So I had to do a bit of corrections this week with Calgary.
I had the Wranglers down in twelfth last week, and for pretty good reasons. But after a huge week for the Pacific Division leaders, they get a big bump back up in the top five in the Power Rankings this week, but not enough to knock off Hershey from the top spot.
Let’s get into it…
1. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 25-11-3
Bears sweep another weekend and now head to Canada with a mid-week stop in Laval and a weekend in Belleville.
2. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week: 12th (up 10)
Record: 27-12-1
Wranglers lead on the division was in trouble? Says who? Calgary wins all four games this week.
3. Texas Stars
Last Week: 3rd (no change)
Record: 22-13-1
Stars split with Milwaukee to stay ahead of the Admirals and keep pursuing the Griffins.
4. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 2nd (down 2)
Record: 23-11-2-1
4 of 6 points this week and keeping pace with Rochester while trying to hold off a pesky Cleveland team.
5. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 4th (down 1)
Record: 23-11-3-1
3 of 6 points this week closes up the lead the Amerks had on Laval, now just a point.
6. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 9th (up 3)
Record: 22-12-1-3
Split in Grand Rapids which I guess is OK. Monsters have the Wolves twice this week at home before a trip to Syracuse Saturday.
7. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 10th (up 3)
Record: 21-13-1-4
Split in Colorado, beat Henderson. Eight points off top of Pacific.
8. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 9th (up 1)
Record: 22-12-3-1
5 of 6 points this week to maintain the top spot in the Central.
9. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 13th (up 4)
Record: 21-11-2-2
5 out of a possible 8 points this week has Colorado to third in the Pacific and one off Coachella Valley for second.
10. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 6th (down 4)
Record: 20-9-4
Penguins played one game this week in Laval and had a 3-0 lead in the third and lost 4-3 in overtime. All of a sudden closing teams out is an issue. First three in three weekend coming up for the Pens.
11. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 15th (up 4)
Record: 21-13-3-1
Mercurial Bruins are 3-0 this week. Three in three weekend should get stiffer with games again Rochester and Laval.
12. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 16th (up 4)
Record: 20-10-2-3
A pair of shutout wins for the Marlies over the Moose is mighty impressive.
13. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 7th (down 6)
Record: 20-13-1-2
Played it close with the Canucks in Abbotsford this past weekend. Return home for seven straight starting this Wednesday agains Coachella Valley.
14. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 5th (down 9)
Record: 21-13-1-1
Bad time to get swept by Abbotsford, lose to Henderson and then to Calgary. Reign drop to fourth in the Pacific.
15. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 20th (up 5)
Record: 19-15-5-1
Split with Rochester and beat Belleville. It’s not a bad week. Three in three weekend coming up next.
16. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 24th (up 8)
Record: 16-14-4-1
Three points against Colorado which was good and then split with Chicago which was suspect. Not a bad week but could use more.
17. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week: 11th (down 6)
Record: 20-11-3-2
Checkers had a busy week with four games and could have made up ground on the division and instead get just three points out of the week.
18. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 14th (down 4)
Record: 19-15-1
Six game homestead starts later today against Henderson, so a prime chance to possibly get in the upper half of the Pacific Division.
19. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 28th (up 9)
Record: 18-17-2-1
Sweep the Checkers in Charlotte this weekend which is mighty impressive. Wolf Pack look to keep momentum rolling with a three in three weekend.
20. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 30th (up 10)
Record: 18-14-2-3
Admirals had an average week and they seem stuck in third in the Central.
21. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 29th (up 8)
Record: 16-17-3-1
Split with Iowa. Are OK for now standings wise but could use some cushion. All divisional games for the next month so a prime time to start.
22. Utica Comets
Last Week: 25th (up 3)
Record: 11-19-2-2
Good week for the Comets who win two of three. Busy week starts today join Syracuse and concludes with a home and home with Wilkes-Barre.
23. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 18th (down 5)
Record: 17-16-2-1
Beat bad competition in Bridgeport and lost to better competition in Providence.
24. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 19th (down 5)
Record: 20-15-1-1
Very good week for the Canucks who pull themselves up a little in the Pacific. A pair in Tucson this weekend.
25. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 23rd (down 2)
Record: 18-15-2
Wolves have cooled off a bit here these past few weeks, 4-6 in their last ten.
26. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 32nd (up 6)
Record: 10-25-2
1-0 shutout wins over teams like Ontario on Saturday shows that there is there there with this team, but just not all the time.
27. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week: 21st (down 6)
Record: 17-12-5-4
Roughed up by the Bruins in a pair of games this week but beat Bridgeport. Crunch are OK but are the most vulnerable team in the North Division.
28. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 22nd (down 6)
Record: 11-20-4-2
OT loser point was all the Gulls took out of the week. Henderson may catch them for last in the Pacific.
29. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 27th (down 2)
Record: 15-13-1-4
Two expected losses against two good (Lehigh Valley and Hershey) Pennsylvania teams. The Bears come to town this weekend.
30. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 31st (up 1)
Record: 14-21-2
4 of 6 points this week. Never say never. Wild can still make a push, from the comfort of home.
31. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 17th (down 14)
Record: 11-21-1-1
Moose turn a positive week last week into zero goals for this week in a pair of shutout losses against the Toronto Marlies.
32. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 26th (down 6)
Record: 8-25-2-2
Respond after the 5-0 shutout win last Sunday against the Phantoms by dropping three straight this week. Islanders are setting up to be an epically bad team.
Have a great week, everyone!
WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 