Chirps from Center Ice

So, how is your team doing at the All-Star break?

There are some good teams, like Calgary, who have been perpetually good. The Wranglers are the number one team this week knocking off the Bears, who drop to fifth.

Lots of miles ahead and can’t wait to see how it shakes out, let’s get into it.

1. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 2nd (up 1)
Record: 29-14-2

 Lead the division by six over the rest of the competition but there are good teams in the Pacific Division with games in hand.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 3rd (up 1)
Record: 28-11-2-1

Swept Hartford at home this week to keep on top of the North by one over the Americans.

3. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 8th (up 5)
Record: 24-11-4

Dropped nine on the Bears on Wednesday and split in Charlotte and still have a ton of games in hand. It’s going to be a busy second half in Wilkes-Barre.

4. Toronto Marlies

Last Week: 9th (up 5)
Record: 24-11-2-4

Ten game road trip concludes with the Marlies going 7-2-0-1 – that’s not bad and have Toronto in the mix.

5. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 1st (down 4)
Record: 28-12-5

Getting smashed 9-0 to the Penguins and keeping the very bad Islanders in it, twice at home, knock the Bears from the top spot this week. Bears showing signs they may be cooked, at least as a division leader.

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We are heading to the All-Star break after this next weekend and I have some season ending predictions for you for each of the divisions.

• Hershey will not win the Atlantic Division.
• Utica will make the playoffs.
• A Central Division team will play for the Calder Cup.
• Calgary will not win the Pacific Division.

In doing now 16 weeks of these Rankings I have picked up a bit of a vibe, and the above is it. Let’s come back and revisit how wrong I was in the future, shall we?

Let’s get into the Rankings this week with little shakeup to the top five.

1. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 26-11-5

Banged up Bears survived key losses a few months back. Now, with teams closing in, will they again in the coming weeks?

2. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Record: 28-13-2

Wranglers picked up 3 of 6 points this week but are still being pursued by the rest of the division and it seems like the gap is shortening. 

3. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 4th (up 1)
Record: 26-11-2-1

Laval is a work horse team that just grinds. That, and they are back at the top of the North looking to stay there. 

4. Texas Stars

Last Week: 3rd (down 1)
Record: 24-13-1

Stars stay hot, 8-2 in last ten and have tough competition on the plate this week win Milwaukee and Coachella Valley.

5. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 8th (up 3)
Record: 24-12-3-1

Griffins handle business in Winnipeg against the Moose and remain in firm control of the Central Division lead. 

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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.

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The Hershey Bears are inevitable.

After a few rough weeks, the Bears are getting healthy again and are at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings yet again. I don’t see a real argument for another team here, maybe Texas, who are 9-1 in their last ten and probably the hottest team in the League, but not this week.

Let’s get straight into it!

1. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 6th (up 5)
Record: 23-11-3

The Bears are vulnerable? Says who? Sweep another contender in Charlotte proves this team isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Erasing a three goal deficit in the third period Friday is quite impressive as well.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 8th (up 6)
Record: 21-10-2-1

Took three of four points in Cleveland to tighten things way up in the North as we hit mid-January.

3. Texas Stars

Last Week: 15th (up 12)
Record: 21-12-1

Stars are 9-1 in their last ten and have tied struggling Grand Rapids for tops in the Central.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 2nd (down 2)
Record: 22-10-3

Split the week and that doesn’t do them any favors as the lead over Cleveland is just a point.

5. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 1st (down 4)
Record: 21-10-0-1

Split with the Iowa Wild at home this weekend. Heading up to Abbotsford this week before returning home to host Henderson and Calgary.

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It’s a Reign of Terror, y’all!

The Ontario Reign stay at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings for the third week in a row. A lot to like with this team, 8-1-0-1 in their last ten and I think they give Calgary a run for the top of the division here soon.

The only problem is that San Jose, Coachella Valley, the always steady Colorado and Tucson are all in the mix and in this division where everyone stays close and rarely goes out of the division but for a handful of teams, it won’t be easy.

Anyway, let’s get into it for this week.

1. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 19-9-0-1

Reign in the Wranglers mirror seems larger than it appears. Ontario is the hottest team in the Pacific and the schedule is setting up as very favorable.

2. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Record: 21-9-3

Amerks are on a six game win streak and are using this to widen their lead on the North Division.

3. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 7th (up 4)
Record: 20-10-3

Griffins widen their lead in the Central and now have the next five at home.

4. Charlotte Checkers

Last Week: 6th (up 2)
Record: 19-8-1-2

Checkers have the next six at home, with division leading Hershey coming in this weekend. Charlotte may be the best team in the division, we think.

5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 9th (up 5)
Record: 18-8-3

Points in six straight and keeping the rest of the division leaders close. Canada trip next, which could be a trap.

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Consistency? In the Power Rankings? What’s this? The same number one team last week (Ontario) is the same number one team this week??

Yes.

Maybe not for long though, not if Providence or the Reign’s divisional counterpart Calgary have anything to say about it.

It’s the last Power Rankings of the year so let’s get into it!

1. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 17-8-0-1

Took three out of four points out of the week. I still like this team. Schedule is favorable this week. 

2. Providence Bruins

Last Week: 9th (up 7)
Record: 17-11-3

Hottest team in the Atlantic and probably the Conference and maybe the league are your Providence Bruins. Beating up on bad Atlantic Division teams in Bridgeport and Hartford keep them out of the top spot, though.

3. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 2nd (down 1)
Record: 20-9-1

Wranglers had the week off.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 4th (no change)
Record: 19-9-3

Amerks ascend to the top of the North Division with an 8-2 run in their last ten games.

5. Toronto Marlies

Last Week: 6th (up 1)
Record: 17-5-2-3

Swept Belleville and that’s enough to send their coach to Coachella Valley for All-Stars next month.

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