
Split the weekend, result is typical for Hartford’s fourth place standing in the Atlantic.
18. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 19th (up 1)
Record: 2-3
Splitting the weekend works for some, but when you are in an early hole like the IceHogs, not good enough. Relax, it’s still October.
19. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 14th (down 5)
Record: 3-1-0-2
Split with the Marlies in a pair of shootouts. The Senators are OK for now but tough competition with Providence and Syracuse await them next.
20. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 27th (up 7)
Record: 3-5
Thunderbirds salvage the three in three weekend with a win against Hartford. Winnable games this week with Lehigh Valley and Bridgeport stopping by.
21. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 30th (up 9)
Record: 2-4
Pick up two points in Abbotsford this weekend and will travel next to Calgary midweek before returning home to host the Canucks again.
22. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 15th (down 7)
Record: 3-3
Split with the IceHogs. Moose are 3-3 to start the season.
23. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 16th (down 7)
Record: 2-3-0-1
Swept by the Wranglers and find themselves in the bottom half of the Pacific as the calendar flips to November for the Eagles. Texas stops by this weekend and that’s not an easy task.
24. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 17th (down 7)
Record: 2-3-0-1
Monsters are swept in a home and home with Rochester and need points, badly. Toronto and Grand Rapids this week are tough opponents.
25. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 24th (down 1)
Record: 1-3-1-1
Only one win, and that was a shootout win, for the Phantoms. Only one point out of the weekend, an OT loser point and were swept by the Griffins. Bears midweek, so I don’t like their chances.
26. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 28th (up 2)
Record: 1-3-1-0
Wolves drop a pair in a home and home against the Admirals and take an OT loser point out of the series. Rest of the Central is getting away from them. Iowa Tuesday are prime points the Wolves need because Rockford and Milwaukee wait later in the week.
27. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 29th (up 2)
Record: 2-5
Silver Knights are swept at home against the Barracuda then travelled Sunday to the Inland Empire and beat up on another hapless team in the Ontario Reign. Home and home with the Reign this weekend.
28. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 26th (down 2)
Record: 1-4
Reign are 1-4 after five games and that does it for October for them. Home and home with the Silver Knights, a team that beat them Sunday, this weekend looking to crawl out of the Pacific cellar.
29. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 22nd (down 7)
Record: 2-4
A pair of 2-1 losses against Hershey this weekend have the Bruins behind some stiffer competition as the calendar starts flipping to November. Bruins head to Canada to take on the Rocket and Senators.
30. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 23rd (down 7)
Record: 1-5-1-0
Islanders got blown out badly in a pair of games in Charlotte. All Star NHL goaltender Tristan Jarry will meet them Wednesday when the Penguins drop in.
31. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 31st (no change)
Record: 0-6-1-0
Wild manage their first point, an OT loss in Texas Saturday, and need to kick it into gear or else it’s shaping up to be a long winter in Des Moines.
32. Utica Comets
Last Week: 32nd (no change)
Record: 0-6
Still sitting on 0 points six games in. Laval and Rochester next to see if they can get into the win column, the last of the AHL teams to do so.
Hope you get in the win column soon, Comet and Wild fans!
Talk to you next week.
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