AIHL Power Rankings Week 6

James Lane

Another busy week on the ice gave us plenty to chew over. The Ice held firm at the top, Perth flashed their firepower despite losing a high-scoring shootout, and the Northstars are officially back in business. Meanwhile, the Lightning quietly climbed the ladder, the Mustangs took a hit, and Adelaide's misery deepened.

1. Melbourne Ice (Last Week: 1)

W 9–8 (OT) vs Thunder

They were pushed to the brink against Perth, but the Ice escaped with the points thanks to Jamie Bourke’s hat trick and some nerveless overtime execution. Was it their cleanest game? No. But this team just keeps finding ways to win, and that’s a mark of champions. They’re still top of the table, and their only two losses have come via overtime. Until someone finds a way to consistently stop them, they’ll stay top of these rankings too.

2. Perth Thunder (Last Week: 2)

L 8–9 (OT) vs Ice, W 8–0 vs Mustangs

What a rollercoaster. The Thunder played well against the Ice, putting up 8 goals, only to lose it in overtime. Then they turned around and absolutely torched the Mustangs on Sunday. The bounce-back was impressive, but they’ll still feel they let a big opportunity slip. Still, they remain a serious, serious contender.

3. Brisbane Lightning (Last Week: 4)

W 7–5, 4-2 vs Rhinos

Double wins over the Central Coast vault the Lightning into third, both on the table and in our power rankings. They weren’t perfect defensively - Saturday in particular was a bit of a shootout - but they got the job done. Quietly, they’re becoming a real threat

4. Melbourne Mustangs (Last Week: 3)

L 0–8 vs Thunder

That was ugly. The Mustangs didn’t just lose to Perth, they were blown off the ice, and the team looked flat from start to finish. It’s a worrying performance, especially coming off the bye. The Mustangs are still sitting in a good spot on the ladder with games in hand, but there are cracks showing.

5. Canberra Brave (Last Week: 5)

Bye

The Brave sat out the round, which was probably for the best after their 20-goal defensive collapse last week. They’ll need to regroup quickly, though, because the teams around them are moving fast.

6. Newcastle Northstars (Last Week: 7)

W 11–3 vs Adrenaline, W 7–3 vs Adrenaline

After a slow start to the season, Newcastle exploded for 18 goals over two games, with Riley Klugerman scoring six across the weekend and Evgenii Skachkov adding a hat trick of his own. Granted, it was against a struggling Adelaide, but these were statement wins, around which they could really build some momentum.

7. Central Coast Rhinos (Last Week: 6)

L 5–7, 2-4 vs Lightning

Two losses, but they were relativley competitive against a red-hot Lightning squad. That’s been the Rhinos’ season in a nutshell: plenty of fight, not quite enough polish. They’re still well ahead of Adelaide, but if they want to make a playoff push, moral victories won’t be enough.

8. Adelaide Adrenaline (Last Week: 8)

L 3–11, 3-7 vs Northstars

Another week, another winless showing, and the gap is only getting wider. Even with a couple of goals to show for it, this weekend was rough. The Adrenaline are now in desperate need of something - anything - to spark belief.