Chirps from Center Ice

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

Category Archives: The AHL

AHL Power Rankings: Week 5

Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 5 Posted by on November 14, 2016

Week 5 and we are approaching mid-November. Have you made Thanksgiving plans yet?

There is a bird at the top of the AHL Power Rankings this week which is the same bird that was number one last week. It’s the Penguins.

Here’s the reasoning why. They get shutout at home by the Toronto Marlies Friday, then turn around and allow the P-Bruins and Wolf Pack to score just one goal a piece. Meanwhile, Toronto goes to Allentown and is obliterated by the Phantoms 7-2. The Penguins are the best team in the AHL despite the setback to the Marlies.

Now the Phantoms? Lehigh Valley is the hottest team in the AHL right now, winners of six straight. They are number two this week and have a huge date with the Penguins at home Wednesday. If the Phantoms win Wednesday, the Chirps from Center Ice clairvoyants foresee Lehigh Valley being number one next week.

But that’s getting too far ahead of ourselves.

If you notice that a team in the top ten this week has fallen far this week, it’s because there are a boatload of teams that are making a case for a higher ranking and really no room in the top 15 or 20 for these teams, which you will see drop out of the top 10 and into the bottom 10.

I won’t keep you any longer. Click through the jump to see the full list if you didn’t link in direct.

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Power Rankings

Kevin Porter Suspended One Game

Comments Off on Kevin Porter Suspended One Game Posted by on November 13, 2016

Sunday afternoon, the AHL announced that Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins forward Kevin Porter has been suspended one game for this hit on Colin Smith Friday against the Toronto Marlies:

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In real time, it looks worse than it is. Porter could have gotten more games if slow motion didn’t exist in my opinion. It does not look like that head was the principal point of contact and Smith did have his head down. Just one of those things that happened late in the third period of a 3-0 loss by the Penguins.

Porter will miss this afternoon’s contest against Hartford in what would have been his 300th AHL game. Presumably, he will hit the 300 mark this Wednesday in Allentown when the Penguins face-off against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

More in a bit as the Penguins are in Hartford squaring off against the Wolf Pack at 5 p.m.

The AHL, WBS

AHL Power Rankings: Week 4

3 Comments Posted by on November 7, 2016

It’s Week 4 here at the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings and I swear I am not a homer.

That’s because the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins are the number one team this week.

They are the number one team in the AHL, that’s a fact, they really are, so why wouldn’t they be the number one team in some silly bloggers silly rankings?

Toronto is second. The Marlies are still a good team, find out why they dropped one below if you linked in direct. If you didn’t, jump through to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

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Power Rankings

AHL Power Rankings: Week 3

1 Comment Posted by on October 31, 2016

It’s Week 3 in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings and we have a familiar face last the top of the list.

As the calendar flips to November, there are teams that were supposed to contend that haven’t yet and surprise teams in the Top 15 this week.

I won’t keep you here too long if you didn’t link through, so please hit the jump to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

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Power Rankings

AHL Power Rankings: Week 2

Comments Off on AHL Power Rankings: Week 2 Posted by on October 24, 2016

In the Week 2 version of the 2016-17 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings, I give you three things to look for.

The two peskiest teams in each Conference and the most surprising team overall.

The best team? Well you won’t have to look far, it’s the number one team this week. I won’t spoil it for you if you just happened here without a link in, so jump through to find out who and where your favorite team ended up this week.

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Power Rankings

AHL Power Rankings: Week 1

2 Comments Posted by on October 17, 2016

It’s the first weekend of AHL hockey for the 2016-17 season and the Week 1 AHL Power Rankings are due.

If you are new to this, it’s one guys attempt at ranking all the AHL teams, 1-30. It runs all season on Monday at 4 p.m. most times, right here on the blog.

In this weeks version, the defending champs sit at the top of the mountain after raising a banner and beating a division rival.

The Eastern Conference runner ups and their closest competition are 2 and 3 this week.

Every team played a game this week except for the Bakersfield Condors, who are ranked, you just have to find them.

I won’t keep you. The Rankings begin after the jump if you didn’t link in direct.

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Power Rankings

Atlantic Division Preview

2 Comments Posted by on October 13, 2016

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On the final day of the 2016-17 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Previews, we find ourselves in familiar territory. It’s the Atlantic Division and the division where the Penguins will play the most amount of games. The only changes here is the old Portland Pirates team being sold to the Florida Panthers and their relocating the prospects to AHL League Headquarters residing in Springfield, Massachusetts. In keeping with yesterday’s North Division, home games for the Penguins are listed in bold.

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NHL Affiliation: New York Islanders

Record: 40-29-4-3 (87 pts., 5th place Atlantic Division)

Playoffs: Played as the five seed out of the Atlantic Division on account of having a higher points percentage than fourth place Syracuse in the North Division and were swept by the Toronto Marlies in the North Division Semifinals.

Head Coach: Brent Thompson

Arena: Webster Bank Arena

ECHL Affiliation: Missouri Mavericks

Offseason Moves: Kellen Jones

The Case For: In this division, with the caliber of teams in it, I’m not finding one.

The Case Against: Please keep reading.

Media Coverage: The Great Mike Fornabaio for the Connecticut Post

Twitter: @TheSoundTigers

Facebook: /soundtigers

Instagram: soundtigers

Broadcaster: Alan Fuehring

vs. WBS: 11/5, 11/18, 11/25, 11/26, 12/11, 4/15

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NHL Affiliation: New York Rangers

Record: 41-32-3-0 (85 pts., 6th place Atlantic Division)

Playoffs: Did not qualify.

Head Coach: Ken Gernander

Arena: XL Center

ECHL Affiliation: Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Offseason Moves: Michael Paliotta, Philip McRae, Matt Carey, Sean Sullivan

The Case For: Solid veteran signings made by Hartford here.

The Case Against: Four teams make the playoffs. Pennsylvania is a lock. That leaves room for one more team. Is Hartford it?

Media Coverage: Mitch Beck for the blog Howlings Today

Twitter: @WolfPackAHL

Facebook: /HartfordWolfPack

Instagram: hartford_wolfpack

Broadcaster: Bob Crawford

vs. WBS: 10/15, 11/13, 12/14, 1/3, 3/5, 3/10, 3/21, 4/8

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NHL Affiliation: Washington Capitals

Record: 43-21-5-7 (98 pts., 1st place Atlantic Division)

Playoffs: Played as the one seed playing out of the Atlantic Division and were swept by the Lake Erie Monsters in the Calder Cup Finals.

Head Coach: Troy Mann

Arena: Giant Center

ECHL Affiliation: South Carolina Stingrays

Offseason Moves: Hubert Labrie, Dominic Monardo, Joe Cannata, Darren Dietz, Christian Thomas

The Case For: Bears return the Bourque brothers in Ryan and Chris, Zach Sill, along with these solid signings. The Bears are the division champion favorites until another team comes and knocks them off.

The Case Against: Is this an upgraded Bears team that got swept by the Monsters in the Calder Cup Finals or baseline upgrades to a team in whose in-state rivals upgraded big time?

Media Coverage: Kyle Mace for the blog Chocolate Hockey

Twitter: @TheHersheyBears

Facebook: /TheHersheyBears

Instagram: thehersheybears

Broadcaster: Zack Fisch

vs. WBS: 10/23, 11/19, 11/23, 12/9, 12/10, 1/6, 1/8, 1/18, 1/21, 2/10, 3/4, 4/14

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NHL Affiliation: Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 34-35-4-3 (75 pts., 7th place Atlantic Division)

Playoffs: Did not qualify.

Head Coach: Scott Gordon

Arena: PPL Center

ECHL Affiliation: Reading Royals

Offseason Moves: T.J. Brennan, Will O’Neill, Andy Miele, Greg Carey

The Case For: Brennan and Miele were 1-2 in the offseason AHL Big Board ran here on the blog in the summer. The Phantoms can’t mess up the season with these all-stars can they?

The Case Against: If history is any indicator, Lehigh Valley will find a way to mess things up and be irrelevant by January.

Media Coverage: Stephen Gross for The Morning Call and @KRAM209 for The Horn and Bell blog.

Twitter: @LVPhantoms

Facebook: /LehighValleyPhantoms

Instagram: lehighvalleyphantoms

Broadcaster: Bob Rotruck

vs. WBS: 11/16, 1/20, 2/4, 2/14, 2/25, 3/8, 3/17, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/7, 4/12

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NHL Affiliation: Boston Bruins

Record: 41-22-9-4 (95 pts., 2nd place Atlantic Division)

Playoffs: Played as the two seed out of the Atlantic Division and were swept in three games by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.

Head Coach: Kevin Dean

Arena: Dunkin’ Donuts Center

ECHL Affiliation: Atlanta Gladiators

Offseason Moves: Alex Grant, Anton Khudobin, Tim Schaller

The Case For: Veteran defense and goaltender added to the mix for Kevin Dean. Bruins have been around for a bit, but this feels like a dawning of a new era in Providence.

The Case Against: We’ll believe the hype when we see the Bruins in the second of the playoffs.

Media Coverage: Mark Divver for the Providence Journal

Twitter: @AHLBruins

Facebook: /providencebruins

Instagram: ahlbruins

Broadcaster: Craig Durham

vs. WBS: 11/6, 11/12, 12/30, 2/19, 3/11, 4/9

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NHL Affiliation: Florida Panthers

Record: 41-27-6-2 (90 pts., 4th place Atlantic Division playing as the Portland Pirates)

Playoffs: As the Portland Pirates and playing as a four seed out of the Atlantic Division, lost in five games to the Hershey Bears in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.

Head Coach: Geordie Kinnear

Arena: MassMutual Center

ECHL Affiliation: None.

Offseason Moves: Ryan Horvat

The Case For: Should be a better campaign for Springfield fans as Florida moves their prospects in. Panthers have been trending upwards, so maybe the Thunderbirds can play upset.

The Case Against: Healthy doses of Providence, Hershey, Wilkes-Barre and we’ll go ahead and throw Lehigh Valley in for the Thunderbirds can’t bode well for Springfield’s playoff chances.

Media Coverage: MassLive.com

Twitter: @thunderbirdsahl

Facebook: /thunderbirdsahl

Instagram: thunderbirdsahl

Broadcaster: Ryan Smith

vs. WBS: 10/21, 10/29, 12/17, 12/27, 2/18, 3/31

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NHL Affiliation: Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 43-27-4-2 (92 pts., 3rd place Atlantic Division)

Playoffs: Playing as the three seed out of the Atlantic Division, lost in overtime in Game Seven in the Atlantic Division Finals to the Hershey Bears.

Head Coach: Clark Donatelli

Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

ECHL Affiliation: Wheeling Nailers

Offseason Moves: Stuart Percy, Cameron Gaunce, Chad Ruhwedel, Garrett Wilson, Thomas DiPauli, Ryan Haggerty

The Case For: Deepest blue line in the division, if not the conference, if not in all of the AHL. Penguins will win a lot because the other team may not score.

The Case Against: Shallowest forward corps in the division. Beyond the top two lines, who will score? Penguins may not win a lot because they can’t score.

Media Coverage: The best in the business. Seth Lakso for the Citizens Voice, Tom Venesky for the Times Leader, and you know who for you know what blog. Probably the most covered AHL team in the league with two daily newspapers and a full time blog covering the team from every angle.

Twitter: @WBSPenguins

Facebook: /WilkesBarreScrantonPenguins

Instagram: wbspenguins

Broadcaster: Mike O’Brien with Nick Hart on color.

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If you have a team going Friday, good luck. Pens open their eighteenth season Saturday at home against Hartford. The Gameday setup for that will hit the blog Saturday afternoon at 3.

The AHL

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