Power Rankings: Lots of movement in the middle

Just two weeks ago, I really thought the Peoria Rivermen had that same mojo the Aeros had in the second half of last season. Great mix of vets and young talent, and they just added Patrick O'Sullivan, one of the best AHL snipers around.

They started winning, and then did it with timely scoring and defense. And now it looks like that offense has gone a bit dark, and the team is perhaps overworking Jake Allen a bit. Peoria dropped from three to seven in my rankings, but the the 4-7 sports are really 4a, 4b, 4c ... well you get the picture.

I moved the Rampage up to four this week and I really think that is where they are going to end up at the end of the season. I really, really like their team, and I think Rampage fans are going to get to cherish what it's like to win a playoff series.

The Abbotsford Heat have really turned things around too in the last few weeks and I have them neck and neck with Charlotte, who was slumping badly the last time I did the power rankings. I have the Aeros, their six-game losing streak and all, in the No. 8 spot, and I think that is exactly where they are going to be on April 16.

Also, can you image the IceHogs if they had started their run about a month earlier? They, the Monsters, Amerks and Bulldogs have all turned things up a notch lately, and right now it is a good thing that the Aeros and Rivermen and Heat got a decent leg up on them earlier in the year.

I don't think there is enough time yet to see any of these guys sneak in ... but if one of them were, I'd have to think Rochester has the best chance, thanks to a favorable schedule.

And Admirals fans ... you have had the pleasure of slump-busting it against the Aeros recently, but because your team had so many late games against Rockford, that might be the single reason your team will not make the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

It was a nice run.

2011-12 Western Conference Power Rankings
Edition 9, April 3, 2012

PR	Team	Record	Streak	Last 2	+/-	For the record …
1	OKC	42-19-4-5	0-1	3-2-0-0	-	First in the West to clinch
2	TOR	41-23-4-3	3-0	5-1-0-0	-	Have won 8 of last 10
3	CHI	38-24-3-3	0-1	3-1-1-0	+1	Just about a lock for No. 3
4	SAT	37-28-3-2	0-1	4-2-0-1	+4	Markstrom started six of last 7
5	ABB	36-26-3-5	0-1	3-1-0-1	+4	Points in 7 of 8 overall
6	CLT	35-24-3-6	2-0	3-2-0-1	-	On track at the right time
7	PEO	37-30-2-1	1-0	2-4-0-1	-4	Fallen off considerably
8	HOU	32-23-5-10	0-6	0-3-1-2	-3	Lost six straight overall
9	RFD	34-29-2-6	1-0	5-1-0-1	+2	Just on unbelievable run
10	RCH	32-23-8-4	0-3	1-2-2-1	-3	Like Aeros, OT loss kings
11	LEM	34-28-3-7	1-0	2-2-0-3	-1	Put up 8 spot against the Stars
12	MKE	34-28-2-4	0-2	3-1-0-2	-	IceHogs have killed their season
13	HAM	32-31-2-5	2-0	5-2-0-0	+1	Just came on too late
14	GRR	31-28-6-4	0-1	3-4-0-0	-1	Maybe next year
15	TEX	30-36-2-2	0-1	3-4-0-0	-	Finally, officially eliminated