Chirps from Center Ice

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

Category Archives: The AHL

AHL Power Rankings: Week 12

There used to be a saying around the American Hockey League that the East Division was the best division where hockey is played.

No more.

The Northeast Division is the best division in the AHL. With all five teams in the top eight in the Eastern Conference, all five teams are in the top nine in the Week 12 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

But, there is a team out in Oklahoma City that is tops this week and a team in Utica that is tops overall.

With respect to the East Division, there is a team that the Politboro finds to be the most complete team. It isn’t Wilkes-Barre or Hershey, so you’ll need to hop through the jump to see who and to see where all the other teams ended up this week.

Read more of this post

AHL Power Rankings: Week 11

So have you been naughty or have you been nice? Do you have a team that is winning or a team that is losing?

For some teams, they were winning and are losing (Rockford) – for others, they have been losing and now are winning (Hartford, Providence)

Some teams have lost all season long (Rochester) other teams have won all season long (Utica)

So while not a naughty and nice list, the Week 11 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings hopefully captures the spirit of the thing.

Hop though the jump to see where everyone ended up this week if you didn’t link in direct.

Read more of this post

AHL Power Rankings: Week 10

A Monarchy this week here in Week 10 of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

Despite an Atlantic Division team leading this week, the Northeast Division is the Power Conference. There are four teams in the division that are in the top eight in the Eastern Conference. The Springfield Falcons were dethroned by Manchester this weekend, but don’t let that fool you. Also, there is a team in that division not mentioned here who I call the AHL’s best team. You shouldn’t have to scroll down too far to see who.

You should know the drill now. Hop through the jump if you haven’t linked in from someplace else to see where everyone ended up this week.

Read more of this post

AHL Power Rankings: Week 9

Not a whole heck of a lot of shake up to the top five this week in the Week 9 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

The Springfield Falcons remain at the top of the pack with another perfect week and an 11 game winning streak.

The surprising Oklahoma City Barons are second on the board with a perfect weekend and leading the West Division.

The San Antonio Rampage remain hot with points in their last eleven outings.

There’s 27 other teams that I can ramble on about here in this space but won’t. Instead I will ask you to click the jump to see where the rest all ended up if you didn’t link in direct.

Read more of this post

AHL Power Rankings: Week 8

So here we are in Week 8 of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings, with a new number one.

It’s a bird! It’s a pla—, no literally, it’s a bird. The Springfield Falcons have won nine straight and are at the top of the Power Rankings this week.

There’s a team that I call the AHL’s yo-yo team. There’s a two horse race brewing in the Midwest Division. It’s a real battle in the West Division. There’s a team in the East Division I dub the best in the East Division that isn’t the Penguins or Bears.

Click through the jump if you didn’t link in from someplace else to see what I am talking about and to see where your favorite team ended up.

Read more of this post

AHL Power Rankings: Week 7

In the Week 7 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings, some teams are thankful.

If you are Adirondack, San Antonio or Rockford, you are thankful for a quick start and margin for error.

If you are Charlotte, Norfolk or Toronto, you don’t have much to be thankful for. You have no margin for error and are chasing teams in late November.

I couldn’t come up with anything else for this terrible lede, so be thankful that I am going to tell you that the St. John’s IceCaps are the biggest gainer this week, up 17 spots. Left for dead by the Politboro last week, St. John’s wins four straight this week to jump right back in the discussion in the Atlantic Division. The biggest drop this week belongs to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, down 12 spots. There were five teams that did not move up or down from last week, so you will have to jump through if you didn’t link in direct to see who.

Read more of this post

AHL Power Rankings: Week 6

For the Week 6 Chirps from Center Ice Power Rankings, it’s all about the bottom.

That’s where this weeks number one team, the Adirondack Flames, started back on Week 1. The bottom. The Flames had just botched a mascot reveal badly and employed Trevor Gillies who was suspended 12 games for smashing an opponents head in the ice on the opening weekend.

But the Flames have risen to the top of this weeks rankings thanks to a five game road winning streak.

The teams at the bottom of this weeks Power Rankings were harder to put in line than the teams at the top. Sometime you get weeks like that.

The biggest jump up this week belonged to the Grand Rapids Griffins, up 14 spots to 13th after snapping their six game losing streak with winning three including a pair over the defending champion Texas Stars.

The biggest nose dive this week belonged to the Portland Pirates, down 14 spots to 18th after setting a personal record of mediocrity you will have to read in their capsule.

You know the drill by now. If you didn’t link in direct, hop through the jump to see where your favorite team ended up.

Read more of this post