American Hockey League teams are nearly a third of the way through the regular season. As usual, preseason predictions have withered away in a league where lineups change daily, breakthrough seasons are the norm for still-developing prospects and the fortunes of NHL parent teams filter down to the AHL level.
The surprising Albany Devils have used a six-game winning streak and an 8-1-1-0 record in their past 10 games to ascend to a second-place tie in the AHL with 33 points. The Devils' AHL affiliate has reached the Calder Cup Playoffs twice since 2000, with each visit ending in a first-round loss.