You guys.
We did it.
We managed to have a number one ranked team last week stay there this week.
The Grand Rapids Griffins stay at the top spot in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings the week after bringing to an end the Cleveland Monsters ten game win streak.
Some shake up to the top five. Don’t forget to jump through to teams 6 through 32 if you didn’t link in direct. Here we go…
1. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 14-5-1
Griffins bring an end to the Monsters ten game win streak. Three straight with Chicago this weekend.
2. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 3rd (up 1)
Record: 14-5-0-1
I teased the Monsters being the number one team in this weeks Rankings after Saturday’s recap after winning ten straight and they go to Grand Rapids and lose. Still, take over the North Division lead from Laval.
3. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 5th (up 2)
Record: 11-4-1
Beat the division leading Rocket and Bears impressively. I’m hesitant to put the Penguins at number one because it seems like a cursed spot and I’m not a madman. But if the Penguins keep rolling with the wins against the Bears, Wolf Pack and Bruins this week, they will leave me no choice.
4. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week: 8th (up 4)
Record: 15-5-1
Seven game road trip ends with a sweep in Winnipeg. Home now for a bit with Tucson on the menu.
5. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 7th (up 2)
Record: 9-4-0-4
B-Sens grinding points, sweeping Bridgeport this weekend. Now off to Winnipeg to take on a last place in the Central Moose team.
6. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 9th (up 3)
Record: 10-7
Reign are 7-3 in their last ten and if this keeps up will be leading the Pacific very soon. Texas, Bakersfield and San Diego all seem like winnable games this week.
7. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 10th (up 3)
Record: 10-9-1
Springfield is 7-2-1 win their last ten and on a tear. The Atlantic is shaping up to be a pit of vipers, per usual.
8. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 2nd (down 6)
Record: 14-5-3
Uncharacteristic week for the Bears who lost in OT to the Phantoms and were beaten clean on home ice by the Penguins. I think it is premature to even think of the demise of the back to back champs.
9. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 11th (up 2)
Record: 10-5-1-2
Split a pair with the Roadrunners and lost a shootout with visiting Texas. Are 7-0-1-2 in last ten which is pretty good. Are the defending Western Conference Champs on the way up?
10. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 12th (up 2)
Record: 11-6-1-1
Beat up on sorry Henderson and are still tied with San Jose for second in the Pacific. Road trip to Abbotsford this weekend.
11. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 4th (down 7)
Record: 13-6-1
Pennsylvania was not kind to the Rocket, who lose clean to Hershey, Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley. Rocket are out of first place in the North and more importantly out of the top five and ten in the Power Rankings.
12. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 17th (up 5)
Record: 12-6
Sweep Abbotsford at home, are keeping pace with the Wranglers for tops in the division and keeping really good teams like Colorado, Coachella Valley and Ontario at bay, for now.
13. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week: 23rd (up 10)
Record: 10-4-1-2
Handled home business against the Iowa Wild and have tied themselves with the Penguins for second in the Atlantic. Two more at home this week with Rochester.
14. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 24th (up 10)
Record: 9-6-3-1
Phantoms use a positive week to vault themselves to the top half of the Atlantic Division with wins over the Wolf Pack, Rocket and Bears. Rockford and a home and home with the Bears this week.
15. Utica Comets
Last Week: 27th (up 12)
Record: 5-10-1-2
What’s gotten into this team? Can anyone beat this team? Sweep Providence in a home and home with a side trip to Springfield where they won that too.
16. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 6th (down 10)
Record: 10-2-2-3
Marlies had one game this week and were beaten 2-0 by the Cleveland Monsters. Schedule picks up with a pair in Laval this week.
17. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 22nd (up 5)
Record: 7-9-1
Wrap a post Thanksgiving three in three with 4 out of 6 points. The Wolves are better then you think.
18. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 13th (down 5)
Record: 10-8
Roadrunners split with a resurgent Firebirds team after a positive run up the Rankings last week then shutout the Gulls. Two more in Calgary this week makes for a tough schedule.
19. Texas Stars
Last Week: 20th (up 1)
Record: 10-7
Shutout in Ontario Friday then beat Coachella Valley in a shootout on Saturday. Pacific trip continues this week with four games.
20. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 26th (up 6)
Record: 10-4-1-2
Got back in the win column with a win over Rockford Saturday but the Admirals are vulnerable right now. They should be OK with Iowa twice this week, but we will see.
21. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 29th (up 8)
Record: 10-7-3
Got back to winning ways with a home and home sweep against the Syracuse Crunch, including a shutout. All of a sudden the Wednesday game with the Comets doesn’t seem like an automatic two points.
22. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 14th (down 8)
Record: 8-8-2-1
Slipping a bit, with an OT loss to Lehigh Valley and a blowout loss to the Thunderbirds to show for this past week. Schedule is busy this week highlighted by the Rockford IceHogs coming in on Friday.
23. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 18th (down 5)
Record: 10-10-0-1
We’d like to know how the Canucks managed to only get seven games on their December schedule. Canucks beat Bakersfield but then dropped a pair in San Jose this past week.
24. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 15th (down 9)
Record: 7-8-2-1
Pair of 3-1 losses for the Condors this week to the Canucks and Reign. Road trips to San Diego and Ontario this weekend.
25. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week: 18th (down 7)
Record: 8-7-1-3
Used all their goals for the week Wednesday against Belleville, beating the Senators 7-1, then lost a home and home with the Americans where they were shut and scored only two goals.
26. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 19th (down 7)
Record: 7-9-2
IceHogs salvage their three in three weekend with a win in Chicago. Rockford now heads East to take on the Phantoms, Wolf Pack and the Thunderbirds.
27. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 16th (down 11)
Record: 8-10-2
Bruins are victimized by the Comets twice this week and Springfield on Sunday. Providence is fading, but in decent-ish shape, for now.
28. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 21st (down 7)
Record: 5-12-1-2
Dropped a pair at home this weekend to Belleville. After a positive mid-November, the Islanders are struggling again.
29. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 28th (down 1)
Record: 6-11
Moose swept by Calgary and teams are just outclassing this last place team at this point. Manitoba hosts Belleville this week.
30. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 30th (no change)
Record: 6-11-1
Were not treated kindly in Charlotte, dropping both games and getting shutout in one. Schedule stays stiff with a visit from the Milwaukee Admirals this weekend.
31. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 31st (no change)
Record: 4-12-1-1
This team stinks, but not as bad as the Henderson Silver Knights.
32. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 32nd (no change)
Record: 4-14
Haven’t won in six games, only have 4 wins and sitting on 8 points. Hell, if Utica can go on a hot run so can Henderson, but we don’t think so.
Stay warm. Talk to you next week.
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