Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week Two

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Shukr	1-0-1		Shukr surprised Yaqeen last week and escaped with a 3-1 win.  Teams have been keying in on Maaz Haq to start the season and so far he hasn't found the back of the net but Shukr has been getting great support from all three lines they put out there which has been the key for their early success this season.
2	Yaqeen	1-1-0		Yaqeen dominated stretches of their game against Shukr last week but little mistakes came back to haunt them.  Their forwards are strong and deep so look for them to quickly bounce back against Ikhlas in Week Three.
3	Ihsan	1-1-0		Ihsan defeated rival Ridha in Week Two with a gutsy effort with multiple players injured and a short bench.  Without star goalie Ahmad Mobin and top forward Humza Chaudhry in particular things looked down but a great effort from the rest of the team saw Ihsan take the win.  They face Haya in Week Three how had a solid win over Sabr last week.
4	Ridha	1-1-0		Ridha looked unstoppable in Week One but Shaukat Khan was not available and their offense seemed to be limited without him.  Mohammad Bilal created a number of chances but wasn't able to click with his linemates and the result was a 1-0 loss against rivals Ihsan.
5	Haya	1-1-0		Haya bounced back from a Week One humbling with a strong win in Week Two over Sabr.  The were led by Farooq Sani who keyed the offense with his hustle and deft passing as he created the game winning goal and sealed the win with an empty netter.
6	Sabr	1-1-0		Sabr struggled against Haya last week, they created chances but were not able to finish around the net which cost them the game.  A big game against Ridha in Week Three will be another test to see how strong this team is as they will need to come up with a better effort in Week Three.
7	Emaan	1-1-0		Emaan caught Ikhlas for a 3-1 win in Week Two, their hustle created chances and they got the bounces to finish them.  A big test in Week Three against Shukr is up next and will need another great effort.
8	Ikhlas	1-0-1		Ikhlas dropped their game against Emaan despite being heavily favoured before the matchup.  The big challenge for the team was discipline as they gave Emaan six powerplays and right now have four of the top five penalty leaders in the league.  This is a very talented and deep team but if they cannot stop the parade to the penalty box they will have a tough time winning games.

Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week One

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Yaqeen	1-0-0		Yaqeen looked dominant in their opening game of the season with a 6-0 destruction of Emaan.  Their top players performed and with were without a pair of sleeper picks who they are hoping will give the team an even bigger boost.
2	Ridha	1-0-0		Ridha rode a strong second half to an easy 4-0 win over Haya.  Their top line dominated play and despite a flurry of trades that remade their roster after the draft there was clearly some good chemistry.  Their challenge may be that they seem a bit thin on defense so perhaps another trade is in the works to resolve that gap.
3	Sabr	1-0-0		Sabr won their game but their effort is a bit harder to gauge here as while they defeated Ihsan but a 4-2 score the game was closer than you would expect.  Ihsan was hampered with injuries yet kept this game close but that said it is hard to question the core of this team which is comprised of last season's champions.
4	Ikhlas	0-0-1		Ikhlas looked great for most of the game last week but a late penalty cost them as Shukr was able to steal a tie.  Their offense and defense looked strong and Yusuf Kapoor made some spectacular saves.  Expect big things from this team as the season progresses.
5	Shukr	0-0-1		Shukr looked good in week one but seemed to be getting too cute with passing which cost them.  The team looks well balance but may need another sniper to finish opportunities in front of the net.
6	Ihsan	0-1-0		Ihsan was hit with early season injury issues in Week One that is likely to weigh them down early in the season.  Goalie Ahmad Mobin suffered a lower body injury and is week to week while Young Star Humza Chaudhry also suffered a lower body injury but is considered a game time decision.
7	Haya	0-1-0		Haya looked overwhelmed in Week One so the pressure is on to put out a better performance in Week Two against Sabr.  GM Abdul-Wahab Mohammad had to have expected more from the veteran squad that he drafted and will look for them to rebound this week.
8	Emaan	0-1-0		Emaan suffered a humbling 6-0 beatdown in Week One.  They were without Yousuf Soliman who was a late scratch for the game with a lower body injury and took the reigns as coach.  They have to hope that he is able to dress this week and reunite the Soliman brother line (Hany, Yousuf and Osama) who provide size, speed and skill.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Ten

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	8-2-0		Sabr wanted to send a message to the league that they could beat any team and as proof provided a dominant 3-0 win over Haya to end the season.  The team has great goaltending and leadership and seem poised to make the finals.
2	Emaan	6-2-2		Emaan came into their last game against a desperate Ikhlas who needed a win to clinch a playoff spot - Emaan didn't care and despite Ikhlas putting up a fight came away with the win.  An important test going into the playoffs and sets the stage for a big game against Haya at 9pm.
3	Haya	5-5-0		Haya were defeated by Sabr to end their season and needed help from Yaqeen to hold onto 3rd place.  Not the way you want to go into the postseason but this squad has a lot of quality and the core won the Spring Season so they know how to get it done in the playoffs.
4	Shukr	4-4-2		Shukr came into their final regular season game knowing that a win or a tie would bump them into  3rd place so losing to a desperate Yaqeen has to be a disappointment and will now mean that to make the finals they have to beat Yaqeen at 8pm and then face a fresh Sabr at 10pm.  The team has the leadership and skill to make it happen but a tougher path nonetheless.
5	Yaqeen	2-6-2		Yaqeen got a surprise win over Shukr in the final game of the season to clinch the final playoff spot.  Their reward is a rematch against Shukr so they remain the underdog.
6	Ikhlas	2-8-0		Ikhlas crashes out of the playoff picture with a four game losing streak.  Injuries and player absences sunk their chances for the post season

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Nine

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	7-2-0		Sabr had to work harder than expected in their Week Nine win over Yaqeen but demonstrated that they can play a tight checking game and still come away with a win.  Maaz Haq sparked his team with a highlight reel effort to get them on the board after being down in the first half and his play sparked them to a 3-1 win.  They end the season with a feature game against Haya which some expect to be a preview of the finals.
2	Emaan	5-2-2		Emaan had their undefeated run of six games snapped in a surprise loss to Shukr.  They applied all the pressure but were outmoved by the veterans in Shukr who did enough to come away with the win.  They end their season needing a win to lock up the second seed and face a desperate Ikhlas who are fighting to get into the playoffs.
3	Haya	5-4-0		Haya swept the season series over Ikhlas with a win last week - dominating the battle of Cambridge.  They need a win and some help to clinch a top three seed which will get them out of the wildcard game.  They end their season against Sabr who will be looking at this as a good opportunity to exact revenge after Haya handed Sabr their first defeat earlier in the season.
4	Shukr	4-3-2		Shukr shocked many with a 2-1 win over Emaan last week but should we really be shocked.  They have a well balanced roster and some great coaching minds on the team.  Their issue has been consistency but they have done enough to clinch a top four seed and end their season with a game against lowly Yaqeen.
5	Ikhlas	2-7-0		ikhlas comes into this game desperate to hold onto the final playoff spot.  They face Emaan to open the night knowing that they control their own fate.
6	Yaqeen	1-6-2		Yaqeen had a strong effort against first place Sabr last game but it was not enough.  They end the season against Shukr needing a win and some help to get into the playoffs.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Eight

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	6-2-0		Sabr bounced back with a win over Ikhlas after a strong second half.  This despite the team resting some of their key players as the playoffs approach.  They are battling to hold onto first place and have an easy game this week against last place Yaqeen before a big game against Haya to finish the regular season.
2	Emaan	5-1-2		Emaan laid a beating on Yaqeen by a 5-0 score.  They were on their heels for most of the first period and were outplayed in stretches but got a great performance from Yusuf Kapoor and ended up coasting to an easy win.  They face Shukr this week in a possible preview of the first round of the playoffs.
3	Haya	4-4-0		Haya was missing some of their key players last week against Shukr and ended up losing the game with their thin defense being exposed along with some penalty issues that led to two powerplay goals by Shukr.  This week sees the battle of Cambridge renewed where Haya will look to sweep the season series over Ikhlas.
4	Shukr	3-3-2		Shukr managed a 4-3 win over Haya last week for their second win in the past two weeks; this has pushed them into a great position to lock up the final playoff spot as they are heating up at the right time.  That said there are some hurdles with some player absences and injuries over the remaining games.  A tough test against Emaan is up next as Shukr aims to show that they can compete with the top teams this season.
5	Ikhlas	2-6-0		Ikhlas came out with some energy against Sabr last week but could not maintain a high level of play as they eventually lost 5-2.  They get a tough match-up with Haya this week as the battle of Cambridge returns.  Haya won the first match-up and Ikhlas will be eager to even the season series and get some momentum before the playoffs.
6	Yaqeen	1-5-2		Yaqeen had one of their better efforts last week, getting lots of shots on net but their offense was not able to get anything past Yusuf Kapoor and ended up on the wrong end of a 5-0 score.  Yaqeen will face first place Sabr this week in a game where they hope to do better than the 6-0 thrashing they endured the first time the teams met.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Seven

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	5-2-0		Sabr were surprised by Emaan last week in a 2-0 loss.  Sabr is still viewed as one of the top teams and a game against desperate Ikhlas will be a test to see if they can right the ship.
2	Emaan	4-1-2		Another week and another statement win from Emaan.  In their last two wins they have taken out Haya and Sabr - putting the league on notice that they are a great team.  This week they face last place Yaqeen where a win locks up a playoff spot and keeps them in the hunt for the first seed.
3	Haya	4-3-0		Haya was nervous against Yaqeen at the start of the game as their goalie was stuck in traffic but tightened up and only gave up a single goal, some penalty trouble ensured but they handled that and managed to grind out a 4-1 win to keep pace near the top of the standings.
4	Shukr	2-3-2		Shukr faced a short benched Ikhlas and the result was a 5-0 beating.  They have all the tools and leadership to succeed so it has shocked many observers that the team has struggled so much this season.  They get a test against Haya this week where a win keeps them in the top four in the standings.
5	Ikhlas	2-5-0		Ikhlas came off a huge win over Yaqeen to showing up against Shukr with a short bench and the result was a blowout loss.  Their team is in some peril right now as injuries and absent players are hurting their playoff chances.
6	Yaqeen	1-4-2		Yaqeen came in against Haya hoping to repeat the result the last time they met - which was Yaqeen getting their only win of the season.  They even had the advantage of playing on an empty net as the Haya goalie was stuck on the highway but they only managed a goal and then did not take advantage of a few powerplay chances which gave Haya momentum to press and come away with a 4-1 win.  They face red-hot Emaan this week in a game where they are desperate for even a point to get back into a playoff spot.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Six

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	5-1-0		Sabr bounced back after a disappointing loss to Haya in Week Five to grind out a 2-0 win over Shukr in Week Six.  They went back to the syle we have become accustomed to, choking opposing teams offense and pulling teams apart for their own offensive changes.  They've also shown great balance as Umer Buksh stepped up with a pair of goals to lead his teams offense.
2	Emaan	3-1-2		In a key match-up, Emaan potted a late winner to defeat Haya and get a firm grasp on second place.  They have an outside shot at jumping into first place if they can pull out a win this week against Sabr.
3	Haya	3-3-0		A roller coaster couple of weeks for Haya as they went from defeating Sabr to dropping a critical game against Emaan.  They get an easy game against Yaqeen this week before a tougher match-up against Shukr.  They are sitting in 3rd place but need to improve consistency down the stretch.
4	Shukr	1-3-2		Shukr were overmatched against Sabr last week, missing some players they were not able to generate their usual offensive pressure and the result was a 2-0 loss.  They face Ikhlas this week in a key game as both teams battle for a playoff spot.
5	Ikhlas	2-4-0		Ikhlas won a critical game in Week Five over Yaqeen which puts them into a tie for the final playoff spot.  A loss would have created a huge mountain to climb in the final four games.  This week they face a struggling Shukr squad who hasn't won since these teams met back in Week Two.  A win suddenly vaults Ikhlas into 4th so expect them to be amped up for this one.
6	Yaqeen	1-3-2		Yaqeen knew that a win last week over Ikhlas would have put them into a great position to grab the final playoff spot.  Their effort against Ikhlas was a bit lacking as defensive breakdowns let Ikhlas build an early lead and not generating enough offense left them unable to make a real game of it.  The only positive is that their powerplay looked strong going 2/2.  A tough game against Haya is up next where Yaqeen is desperate for a win.