So, the curse is very real.
I put Hershey at the top of the Power Rankings last week and they were shutout in one game and only scored a goal in the other. In the game that they won, they needed a late goal and overtime to win against a team they had no business losing to.
I think the curse is real. Sorry Wranglers fans, but you get the dubious number one distinction this week after being skipped over for weeks due to my ineptitude or East Coast bias, one or the other.
Oh, a note about the records section of the Rankings. Those will return next week. Too many games played on Sunday for me to wait until 10:30 p.m. to fill all of them in with an 8 p.m. start and work in the morning. The Penguins and Bears are the last team out of the gate Sunday, they will return in the Week 11 version. Apologies in advance.
Let’s go!
1. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week: 2nd (up 1)
We will see if the Chirps from Center Ice #1 curse is real or not. Wranglers get the dubious distinction this week.
2. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 6th (up 4)
I’d say that was a productive trip out to Loveland, getting points in every game in a hostile environment.
3. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 5th (up 2)
Barracuda look good but still some flaws with this club.
4. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 10th (up 6)
Monsters are in the middle of an eight game homestead and looking pretty good leading the North Division.
5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 9th (up 4)
Up and down week for the Penguins who split with Charlotte and win a nail biter against Springfield. A midweek date with Toronto seems like a nice measuring stick.
6. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 1st (down 5)
Uncharacteristically bad week for Hershey, who get just two points out of a potential six point week.
7. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 8th (up 1)
Just one game this week against San Jose but the schedule quickens in kind this week.
8. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 13th (up 5)
Productive weekend in sweeping Belleville, just need to have more weeks like this moving forward.
9. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 3rd (down 6)
OT loss in Wilkes-Barre was all the action the Thunderbirds saw this week but next week picks up with four games including a pair in Charlotte.
10. Charotte Checkers
Last Week: 14th (up 4)
PA road trip rears 4 out of a possible 6 points. Not bad. Now host some beatable teams before another end of year PA road trip.
11. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 11th (no change)
Weren’t very good hosts to the team from the Pacific in Bakersfield this week. PA road trip this week.
12. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 12th (no change)
Wolves making their way up the Central Division standings with a 7-2-0-1 in their last showing and points in five straight. That will get you there.
13. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 15th (up 2)
Canucks took advantage of a bad Manitoba team at home. Homestead continues with Tucson this week.
14. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 4th (down 10)
Got smoked twice by Rochester at home. Laval and Springfield won’t be easy either this week.
15. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 7th (down 8)
In an ultra competitive top heavy North, there is little margin for error and the Rocket are getting hit with that.
16. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 16th (no change)
Beating Bridgeport seems like it should move you up the Rankings, but not this week.
17. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 19th (up 2)
Hard charging Hartford may pass your property franchise team soon if they keep this up.
18. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 25th (up 7)
Tucson and Ontario are on nearly the same amount of points but the Reign seem like they get the better press. Doesn’t seem right, does it?
19. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 26th (up 7)
Admirals seemed like they had the Central locked down, but now it seems they have to constantly win to keep pace.
20. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 18th (down 2)
Got more points this week so that is better than most. Two this week with a very good Ontario team.
21. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 21st (no change)
Somehow, like Iowa, the Phantoms aren’t out of it either, but they haven’t given me any reasons but for a week or two to think they are in it.
22. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 20th (down 2)
Split with the Griffins. Mired in with 5 or 6 different teams leapfrogging one another still.
23. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 17th (down 6)
The Wild are surprisingly not out of it by any means but haven’t given me any reason to think they are in it either.
24. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 24th (no change)
Good week for the Gulls but still a lot of ground to cover.
25. Texas Stars
Last Week: 23rd (down 2)
Swept at home against a surging Wolves team.
26. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 30th (up 4)
Trip to Toronto may or may not have been productive, depending on who you ask.
27. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 27th (no change)
In a division of movers and shakers it doesn’t seem like the IceHogs are primed to make any kind of moves and are happy with just playing at a .500 or so pace.
28. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week: 28th (down 1)
Scored three goals in three games and one of them was good enough for a 1-0 win against the Utica Comets. Hard times in Syracuse.
29. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 22nd (down 7)
Silver Knights had a good week last week but a trip out to Tucson brings them back down to Earth and the Rankings.
30. Utica Comets
Last Week: 29th (down 1)
Losers of three straight including a 1-0 shutout loss to Syracuse. We going to go 0-12 again?
31. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 31st (no change)
Doesn’t help that a bad team like Bridgeport faces a decent team in Providence three times and loses all three.
32. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 32nd (no change)
This team stinks. Every division seems like it has one.
Better luck next week, Moose fans? Hope you get a few wins before Christmas!
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Chirps from Center Ice 