NLL Insider

Gonna take a bit of a different approach with this week’s Armchair QB post since Shannyand CH did a good job coverin’ the bases comin’ outta a crazy week of lacrosse.

Sure I’m gonna get blasted pretty bad on the boards with today’s approach, but… 

what I’m gonna do is take a peek at each team’s remaining games. And then based on recent play and what they did against their opposition this year, try and make a pretty good guess at what the playoff picture will look like come May.

Yeah, totally setting myself up for some backlash on the forums, but thought I had to take a bit of heat off Shanny, who’s been getting dumped on no matter what he says this year. You know I love ya Shanny, so remember this bullett I took for ya this week. Let’s just say I wouldn’t turn down tics if the Rangers are ever in town.

So here it goes (East today from top to bottome and West tomorrow)…

Minnesota Swarm (9-4 overall, division 7-4)
Gotta think these guys are as close to a lock in the East as you can get right now. Know they’ve taken some knocks by critics for giving up a monster lead against the Wings, and even though that’s true, they still won the game in clutch fashion (Dan Marohl ties it with two seconds left, Sean Pollock puts the nail in the coffin at the buck 19 mark in OT). A month or so ago, they would have lost that game and crumbled. It definitely looks like they’re back to where we saw ‘em to start the year.

Games Left
vs. Rochester Knighthawks
vs. Chicago Shamrox
@ Chicago Shamrox
Think they easily at least pick up two wins (if not three) and finish tops in the East. They’re playing real clutch ball lately and think they are peaking at the perfect time.

Philadelphia Wings (9-5, 6-5)
Know they had some travelling issues, were missing T Wray and Nads and had another double header weekend, but ya know what, that’s life in the NLL and bottom line, they lost to Minny in heartbreaking fashion. They’re 1-5 in their last six East Division battles and it’s no secret they’ve had some issues winning big on the road (even though I wasn’t buyin’ that last week). Not exactly a great way to be heading into the post-season. They need something big to spark a serious rebirth here, cuz like Jenner said last week, it’s put up or shut-up time.

Games Left
vs. New York Titans
@ Toronto Rock
Two wins are definitely doable, but at the same time, they haven’t been playing consistent ball and could definitely drop one if not both. Think we’ll see ‘em at 10-6 when it’s all said and done.

Buffalo Bandits (8-6, 6-6)
Even though I am still lovin’ that lineup (total playoff team), they’ve been playing some pretty uninspired lacrosse lately. Darris Kilgour called out the team in the Buffalo News this past weekend, so think we’ll see how legit these guys are in their next tilt cuz of that. A big win after their coach calls ‘em out could be huge for their confidence. A loss, well, a loss could kill ‘em mentally before the post-season even kicks off.

Games Left
vs. Chicago Shamrox
vs. Portland Lumberjax
No knock on either the Rox or Jax, but think this close out against sub .500 teams is exactly what the Bandits need to get their mojo back before the real dance starts. Think they’re finally the team that solves Roik, a guy they torched for 25 in two wins last season. Think the Banditos close out the year with two wins and a 10-6 record that’ll knot ‘em with likely a team or two depending on how things shake-out.

New York Titans (7-6, 5-5)
First off, in a year everyone and their mother said would be beyond tough due to the Sting and Blazers fall-out, the Titans have somehow improved their W column by three wins and counting. So first off boys, congrats. You definitely proved a ton of people (including me) totally wrong this year. Now the question is, do they have the legs for a beyond difficult playoff push? How legit are the New York Titans? We’ll find out this weekend when they dance twice, but with steady goaltending from Vino, a tough D game that caught me and others by surprise and an offense that has the juice to pick up the slack when someone’s slumping, not sure this is a team I would wanna play now or in May.

Games Left
vs. Chicago Shamrox
@ Philadelphia Wings
vs. Rochester Knighthawks
Think they go stride for stride with Chicago and inch one out there, no reason they can’t topple Philly again after the thumping they handed them on 22nd and then it’s do or die against Rochester in what will probably be a winner take all (and by all I mean that fourth spot in the East) throw-down at MSG. Think they can definitely finish at 9-7, but I’ve got my money on ‘em maybe doing even better than that. Lacrosse is a crazy game when you got everyone buyin’ into the same game plan.

Rochester Knighthawks (7-7, 6-5)
Saturday’s win over Buffalo was the Hawks’ third straight division win, something that’s been pretty rare this year no matter what sweater your wearin’. They’re getting the best tending they’ve got from Pat O’Toole all year, their D is playing pretty solid and guys are steppin’ up and taking over games on O. Is it too little too late though? How much is that early season losing skid gonna bite ‘em in the ass in these last couple weeks of ball bustin’ lacrosse?

Games Left
@ Minnesota Swarm
@ New York Titans
I’m thinkin’ they really need to sweep these two wins under the rug if they want to make it. If they lose to Minnesota on Saturday night, personally, I think that’s it (even though technically they’d still be alive, but I just don’t see NY crappin’ the bed to close out). Hoping they beat Minny, makin’ that MSG close-out maybe the biggest regular season game of the year in 2008, but also not holdin’ my breath.

Toronto Rock (7-7, 4-7)
Even when their O finally seemed to click, the other end of the court kinda let them down in that heart-breaker against Chicago. Hard to see even a vet heavy team like Toronto comin’ back from that kick, or should I say elbow, to the nuts from Mat Giles. And with Watson on the shelf for what some reports are saying will be up to four weeks, it’ll be beyond difficult to shore up that last playoff spot. Even though there’s a ton of Rock fans cryin’ foul on that OT marker (checkout some wicked screen shot evidence to prove otherwise), there was a Rock goal (think it was Kasey Beirnes), who was a good foot and a half in the crease when he scored that was beyond obvious and should definitely have been called back. Toronto played hard, but Chicago deserved (and got) the win.

Games Left
@ Calgary Roughnecks
vs. Philadelphia Wings
Playing two teams who will be fighting just as hard for the W and after some gut wrenching losses, do the boys have anything left in the tank? Off floor drama and some oddly timed personnel moves only add to the frustration of a tough 08 in Rockland.

Chicago Shamrox (5-7, 4-6)
I gotta think this 4-0 run, in strictly the East no less, has gotta come to an end soon. Been super impressed with Chicago of late, but trying to not just jump on the bandwagon and really look at their remaining sked by taking everything into perspective. And man, what a close out to that sked  it is (look below). Matt Roik has been beyond instrumental in their run, so how many more games can he steal for ‘em as they push for the post-season? Rumours are makin’ the rounds that defender Brock Boyle is on the shelf for the rest of the year, even though his name has never come up on the IR online and Insider is still waitin’ to hear back from the Rox for confirmation. But it’s also interesting to note that Bryan Kazarian and Andrew Burkholder have appeared to be healthy scratches for most of the Rox’s season too, with neither name on the league’s transaction page.

Games Left
@ New York Titans
@ Buffalo Bandits
@ Minnesota Swarm
vs. Minnesota Swarm
I’m not ridin’ the same high the boys in the locker room are, so gonna be a realist and say the Rox come down a bit and go like 1-3, maybe even 0-4 when you look at what they still got in front of them.

Here’s my best guess on what the East will look like in just over two weeks (didn’t get into all the tie breakers, so be my guest)…

1. Minnesota Swarm 11-5
2. Philadelphia Wings 10-6
3. Buffalo Bandits 10-6
4. New York Titans 10-6
5. Rochester Knighthawks 8-8
6. Toronto Rock 7-9
7. Chicago Shamrox 5-11

The West will be online tomorrow, so check back.

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