Chirps from Center Ice

So they have flown under the radar for long enough and likely just keeping the seat warm for the team they dethroned from the top spot, but the Colorado Eagles are the new number one team in this weeks Power Rankings. This is a team that hasn’t lost in regulation since before Christmas, have a home ice advantage unlike anything in the AHL (need more cowbell!) and, oh by the way, have a boat load of games at the Budweiser Events Center coming up in the month of February.

Utica didn’t go far, Stockton stays the same and I finally put Manitoba over Chicago this week. We will see how long this holds.

Here is the whole list, in all it’s glory.

Rank	Team	Blurb	Last Week
1		What Stockton and Ontario do ahead of them may not matter for the Eagles if they keep this run going. Haven’t lost in regulation since before Christmas. A lot of games in February are at home, and that’s a tough place for opponents to play.	+5
2		Never fear Utica fans, share your top spot with others for one week. The Comets are turning the North into a runaway.	-1
3		One game this past weekend and a huge win over the Reign. Trip up to the listless Canucks this weekend.	n/a
4		Managed a split with Abbottsford at home and keeping the Central race with Chicago modest. Stars stop in this week and a good chance the momentum keeps rolling.	-2
5		Points in three straight, despite a 1-0 shootout loss setback to Rockford on Saturday.	+2
6		I mean the wins against San Jose are fine, but you have to win games that matter and that game Saturday against the Heat mattered. Now the gap to first widens, slightly.	-2
7		A fourth horse has entered the Atlantic Division race. Didn’t like that shutout that the Phantoms came in and laid on Saturday, though.	+3
8		Condors are 8-1-1 in their last ten and have a showdown with the Eagles this weekend at home.	+3
9		Split in Texas and could have used all four points, but are 7-3 in their last ten. Showdown in Utica this weekend.	+3
10		IceHogs charging up the standings, points in four straight. Showdown with equally hot Milwaukee Wednesday.	+8
11		There isn’t another team hotter in the Central. The Admirals have turned things around and in a big way. Pasted Grand Rapids, OT win at home against the IceHogs Friday. Showdown this weekend in Chicago.	+9
12		7-3 in their last ten, may be turning a corner and ready to get out of the Atlantic basement. That answer is coming this week, we think.	+4
13		Wild sweep a hapless Gulls team and beat Rockford in overtime. I think there is something there, but this is the same team that the Eagles humbled last weekend.	+15
14		Phantoms back to .500 with a big win home Sunday against the Bears. Is this the best team in Pennsylvania?	+1
15		Paste the Penguins Tuesday, which is par for the course, then edge the Islanders in OT at home Saturday and lose in Allentown on Sunday. This team is Superman when playing the Penguins and Clark Kent against everyone else.	-7
16		Bruins are injured and have guys up on taxi squad duty. Tough to win a lot of games in this current condition.	-11
17		Marlies with a good turnaround from last week, going to Grand Rapids last Monday and gritting out a win then thumping a rested Belleville side. Toronto may be the only team that could give Utica a run.	+2
18		OT win over Utica and then a blowout win in Syracuse. Yeah, it was a good week for the Charlotte Checkers.	-5
19		Silver Knights couldn’t ride the wave of success out of their comeback in Stockton the week prior and Colorado beat them twice at home. Right back on the horse (pun intended) against San Jose!	-10
20		Utica is turning the North into a runaway and Rochester isn’t doing much here to keep pace.	-3
21		Respectable 5-2-2-1 in their last ten, but last place in the Atlantic. There could be winnable games this week.	+4
22		Happens every year at this time. Springfield starts plummeting. 3-5-2 in their last ten and a tough schedule ahead.	n/a
23		Managed a split in Winnipeg which is something to build on when the Heat stop by this weekend.	-2
24		Yikes. 5 straight losses and 2-8 in their last ten. Hello North Division basement!	-10
25		Split the weekend with the Rocket, but they are so far behind on percentage and there are teams mid pack making a surge that a split isn’t enough at this point in the season.	+1
26		Roadrunners out of the basement, thanks to the listless play of the Gulls and Barracuda. Next two are in San Diego.	+5
27		Not a large sample size to go off of here due to lack of games. Schedule gets busy this week against Syracuse and Laval.	-4
28		Woof. Couple weeks ago had Syracuse as a team to watch. One win against a putrid Cleveland team to show for it this week.	-1
29		Double woof. 0-5 (technically 0-4-1) here. Toronto and Ontario come calling this week. Good luck.	-5
30		Are probably sick of playing Ontario by now. Good news is that they don’t see the Reign at all in February.	-1
31		Went to Iowa and got throttled. Colorado (uh-oh) drops by this Wednesday.	-1

OK, so a quick note on these, they are based off of games through this past Sunday. I like having AHL puck to watch on a daily basis on AHL TV, but in situations (like these) you have to cutoff where you are going with these and put together a rankings. That’s where we are here and why they are out on a Monday as opposed to a Tuesday.

Utica reclaims the top spot in the Rankings this week hotly pursued by the Manitoba Moose, who are second. Stockton and Ontario are joined at the hip and the Providence Bruins round out the top five.

Here’s the whole list in all it’s glory. The Last Week column is back. Belleville didn’t play, so they remain in 23rd.

Rank	Team	Blurb	Last Week
1		Tidy weekend sweep of the Syracuse Crunch show other teams in the division that if you come at the North Division Kings, you better not miss.	+1
2		Did what they had to and swept the Wolves at home. Now host the Canucks this weekend. Could it be a trap series for the Moose?	+3
3		I didn’t particularly like the way that the Heat coughed up a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3 in overtime to the Silver Knights Saturday night. Long week to stew on that before the Reign come calling.	n/a
4		Reign stay hot, outgunning the Roadrunners at home for a pair over the weekend and stay in step with the Heat in pursuit of the Pacific Division crown. Ontario has three games in hand on Stockton, too. Three of the next four are with last place San Jose.	n/a
5		Split a weekend pair with Bridgeport or took two out of three? Are still at the top of the division and will likely yo-yo with Hershey for a bit here.	+1
6		Swept Iowa at home this week. Eagles not getting enough credit with how good they really are.	+9
7		Wolves lead in the Central is now in serious danger after getting swept by second place Manitoba.	-6
8		Split with Hartford. Winnable games this week it would seem.	+2
9		Tenacious way to claw back for a win Saturday in Stockton. Clash of the Pacific Division titans this weekend when the Silver Knights host the white hot Colorado Eagles this weekend.	+2
10		Got some help back from the Rangers Sunday and were a lot more competitive against the Bears, who they managed a split with.	+2
11		Three straight with Tucson this week in Arizona, so this is a golden opportunity to make up some ground on the top four.	+3
12		Only played one game this week and won Wednesday in Utica. There’s talk of a lot of the North Division teams struggling, not Laval. 8-2 in the last ten.	+4
13		Split with Springfield and Lehigh Valley this week. It’s not bad, but also not that very good. Utica and Syracuse on the road this week.	n/a
14		Lost in Grand Rapids then split a pair at home against the Americans.	+5
15		4 of 6 points isn’t bad, gives the Phantoms some breathing room on 7th in the division.	+7
16		Swept the Marlies at home in blowout and comeback fashion. Anomaly or are they pulling themselves out of the Atlantic basement for good?	+9
17		Split a pair in Cleveland. Everyone has been really average here of late in the division, Americans are one of them.	-8
18		IceHogs let Texas take 3 of 4 points from them this weekend. Iowa – Milwaukee – Chicago this week.	+2
19		Obliterated in Wilkes-Barre and in Hartford this week. It comes at a good time, as a lot of the teams in the North are struggling.	-12
20		Hottest team in the Central is actually Milwaukee, who haven’t lost in regulation in their last five games.	+9
21		Swept San Diego at home, now head east to Winnipeg to take on a white hot Moose side in what should be a decent enough test.	+5
22		Bleeding points away. Thunderbirds used to be all alone at the top of the division but now they have a lot of company.	-14
23		The Senators did not play this week. They host Toronto for a pair this weekend.	n/a
24		Light week for the Griffins who beat Cleveland (okay) and lost to Milwaukee (bad) – can’t do that if you want to contend with the Moose and Wolves of the world.	-6
25		Managed a split with Providence and then an OT win at home against the Thunderbirds.	+5
26		Took 3 of 4 away from Rockford this weekend. Trip up to Chicago this week. then Laval comes in for a weekend pair. Haven’t lost in regulation in four games, so like Milwaukee, the division may be a bit upside down.	+5
27		Well, that wasn’t good, swept in a home and home against the Comets. Cleveland drops by Wednesday.	-10
28		Swept in Colorado in a pair of close contests. Seems like it is a step forward and a step backwards with this club.	-7
29		Nice to pick up a win Sunday against Bakersfield. There’s time to push, but three against Ontario makes for an uphill climb!	-5
30		Swept in Abbotsford. Host a very good Colorado side Wednesday then travel to ornery Iowa this weekend.	-2
31		0-5 against an array of opponents (good and bad) – this team may be cooked already.	-4

Well, until the next COVID wave derails this little enterprise.

Wait, did I say that out loud? I guess I did. Anyway, I last did this in the middle of December, after returning it from a week or so hiatus before that, so it is consistently inconsistent.

With that said (I meant to this time) I have decided to wipe the slate clean and just start over. So that’s why the “Last Week” part of the Power Rankings you have all come to know and love is absent this week. Provided COVID doesn’t rip through and kill off half the games this week, we will be back next week, and so forth.

Hopefully.

Anyway, here’s the whole list in all of its goodness.

Rank	Team	Blurb
1		Have been class of the Central by far, but there is too much competition to think the Wolves will have a runaway at the division crown.
2		Have been class of the Eastern Conference by far, and I don’t think there is any competition where it won’t be a runaway for the Comets at the #1 seed in the North.
3		Have been class of the Pacific but…
4		…the Reign have games in hand (3) and five more head to heads with the Heat. Will be an interesting race to watch down the stretch.
5		Moose are like a bad headache. Always there. Keeping the Wolves honest and have points in seven straight.
6		Went to the top of the Atlantic on Sunday and will probably stay there. Deep, well coached team.
7		Bruising club that gets two in a struggling Wilkes-Barre this weekend.
8		Have played .500 hockey in the last ten games. One of a long line of teams just coming back online after a COVID outage.
9		Hanging around the top of the North, waiting for Utica to slip and keeping third place Toronto at bay.
10		You can only play the teams on your schedule and Hershey has absolutely mauled the Penguins of late. Very average against everyone else.
11		Stockton and Ontario have had all the fun, but here’s Henderson laying in the weeds.
12		Keith Kinkaid’s renaissance in goal is something to behold. The Wolf Pack have the second best goals against in the division.
13		I had this team pegged as a midpack team at the start of the season and that’s exactly who they are.
14		Points in nine straight. Those COVID antibodies are something, I’ll tell ya.
15		Feasting on bad teams in Tucson and Milwaukee so far in 2022. Schedule tightens bit with Eric Staal and the Iowa Wild this weekend.
16		7-2-0-1 in their last ten which isn’t bad for a team who COVID hit the hardest.
17		The Crunch are coming for your souls. Just wait.
18		Grand Rapids looks like it wants to contend with the Moose and Wolves, but when given the chance (like these last three games against the aforementioned Moose and Wolves), the Griffins stumble.
19		Monsters have played good Central Division teams and well, the results have been typical.
20		Rockford. Probably a playoff team. They are your schools most consistent C student.
21		Pair of huge wins over the Central’s best Chicago should have Iowa higher here but it doesn’t. Gotta continue to build off of that.
22		Come out of COVID protocol on the wrong end of decisions against the Penguins and Marlies.
23		Belleville is still a very good team despite its dead last showing in the North.
24		Last place in the Pacific but playing better hockey of late than the three other teams in the division yet to be named here.
25		Finally off the schnide with big wins against in state rivals Hershey and Lehigh Valley.
26		Ontario Monday sandwiched the four other games against San Diego the Canucks are playing in this stretch.
27		I mean there is no shame in losing to Stockton, but getting shutout against San Jose is bad.
28		I don’t think any of the residents of San Diego have to worry about shoveling snow this week, so there’s that.
29		Admirals and Stars are playing class clowns of the Central.
30		Schedule is relentless for the Islanders the rest of the month; two against Providence then Springfield and Hershey. Yikes.
31		Stars are the last team in the AHL to hit ten wins. They still are on just nine.Maybe Wednesday against Milwaukee?

There were no Power Rankings last week because when you had nearly an entire division in the Atlantic out of action the first weekend in December, you can’t fairly grade and come up with Rankings like that. COVID-19 would have been the number one team. People are dying from this, you can’t really make a joke out of it. So I thought it would be best to just not do one last week.

Anyway we are back at 100%, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, and have the Rankings back and better than ever this week.

Utica goes back to number one, but really throw a blanket over the top three teams and either one can be the number one side.

Here’s the full list…

Rank	Team	Blurb	Last Week
1		Still tearing through teams. When do we start having the conversation of Utica being an all time great team?	+1
2		Haven’t lost in ten straight. Now, beating up on last place Texas for three games isn’t that impressive. The Wolves are a literally wolf in a sheeps den of other teams in the Central.	+5
3		Pasted San Jose 10-1 last Tuesday. This is what good teams do to bad teams. Don’t really see any problems schedule wise with this team so the run should continue.	+3
4		Returned from COVID protocol and lost a shootout in Allentown on Sunday. Rematch this Friday at home with the Phantoms, then an important home and home with Springfield.	n/a
5		Came out of COVID protocol and faced Utica and managed to win in overtime which was impressive. Also managed to beat Laval this week. Head to Charlotte for a midweek trip.	-4
6		Senators are back to .500 and looking to make more noise. Successful weekend trip through Providence and Bridgeport.	+4
7		Bruins were patient zero in the AHL’s Atlantic and were rewarded with a three in three coming out of protocol. Almost unfair. Managed 4 of 6 points with a shutout of the Thunderbirds tossed in there Saturday.	+2
8		Play Chicago in a kids day game Thursday with a chance to make up a bit of ground that the Wolves have on them.	+4
9		Played a home and home with San Diego where the home team in each contest was victorious. Are .500 and among a ton of other teams in the Pacific who are the same.	-1
10		We have reached the “slightly above average” portion of teams in the Pacific, with Tucson playing at a 6-4 in their last ten clip, including a shootout win over the Stockton Heat, who are in their own stratosphere currently.	+7
11		Dropped all of the offense Wednesday in Syracuse (8 goals) then lost in Utica and in Allentown. Five game homestand begins this Thursday with visits from Utica and Chicago.	-6
12		Has been pretty business as usual for the Checkers, who split a pair of 5-3 decisions with Syracuse this past weekend. Rochester and Bridgeport are in this week.	+3
13		Are the Bears extremely average?	+6
14		Eagles use Bakersfield and Tucson on their schedule to make a run up to fourth in the Pacific. Big test this weekend in Stockton.	-3
15		Split a pair out in Rockford. There is a lot of average in the Pacific and the Silver Knights are one of them.	+3
16		Penguins take advantage of a rag tag Springfield group Sunday and pick up their first shutout since January 2020 with a guy they signed on a PTO from ECHL Idaho. Stuff of legends.	+9
17		Some teams managed to make it out of COVID protocols OK (like the Penguins) and then there is Springfield, who has been pillaged lineup wise. Back to back shutout losses this past weekend with Providence and Wilkes-Barre.	-14
18		When I got to the IceHogs I was expecting them to be a lot worse than third in the Central, especially when I saw Henderson paste Rockford 5-0 last Friday.	+4
19		Went win – loss – loss this weekend through the Northeast. Host Syracuse then head to Grand Rapids this weekend.	-5
20		Griffins are highly inconsistent. Marlies drop by this weekend.	-4
21		Admirals are on a four game win streak – does this survive through a home and home with the Wolves this weekend?	+5
22		North Division’s most inconsistent team. Beat Manitoba, lost to Rochester then went to Hershey and made a 2-2 in the third period into a 4-2 win.	+5
23		Haven’t won in seven straight, getting swept by lowly Milwaukee this last weekend. Admirals travel to Des Moines Tuesday, which starts a six game homestand for the Wild.	-10
24		Seven game homestand opens with a win over the Reign. Bakersfield and San Jose stop by this weekend.	-4
25		Have stayed COVID free and picked up two wins in the process. Big tests this week with Belleville, Hartford and Rochester coming.	+6
26		Picked up a win against a suddenly struggling Marlies team on Saturday and lost to a suddenly hot Belleville team on Sunday.	-3
27		Split a pair in Charlotte. That can be something to build off of.	+3
28		Have had a few COVID delays. They have played like it too, going 2-5-1-2 in their last ten. Schedule doesn’t relent. Stockton and San Diego are this weeks opponents.	-7
29		Road trip wraps up in Henderson. Canucks have the sixth best power play in all the AHL, bested only in the division by, you guessed it, Stockton.	n/a
30		Salvaged a split with Abbotsford. Four game road trip after the Eagles swoop in this Wednesday.	-2
31		Stars kickoff their long homestand with the Wolves drubbing them for 19 goals across three games. Schedule doesn’t lighten up with Rockford this week and Manitoba next week.	-7