NLL Insider

As usual, the NLL’s regular season has brought us a fair share of excitement, surprise, outstanding performances, parity, and ups and downs. Now that the regular season schedule is complete, I thought I’d share some thoughts and observations about this weekend’s games, playoff expectations and a former great player.

Let’s start with the Minnesota/Chicago home and home. In my weekly picks I got the split right here but had the wrong nights. Apparently, home floor advantage meant nothing between these two as they each won in the other’s building. The Shamrox finish the season on a pretty good note looking forward (at least from a competitive stance), even though they won’t see postseason action. They went 5-3 in their last 8 and beat some tough divisional opponents along the way. The Roik acquisition played huge dividends and once the Rox were healthy they showed they can play with anyone in the league.

The Swarm finished a franchise-best 10-6. That opening season sweep of the Rock went a long way to help achieve the record. In their last 8, they’re a more reflective 4-4. Their goals for (GF) and goals against (GA) are a mere 3 apart. This is a team that can beat you anytime but can also be beaten. Thing is, that looks to be the theme of this year’s playoffs so the Swarm is solidly in the hunt.

The Buffalo Bandits probably established themselves as the Champion’s Cup favorite with their win at home over the Portland LumberJax. John Tavares was in top form and the Bandit offence made the ball sing with beautiful chemistry and stick skills. It looked at times they were capable of scoring at will. Lots of firepower here and JT is, of course, the consumate quarterback. The Jax looked alright at times. Their overall team size is certainly a factor but they lacked some individual and team discipline down the final stretches of this game – something they will have to address for the weekend. Matt Disher didn’t dress for the game (apparently he had a work commitment) and neither did Peter Morgan or Bruce Alexander. Still, Portland will give San Jose all they can handle on Sunday.

I tried to take in the New York/Rochester game but, like may others, was foiled by “technical difficulties” with B2. It was disappointing given the magnitude of the game. From looking at the game sheet, it seems there were three key stats: 1. Jamie Hanford controlled the face-offs and therefore first possessions (19/27); 2. New York dominated the loose ball game 79-61 giving them even more possessions;   3. The Titan defense and goalie Matt Vinc did an admirable job of holding John Grant Jr. to 1 goal on 14 shots. Grant finished the game with only 3 points – well below his game average. With the Knighthawks gone, we’re going to have a new champion for the fifth year in a row and you can make a case for any of the remaining eight.

San Jose took the West title in convincing fashion with an 11-6 home win over the Colorado Mammoth. The Colorado offence could only muster 6 goals and Gavin Prout was held to 2 assists on the day. Key factors for the Mammoth this week will be the health of Dan Carey and Josh Sims. Carey would certainly help an offence that is currently too easy to defend and Sims is critical to the transition game. Toss in some inconsistent goaltending, a 4-7 record in their last 11 and you reach the conclusion that Calgary (who comes into the Pepsi Center on the weekend as one of the hottest teams in the league) is not the opponent you want to face to get yourself out of the doldrums.

San Jose, on the other hand, tuned up well for the playoffs with their title win. Anthony Cosmo is still the goalie to beat as far as I’m concerned. And even if he has an off night, Aaron Bold plays confidently coming off the bench. Gary Rosyski and Peter Veltman are playing well, as is Cam Sedgewick. These three have done an excellent job of hiding the loss of Luke Wiles. The question for San Jose is whether or not the D can stand up under playoff pressure. The leadership and big-game ability of Colin Doyle will be a major positive factor for the Stealth.

Calgary continued its late season turnaround, cruising by the reeling Edmonton Rush at Rexall. It was obvious watching the game that the clear difference between these two teams was the wealth of offense on the Roughnecks and the dearth of offense on the Rush. Edmonton averaged a dismal 8.8 GF per game over the season. In their last 5 games (all losses), this stat went down to 6.6 and in their last 5 the closest they came to their opponents was 4 goals. It’s not hard to figure out what the Hammer will be seeking in the off season. On the other hand, Calgary has seemingly found the magic. Their two concussion problems (Kelusky and Dietrich) are back in the lineup and the Roughnecks look as good a pick as any to win the West.

The final game of the weekend was the Rock/Wings affair at the ACC. It was tribute to Jim Veltman Day and Philadelphia’s playoff fate was already sealed so you would have thought the Rock might have been able to win one for Scoop. They buried themselves early in this one and spent the rest of the game trying to climb back in – which they did - but then just when it looked like they were going to score the winner on a late power play; instead they gave up a shorthanded marker against to lose.

Veltman, as usual, was outstanding in trying to lift his team one last time. The Rock has some big decisions to make in the off-season.  The Wings looked like world beaters in the first quarter but spent the rest of the game making a case for looking susceptible. Goaltending is still a bit of an issue, in my opinion, and there’s a tendency to take unnecessary penalties, but the Wings are a formidable force when everything’s clicking. I won’t want to miss the Friday Bandits/Wings match, given I think these may be the two strongest teams right now and one of them is going down in the first round.

Oh yeah – that former great player I mentioned at the outset? That would be Buffalo Bandits player Kevin Alexander.  A week or so ago, two time NBA MVP Steve Nash was being interviewed on ABC and was asked who his Fave Five athletes were when he was growing up. His answer?  England soccer star Glen Hoddle, soccer legend Diego Maradona, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and ….that’s right, lacrosse legend Kevin Alexander.

Apparently that set the ABC people and others on a mission to find out who Kevin Alexander is. It’s resulted in numerous phone calls and emails to Alexander at his Victoria, British Columbia, home and stories in the Toronto Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun and the Victoria Times Colonist. Nash grew up in Victoria watching Alexander weave his Hall of Fame magic for the Victoria Shamrocks for many years. For Nash to recognize him as one of his greatest idols gives you an idea of how spectacular Alexander was. I’m sure Bandits fans remember him well as “Alexander the Great”. His accomplishments in the field game were just as impressive, best exemplified by his selection as the World’s Best Midfielder at the World Games in Perth, Australia in 1990. I could write forever about what Mr. Alexander has done in the game of lacrosse. In the meantime, I concur with Mr. Nash.

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