AHL Western Conference Power Rankings

From now until the end of the season, I will post a weekly power rankings column here at The Third Intermission. I only wish I had time to do both conferences, but since I will not see the East virtually at all this season, I will only do this for our Western Conference friends.

The goal is to update this every Monday before games are played that day. Now that we are through the All Star break (speaking of which, Hackett just got beat 5-hole again) I think this is a great time to start. 

I have ranked the teams this week based on their overall performance, of course, but I do favor recent success quite a bit here. For each week going forward, we'll take a look at the past week and any major transactions that may have affected the teams. 

Enjoy. 

  2011-12 AHL Western Conference Power Rankings

                              January 31, 2012 edition

Rank	Team	Record	Streak	Last	Move	For the record …
1	OKC *	29-11-2-3	6-0-0-0	N/A	N/A	Best team in the AHL
2	CHA*	26-16-2-2	0-1-0-0	N/A	N/A	Top home record in West
3	TOR *	23-17-3-2	0-2-0-0	N/A	N/A	Plus-13 goal differential
4	SAT	24-18-2-0	7-0-0-0	N/A	N/A	Never won 8 straight
5	CHI	24-16-1-3	3-0-0-0	N/A	N/A	0-for-3 in shootouts
6	ABB	25-16-3-0	0-2-0-0	N/A	N/A	17-7 road record is killer
7	HOU	21-11-3-9	0-3-1-2	N/A	N/A	11 game trip looms
8	PEO	22-20-2-1	0-1-0-0	N/A	N/A	Think Jeckyll and Hyde
9	RFD	20-21-1-4	6-0-0-1	N/A	N/A	Just traded top d-man
10	MKE	22-18-1-1	0-4-0-0	N/A	N/A	2-11 on road since 11/26
11	RCH	19-17-5-3	1-0-0-0	N/A	N/A	9-3-0-1 since Dec. 31
12	GRR	18-17-4-4	1-0-0-0	N/A	N/A	Rookie Nyquist is a beast
13	TEX	20-20-1-2	0-2-0-0	N/A	N/A	Just 9-14-0-2 vs. West
14	HAM	19-19-1-4	0-1-0-0	N/A	N/A	Absolutely no scoring
15	LEM	20-22-2-1	1-0-0-0	N/A	N/A	See above

                 * Division Leaders (and I changed CLT to CHA to appease MsConduct)

So what do you think? What do you agree with? Better yet, what don't you agree with?

If The Playoffs Started Now

With the All-Star Game over, and being past the halfway mark of the season, I thought I would give you an idea of how the Western Conference playoff seedings would look, as of now.  It needs to be remembered that the first three seeds will consist of the division winners, then the final five spots will go to the teams with the most points.  So...

1.  Oklahoma City
2.  Charlotte
3.  Toronto
4.  Houston
5.  Abbotsford
6.  Chicago
7.  San Antonio
8.  Peoria

The first round matchups would be:

Oklahoma City versus Peoria
Charlotte versus San Antonio
Toronto versus Chicago
Houston versus Abbotsford

So that's where we stand as we come out of the break.  The West Division is, as always, pretty tight, and four of the division's five teams would make the playoffs under this format.  And with the Aeros about to go on the road for a month, this is all subject to change.

Oh, Hackett!

Our friend Matt Hackett probably didn't have to buy any drinks last night. The Sophomore goalie gave up six first-period goals in the West's comeback win over the East last night in Atlantic City.

Hack probably had flashbacks of his last start in OKC, but that wasn't a zero defense All-star game.

Jon DiSalvatore assisted on a third period goal, and two of the three former Aeros that played in the game (Krys Kolanos, Ryan Hamilton and Corey Locke) also had points.

The game went to a shootout, where Ben Bishop stole the show.he stopped all four breakaways by the East.

I think the game and skills competition will be on the NHL Network later today, so be sure to watch the first period for sure.

Congrats to the Houston All-stars and safe travels back to Texas.

Off To Atlantic City

Matt Hackett wants you to read about heading off to the All-Star Game

If you've got the chance, John's got a new story in the Press today about Jon DiSalvatore and Matt Hackett heading off to the AHL All-Star Game after Saturday's game in San Antonio.  It's the first AHL All-Star Game for both.

And for those of you on twitter, go welcome Jon DiSalvatore who has recently joined the crowded field of Aeros, including Matt Hackett, who is reveling in the fun that is twitter, though, it must be admitted, nobody quite yet stacks up to Matt Kassian.

Call-ups (in MIN and HOU) provide spark

So many times we refer to Russo's blog because his information is timely and accurate 99.999 percent of the time.

But as it turns out, he writes actual articles, too. Here is a nice piece about how the Aeros call-ups sparked the Wild to a pair of much-needed wins before the All-star break.

Also, even though the Aeros lost three straight games last weekend, they got points in all three. "Call-ups" or PTO guys chipped in quite a bit, too. Here is a summary:

In Friday's loss to San Antonio: 

Radja, 0+0=0; -1, 1 shot
McKenzie, 0+0=0; -1, 1 shot
Martin, 1+0=1; Even, 1 shot
Stretch, 0+1=1; +1, 1 shot
---------------------------------------------------
Totals, 1+1=2, -1, 4 shots


In Saturday's loss at Texas: 

Radja, 2+0=2; +2, 3 shots
McKenzie, 0+0=0; +1, 1 shot
Martin,  0+0=0; Even, 0 shots
Stretch,  0+0=0 ; Even, 1 shot
Clackson, 0+1=1; +1, 2 shots
---------------------------------------------------
Totals, 2+1=3, +4, 7 shots
(The Aeros were outshot 49-25 in this game!)

And in Sunday's loss to San Antonio


Radja, 0+1=1; +1, 0 shots
McKenzie, 0+0=0; Even, 1 shot
Martin,  0+0=0; -1, 1 shot
Stretch,  0+0=0 ; Even, 1 shot
Clackson, 0+0=0; +1, 1 shots
---------------------------------------------------
Totals, 0+1=1, +1, 4 shots


==========================================
Weekend Totals - 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points; +4, 10 shots
And the most important stat - ZERO Penalty Minutes

Temp Returns

The word out of St. Paul, courtesy of Wild best reporter Michael Russo, is that the Wild are reassigning Matt Kassian, Chad Rau, and Jed Ortmeyer to the Aeros. This looks to be a temporary reassignment only as the Wild are currently on the All Star break and the Aeros have two tough games this weekend.

The Aeros Lose In The Shootout Again (Yes, I Know, Shocking)

When I was a kid there was this cartoon called The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show which was a Flintstone's spin-off centered on the teenage kids of Fred and Barney.  One of the characters on the show was this kid called Schleprock, who literally walked around with a black cloud hanging over his head.

I bring this up because I'm convinced there's a black cloud of bad luck hanging over Toyota Center whenever the Aeros are playing there.  Like tonight where, once again, the Aeros lost a game in the shootout.  The Aeros have won just one game in the shootout this season, and that win came on the road, in Peoria.  This time, the Aeros lost 4-3 in the shootout, but unlike in games past, the Aeros actually were able to make shots in the shootout -- Casey Wellman and Kris Foucault were able to hit their shots -- but the San Antonio Rampage were able make three, including one that went through the net and was originally called a no-goal but, after consultation, was changed to a goal.

John Torchetti wasn't too sure about the call however, and after the game, he stormed out of the locker room to the ice, where he had them bring him the net for his own personal inspection.  He then had a nice, calm chat with the officiating crew -- way, way, way more calmer than the little discussion that Lane Lambert had with them after Game Five last season.

So of course we asked him about that goal, and about losing again in the shootout.

"You know what, it’s over," he said.  "That’s it.  I can see a puck going through the net on a point shot, but on a shoot-out, there’s no velocity?  It’s hard to do.  I can see if [the netting's] loose, but I just wedged it to get through a puck.  But whatever, it’s a point."

[For what it's worth, when we asked him, Matt Hackett said it was a goal, and the TV replays we were able to see off of the San Antonio TV replay monitors also seemed to indicate that it was a goal.]

The shootout wouldn't have mattered if the Aeros would have been able to hold on to their 3-1 second period lead.  But they couldn't.  There were multiple special teams breakdowns, and for a while, it seemed as if the Aeros were just content to let Casey Wellman do all of the offensive damage -- and welcome back Mr. Wellman.

And thus ended another three-in-three weekend.  The Aeros were unable to get a single win, but they were able to get a point in each game.  All three games went into overtime, and the Aeros were mixing and matching the roster at all times due to the Friday morning Wild call-ups.  And Torchetti offered up praise for the play of some of the newbies.

"Kids that come up, they want to come up," he said.  "[Chris] Clackson’s got a brother that plays in Chicago, so it’s in the bloodlines.  [Mike] McKenzie’s done a great job just working hard and just competing every night, and that’s what the game comes down to."

And as for the return of Wellman, Torchetti once again gushed with praise.

"He just plays hard.  He’s just come down and he’s accepted his role being sent back, and he’s just gone back to where he was.  And that’s kudos to him.  It shows you what kind of character he has as a person."

But in the end, the point is that the Aeros were only able to get a point out of a game where they appeared set to get two points.  It's a game where, once again, they failed to get the win at home.  Maybe this is just their Schleprock season when it comes to playing games at home.  Yet things could be worse.  They're still getting points after all.  Not two points, but one.  And one's better than none.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

This was the seventh straight Aeros game decided by one goal, and the fourth of sixth games to go into overtime.  They are 3-1-1-2 for this seven game stretch.

***************************
Marco Scandella appeared to take a shot off of his knee late in the third period.  He was barely able to make it back to the bench, and immediately went to the locker room from which he did not return.  We asked Torchetti about his status after the game, but it was still too early to know anything.

And for the curious, Cody Almond is suffering from a lower body injury and Jeff Penner is suffering from an upper body injury.

***************************
Yes, this game was on television.  San Antonio television, so it was probably available on one of the various Fox Sports Southwest channels.  No, I don't know why it wasn't being televised here, and no, I don't know why Aeros games seem to have vanished from that thing known as a television.  The only games that make it on TV are those when they play San Antonio, and that means getting the San Antonio call of the game.

Rau scores first NHL goal, and then it hits me

I know how frustrating it can be to watch player after player called up to the Minnesota Wild. As a fan, it must be maddening. Surely, you can expect a few guys here or there to get the call as, after all, the Aeros exist for the sole purpose of keeping the Wild stocked with players in case they are needed.

But when seven of the team's best players are up, and the hometown team in Houston just keeps sputtering along with overtime losses and no real flow to their game or season ... that must test the patience of even the most well, patient, hardcore Aeros fan.

Rau, second from left, is all smiles after first NHL goal

As a sportswriter, and one that gets paid to tell game stories to those kind enough to read my articles in the Houston Chronicle, this has been a very tough season. The team is different week to week, they are lousy at home (7-14 after Friday's OT loss to San Antonio) and I don't travel to the away games, where the Aeros are one of the best teams in the AHL.

I would be lying if I said that I don't hope the Aeros win when I cover the games. When you follow a team for 17 years, and you've seen just about every home game for the last 12, you kind of get attached to the home white sweaters. To be sure, I don't allow that to get in the way of how I cover the team, but any sportswriter will tell you - "It is more fun when the home team wins."

Now to get to the point of this article.

Even with how cluster-effed things have been this season, it sure was nice to see Chad Rau score his first NHL goal for the Wild last night. His face was priceless (see the video below). His parents were in the stands. He is FROM Minnesota. And here is a guy that, quite frankly, is only in the NHL because the Wild have been adversely affected by this NHL concussion pandemic (intentional hyperbole).

But wow was that fun to watch. On one screen I've got the ECHL Aeros blowing a 2-0 lead and on the other I am watch the AHL Wild score three goals in 59 seconds to set a new team record.

At that point it hit me. The Aeros last night played with no fewer than five (and probably six) players that should be in the ECHL right now. Their record after the shootout loss last night? 21-9-3-8. The Aeros have points in 32 of their 41 games. They are the LAST team in the AHL with single digits in the "L" column. 

They played with 17 skaters and two goalie on Friday (one fewer than normal) because John Torchetti wants "the players" he knows in the lineup battling for the team. And you know what? They respond. They played their asses off, and even when they should be blown out in back to back games, their goaltending steps up and they score just enough timely goals to get points when they deserve none.

At this point, I don't care about the slow starts and the maddening number of games where they only play 30 or 40 minutes instead of 60. Just consider what this team has been through this season, and tell me now that you are now proud of how they've responded. Think about it. They have points in 32 of their 41 games, and they have not even been close to a full lineup since before Thanksgiving.

To those that criticize Torchetti for referring to his team as "they" and "them" ... he does not do that 100 percent of the time. You have to realize, too, that you only read quotes from him when the team loses (at home). Remember, they have lost 14 of 21 at home, so of course you are going to hear more negatives than positives.

But he loves his guys. He believes in his team, and he'll keep throwing them out there and testing players that should be in AA until the very end of the year. Torchetti is not Todd McLellan or Dave Tippett or Mike Yeo. They are all different and have vastly different styles. But Torchetti is a damn fine coach and is VERY highly regarded by just about everyone NHL circles.

I truly believe that he, Jon DiSalvatore's leadership and Matt Hackett's absolute disdain for losing has propelled the Aeros to where they are right now. They are the third best team in the AHL, and play in what is right now the toughest division in the league. Darcy Kuemper needs a ton of credit, too, for coming to this circus and staying cool as a cucumber.

No, they're not perfect - far from it! But they are No. 3 in the AHL because of their captain, coach, excellent goaltending and a proven system that, when it's executed, is just about unbeatable.

This season is why there is an AHL. Sadly going to the NHL trumps home wins in the American Hockey League. So far, it's been an absolute success. Just check out the look on Rau's face, and use the comments section below to tell me how you feel about 2011-12.

Extra time thwarts Aeros again, lose 4-3 to Stars in SO

Well, Andrew's unscientific poll on press row last night got put to the test tonight in Cedar Park: If you could choose your goalie for the shootout -- Hackett or Kuemper -- who'd you choose?

I was the only one who chose Hackett, simply because I think the additional year of pro experience he has is more evident in shootouts than in regulation play.

That was somewhat proven out tonight as the Stars scored on 3 of their 5 attempts with Kuemper in net, while the Aeros scored twice for the loss.

That said, in regular game play, I'd take Kuemper all day long right now. I feel like Hackett hasn't been quite as sharp and focused in his starts since his stint in Minnesota.

And to my point, Kuemper stopped 46 of 49 shots tonight. Woof. That's a lotta shots, folks. And it's concerning that many are getting through, but not having seen the game myself, it's tough to judge. All I know is the Aeros were massively out shot, 25-49, so.... it'd be nice to see that number go down.

Still, on the bright side, new guy Mike Radja scored twice, his first two goals as an Aero. And other even newer guy, Chris Clackson, had the first helper on his second goal. Clackson's been in the ECHL with the Gwinnett Gladiators and tonight was his first outing with the Aeros.

Also, Taffe had two assists in what was his 500th AHL game.

The only other sorta weird thing is that Kuemper got 2 delay of game penalties and the Stars capitalized on both of those. But then he got the second assist on Fontaine's goal late in the second period to pull ahead just after the Stars tied it.

So, I dunno what that was about. If anybody was there and can fill us in down in the comments, that'd be cool.

Meanwhile, if you need me, I'll be celebrating the first Wild win in about 37 games tonight, thanks to a roster full of Aeros who beat up on a hurting Dallas Stars team.

The big news is that Rau scored in his first NHL game and was named first star. You couldn't smack the grin off the guy with a frying pan afterward. It was really fun to see.

See you crazy kids tomorrow. I don't even know who we're playing, to be quite honest. It's just that time of the season where it all runs together. Either way, I'll be there. Hope you will be, too.

17 skaters and two goalies get point against Rampage

I am going to have to keep this short and sweet tonight. For some reason Google does not get along with Apple, and the iPad and Blogger, therefore, do not work all that well together. You can't separate text. It's like there is no return key. But I digress ... Look at that box over there to your right. See how many Aeros are not with the team right now. And that list does not even include Cody Almond, who is still hurt. The Rampage got the extra point for the OT win tonght, but the Aeros should be lauded for getting the game to overtime after being really outplayed in the first, third and overtime periods. That is what happens when you are a forward short of a full lineup. Torchetti did say they'd sign someone for the rest of the weekend, but that it was his call to "play the guys he knows" Friday. I am not surprised they lost, but I am surprised they got a point. They were outgunned against a very nice (and reloaded) Rampage team. If they can get one more point this weekend, they'll be on their way to surviving this most recent wave of Wild terror. But hey, this is the minors and this is WHY the Aeros exist. You don't have to be happy with the losses (Aeros now 7-14 at home) ... but be happy with all this experience they're getting. The Aeros should be real fun to watch come playoff time.