Chirps from Center Ice

The first weekend is in the books for the 2014-15 American Hockey League.

For some, the season has started out great.

For some, they left a little on the table.

For others, they are looking for the reset button.

If you are new to the blog and new to these rankings, this is just one man’s opinions on where these teams should be ranked, if AHL Power Rankings were a thing. These Rankings were a highly talked about item here on the blog last year, so if you think I am wrong with the rankings, leave me a comment.

A new season, a new look! I changed up the formatting for something I believe will be easier for me to build on Sundays and easier for you to read. A test audience in the summertime loved the new look, so jump through to get started…..

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So another season is in the books in the American Hockey League. For a concept I cooked up on my couch in October, these 29 weeks of putting out Power Rankings have been a success.

You’ll notice this week that the Top 16 teams in this weeks Rankings are all playoff teams. You’ll also notice that all the division winners are in the Top 6. I felt it fitting that it be this way, with this being the final week of the Rankings.

I do plan on bringing these back for 2014-15 and appreciate everyone reading, commenting and spreading the word of these Rankings all throughout the internets.

No change at the top, as the Regular Season Champion Texas Stars reign supreme in this weeks Rankings. The Chicago Wolves, err, the Midwest Division Champion Chicago Wolves, are you biggest gainers this week, up 5 spots to 4th.

Biggest fall this week belong to the Hershey Bears, who will not be competing for the Calder Cup this Spring for the first time since 2005-06. The Bears were eliminated Friday.

You should know the drill by now. Click through the jump if you didn’t link in anywhere else direct.

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Could have used more.

That’s the theme that many teams will be saying to themselves this week. There are five spots remaining. Three in the East and two in the West. For teams jockeying for those final five spots, there are some that could have used more points.

The Albany Devils are not one of those teams. They are your biggest gainer this week after a perfect weekend.

Biggest fall this week belong to your Hartford Wolf Pack, out of the tenth spot and down six spots. The Pack are playing spoiler, but got smoked on the Rock by the IceCaps.

The Texas Stars are still your number one team. There is a change to the number two team, no longer held by the Grand Rapids Griffins, but you will have to click through the jump to see who and where your favorite team ended up.

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“You may delay but time will not”
– Benjamin Franklin

Many teams in the AHL jockeying for playoff positioning still haven’t gotten there quite yet. There are six teams qualified through 27 weeks, and still ten spots up for grabs.

Moral is, time is running out for a lot of teams.

No changes to the top four teams in the Week 27 AHL Power Rankings.

The Chirps from Center Ice Politburo, seemingly unimpressed with the Toronto Marlies third consecutive North Division Championship, have the Marlies outside the top 10 and down 6 spots.

It’s the Charlotte Checkers down the most spots this week (9) after being swept in Oklahoma City this weekend and their playoff hopes taking some steps backwards. The Rochester Americans are the biggest risers this week with a 9 spot gain, after winning three straight and getting back into the Western Conference Playoff discussion.

If you didn’t link in direct, click through to see where everyone else ended up.

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So we have two different situations in the East and West.

One Conference, the East, is as competitive as ever. 9 teams for 10 spots. Winners, losers and streakers.

In the other Conference, the West, no one wants the 8 seed. It changes nearly every day like the stock market. Rochester? Lost 9 straight. Utica? Get real. Oklahoma City, Rockford, Charlotte? Let’s pass the hot potato! You take it! No, you take it!

We have three reservations for playoffs. Playoff tickets were punched in Texas, Manchester and Grand Rapids. Those three are at the top of the Week 26 AHL Power Rankings this week.

Biggest gain this week are the 11-time Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears, who handled their business this weekend winning both their games and got help from an unlikely source. The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins swept the Norfolk Admirals this weekend allowing the Bears to close the gap within a point of the Admirals for the eighth and final spot in the Playoffs.

Biggest free falls this week belong to the Utica Comets and the St. John’s IceCaps. The IceCaps may get passed for the 4 seed and lose out on home ice. The Comets are putting up a fight but may look back to this weekend if they do not make playoffs.

To see where everyone else ended up this week, click through the jump if you didn’t link in direct.

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Texas awaits us all.

The Texas Stars were the first team to clinch a playoff spot this weekend. They remain the number one team in the Week 25 Chirps from Center Ice Power Rankings.

Really not that much change this week. Your Lake Erie Monsters are the biggest climbers this week, up ten in the 15th spot.

Biggest nosedives this week belong to Iowa, down eight and in the basement after being swept by Grand Rapids and Texas this week and Syracuse, a disjointed team that looked out of sorts Friday vs. Wilkes-Barre and Saturday vs. Albany.

You’ll need to click through the jump to see where everyone else shook out this week if you didn’t link in direct.

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In Week 24 of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings, you have a dogfight in the East for jostling between positions 4 on back and a dogfight in the West for who is going to be the eighth seed.

Each of the division leaders are represented in the top 7 this week. The lone team that I have in the mix with the division leaders? The St. John’s IceCaps, who I have dubbed the “most dangerous team” in the Eastern Conference.

The Binghamton Senators and Worcester Sharks are the biggest gainers this week. The Senators win three straight and get back to the top of the East Division and the Sharks have won six straight and are starting to knock on the door for the playoffs.

Biggest drop this week belongs to the Rochester Americans, who have been crushed by call-ups, trades and injury. They are barely hanging on as a playoff team and the rabid back of dogs behind the Amerks look ready to overtake Rochester.

Went pretty deep with each teams capsule this week. Click through to see my handiwork if you didn’t link though direct:

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