Chirps from Center Ice

There’s a couple weeks left in the AHL season and a lot to be decided, so let’s get into this weeks rankings to try to sort things out.

No shakeup to the top three. Hey, consistency!

Here we go.

1. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 36-16-5-3

Opening up a bit of a lead on second place are the Eagles.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Record: 41-16-3-1

Eight point lead on the Amerks. An 8-1-1 run will do that. 

3. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 3rd (no change)
Record: 38-16-6-1

Still comfortably at the top of the Atlantic. Bears have a pair of last place teams in the Islanders and a pair with the Comets this weekend.

4. Texas Stars

Last Week: 5th (up 1)
Record: 36-20-3

Stars are capitalizing on the Admirals rough trip through the Atlantic and are right at the top of the Central Division standings.

5. Providence Bruins

Last Week: 8th (up 3)
Record: 35-19-4-3

Bruins have been a peaks and valleys type team and we are at the top now after a good PA trip. Bruins head to Charlotte midweek.

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There’s about a month left in the AHL season depending on your schedule, so that means we are approaching the end of the AHL Power Rankings. But don’t fret, we have a fresh list here for you! Let’s get straight to it.

1. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 34-15-5-3

Eagles lead widening on the Pacific and a four game win streak will do that for any team.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 39-16-2-1

Got caught off guard by a putrid Bridgeport team this past Wednesday but tightened things up and swept Utica.

3. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 3rd (no change)
Record: 36-15-5-1

If they haven’t yet, the back to back defensing champs are going to be the first team in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The last to turn off the lights last season will be the first ones to turn them on this postseason.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 2nd (down 2)
Record: 35-17-3-3

Amerks are still pushing for the Rockets lead, while trying to protect the second seed they currently occupy. 

5. Texas Stars

Last Week: 11th (up 6)
Record: 34-19-3

Stars sweep the Monsters at home and use this to stay atop the Central Division standings. 

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Some shakeup to the top five again this week but you can pencil these teams as top ten teams the rest of the way, I think.

Let’s get right into it.

1. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 37-15-2-1

Rocket and Americans playing leap frog for tops in the North and it’s the Rocket in front this week.

2. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 34-16-3-3

Swept in Laval and that’s a four point swing for the opposition and the Amerks are chasing Laval again. 

3. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 2nd (down 1)
Record: 35-15-5

Bears can’t lose and when they aren’t playing still manage to win when teams that have games in hand on them lose those. Five clear of the rest of the division, widest lead of all the division leaders.

4. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 3rd (down 1)
Record: 31-15-5-3

Split with Henderson and you can’t be doing that when it is so tight with the tops of the division. 

5. Coachella Valley Firebirds

Last Week: 5th (no change)
Record: 32-18-1-5

Three game win streak and 7-3 in their last ten and tied for the lead with the Eagles in the Pacific. Can the Firebirds make it all the way again?

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Not a lot of shakeup to the top five this week as things are solidifying maybe?

I’m still peeved over Saturday’s result in Hershey so let’s just get started.

1. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 34-13-3-3

Points in six straight as Rochester starts to separate from Laval in the last full month of the season.

2. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Record: 33-14-5

Every time you think you got this team, they get you. It’s frustrating too watch as a rival but in order to be the best, you have to beat the best.

3. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 7th (up 4)
Record: 30-14-5-2

Sweep the weekend at home against the Reign and didn’t allow Ontario to score. Impressive. Lead the Pacific as well, doubly impressive. 

4. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 10th (up 6)
Record: 34-15-2-1

Looking like a two horse North Division race between Laval and Rochester.

5. Coachella Valley Firebirds

Last Week: 5th (no change)
Record: 30-18-1-5

Regulation loss to Henderson costs the Firebirds first place this week.Big series in Calgary this week.

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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.

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Apropos of the, ‘fly Eagles, fly’ chants going around in these parts and with their run of play of late, I figure it’s time to put the Colorado Eagles at the top of the Power Rankings this week.

The Eagles are just two points off the Calgary Wranglers for the top spot in the Pacific and I like their run of form recently better than the Wranglers.

Calgary doesn’t stray far from the top, which I give to you now.

1. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 27-13-4-2

Swept San Jose and are inching closer to Calgary for the top spot.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 31-12-2-1

Rocket go 1-1 in the week. That one loss was 5-0 shutout loss in Belleville. 

3. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 3rd (no change)
Record: 30-14-3-1

A chance to take over the top spot in the North as stymied Sunday by the Rocket who get the spot instead.

4. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 5th (up 1)
Record: 29-15-3-1

Just one this week against Ontario but these teams meet later today. 

5. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 8th (up 3)
Record: 30-13-5

Bears sweep the Pens this week to put some distance on a hard charging Wilkes-Barre. Head to Charlotte this weekend which could be a trap.

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You think you have a lot of time in the lead up to the Calder Cup Playoffs, but there’s only like eight weeks left in the season.

There is still time, sure, but you want to be trending upwards.

Laval, Wilkes-Barre and Rochester are all trending upwards, and are in the top three this week.

There are other teams just outside the top ten this week that are making moves like Utica and of all teams Henderson, but of those two I like the Comets overall chances better.

Let’s get into it…

1. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 2nd (up 1)
Record: 30-11-2-1

Hottest team in the AHL right now, it’s time to give the Rocket their just due and stick them at the top. Seven game win streak. 9-1 in their last ten. Trip to equally as hot Rochester this Saturday. 

2. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 3rd (up 1)
Record: 26-11-4

Never say die attitude against the Monsters at home Saturday, overcoming a 4-1 first period deficit to win 5-4 in overtime, have the Pens just five points off Hershey and in second place in the Atlantic.

3. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 6th (up 3)
Record: 28-12-3-1

Amerks are on a five game win streak but that is overshadowed by the work that the Rocket have done of late. 

4. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 9th (up 5)
Record: 25-12-4-2

Points in six straight have the Eagles within five points of first place Calgary with four games in hand.

5. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 1st (down 4)
Record: 29-15-2-1

Wranglers haven’t won in three games and the lead on the Pacific is closing tighter. Ontario visits this week and that isn’t going to be easy.

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