Chirps from Center Ice

It’s the final Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings of the season. How I generally run these as in the past is all 23 teams that made the playoffs are the top 23, with the division leaders 1-4.

With playoffs dead ahead, let’s wrap up the regular season and look towards a long Calder Cup Playoff slog.

1. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 3rd (up 1)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.

League’s best regular season team gets the top spot. How does that fare in the Calder Cup Playoffs? Spoiler for tomorrow’s full preview, I have the Rocket losing in seven in the Conference Finals.

2. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.

Depending who you ask, possibly Colorado is the league’s best team. I think they are primed to go deep, but have to navigate a bees nest in the Pacific Division.

3. Milwaukee Admirals

Last Week: 8th (up 5)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.

Central Division Champions may likely go all the way back to the Conference Finals. I think they have a tougher slog than some of the other teams. This team is dangerous, and won a top heavy Division.

4. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 4th (no change)
Playoffs? Yes, a bye.

Hershey is either going back to back to back or flaming out in the division. I think there’s no in between. I am leaning towards the latter, just because it’s so hard to win one, let alone two in a row. Three in a row? I just don’t think so.

5. Abbotsford Canucks

Last Week: 1st (down 4)
Playoffs? Yes, vs. Tucson in the First Round.

I think it’s a crime that Abbotsford is this far down the list because, another spoiler, I have the Canucks in the Western Conference Finals in tomorrows full preview.

Read more of this post

One week to play in the AHL season. For some there isn’t a whole heck of a lot to play for, for others, this is their entire season right here as they still haven’t clinched, are close but so are two other teams in the same predicament. Others it’s all about seeding and for others it’s fine tuning for a hopeful deep playoff run. Which side is your team on?

Let’s get right into it…

1. Abbotsford Canucks

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 41-24-2-2

Canucks should be in your Calder Cup Finals pool.

2. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Record: 42-19-5-3

Looks like the West is coming through Colorado.

3. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 3rd (no change)
Record: 46-18-3-2

Looks like the Rocket will win the regular season title, which really doesn’t mean a thing. 

4. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 4th (no change)
Record: 43-19-6-1

The drive to three straight starts in a week for the Bears.

5. Charlotte Checkers

Last Week: 6th (up 1)
Record: 41-22-3-3

The Checkers are fighting to hold on to the first round Atlantic Division bye.

Read more of this post

Abbotsford is hard to ignore with this win streak they have been on, so they are the number one team as the season winds down.

Let’s get into it.

1. Abbotsford Canucks

Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 40-23-2-1

Canucks tear continues. Do they have enough time to chase down Colorado for the top spot in the Pacific?

2. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 40-19-5-3

Continue to lead the Pacific, for now, unless Abbotsford chases them down.

3. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 2nd (down 1)
Record: 44-17-3-2

Did we just witness a possible Calder Cup Final Preview between the Rocket and Canucks?

4. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 6th (up 2)
Record: 41-16-6-1

Get breathing room this weekend on second place and it is looking more and more likely that Hershey will win the division.

5. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 5th (no change)
Record: 41-19-4-3

Amerks trying to chase down the correct Laval pace.

Read more of this post

Just three more of these after today and the season wraps but there is still lots to be determined. Let’s get right into it with a bit of a shakeup to the top five.

1. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 38-17-5-3

Lead maintains in the Pacific Division this week but a Canuck is growing in the mirror.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week 2nd (no change)
Record: 42-17-3-1

 Neck and neck with the Americans makes for a fun final few weeks to see how this shakes out between the two.

3. Texas Stars

Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Record: 40-20-3

Stars have a five game win streak and host the last place Iowa Wild this week.

4. Abbotsford Canucks

Last Week: 6th (up 2)
Record: 37-23-2-1

Canucks are 9-0 and demand your attention. Heating up at the right time.

5. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 9th (up 4)
Record: 39-18-3-3

Amerks have an easy-ish schedule this week looking to keep pace with Laval for the division lead.

Read more of this post

There’s a couple weeks left in the AHL season and a lot to be decided, so let’s get into this weeks rankings to try to sort things out.

No shakeup to the top three. Hey, consistency!

Here we go.

1. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 36-16-5-3

Opening up a bit of a lead on second place are the Eagles.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 2nd (no change)
Record: 41-16-3-1

Eight point lead on the Amerks. An 8-1-1 run will do that. 

3. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 3rd (no change)
Record: 38-16-6-1

Still comfortably at the top of the Atlantic. Bears have a pair of last place teams in the Islanders and a pair with the Comets this weekend.

4. Texas Stars

Last Week: 5th (up 1)
Record: 36-20-3

Stars are capitalizing on the Admirals rough trip through the Atlantic and are right at the top of the Central Division standings.

5. Providence Bruins

Last Week: 8th (up 3)
Record: 35-19-4-3

Bruins have been a peaks and valleys type team and we are at the top now after a good PA trip. Bruins head to Charlotte midweek.

Read more of this post

There’s about a month left in the AHL season depending on your schedule, so that means we are approaching the end of the AHL Power Rankings. But don’t fret, we have a fresh list here for you! Let’s get straight to it.

1. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 34-15-5-3

Eagles lead widening on the Pacific and a four game win streak will do that for any team.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 39-16-2-1

Got caught off guard by a putrid Bridgeport team this past Wednesday but tightened things up and swept Utica.

3. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 3rd (no change)
Record: 36-15-5-1

If they haven’t yet, the back to back defensing champs are going to be the first team in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The last to turn off the lights last season will be the first ones to turn them on this postseason.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 2nd (down 2)
Record: 35-17-3-3

Amerks are still pushing for the Rockets lead, while trying to protect the second seed they currently occupy. 

5. Texas Stars

Last Week: 11th (up 6)
Record: 34-19-3

Stars sweep the Monsters at home and use this to stay atop the Central Division standings. 

Read more of this post

Some shakeup to the top five again this week but you can pencil these teams as top ten teams the rest of the way, I think.

Let’s get right into it.

1. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 4th (up 3)
Record: 37-15-2-1

Rocket and Americans playing leap frog for tops in the North and it’s the Rocket in front this week.

2. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 34-16-3-3

Swept in Laval and that’s a four point swing for the opposition and the Amerks are chasing Laval again. 

3. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 2nd (down 1)
Record: 35-15-5

Bears can’t lose and when they aren’t playing still manage to win when teams that have games in hand on them lose those. Five clear of the rest of the division, widest lead of all the division leaders.

4. Colorado Eagles

Last Week: 3rd (down 1)
Record: 31-15-5-3

Split with Henderson and you can’t be doing that when it is so tight with the tops of the division. 

5. Coachella Valley Firebirds

Last Week: 5th (no change)
Record: 32-18-1-5

Three game win streak and 7-3 in their last ten and tied for the lead with the Eagles in the Pacific. Can the Firebirds make it all the way again?

Read more of this post