Chirps from Center Ice

The Hershey Bears are inevitable.

After a few rough weeks, the Bears are getting healthy again and are at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings yet again. I don’t see a real argument for another team here, maybe Texas, who are 9-1 in their last ten and probably the hottest team in the League, but not this week.

Let’s get straight into it!

1. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 6th (up 5)
Record: 23-11-3

The Bears are vulnerable? Says who? Sweep another contender in Charlotte proves this team isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Erasing a three goal deficit in the third period Friday is quite impressive as well.

2. Laval Rocket

Last Week: 8th (up 6)
Record: 21-10-2-1

Took three of four points in Cleveland to tighten things way up in the North as we hit mid-January.

3. Texas Stars

Last Week: 15th (up 12)
Record: 21-12-1

Stars are 9-1 in their last ten and have tied struggling Grand Rapids for tops in the Central.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 2nd (down 2)
Record: 22-10-3

Split the week and that doesn’t do them any favors as the lead over Cleveland is just a point.

5. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 1st (down 4)
Record: 21-10-0-1

Split with the Iowa Wild at home this weekend. Heading up to Abbotsford this week before returning home to host Henderson and Calgary.

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It’s a Reign of Terror, y’all!

The Ontario Reign stay at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings for the third week in a row. A lot to like with this team, 8-1-0-1 in their last ten and I think they give Calgary a run for the top of the division here soon.

The only problem is that San Jose, Coachella Valley, the always steady Colorado and Tucson are all in the mix and in this division where everyone stays close and rarely goes out of the division but for a handful of teams, it won’t be easy.

Anyway, let’s get into it for this week.

1. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 19-9-0-1

Reign in the Wranglers mirror seems larger than it appears. Ontario is the hottest team in the Pacific and the schedule is setting up as very favorable.

2. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Record: 21-9-3

Amerks are on a six game win streak and are using this to widen their lead on the North Division.

3. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 7th (up 4)
Record: 20-10-3

Griffins widen their lead in the Central and now have the next five at home.

4. Charlotte Checkers

Last Week: 6th (up 2)
Record: 19-8-1-2

Checkers have the next six at home, with division leading Hershey coming in this weekend. Charlotte may be the best team in the division, we think.

5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 9th (up 5)
Record: 18-8-3

Points in six straight and keeping the rest of the division leaders close. Canada trip next, which could be a trap.

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Consistency? In the Power Rankings? What’s this? The same number one team last week (Ontario) is the same number one team this week??

Yes.

Maybe not for long though, not if Providence or the Reign’s divisional counterpart Calgary have anything to say about it.

It’s the last Power Rankings of the year so let’s get into it!

1. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 17-8-0-1

Took three out of four points out of the week. I still like this team. Schedule is favorable this week. 

2. Providence Bruins

Last Week: 9th (up 7)
Record: 17-11-3

Hottest team in the Atlantic and probably the Conference and maybe the league are your Providence Bruins. Beating up on bad Atlantic Division teams in Bridgeport and Hartford keep them out of the top spot, though.

3. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 2nd (down 1)
Record: 20-9-1

Wranglers had the week off.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 4th (no change)
Record: 19-9-3

Amerks ascend to the top of the North Division with an 8-2 run in their last ten games.

5. Toronto Marlies

Last Week: 6th (up 1)
Record: 17-5-2-3

Swept Belleville and that’s enough to send their coach to Coachella Valley for All-Stars next month.

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So I shook things up a lot with this weeks version of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

First things first, the curse is very real and sorry Ontario Reign fans, you’re next on the list to get the number one spot in the Rankings after winning six straight and 9-1 in your last ten.

There is only one team (Calgary) left in the top five that wasn’t there last week. Brand new top five but for the Wranglers. Oh, and the Records are back! Let’s jump right in.

1. Ontario Reign

Last Week: 7th (up 6)
Record: 16-8

Sweep the Firebirds in a home and home series. The Reign have won six straight and are 9-1 in their last ten.

2. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 1st (down 1)
Record: 20-9-1

Uncharacteristically shutout at home to last place Henderson Sunday. When you have as big a lead as the Wranglers do, you can have a clunker every once in a while.

3. Tucson Roadrunners

Last Week: 18th (up 15)
Record: 16-10

Roadrunners have won six straight and are 8-2 in their last ten. Huge matchup looms this weekend at home against the Eagles.

4. Rochester Americans

Last Week: 8th (up 4)
Record: 17-9-3

Split with Syracuse and beat Cleveland. You take weeks like that if you are the Americans.

5. Chicago Wolves

Last Week: 12th (up 7)
Record: 14-9-2

Well look here, all of a sudden the Chicago Wolves are one of the hottest teams in the AHL. Points in eight straight and in a dead heat with Milwaukee for second in the Central, pursuing old IHL rival Grand Rapids.

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So, the curse is very real.

I put Hershey at the top of the Power Rankings last week and they were shutout in one game and only scored a goal in the other. In the game that they won, they needed a late goal and overtime to win against a team they had no business losing to.

I think the curse is real. Sorry Wranglers fans, but you get the dubious number one distinction this week after being skipped over for weeks due to my ineptitude or East Coast bias, one or the other.

Oh, a note about the records section of the Rankings. Those will return next week. Too many games played on Sunday for me to wait until 10:30 p.m. to fill all of them in with an 8 p.m. start and work in the morning. The Penguins and Bears are the last team out of the gate Sunday, they will return in the Week 11 version. Apologies in advance.

Let’s go!

1. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 2nd (up 1)

We will see if the Chirps from Center Ice #1 curse is real or not. Wranglers get the dubious distinction this week.

2. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 6th (up 4)

I’d say that was a productive trip out to Loveland, getting points in every game in a hostile environment. 

3. San Jose Barracuda

Last Week: 5th (up 2)

Barracuda look good but still some flaws with this club.

4. Cleveland Monsters

Last Week: 10th (up 6)

Monsters are in the middle of an eight game homestead and looking pretty good leading the North Division. 

5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 9th (up 4)

Up and down week for the Penguins who split with Charlotte and win a nail biter against Springfield. A midweek date with Toronto seems like a nice measuring stick.

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It’s Hershey, again. It seems the Bears are inevitable.

Hershey sweeps the week and retakes the number one spot in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

We will see if there is any steam to the jinx that I think I put on the number one team by making them number one. With Hershey though, I don’t think so.

Alright, enough bloviating, let’s go!

1. Hershey Bears

Last Week: 8th (up 7)
Record: 17-5-3

Whatever it was that bugged this team is out of their system. Bears sweep the week and are again the number one team in the Rankings. 

2. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Record: 17-5-1

Sorry Wranglers fans, but yeah, the East Coast bias is real. Hershey does indeed jump seven spots, over you despite you sweeping a game Tucson club which has been making noise of late. Lead the Pacific comfortably here in mid-December, but so does Hershey in the East.

3. Springfield Thunderbirds

Last Week: 7th (up 4)
Record: 12-9-1

8-1-1 in their last ten so a hot team including a four game win streak. I think they are the hottest team in the League right now. Five game road trip begins Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

4. Belleville Senators

Last Week: 5th (up 1)
Record: 11-4-0-4

Sweep the Moose in Winnipeg and have won four in a row but the North is ultra competitive, so the B-Sens are fifth in the division. And no, I don’t know what my obsession is with this team is either.

5. San Jose Barracuda

Last Week: 12th (up 7)
Record: 14-6-0-1

Sweep the Firebirds and have some separation for second in the Pacific. One more with Coachella Valley then San Diego and Ontario kick off a five game road trip.

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You guys.

We did it.

We managed to have a number one ranked team last week stay there this week.

The Grand Rapids Griffins stay at the top spot in the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings the week after bringing to an end the Cleveland Monsters ten game win streak.

Some shake up to the top five. Don’t forget to jump through to teams 6 through 32 if you didn’t link in direct. Here we go…

1. Grand Rapids Griffins

Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 14-5-1

Griffins bring an end to the Monsters ten game win streak. Three straight with Chicago this weekend.

2. Cleveland Monsters

Last Week: 3rd (up 1)
Record: 14-5-0-1

I teased the Monsters being the number one team in this weeks Rankings after Saturday’s recap after winning ten straight and they go to Grand Rapids and lose. Still, take over the North Division lead from Laval.

3. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Last Week: 5th (up 2)
Record: 11-4-1

Beat the division leading Rocket and Bears impressively. I’m hesitant to put the Penguins at number one because it seems like a cursed spot and I’m not a madman. But if the Penguins keep rolling with the wins against the Bears, Wolf Pack and Bruins this week, they will leave me no choice.

4. Calgary Wranglers

Last Week: 8th (up 4)
Record: 15-5-1

Seven game road trip ends with a sweep in Winnipeg. Home now for a bit with Tucson on the menu.

5. Belleville Senators

Last Week: 7th (up 2)
Record: 9-4-0-4

B-Sens grinding points, sweeping Bridgeport this weekend. Now off to Winnipeg to take on a last place in the Central Moose team.

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