It’s the final Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings of the season. How I generally run these as in the past is all 23 teams that made the playoffs are the top 23, with the division leaders 1-4.
With playoffs dead ahead, let’s wrap up the regular season and look towards a long Calder Cup Playoff slog.
1. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 3rd (up 1)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.
League’s best regular season team gets the top spot. How does that fare in the Calder Cup Playoffs? Spoiler for tomorrow’s full preview, I have the Rocket losing in seven in the Conference Finals.
2. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.
Depending who you ask, possibly Colorado is the league’s best team. I think they are primed to go deep, but have to navigate a bees nest in the Pacific Division.
3. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 8th (up 5)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.
Central Division Champions may likely go all the way back to the Conference Finals. I think they have a tougher slog than some of the other teams. This team is dangerous, and won a top heavy Division.
4. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 4th (no change)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.
Hershey is either going back to back to back or flaming out in the division. I think there’s no in between. I am leaning towards the latter, just because it’s so hard to win one, let alone two in a row. Three in a row? I just don’t think so.
5. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 1st (down 4)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Tucson in the First Round.
I think it’s a crime that Abbotsford is this far down the list because, another spoiler, I have the Canucks in the Western Conference Finals in tomorrows full preview.
6. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week: 5th (down 1)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.
Checkers needed another week to maybe chase down Hershey for the Division lead. They play a stingy type of game, and defense wins championships.
7. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 9th (up 2)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Springfield in the First Round
Bruins seemed primed to go deep and maybe they do, but they have lacked real consistency all season. How does that bode for them in the long run?
8. Texas Stars
Last Week: 7th (down 1)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Grand Rapids in the Central Division Semifinals
Don’t know why, but I like the Stars chances here to make a run. I am not giving anything away for tomorrow’s big preview, am I?
9. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 10th (up 1)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Syracuse in the North Division Semifinals
The problem the Amerks face is that Laval plays in their division. They played at the top of the North all season but were just outclassed by Laval every time they met.
10. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 6th (down 4)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. San Jose in the First Round
If you are looking for a possible dark horse that really shouldn’t be one, look no further than Ontario. They are getting into the playoffs hot too, 7-3 in their last ten.
11. Syracuse Crunch
Lask Week: 11th (no change)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Rochester in the North Division Semifinals
8-2 in their last ten so Syracuse must be taken very seriously. Are you smelling upset against Rochester?
12. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 12th (no change)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Lehigh Valley in the First Round
I don’t like the way this team is trending but have to remind myself like I will do here for you that the last few weeks of the season they were pillaged by call ups and injuries, something they do not have to worry about any longer the remainder of their season. Just wait, they may surprise you.
13. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 17th (up 4)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Cleveland in the First Round
Seemed like an off year by Toronto’s standards. Now they run into a hot goaltender in Jet Greaves and a Monsters team who were embarrassed in Wilkes-Barre Saturday by a goalie making his season debut.
14. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week: 13th (down 1)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Coachella Valley in the First Round
It was unthinkable two months ago that Calgary would be this low, let alone battling for in a three game series against the Firebirds yet here we are. Are the laying in the weeds? How far can they go?
15. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 14th (down 1)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Calgary in the First Round
Another spoiler for you, I don’t have the Firebirds making it to the Calder Cup Finals this season. Hershey is going to have to find another team to beat for their third straight. I think I have said too much!
16. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 22nd (up 6)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Ontario in the First Round
Hey hey! Congrats San Jose! You are the last team in the AHL to qualify for the playoffs under this format! Congrats! You are also 16th, and our in house just average run of the mill AHL hockey team. Average doesn’t win Calder Cups, though.
17. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 16th (down 1)
Playoffs: Yes, vs. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton in the First Round
Geez, how many teams make playoffs again? Phantoms get their rematch of the first round with the Penguins again. Will they repeat the sam fate as last season? The magic 8-ball says signs point to…..
18. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 18th (no change)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Toronto in the First Round
The Monsters have a massive ace in the hole with Jet Greaves in net. I think they can give teams fits, but this is playoffs and it’s one team at a time. That said, I can see them winning against the Marlies.
19. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 21st (up 2)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Texas in the Division Semifinals
I think this team is overrated and a beneficiary of the division being so top heavy. That said, I am predicting a short spring in Grand Rapids.
20. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 15th (down 5)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Rockford in the First Round
I talked myself into, then out of, then back into Chicago beating Rockford in the First Round. The IceHogs have a losing record, so that doesn’t bode well for the Wolves overall chances in the long term.
21. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 19th (down 2)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Providence in the First Round
The series with the P-Bruins screams upset, but I have to be honest I don’t see it. Thunderbirds arrive in the postseason on a four game losing streak.
22. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 24th (up 2)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Abbotsford in the First Round
Roadrunners needed the second to last day of the AHL season to punch the final ticket to the postseason. This after being a really good team last season. It will be a short stay for Tucson, matching up against the hottest team in the League in Abbotsford.
23. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 26th (up 3)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Chicago in the First Round
A team with a losing record makes the playoffs? The IceHogs finished 31-33-6-2, good for just 70 points. In contrast, a Belleville Senators team had 79 points and did not qualify. So of course I am picking the IceHogs to win the Calder Cup in tomorrow’s preview. (I’m not)
24. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 27th (up 3)
Playoffs? No.
The best team to not make the playoffs are your Belleville Senators. 79 points gets you fourth in the Central, in contrast.
25. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 25th (no change)
Playoffs? Didn’t qualify.
Came down to the wire with Bakersfield and Tucson. Did everything they needed to to put themselves in position, but the Condors played behind the eight ball all season and it cost them down the stretch.
26. Utica Comets
Last Week: 20th (down 6)
Playoffs? An 0-13 start to the season puts you in a deep, deep hole, after all.
Try as they might the Comets could never recover from the 0-13 start to their season but made it at least respectable, finishing two games shy of .500.
27. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 29th (up 2)
Playoffs? Nope
Wolf Pack slowly slid down the Atlantic Division standings and died a slow death.
28. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 28th (no change)
Playoffs? Made it interesting but nope.
The Gulls and the Silver Knights seemed in lockstep with one another and ebbed and flowed but were really never serious playoff contending teams.
29. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 30th (up 1)
Playoffs? No sir.
See San Diego, above. Henderson had it worse though because they struggled pretty much all season against really good Pacific Division competition.
30. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 23rd (down 7)
Playoffs? Nope
Wild at least close out the season semi respectably, but didn’t win their last three games, which was typical of how it went in Des Moines.
31. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 31st (no change)
Playoffs? Non
How can the Winnipeg Jets be the best regular season team in the NHL and their farm team a doormat in a division that was so top heavy? Life’s mysteries.
32. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 32nd (no change)
Playoffs? Are you kidding me?
I actually found a team that had a worse season than the Islanders, if you can believe it. The Danville Dashers of the Federal League had a 2-49-4 record. But Bridgeport lost 50 games this last season. Fifty!
Thanks for reading these Rankings this season. Good luck to your team if you have one going or have a great summer if your team has been eliminated!
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