Patrick Williams once more will ship the FloHockey AHL Energy Rankings all through the common season.
The Grand Rapids Griffins are on a record-setting tempo but nonetheless solely have a seven-point edge for the AHL lead with the Colorado Eagles, Laval Rocket, Windfall Bruins, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins persevering with to vogue their very own glorious begins as nicely. With all 32 groups going into their vacation break this week, let’s break down the highest half of the AHL.
1) Grand Rapids Griffins (–)
The quickest crew to succeed in 50 factors in a season in AHL historical past, the larger query now could be simply how far the Griffins can take this run. Final Wednesday at Iowa they constructed a comeback from down a pair of objectives. Then they blew out Iowa in a rematch two nights later earlier than taking aside the Cleveland Monsters to shut out their weekend again on dwelling ice. Carter Gylander (6-0-1 | 1.57 | .943) continues to be a superb companion for Sebastian Cossa and recorded his first AHL shutout in final Sunday’s sport. By 27 video games, they’ve simply two losses, and a type of got here in a shootout. They’re additionally engaged on a 14-game profitable streak. That is dominance which will nicely don’t have any peer within the AHL’s 90 seasons.
2) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (–)
4 extra video games got here off the schedule final week, together with a 3-in-3 weekend that featured a home-and-home collection with the Utica Comets. The Penguins dropped a shootout resolution at dwelling on the again finish of the home-and-home set, however they nonetheless got here via the weekend with 5 of six factors. The goaltending tandem of Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov may take this crew far.
3) Colorado Eagles (+1)
A pair of dwelling extra time wins in opposition to the Henderson Silver Knights despatched the Eagles into their vacation break. Trent Miner took each turns in internet and stopped a mixed 55 of 58 photographs within the two victories. That good nine-day break between video games is the reward for the Eagles, who don’t resume play till Dec. 30 at Calgary.
4) Windfall Bruins (+1)
Windfall lastly received some down time final week, taking part in only one time and defeating the Syracuse Crunch at dwelling. By the point the P-Bruins subsequent play at dwelling Jan. 4, they’ll have performed 11 of 13 video games on the highway. They’ve three extra contests to go as they proceed to chop via their season’s highway schedule: two journeys to Springfield, and a fast jaunt to Hartford. All three of these highway match-ups are in opposition to opponents close to the underside of the league, so this P-Bruins crew may come out of this grind in nice form after which have a home-heavy schedule. Elite goaltender Michael DiPietro missed final Saturday’s sport, however the P-Bruins have fellow standout Simon Zajicek.
5) San Jose Barracuda (+1)
Two extra wins for the Barracuda, who’ve been one of many high tales via the primary third of the AHL season. Filled with prospects, these Barracuda are rising – and profitable – collectively on the AHL degree. Mixed with the dad or mum San Jose Sharks having their very own modest success, the group’s rebuilding plan is displaying some important progress. They swept a two-game journey to Ontario, and they’ll come out of their vacation break with two extra conferences with the Reign.
6) Laval Rocket (-2)
Laval received no bounce from Samuel Montembeault’s conditioning task. They got here away from their two-game journey to Cleveland with a pair of defeats. There have been some clunkers recently for the Rocket, who’re 1-4-0-1 of their previous six video games. The opposite defeats have come in opposition to the Belleville Senators, Bridgeport Islanders, and Toronto Marlies, three groups which have all had their struggles. It’s more and more wanting like rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler is likely to be staying with the Montreal Canadiens for a bit. Even the perfect groups should undergo some churn within the win-loss column, and the Rocket are going via theirs now.
2025 Syracuse Crunch vs Laval Rocket
7) Charlotte Checkers (-2)
A quick pitstop dwelling yielded simply two of 4 factors for the Checkers, who needed to accept a break up with Springfield. These are the sorts of collection that they should sweep, particularly on condition that they’ve journeys of 5, eight, and 6 video games on their highway schedule because the season unfolds. That five-gamer begins after the vacation break, and the Checkers won’t be again on dwelling ice till Jan. 9.
8) Chicago Wolves (+3)
A crew performs the schedule in entrance of it, and the Wolves have executed simply that. In a month full of 4 conferences with the struggling Milwaukee Admirals and a house date with Iowa going into the break, the Wolves have been stocking up on factors. They’ve a six-game level streak (4-0-0-2) earlier than they see the Wild once more this Saturday on the highway. Interim head coach Spiros Anastas has been a gradual hand because the crew’s teaching change on Dec. 12.
9) Syracuse Crunch (+3)
Earlier than going to Windfall, the Crunch have been rolling with 17 objectives of their earlier three video games. Ryan Fanti, who shut out the Bridgeport Islanders final Wednesday to begin a three-game New England swing, has been a stable complement to veteran Brandon Halverson and took care of 46 of 48 photographs final week in a pair of begins. A battle for the North Division lead begins Saturday when the Crunch go to Laval for back-to-back match-ups.
10) Coachella Valley Firebirds (-2)
The penalty kill is twenty fourth, and the Firebirds rank twenty sixth within the AHL in goals-against per sport. These two parts could make for some tough nights in a grinding, demanding circuit just like the AHL. Their surge of 5 wins in six video games got here to an finish in a home-and-home collection final weekend in opposition to the Bakersfield Condors. They’ve a busy calendar after their break, too.
11) Ontario Reign (-2)
Ontario performs a good, close-checking type, however this can be a crew that does know reap the benefits of errors. They do have some finishers as they’re sixth in scoring regardless of rating twenty ninth in photographs per sport. At 1-3-0-1 in opposition to San Jose this season, they might want to begin to determine the Barracuda, particularly with these two post-break video games forward.
12) Bakersfield Condors (NR)
Isaac Howard had a 3-3-6 weekend that featured a hat trick final Saturday because the Condors swept Coachella Valley.
They are going to be with out goaltender Connor Ingram for a while with him on recall to the Edmonton Oilers, so the web belongs to Matt Tomkins.
13) Manitoba Moose (-3)
A 6-0 dwelling loss to Iowa on Dec. 14 was one factor. Then the Moose adopted up that poor efficiency by taking a 7-3 beating from the Rockford IceHogs final Saturday. They did rebound by taking a 4-1 win in opposition to the IceHogs the next afternoon, however the Moose have proven themselves to be far too liable to some of these letdowns. Apart from a three-game journey earlier this month, the crew has been at dwelling since mid-November.
14) Hershey Bears (–)
Hershey’s franchise-record nine-game homestand completed simply 4-5-0-0.
15) Rochester People (–)
Rochester received a break up in a pair of dwelling video games in opposition to groups under the playoff line. It would do, however this has been a crew that has proven some important letdowns at occasions this season. Amerks common supervisor Jason Karmanos is out as part of the sweeping administration modifications with the Buffalo Sabres of late.
16) Henderson Silver Knights (NR)
Dropping seven of 9 video games in November took plenty of the shine off what had been a formidable begin to the season for the Silver Knights. Now the crew has Carl Lindbom again in internet, although, and their outcomes are beginning to mirror how a lot he can convey to this crew. Their subsequent 9 video games will all be in opposition to Coachella Valley, Colorado, or Ontario.
Out of the High 16
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Milwaukee Admirals
How To Watch The AHL
The AHL is streaming globally on FloHockey. Watch each single sport from the common season via the Calder Cup Playoffs, in addition to key occasions just like the AHL All-Star Traditional and AHL Outside Traditional. Subscribe to FloHockey right this moment so that you by no means miss a second. All video games can be out there on FloHockey.television or by way of the FloSports cellular and related TV apps.
NHL Prospect Protection On FloHockey
The very best, and most full, protection of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is discovered on FloHockey. Do not miss the newest new prospect guides, rankings and extra from Chris Peters and the FloHockey employees.
Hockey Hits More durable On Flo
Each sport. Each aim. Each hit. All Season Lengthy. FloHockey provides you entry to probably the most reside hockey wherever, together with leagues just like the AHL, ECHL, OHL and QMJHL. Watch your crew, observe high prospects and keep on high of all of the motion. Subscribe to an annual plan now and get 7 months free.
Watch the AHL, ECHL, QMJHL, OHL And Extra On FloHockey
FloHockey is the streaming dwelling to among the greatest hockey leagues in North America, together with the ECHL and extra. Take a look at the published schedule to observe extra hockey.
