A word on the Rankings, I am traveling over Thanksgiving and don’t know if Week 8 will be next Monday or the Monday after that. I guess stay tuned?
So, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILL THE NUMBER ONE TEAM STAY THERE FOR A WEEK?
I tried it with Laval, who really should have been there for a few weeks but after a bad week the Rocket fall out of the top spot.
This week belongs to the Grand Rapids. Griffs, can ya stay there for longer than a week? Can ya?!?!?!?!//111/1/1
1. Grand Rapids Griffins
Record: 12-4-1
Last Week: 3rd (up 2)
Griffins could have opened up a 7 point lead on a suddenly stagnant Milwaukee team but lost to a surging Iowa team. I hope that’s not a precursor for next week.
2. Hershey Bears
Record: 13-4-2
Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Bears keep piling points after a good trip through the North Division. Laval visits Wednesday makes for a great pre-Thanksgiving matchup with two really good teams.
3. Cleveland Monsters
Record: 12-4-0-1
Last Week: 6th (up 3)
Pair of wins over Central leading Milwaukee have the Monsters knocking on the door of the North Division lead.
4. Laval Rocket
Record: 13-3-1
Last Week: 1st (down 3)
Rocket salvage their week with a win over the Senators after dropping one to Belleville the night before and Rochester midweek.
5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Record: 9-4-1
Last Week: 9th (up 4)
Light week for the Penguins who shutout the Islanders Friday. Division leading Laval and Hershey this weekend to see what this team is made of.
6. Toronto Marlies
Record: 10-1-2-3
Last Week: 12th (up 6)
5 out of 6 points this week after a comeback OT win over the Bears and a positive weekend against the Barracuda have the Marlies two off the Rocket for tops in the North. One this week with Cleveland.
7. Belleville Senators
Record: 7-3-0-4
Last Week: 13th (up 6)
Split a pair with Laval in a home and home. These B-Sens are sneaky good.
8. Calgary Wranglers
Record: 13-5-1
Last Week: 2nd (down 6)
Wranglers drop a pair in Tucson, still lead the Pacific by an OK sum, head to Manitoba next.
9. Ontario Reign
Record: 8-7
Last Week: 18th (up 9)
Picked up a pair of wins and the slow climb up the Pacific continues.
10. Springfield Thunderbirds
Record: 8-8-1
Last Week: 19th (up 9)
Thunderbirds are a surging on a five game point streak. Utica, Hartford and Providence this weekend seem like winnable games.
11. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Record: 9-5-0-1
Last Week: 17th (up 6)
3 of 4 points this week for the Firebirds which is OK. Tucson next, who the Firebirds have to watch for because they took down Pacific leading Calgary this past weekend.
12. Colorado Eagles
Record: 9-6-1-1
Last Week: 22nd (up 10)
4 out of 6, all on the road, have the Eagles in a tie with San Jose for second in the Pacific. Sorry Henderson stops by this weekend.
13. Tucson Roadrunners
Record: 8-7
Last Week: 24th (up 11)
Swept the Calgary Wranglers in convincing fashion and want to keep that momentum rolling with another really good team in Coachella Valley for a pair this week and sorry San Diego.
14. Hartford Wolf Pack
Record: 8-7-1-1
Last Week: 8th (down 6)
Wolf Pack could have made a move up the Atlantic but have struggled, 4-5-1 in their last ten.
15. Bakersfield Condors
Record: 7-6-2-1
Last Week: 5th (down 10)
Home stand starts with a pair of losses this week to the Canucks and Eagles. Abbotsford in Tuesday and Ontario Saturday. Oh, the Condors did beat the Eagles Friday. That’s a bright spot.
16. Providence Bruins
Record: 8-7-2
Last Week: 26th (up 10)
Righted the ship this week in smothering Lehigh Valley this week for a pair at home. Home and home with a suddenly hot Utica Comets club and a Sunday game with a surging Thunderbirds team.
17. San Jose Barracuda
Record: 10-6
Last Week: 23rd (up 6)
Have to give the Barracuda a bit of a promised bump from last week, so they get it here a little bit after splitting in Toronto.
18. Abbotsford Canucks
Record: 9-8-0-1
Last Week: 29th (up 11)
Canucks pick up all 6 points this week, including a throttling of the Silver Knights, where they beat Henderson an aggregate 9-1, including a shutout.
19. Syracuse Crunch
Record: 7-6-1-2
Last Week: 7th (down 12)
Were the first team to lose to the Utica Comets and lost a shootout to the Hershey Bears. Uncharacteristically in sixth in the North.
20. Rockford IceHogs
Record: 6-8-1
Last Week: 28th (up 8)
5 of 6 points taken out of the Texas Stars trilogy this week and the IceHogs look to continue the momentum with a pair against the Wolves and one with the Admirals.
21. Texas Stars
Record: 9-6
Last Week: 15th (down 6)
Missed out on a prime chance to make a move against the IceHogs and up the Central Standings but only took 2 of 6 points away. Head out West this week.
22. Bridgeport Islanders
Record: 5-10-1-2
Last Week: 20th (down 2)
Islanders take 3 out of 6 points in a three in three weekend which started in Wilkes-Barre and ended in Hartford.
23. Chicago Wolves
Record: 5-8-1
Last Week: 10th (down 13)
Split a pair in Winnipeg which isn’t good enough for the last place Wolves.
24. Charlotte Checkers
Record: 8-4-1-2
Last Week: 11th (down 13)
Checkers take 4 of 6 points away from three games this week and get the Iowa Wild this weekend, looking to reset their season a bit after a hot start.
25. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Record: 6-6-3-1
Last Week: 14th (down 11)
Scored one goal in Providence in two games. Phantoms are 0-3-1. Hartford, Hershey and Laval this week makes for an uphill climb.
26. Milwaukee Admirals
Record: 9-4-1-1
Last Week: 16th (down 10)
Admirals take one point away from a weekend trip in Cleveland and it cost them the top spot in the Central to Grand Rapids.
27. Utica Comets
Record: 2-10-1-2
Last Week: 32nd (up 5)
Break up the Comets who are on a two game heater with wins over the Crunch and Amerks! Pair with Providence sandwiched in between the Thunderbirds this week.
28. Manitoba Moose
Record: 6-9
Last Week: 25th (down 3)
Split with the Wolves. Assuming that a final Central Division playoff spot comes down to these two teams, this is a series you must win.
29. Rochester Americans
Record: 8-6-3
Last Week: 21st (down 8)
Amerks slip up this week and lose a chance to make up ground on the North Division.
30. Iowa Wild
Record: 6-9-1
Last Week: 30th (no change)
Split a pair of 5-2 decisions in Grand Rapids this past weekend. Heading to Charlotte for some post Thanksgiving fun.
31. San Diego Gulls
Record: 4-11-1-1
Last Week: 31st (no change)
Gulls drop all three this week. Just one with Tucson this week.
32. Henderson Silver Knights
Record: 4-12
Last Week: 27th (down 5)
This team is terrible. There’s nothing much else to say. Calgary has 27 points and leads the division. Henderson has 8 and is in dead last.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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