There’s a curse of the top team. That team can’t hold onto the top spot for consecutive weeks. Apologies to any Colorado Eagles fans that stumble on the blog.
This week is the Rochester Americans as, as a whole, it seemed like all the contenders but for a few teams, like the Amerks, struggled.
Let’s get into this week.
1. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 3rd (up 2)
Record: 33-14-3-1
Amerks sweep the week and that usually gets you breathing room and in this case it does. Three point gap on second place Laval.
2. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 5th (up 3)
Record: 31-14-5
Bears split in Charlotte and suddenly open the door to a lot of teams that want the top spot Hershey has occupied for months.
3. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 7th (up 4)
Record: 29-17-4-1
Gutsy 5-4 OT win Sunday against Wilkes-Barre after being down 4-1 after the first. Dead heat with the Pens chasing down the Bears.
4. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 8th (up 4)
Record: 30-15-2-1
Reign use the follies of Calgary to draw even with the Wranglers for tops in the Pacific.
5. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 11th (up 6)
Record: 28-17-1-5
Don’t look now, but look who is getting hot, oh yeah, it’s the defending Western Conference Champion Coachella Valley Firebirds.
6. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week: 4th (down 2)
Record: 29-16-4-1
Have gone cold and now have company at the top of the Pacific.
7. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 1st (down 6)
Record: 28-14-5-2
Yeah, I think the jinx of having the top spot in the Rankings is a real thing. Eagles had it last week, went 1-1-1 but the bright spot is a dead heat between them, the Wranglers and Reign.
8. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week: 14th (up 6)
Record: 28-15-3-2
Split with the Bears but the scoreboard was good to the Checkers Saturday. Just six off the Bears for first in the Division.
9. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 10th (up 1)
Record: 27-18-3-4
Split the week but everyone else in the Central struggled this week so it was a wash.
10. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 2nd (down 8)
Record: 32-15-2-1
Rocket go loss (Moose) win (over Manitoba) loss (Crunch) this week and let Rochester slip away on them at the top of the North.
11. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 9th (down 2)
Record: 28-13-6-1
Don’t think this team of championship caliber players is championship caliber. Blowing a 4-1 lead Sunday in Providence? Really? Things get tougher midweek this Wednesday in Rochester.
12. Texas Stars
Last Week: 15th (up 3)
Record: 28-16-3
Split with Colorado this weekend. Host Grand Rapids midweek in what could be an important series for both.
13. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 20th (up 7)
Record: 26-19-5-2
Not a bad Midwestern trip for the Phantoms so far with 5 of 6 points. Tuesday visit to Milwaukee before the Phantoms come home.
14. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 25th (up 11)
Record: 26-19-2-3
Thunderbirds sweep the week, and things are getting tight in the Atlantic.
15. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 17th (up 2)
Record: 21-29-2
Another positive week for the Silver Knights who go 2-1 in the week which included a split in Milwaukee.
16. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 23rd (up 7)
Record: 19-24-5-2
Gulls sweep the week. Never thought it could happen but all of a sudden things are getting tight in the Pacific Division.
17. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 6th (down 11)
Record: 27-14-3-6
Marlies shutout twice and score just one goal this week. Woof.
18. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 26th (up 8)
Record: 27-20-2
Mercurial Wolves sweep the week. What will next week bring? Tune in next week!
19. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week: 28th (up 9)
Record: 22-17-7-4
Crunch sweep the week to keep their heads above the playoff line in the North.
20. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 12th (down 8)
Record: 20-19-6-3
Just one point this week for a fading Condors team that has not won in six games.
21. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 13th (down 7)
Record: 27-21-1-1
Canucks seemed mired in a .500 struggle and have to work hard to snap out of it.
22. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 18th (down 4)
Record: 27-19-3-1
If Grand Rapids doesn’t right the ship and quick then they will get swallowed up by the rest of the Central.
23. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 16th (down 7)
Record: 26-15-4-5
Monsters had a quiet week, just two games, and didn’t win any of them.
24. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 21st (down 3)
Record: 21-24-5-1
Used a sweep against the Wild to gibe them cushion on the final playoff spot in the Central the IceHogs are protecting.
25. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 22nd (down 3)
Record: 22-18-3-4
B-Sens go .500 for the week to keep them in contention in the North Division.
26. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 24th (down 2)
Record: 26-18-2-3
Seemed like an okay week for the Barracuda this week.
27. Utica Comets
Last Week: 19th (down 8)
Record: 19-24-4-2
Comets can’t really afford .500 weeks like this past week if they want to make a push for a playoff bid.
28. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 27th (down 1)
Record: 17-29-1-1
Wasn’t a bad week for the Moose in comparison to there teams this week and in comparison to their season.
29. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 32nd (up 3)
Record: 21-25-5-1
Wolf Pack won a run and gun game Saturday with the Bruins and with a team that has struggled to win game, maybe this kicks them back in the right direction.
30. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 30th (no change)
Record: 23-22-2-2
Roadrunners stop the bleeding a bit this week. Can they right the ship?
31. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 29th (down 2)
Record: 12-33-3-3
Got a point Sunday in a shootout loss against Springfield.
32. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 31st (down 1)
Record: 16-30-3-1
Called last week and their series with Rockford important and the Wild were swept. Get the forks ready…
Have a great week, everyone!
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