So I don’t know if it’s a curse, or what, but I can’t get a team I put at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings to stay there all of a sudden.
Last week it was the Hershey Bears, but after a rough Friday they fall out of the top spot.
I think the most consistent team right now is the Laval Rocket, but you could have said that about Milwaukee or Rochester a few weeks ago but those teams had rough weeks and dropped. Will the Rocket stick around at the top again next week?
1. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 12-2
Rocket stay hot and get the dreaded top spot this week in the Power Rankings. Three straight wins this week and 9-1 in their last ten.
2. Calgary Flames
Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Record: 12-3-1
3 out of 4 points in San Jose. Flames had the Barracuda where they wanted them, but let them beat them in overtime. Trip to San Diego then over to Tucson.
3. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 8th (up 5)
Record: 11-3-1
Griffins put some distance on Milwaukee who they beat Saturday and sit comfortably atop the Central.
4. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 1st (down 3)
Record: 11-4-1
Are the Bears vulnerable or was it a bad week? I am thinking it may have been the latter, because after a 6-1 drubbing by the Islanders, Hershey responds in kind and doubles up Lehigh Valley in Allentown the next night.
5. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 12th (up 7)
Record: 6-4-2-1
One game this week and boy was it a doozy against San Diego, an 8-7 shootout win. Condors have the next five at home.
6. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 15th (up 9)
Record: 10-4-0-1
Cleveland maximizes points this week and suddenly Laval has a Monster in their mirror.
7. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week: 17th (up 10)
Record: 7-5-1-1
4 of 6 points this week will do for the Crunch who are in a tight race for who gets to chase Laval at the top heading into December.
8. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 18th (up 10)
Record: 7-5-1-1
Wolf Pack sweep the week with a pair of 4-2 wins and are knocking on the door for second in the Atlantic. Six game homestead stays busy with Charlotte, Springfield and Bridgeport all dropping in.
9. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 5th (down 4)
Record: 8-4-1
First bit of adversity for the Penguins who drop a couple close ones this week with the Phantoms and Islanders. Just one this week, Friday, in a rematch with Bridgeport.
10. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 19th (up 9)
Record: 4-7-1
Wolves wrap a three in three weekend with 4 out of 6 points which is a welcome step in the right direction.
11. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week: 3rd (down 8)
Record: 7-4-0-1
Hot run to start the season has run cold, the Checkers dropped a pair in Hartford and Springfield this week and are a pedestrian 5-4-1 in their last ten.
12. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 6th (down 6)
Record: 8-1-2-2
Capped off a down week with an OT win Sunday against Rochester. Marlies host the Bears and the (checks notes) Barracuda this week.
13. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 7th (down 6)
Record: 6-2-0-4
B-Sens take two points out of a two game week and need to start stringing consistent wins here soon. A pair with division leading Laval this week makes for an uphill climb.
14. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 9th (down 5)
Record: 6-5-2-1
OT win over Wilkes-Barre had the Phantoms flying high, but then the Thunderbirds clipped them and then the Hershey Bears drubbed them. Phantoms look to regroup in Rhode Island this weekend.
15. Texas Stars
Last Week: 20th (up 5)
Record: 8-4
Roared back with five goals Saturday in Des Moines to cruise past the Wild. Three straight with Rockford this week.
16. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 10th (down 6)
Record: 9-3-0-1
Dropped a pair this week. How will the Admirals respond this weekend in Cleveland?
17. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 21st (up 4)
Record: 8-5
Handled Abbotsford in a pair in British Columbia and are now within shouting distance of Calgary for tops in the Pacific.
18. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 24th (up 6)
Record: 6-7
Split in Colorado and the pace up the Rankings could hypothetically continue if the Reign win in Henderson and San Diego this week, which is plausible.
19. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 30th (up 11)
Record: 6-8-1
Revitalizing shot of good for the Thunderbirds, who have been toiling of late, with a pair of big wins over the Phantoms and Checkers.
20. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 31st (up 11)
Record: 4-9-1-1
Scored five in Hershey then five more in Wilkes-Barre on back to back nights. I think its too soon for dark horse type teams to emerge but the blueprint certainly is there with these Islanders.
21. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 11th (down 10)
Record: 7-5-2
Picked up an OT loser point against once against Laval and against Toronto. Rochester, like Milwaukee, are facing a bit of adversity.
22. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 14th (down 8)
Record: 7-6-0-1
Split a pair with the Reign in Loveland. Could have used that extra two points. Off to Coachella Valley and Bakersfield this week.
23. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 13th (down 10)
Record: 9-5
We will give San Jose more of a bump next week, they beat the Wranglers in OT late Sunday after I had the Rankings ranked.
24. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 23rd (down 1)
Record: 6-7
Split in Henderson. If you want to contend in the Pacific, beating teams like the Silver Knights whenever possible is a must. Now Calgary drops in.
25. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 26th (up 1)
Record: 5-8
Moose did okay this week picking up 2 out of 3; wins over Milwaukee and Chicago but a loss to Rockford. Host the Wolves again this weekend for a pair at home.
26. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 16th (down 10)
Record: 6-7-2
Pair of OT losses this weekend to Cleveland bookends a regulation loss to Hartford. It’s been a struggle so far in Providence.
27. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 27th (no change)
Record: 4-9
Split with Tucson and are 3-7 in their last ten. An ornery Abbotsford crew stops in this week.
28. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 29th (up 1)
Record: 4-8
2 out of a possible six this week for the IceHogs and now the explosive Stars are on the docket for three straight this week.
29. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 22nd (down 7)
Record: 6-8-0-1
Dropped a pair at home against Coachella Valley in a prime spot to move up the standings.
30. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 28th (down 2)
Record: 5-8-1
Split a pair with the Stars, but Texas comes out in the third Saturday and drops five straight goals. There are holes with this team.
31. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 25th (down 5)
Record: 4-9-0-1
Shootout loser point is all the Gulls have to come back with this weekend, which doesn’t seem fair because scoring seven goals usually gets you the two points necessary.
32. Utica Comets
Last Week: 32nd (no change)
Record: 0-10-1-2
Still winless and honestly, I don’t see a win in sight for the Comets unless the schedule makers put Henderson or San Diego on the schedule which spoiler, they didn’t.
Do the Comets get a win before Christmas? Do the Comets win 10 games this year?
Talk to you next week!
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