NLL Insider

Three out of four ain’t bad.

That’s 75 percent, for those of you math-challenged like me. Not exactly enough to get you on the honor roll but an impressive feat when it comes to picking winners in National Lacrosse League games.

Especially this season. Especially in the playoffs. With the word parity getting more use this year when it came to describing the pro indoor game than an average NFL broadcast, it’s never been tougher to pick who will beat who on a given week.

When it came to last weekend’s playoff tilts, I predicted:

Calgary - check.

Buffalo - check.

New York - check.

San Jose - insert buzzer noise here.

To say I was surprised to see the LumberJax beat the Stealth would be fair.

To say I was stunned to see the LumberJax beat the Stealth (with Anthony Cosmo between the pipes) in an 18-16 barnburner would be spot on.

To say I was nearly knocked off my chair to see the LumberJax scored 18 goals without a single one being a powerplay marker is equally accurate.
Dan Dawson simply had his way with San Jose, scoring seven goals on 16 shots (14 of which were on net) and adding five helpers.
Of course, the Stealth gameplan was no doubt to clamp down on Dawson. However, shutting down a superstar who is easily one of the top-five pure goal-scoring threats in the league (along with Lewis Ratcliff, Athan Iannucci, John Grant Jr. and Jeff Zywicki) is easier said than done.

There’s no doubt Calgary will be coming with the same gameplan Saturday when they host the Men in the Plaid at the Saddledome. The Riggers beat the Mammoth 15-13 last weekend in their playoff tilt and finally appear to be firing on all cylinders. Calgary is getting goals from all its offensive weapons as well as its transition game giving it, in my opinion, the most balanced attack right now of any of the four remaining playoff teams.

Calgary beat Portland twice this season (13-6 on Jan. 26 and 15-12 on March 8) and lost once (13-9 on Feb. 22). With captain Tracey Kelusky and goalie Steve Dietrich back, the Roughnecks are peaking in the playoffs, much like they did in 2004 when they won the Champion’s Cup.

Will Dawson score seven goals against Calgary? Doubt it. Tough to have huge games like that back-to-back with the defense keying on you. In order to beat Calgary, Ryan Powell, who had four goals and eight points against San Jose, will need a big game as will the supporting cast. Most of all, Matt Disher will have to have a lights-out night between the pipes.

In the end, I’m going with the club playing the hottest which, unlike in San Jose, will have a large, loud hometown crowd cheering them on. My pick: Calgary 14, Portland 10

Next up: The perennial favorite Buffalo Bandits versus the upstart New York Titans in the East final.

You’ll have to forgive the Commish and the rest of the folks at the NLL head office if they’re salivating about the thought of an NLL championship game in New York City at the Mecca known as MSG.

For a league looking for a breakout moment in the U.S., a scenario that would see either Portland or Calgary head to the Big Apple would be a dream come true.
Better yet, with a roster full of Americans, the Titans would provide plenty of storylines to help bait the local media. Of course, first things first. The Titans still have to get by the powerhouse Bandits, a pre-season favorite to win the Cup.

Mike Thompson has proved he was no one-hit wonder and stepped into Dietrich’s shoes as the team’s No. 1 and proved his breakout was no fluke last year. Toss in John Tavares, Kevin Dostie, Mark Steenhuis and the recently acquired Mike Accursi, and this Buffalo squad has plenty of veteran weapons. Philly found that out in a hard fought 14-12 loss last weekend.

The Titans beat Minnesota 11-8 last week. It was the club’s fifth straight victory and eighth win in their last nine contests. They have a potent offense and incredible young goalie in Matt Vinc. Despite their hotstreak, Buffalo’s defense is just too solid for a New York club that’s relied on outgunning a lot of it’s opponents this year. My pick: Buffalo 15, New York 12

AND FINALLY … Saw this on Wingszone and it made me laugh.

One thread essentially said the East final this weekend will be the best game of the year, based on the logic that both teams have better records than the teams left in the West who wouldn’t even have made the playoffs if they played in the East.

Oh, how quickly sports fans forget.

I think many millions figured the same thing about the AFC championship game this year. Then in the Super Bowl, it was the greatest team of all-time (in many opinions) the New England Patriots, who were 16-0, against the 10-6 New York Giants. Not even a contest. The only real betting line was how ugly the lopsided loss would be. The Patriots would massacre the G-Men.

Who won that game again?

Rate This Story:

(16 votes, average: 3.5 out of 5)

 Loading ...