Patrick Williams will deliver the FloHockey AHL Power Rankings listing all 32 teams every week throughout the regular season.
The Laval Rocket are back at the number-one spot after a brief slip last week. Gabriel Landeskog is no longer with the Colorado Eagles, but they could take the Western Conference this week if they can hold off the Abbotsford Canucks and Ontario Reign. The final week of the AHL regular season is here and invitations to the Calder Cup Playoffs still are there to be handed out.
See where your favorite team stands based on the FloHockey AHL Power Rankings and follow them throughout the season to see how your club rises or falls.
1) Laval Rocket (+1)
It’s back to the top spot for the Rocket, who got a fantastic debut from rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler this past Saturday night at Syracuse.
The Rocket have a chance to clinch the AHL’s top record as soon as Wednesday. If the Montreal Canadiens fail to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that would free up forward Joshua Roy for a return to the Rocket.
2) Hershey Bears (-1)
One night after a solid comeback win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Bears got blown out by Lehigh Valley. Hunter Shepard is back with Hershey from a brief recall to the Washington Capitals. With Syracuse, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Lehigh Valley visiting this weekend, the Bears will need to be ready to go if they intend to take the Atlantic Division.
3) Colorado Eagles (+1)
Did anything noteworthy happen for the Eagles last week? Well, besides Gabriel Landeskog’s two-game cameo, the Eagles also further positioned themselves to capture the Western Conference with back-to-back wins against Henderson. A division title would also gain the Eagles a bit of rest and recovery.
4) Charlotte Checkers (+2)
After an impressive 3-1 homestand, it’s back out on the road again for the Checkers following an excellent March performance. In a stretch of 16 games in 31 nights, the Checkers went 10-5-0-1 to lock up an Atlantic Division playoff spot. Now it’s all about playoff positioning.
5) Rochester Americans (-2)
The Amerks dropped home games to Belleville and Laval. They are locked into the North Division’s second-place spot. Now it’s a matter of waiting to see which opponent they will get.
6) Milwaukee Admirals (+3)
Yielding a game in hand to Texas, securing first place in the Central Division might be a difficult ask, especially with the Stars facing Manitoba this weekend. All the same, the Admirals are peaking at an opportune time and have a chance to close out their regular season with six consecutive wins.
7) Texas Stars (+1)
Their losing streak reached five games, but the Stars rallied with back-to-back masterful road performances to finish out a 3-in-3 weekend. A chance to win the Central Division is there for the Stars this weekend. Two wins would guarantee that. One win might.
8) Abbotsford Canucks (-3)
Recalls to the Vancouver Canucks continue to accumulate for Abbotsford. But Vancouver’s season ends this week, so that personnel will return. Calgary finally put a stop to an Abbotsford streak that had reached 13-0-0-1.
9) Ontario Reign (-2)
Having Carter George with the Reign should finally get a Pheonix Copley a break after he carried the team for nearly two months. George had a 33-save shutout in his debut.
10) Providence Bruins (–)
With players moving between Providence and the Boston Bruins constantly, the P-Bruins are in a bit of flux right now. But they are picking up wins and got Michael DiPietro back in net last weekend.
11) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (–)
After a bad home loss to Hershey opened their 3-in-3 weekend, the Penguins rallied to take back-to-back wins. A tricky week is ahead. Rutger McGroarty’s injury with the Pittsburgh Penguins is a setback. If Wilkes-Barre/Scranton can secure second place, that would buy some time before postseason play begins.
12) Syracuse Crunch (–)
Just one point Wednesday night at Hershey, and the Crunch would be through to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Finishing third gets them a rematch with archrival Rochester, but at least it would be a best-of-five series.
13) Coachella Valley Firebirds (+1)
Letdowns are still happening for the Firebirds, who gave up a late lead at home last Sunday to San Diego. That said, their roster has been undergoing constant change lately with players moving to and from the Seattle Kraken. Seattle’s season ends this week.
14) Cleveland Monsters (-1)
Will the Columbus Blue Jackets shove their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs? If not, the Monsters would stand to get Jet Greaves and Denton Mateychuk back from Columbus. For now, though, the Monsters still have to nail down their own playoff berth.
15) Toronto Marlies (–)
A win at Cleveland and a shootout loss the following day against the Monsters got the Marlies back to a better place. But the second half has been an arduous one for the Marlies, and they still do not have a playoff spot clinched. They need a win at Utica on Wednesday because a home-and-home series with Rochester finishes their regular season.
16) San Jose Barracuda (+1)
The Barracuda got a home split with Ontario, which made for a solid weekend. Home ice for the first round is still a slight possibility, but the Barracuda will have to sweep two games from Calgary and get some help.
17) Grand Rapids Griffins (+1)
Three road games in four nights finish what has been a hectic April for the Griffins. They are in a fight for third place.
18) Springfield Thunderbirds (-2)
With just four wins in their past 14 games, the Thunderbirds need to get themselves in gear quickly. A challenging visit to Charlotte is up next.
19) Calgary Wranglers (+2)
A team that has struggled for the better part of two-plus months, the Wranglers faced a trip to Abbotsford, the AHL’s hottest team of the past month. Instead they went there and took back-to-back wins. They get one last regular-season tune-up in a visit from San Jose for a pair of games.
20) Lehigh Valley Phantoms (–)
After hammering Hershey, a home date with Cleveland and a road match-up with the Bears should get the Phantoms fully into playoff mode. They’re looking at having to go on the road for a very difficult first-round match-up.
21) Chicago Wolves (-2)
With stops at Iowa and Milwaukee followed by the home finale against Rockford, the Wolves will try to secure third place and avoid a best-of-three beginning to their postseason.
22) Rockford IceHogs (+2)
A playoff spot had been dangling in front of the IceHogs for some time. They finally grabbed it. They will definitely be seeing their first-round opponent this week. They’ll have some say in whether that is Chicago or Grand Rapids.
23) Belleville Senators (-1)
Four points out of a playoff spot with three games to go, now the B-Sens have to face Laval three times in four nights to close out their regular season. It’s Wednesday and Friday at Place Bell followed by a return engagement at CAA Arena. The B-Sens likely all but need a sweep to slip into the playoff field.
24) Tucson Roadrunners (-1)
Getting just one of four points in a trip to Rockford last weekend has left the Roadrunners in a bind. They give up a game in hand to Bakersfield and have a two-game visit from Colorado to handle.
25) Bakersfield Condors (+2)
It’s Abbotsford at home and then a home-and-home series with Henderson. Two points below the playoff line, making the playoffs should doable. Recalls to the Edmonton Oilers have taken some talent off the Bakersfield roster, however.
26) Utica Comets (-1)
Certainly the Comets made it interesting down the stretch. Had they made the playoff cut, they could have been a dangerous opponent. Their first month of the season just left them with too much ground to make up the rest of the way.
27) Iowa Wild (-1)
It’s another spring without playoff hockey for Iowa. The Wild have just one playoff series win since 2014.
28) San Diego Gulls (–)
When they most needed to be at their best, the Gulls just could not maintain the standard that had put them back into contention late in the season.
29) Henderson Silver Knights (–)
Playoff hopes came to a close for the Silver Knights. Like the Gulls, the Silver Knights could not keep up a strong second-half pace.
30) Hartford Wolf Pack (–)
With turmoil surrounding the New York Rangers, any potential fallout for the Wolf Pack will be something to watch.
31) Manitoba Moose (–)
Last season the Moose ended their regular season in Texas before meeting the Stars in a first-round match-up. They’ll finish up in Texas again, but this time there will be no playoffs.
32) Bridgeport Islanders (–)
This season’s home schedule ended with just four wins in 36 games, the fewest in AHL single-season history. It’s also one of the worst seasons, home or away, in AHL history.
Out of the Top 10: None
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