Chirps from Center Ice

A fan blog about the AHL's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Category Archives: The AHL

AHL Power Rankings: Week 27

Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 27 Posted by on April 11, 2019

Seven spots are up for grabs in the final weekend of the AHL’s regular season and it appears that no one in the Central wants them.

That race is the biggest one to watch as you have just one team qualified (Chicago) and six teams separated by seven points. It’s anyone’s for the taking really, and the race is likely coming down to the final day.

As for the top five this week in Week 27, no changes to the top four with Providence jumping in to round out the top five.

Click past the Bruins if you didn’t link in direct to see where your favorite team ended up this week and enjoy the final weekend of hockey in the AHL this season!

1

 Last Week: SPR 5 @ CHA 3, SPR 0 @ CHA 5
Will be fine tuning things in the final week for an anticipated first round matchup against the Providence Bruins.

n/a

 This Week: @ CLE 4/11, @ CLE 4/12
Record: 49-17-7-1

2

 Last Week: SYR 6 @ RCH 1, RCH 5 @ SYR 2
Crunch lock up home ice for round one, looking to win the division his week against some good opponents.

n/a

 This Week: vs. LAV 4/12, vs. RCH 4/13 @ UTI 4/14
Record: 45-21-4-3

3

 Last Week: SYR 6 @ RCH 1, RCH 5 @ SYR 2, RCH 2 @ CLE 1
Division championship still needs to be ferreted out and that will come this weekend, down to the Amerks and Syracuse. Staying healthy between now, then and the start of playoffs is the goal.

n/a

 This Week: vs. BNG 4/12, @ SYR 4/13, @ BEL 4/14
Record: 45-22-4-2

4

 Last Week: CHI 3 @ MIL 4, COL 2 @ CHI 3, COL 3 @ CHI 2 (SO)
Desperate teams coming in this week on Chicago’s final tuneup before the start of the postseason.

n/a

 This Week: @ IA 4/12, vs. MTB 4/13, vs. MTB 4/14
Record: 43-21-5-4

5

 Last Week: BRI 6 @ PRO 8, PRO 3 @ BRI 4, UTI 1 @ PRO 3
Needs just a point to clinch the fourth and final spot. Very tough first round matchup with Charlotte looms.

+2

 This Week: vs. LV 4/12, @ SPR 4/13, vs. SPR 4/14
Record: 37-25-8-3

Read more of this post

Power Rankings

AHL Power Rankings: Week 26

Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 26 Posted by on April 4, 2019

Five teams have qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs and fitting this week that those five teams are in the top five in the Week 26 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

It may not matter though, because the Charlotte Checkers look unstoppable. They will lock up home ice through the playoffs this weekend and good luck trying to beat this team in a five or seven game series.

Syracuse and Rochester have a huge home and home series this weekend for the North Division Championship.

Chicago has punched their ticket to the postseason and are above the noise of six other teams that are battling for the final three spots in the division.

Bakersfield rounds out the top five as a recent qualifier for the postseason.

Jump past the Condors if you didn’t link in direct to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

1

 Last Week: CHA 4 @ HFD 1, CHA 1 @ BRI 2, LV 1 @ CHA 5, LV 2 @ CHA 6
Lots of talk on this blog about fourth place in the Atlantic. Well, whoever gets that distinction faces off against Charlotte who will only be extending that teams season by two weeks. Checkers look unstoppable, and that isn’t good for the other 15 teams which qualify for the postseason.

n/a

 This Week: vs. SPR 4/6, vs. SPR 4/7
Record: 48-16-7-1

2

 Last Week: PRO 3 @ SYR 2, UTI 2 @ SYR 6, SYR 1 @ BEL 0
Three clear on Rochester for the division title and colud put the division championship away this weekend with a home and home with the Americans.

n/a

 This Week: @ RCH 4/5, vs. RCH 4/6
Record: 44-20-4-3

3

 Last Week: RCH 2 @ LAV 4, RCH 6 @ BNG 4
Amerks locked up a spot for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Next is home ice through the first round, maybe the division. Big series with Syracuse this weekend.

+2

 This Week: vs. SYR 4/5, @ SYR 4/6, @ CLE 4/8
Record: 43-21-4-2

4

 Last Week: CHI 4 @ GR 3, MIL 4 @ CHI 2, CHI 5 @ RFD 2
Wolves are above the noise which is buzzing at Grand Rapids, Iowa and below for the final three spots in the Central and have already locked up a playoff spot.

n/a

 This Week: @ MIL 4/5, vs. COL 4/6, vs. COL 4/7
Record: 42-20-5-3

5

 Last Week: BAK 3 @ SD 2, SJ 4 @ BAK 2, BAK 1 @ MTB 3, BAK 2 @ MTB 3
Condors are a playoff team, but hitting the final stretch a bit cold, having lost three straight.

-2

 This Week: @ SA 4/6, vs. TUC 4/10
Record: 39-20-3-2

Read more of this post

Power Rankings

Setting Up The Weekend

Comments Off on Setting Up The Weekend Posted by on April 3, 2019

I wanted to drop in here with some thoughts on an important weekend for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins and Providence Bruins, the two teams for the final spot in the Atlantic Division Playoff race.

First, I saw this tidbit a few days ago, but in order to guarantee another 40 win season, Wilkes-Barre needs to win its remaining games. That would give them a max point total of 90 which bleeds into my other topics.

Here’s how your weekend sets up for the Penguins…

Friday: Home game against the Binghamton Devils. Believe it or not, its the first visit the Devils will make to Wilkes-Barre all season. The Devils are the Eastern Conference’s worst team and it’s not close.

Saturday and Sunday: Overnight trip to Allentown to take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Phantoms are sixth in the division and three points off of the Penguins and six points off of the Providence Bruins. They have six games left, five after today when they rematch later against the Charlotte Checkers who obliterated the Phantoms Tuesday 5-1. The Checkers had a 19-3 shot advantage after the first period. This was a game that the Phantoms needed to win just to keep pace and lost. Stick a fork in them, they are done. Yet, they will host the Pens for two this weekend.

How They Match Up: The Pens are 6-4, including two overtime wins against Lehigh Valley. They have not lost to the Phantoms at PPL Center this season.

Here’s how the weekend sets up for Providence…

Friday and Saturday: A home and home against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers beginning Friday in Rhode Island. Bridgeport’s magic number is 2. They have a five point cushion on Hershey for second with two more games played, so they aren’t out of the woods yet as far as home ice advantage and have a lot to play for yet. So do the fourth place Bruins. They lead the Penguins by three points with equal games played.

How They Match Up: Sound Tigers lead the season series 6-3-1-0 including four overtime wins and a shootout win. Bridgeport has had the Bruins number of recent; two overtime wins, a shootout and regulation win to go with just one regulation loss in the last five recent meetings.

Providence also hosts Utica Sunday. The Comets have been in a nosedive, 1-8-1 in their last ten and aren’t going to make the postseason.

Conceivably, the Penguins could be a playoff team when the dust settles Saturday night, provided they win both games Friday and Saturday and Providence is swept by Bridgeport.

Should be an interesting weekend. Week 26 AHL Power Rankings are here Thursday, then the Gameday setup against Binghamton Friday at 3.

The AHL, WBS

AHL Power Rankings: Week 25

Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 25 Posted by on March 28, 2019

Playoff tickets started getting punched this past week and it’s two familiar names at the top of the Power Rankings that were first.

Charlotte, the league’s best team and overall favorite for the Calder Cup and Syracuse, the workhorse team from the North Division both locked up playoff berths.

The next three teams that round out the top five in Bakersfield, Chicago and Rochester. These three teams should be next in line to start planning their postseason.

After the Wolves, click past to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

1

 Last Week: HFD 1 @ CHA 3, HFD 2 @ CHA 6, CHA 4 @ BRI 0
Will be favored to win the Calder Cup by miles. Clearly, above and beyond, the leagues best team.

n/a

 This Week: @ HFD 3/29, @ BRI 3/30, vs. LV 4/2, vs. LV 4/3
Record: 45-15-7-1

2

 Last Week: UTI 2 @ SYR 6, SYR 1 @ BRI 4, SYR 1 @ BEL 2 (SO)
Were the second AHL team to lock up a playoff berth. Now, to lock up home ice through the divisional games. Tough games ahead.

n/a

 This Week: vs. PRO 3/29, vs. UTI 3/30, @ BEL 4/3
Record: 42-19-4-3

3

 Last Week: BAK 4 @ ONT 5 (SO), ONT 2 @ BAK 5
Should be the first team in the West to lock up a playoff spot. Important series of games coming up this weekend.

+1

 This Week: @ SD 3/29, vs. SJ 3/30, @ MTB 4/2, @ MTB 4/3
Record: 38-17-3-2

4

 Last Week: CHI 4 @ TEX 1, CHI 5 @ SA 0, CHI 4 @ SA 1
Very important game Friday with the Griffins with divisional title implications on the line.

+1

 This Week: @ GR 3/29, vs. MIL 3/30, @ RFD 3/31
Record: 40-19-5-3

5

 Last Week: CLE 5 @ RCH 2, RCH 5 @ TOR 2, RCH 5 @ TOR 4 (OT), LV 4 @ RCH 3 (OT)
Impressive take down of Toronto this past weekend. It’s a race between Rochester and Bridgeport to see which team qualifies next for the playoffs.

+3

 This Week: vs. LAV 3/29, @ BNG 3/30
Record: 41-21-4-2

Read more of this post

Power Rankings

AHL Power Rankings: Week 24

2 Comments Posted by on March 21, 2019

We are less than a month away from the Calder Cup Playoffs. We have solid playoff teams and teams still battling to get it.

Now, we can start having a discussion of Calder Cup favorites. I think your choice is going to be my choice and it may be bolstered by the week they just had.

Can anyone beat the Charlotte Checkers, our number one team this week, in a playoff series?

Syracuse, our number two team this week, gave it a good run this past week, but that would only come with the Crunch getting out of the North which a matchup against the number three team in Belleville may not be an automatic guarantee.

Bakersfield and Chicago round out the top five. The Condors smoked Ontario in their only action this week and the Wolves are battling for the division championship in the Central.

Click past the Wolves to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

1

 Last Week: RCH 1 @ CHA 4, RCH 1 @ CHA 3, SYR 2 @ CHA 1 (OT), SYR 2 @ CHA 4
We don’t think there is a team that can touch the Checkers in a seven game series. They should be your favorites for the Calder Cup this season.

n/a

 This Week: vs. HFD 3/23, vs. HFD 3/24, @ BRI 3/27
Record: 42-15-7-1

2

 Last Week: HFD 2 @ SYR 3, BNG 1 @ SYR 4, SYR 2 @ CHA 1 (OT), SYR 2 @ CHA 4
Split a series with Charlotte this past week. We’d slightly like the Crunch’s chances against the Checkers than say, Rochester.

n/a

 This Week: vs. UTI 3/23, @ BRI 3/24, @ BEL 3/27
Record: 41-18-4-2

3

 Last Week: LAV 3 @ BEL 2 (SO), LAV 5 @ BEL 6 (SO), UTI 1 @ BEL 3
You can probably start buying the ink in Belleville for those playoff tickets after this 5 of 6 point week.

+1

 This Week: @ PRO 3/22, @ BRI 3/23, vs. SYR 3/27
Record: 33-25-3-5

4

 Last Week: ONT 0 @ BAK 7
Smoked Ontario Saturday in their only action of the week. Come back for seconds and thirds this week with two more against the Reign.

+1

 This Week: @ ONT 3/22, vs. ONT 3/27
Record: 37-17-3-1

5

 Last Week: CLE 3 @ CHI 2, SA 2 @ CHI 6, CHI 1 @ RFD 2 (SO)
Wolves are a lock for the postseason, but the division championship remains in doubt. Will probably come down to the final day, but a two point cushion now in Rosemont may as well be twelve.

+1

 This Week: @ TEX 3/22, @ SA 3/23, @ SA 3/26
Record: 37-19-5-3

Read more of this post

Power Rankings

AHL Power Rankings: Week 23

Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 23 Posted by on March 14, 2019

Playoff picture getting clearer, or is it? We try to make sense of it all in the Week 23 AHL Power Rankings.

No surprise that Charlotte and Syracuse are the top two teams again this week. Rochester is given their due in third as the leaders of the North Division followed by Belleville, who finally is in the playoff picture formally now and Bakersfield.

Three North Division clubs in the top five this week. Question for you to take away, do you see any of the three beating Charlotte in a seven game series?

Click past the Condors to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

1

 Last Week: CHA 2 @ LV 3, CHA 4 @ LV 0
Split with Lehigh Valley. It’s becoming apparent that the division runs through the Checkers, probably the Conference and likely the entirety of the AHL.

n/a

 This Week: vs. RCH 3/15, vs. RCH 3/16, vs. SYR 3/19, vs. SYR 3/20
Record: 39-15-6-1

2

 Last Week: UTI 0 @ SYR 4, SYR 3 @ WBS 4 (OT), SYR 4 @ LAV 2
Is anyone really talking about Syracuse as a Calder Cup favorite? If not, you should be.

n/a

 This Week: vs. HFD 3/15, vs. BNG 3/16, @ CHA 3/19, @ CHA 3/20
Record: 38-17-4-2

3

 Last Week: BRI 0 @ RCH 5, RCH 5 @ BNG 3, BNG 1 @ RCH 6, UTI 0 @ RCH 3
Amerks go tops on Syracuse in the division but they have two more games played than the Crunch. Head to North Carolina for a date with the Checkers that Rochester hopes is an Eastern Conference Finals Preview.

+4

 This Week: @ CHA 3/15, @ CHA 3/16
Record: 39-18-3-2

4

 Last Week: BEL 1 @ CLE 2, BEL 0 @ CLE 4, BEL 5 @ TOR 3
Knocking on the door of a playoff spot for weeks, now in at the four spot in the North. Game next Wednesday with Utica is looming large,k but let’s not look past Laval looking to play spoiler.

+2

 This Week: vs. LAV 3/15, vs. LAV 3/16, vs. UTI 3/20
Record: 31-25-3-4

5

 Last Week: BAK 1 @ STK 4, BAK 7 @ SJ 1, SD 5 @ BAK 4 (OT)
Light week this week, one with Ontario. Three points out of a possible six points last week.

-2

 This Week: vs. ONT 3/16
Record: 36-17-3-1

Read more of this post

Power Rankings

AHL Power Rankings: Week 22

Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 22 Posted by on March 7, 2019

Sorry Charlotte, we will never doubt you again.

The Checkers regain their rightful place at the top of the Week 22 version of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings. After a few rough stretches, the Checkers have shook off whatever bothered them and have the Atlantic Division on lock down. They are the number one team again in this weeks Rankings.

We decided to shake up the top five a bit. Syracuse, after gaining sole possession of first place in a very competitive North Division, are the number two team.

Bakersfield’s 17 game win streak is in the past, but don’t get us wrong, the Condors remain a very dominant team. They are third this week.

Grand Rapids stays fourth in a clouded top of the Central Division and there was much debate over Bridgeport and Belleville, but the Sound Tigers get the five spot while the Senators point streak continues.

Click past the Sound Tigers if you didn’t link in direct to see where your favorite team, if not already mentioned above, ended up this week.

1

 Last Week: BNG 2 @ CHA 4, BNG 1 @ CHA 8
Checkers are over the bump in the road they had a few weeks ago and are on a four game win streak. Important games this weekend in Allentown.

+5

 This Week: @ LV 3/8, @ LV 3/10
Record: 38-14-6-1

2

 Last Week: LV 0 @ SYR 4, RCH 5 @ SYR 3, SYR 4 @ RCH 1, SYR 5 @ UTI 3
Sole possession of first now in the North. Rematch with Utica tomorrow before trips to Pennsylvania to close out the week.

+6

 This Week: vs. UTI 3/8, @ WBS 3/9, @ LAV 3/13
Record: 36-17-3-2

3

 Last Week: IA 1 @ BAK 0, SJ 2 @ BAK 5, BAK 8 @ SJ 4
17 game win streak ended Friday, but the Condors look like a team that can just start another one.

-2

 This Week: @ STK 3/8, @ SJ 3/9, vs. SD 3/13
Record: 35-15-2-1

4

 Last Week: GR 4 @ RFD 5 (OT), TEX 2 @ GR 5
Tied on points with Chicago, a point a head of Iowa. Rinse and repeat. Central Division race shaping up to be down to the wire.

n/a

 This Week: vs. IA 3/8, @ MIL 3/9,
Record: 32-17-5-4

5

 Last Week: BRI 4 @ HER 1, BRI 3 @ LV 1
Have won seven straight and are 9-0-1 in last ten and solidifying themselves as the two seed in the Atlantic, barring an unforeseen collapse.

n/a

 This Week: @ RCH 3/8, @ TOR 3/10
Record: 35-18-5-2

Read more of this post

Power Rankings

← Older posts

Newer posts →