Chirps from Center Ice

So I shook things up a lot with this weeks version of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

First things first, the curse is very real and sorry Ontario Reign fans, you’re next on the list to get the number one spot in the Rankings after winning six straight and 9-1 in your last ten.

There is only one team (Calgary) left in the top five that wasn’t there last week. Brand new top five but for the Wranglers. Oh, and the Records are back! Let’s jump right in.

1. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 7th (up 6)
Record: 16-8

Sweep the Firebirds in a home and home series. The Reign have won six straight and are 9-1 in their last ten.

2. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 20-9-1

Uncharacteristically shutout at home to last place Henderson Sunday. When you have as big a lead as the Wranglers do, you can have a clunker every once in a while.

3. Tucson Roadrunners

Last Week: 18th (up 15)
Record: 16-10

Roadrunners have won six straight and are 8-2 in their last ten. Huge matchup looms this weekend at home against the Eagles.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 8th (up 4)
Record: 17-9-3

Split with Syracuse and beat Cleveland. You take weeks like that if you are the Americans.

5. Chicago Wolves

Last Week: 12th (up 7)
Record: 14-9-2

Well look here, all of a sudden the Chicago Wolves are one of the hottest teams in the AHL. Points in eight straight and in a dead heat with Milwaukee for second in the Central, pursuing old IHL rival Grand Rapids.

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So, the curse is very real.

I put Hershey at the top of the Power Rankings last week and they were shutout in one game and only scored a goal in the other. In the game that they won, they needed a late goal and overtime to win against a team they had no business losing to.

I think the curse is real. Sorry Wranglers fans, but you get the dubious number one distinction this week after being skipped over for weeks due to my ineptitude or East Coast bias, one or the other.

Oh, a note about the records section of the Rankings. Those will return next week. Too many games played on Sunday for me to wait until 10:30 p.m. to fill all of them in with an 8 p.m. start and work in the morning. The Penguins and Bears are the last team out of the gate Sunday, they will return in the Week 11 version. Apologies in advance.

Let’s go!

1. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 2nd (up 1)

We will see if the Chirps from Center Ice #1 curse is real or not. Wranglers get the dubious distinction this week.

2. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 6th (up 4)

I’d say that was a productive trip out to Loveland, getting points in every game in a hostile environment. 

3. San Jose Barracuda

Last Week: 5th (up 2)

Barracuda look good but still some flaws with this club.

4. Cleveland Monsters

Last Week: 10th (up 6)

Monsters are in the middle of an eight game homestead and looking pretty good leading the North Division. 

5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 9th (up 4)

Up and down week for the Penguins who split with Charlotte and win a nail biter against Springfield. A midweek date with Toronto seems like a nice measuring stick.

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It’s Hershey, again. It seems the Bears are inevitable.

Hershey sweeps the week and retakes the number one spot in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

We will see if there is any steam to the jinx that I think I put on the number one team by making them number one. With Hershey though, I don’t think so.

Alright, enough bloviating, let’s go!

1. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 8th (up 7)
Record: 17-5-3

Whatever it was that bugged this team is out of their system. Bears sweep the week and are again the number one team in the Rankings. 

2. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Record: 17-5-1

Sorry Wranglers fans, but yeah, the East Coast bias is real. Hershey does indeed jump seven spots, over you despite you sweeping a game Tucson club which has been making noise of late. Lead the Pacific comfortably here in mid-December, but so does Hershey in the East.

3. Springfield Thunderbirds

Last Week: 7th (up 4)
Record: 12-9-1

8-1-1 in their last ten so a hot team including a four game win streak. I think they are the hottest team in the League right now. Five game road trip begins Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

4. Belleville Senators

Last Week: 5th (up 1)
Record: 11-4-0-4

Sweep the Moose in Winnipeg and have won four in a row but the North is ultra competitive, so the B-Sens are fifth in the division. And no, I don’t know what my obsession is with this team is either.

5. San Jose Barracuda

Last Week: 12th (up 7)
Record: 14-6-0-1

Sweep the Firebirds and have some separation for second in the Pacific. One more with Coachella Valley then San Diego and Ontario kick off a five game road trip.

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You guys.

We did it.

We managed to have a number one ranked team last week stay there this week.

The Grand Rapids Griffins stay at the top spot in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings the week after bringing to an end the Cleveland Monsters ten game win streak.

Some shake up to the top five. Don’t forget to jump through to teams 6 through 32 if you didn’t link in direct. Here we go…

1. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 14-5-1

Griffins bring an end to the Monsters ten game win streak. Three straight with Chicago this weekend.

2. Cleveland Monsters

Last Week: 3rd (up 1)
Record: 14-5-0-1

I teased the Monsters being the number one team in this weeks Rankings after Saturday’s recap after winning ten straight and they go to Grand Rapids and lose. Still, take over the North Division lead from Laval.

3. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 5th (up 2)
Record: 11-4-1

Beat the division leading Rocket and Bears impressively. I’m hesitant to put the Penguins at number one because it seems like a cursed spot and I’m not a madman. But if the Penguins keep rolling with the wins against the Bears, Wolf Pack and Bruins this week, they will leave me no choice.

4. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 8th (up 4)
Record: 15-5-1

Seven game road trip ends with a sweep in Winnipeg. Home now for a bit with Tucson on the menu.

5. Belleville Senators

Last Week: 7th (up 2)
Record: 9-4-0-4

B-Sens grinding points, sweeping Bridgeport this weekend. Now off to Winnipeg to take on a last place in the Central Moose team.

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A word on the Rankings, I am traveling over Thanksgiving and don’t know if Week 8 will be next Monday or the Monday after that. I guess stay tuned?

So, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILL THE NUMBER ONE TEAM STAY THERE FOR A WEEK?

I tried it with Laval, who really should have been there for a few weeks but after a bad week the Rocket fall out of the top spot.

This week belongs to the Grand Rapids. Griffs, can ya stay there for longer than a week? Can ya?!?!?!?!//111/1/1

1. Grand Rapids Griffins

Record: 12-4-1
Last Week: 3rd (up 2)

Griffins could have opened up a 7 point lead on a suddenly stagnant Milwaukee team but lost to a surging Iowa team. I hope that’s not a precursor for next week.

2. Hershey Bears

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

Bears keep piling points after a good trip through the North Division. Laval visits Wednesday makes for a great pre-Thanksgiving matchup with two really good teams.

3. Cleveland Monsters

Record: 12-4-0-1
Last Week: 6th (up 3)

Pair of wins over Central leading Milwaukee have the Monsters knocking on the door of the North Division lead.

4. Laval Rocket

Record: 13-3-1
Last Week: 1st (down 3)

Rocket salvage their week with a win over the Senators after dropping one to Belleville the night before and Rochester midweek.

5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Record: 9-4-1
Last Week: 9th (up 4)

Light week for the Penguins who shutout the Islanders Friday. Division leading Laval and Hershey this weekend to see what this team is made of.

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So I don’t know if it’s a curse, or what, but I can’t get a team I put at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings to stay there all of a sudden.

Last week it was the Hershey Bears, but after a rough Friday they fall out of the top spot.

I think the most consistent team right now is the Laval Rocket, but you could have said that about Milwaukee or Rochester a few weeks ago but those teams had rough weeks and dropped. Will the Rocket stick around at the top again next week?

1. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 12-2

Rocket stay hot and get the dreaded top spot this week in the Power Rankings. Three straight wins this week and 9-1 in their last ten.

2. Calgary Flames

Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Record: 12-3-1

3 out of 4 points in San Jose. Flames had the Barracuda where they wanted them, but let them beat them in overtime. Trip to San Diego then over to Tucson.

3. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 8th (up 5)
Record: 11-3-1

Griffins put some distance on Milwaukee who they beat Saturday and sit comfortably atop the Central. 

4. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 1st (down 3)
Record: 11-4-1

Are the Bears vulnerable or was it a bad week? I am thinking it may have been the latter, because after a 6-1 drubbing by the Islanders, Hershey responds in kind and doubles up Lehigh Valley in Allentown the next night.

5. Bakersfield Condors

Last Week: 12th (up 7)
Record: 6-4-2-1

One game this week and boy was it a doozy against San Diego, an 8-7 shootout win. Condors have the next five at home.

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It’s the Bears. Again.

They may have company soon, inside their own division, but for now the Hershey Bears reclaim the number one spot from the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers didn’t go far, though.

Here’s the whole list.

1. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 2nd (up 1)
Record: 9-3-1

 Sweep Springfield with a pair of 3-2 decisions and that Sunday one came via overtime where the Thunderbirds scored a pair in the final minute.

2. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Record: 11-3

Pair of shutouts for the Wranglers, who are way out in front in the Pacific. Seven game road trip starts Saturday in San Jose.

 3. Charlotte Checkers

Last Week: 1st (down 2)
Record: 7-2-0-1

Split with the Marlies at home which keeps the Checkers in touch with the Penguins for second in the Atlantic.

4. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 3rd (down 1)
Record: 9-2

Finally got stopped by the Belleville Senators on Saturday. We think that the Rocket will be fine. Rochester, Syracuse, Rochester stop in this week.

5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 6th (up 1)
Record: 8-3

Statement win against Rochester Saturday has the Penguins in the groove. 

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