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Mark Steenhuis looks to lead the Bandits to a back-to-back finals run (Martin Allinson)

The Buffalo Bandits enter 2009 slightly healthier than last winter, but likely just as hungry as Darris Kilgour amps up his crew for what should be another strong run at the Champion’s Cup.

Although the loss of Brett Bucktooth and likely Pat McCready for the season will hurt, the team finally gets Sean Greenhalgh in the lineup after missing him for all of 2008 with a blown knee, and should also benefit immensely from Dispersal Draft pick-ups Cody Jacobs and Tom Montour.

Can they patch-up some minor holes and have guys step-up entering the year banged up for the second straight winter? Find out after the jump.

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Depth

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The depth was tested last year and passed with flying colors. Add in a healthy Sean Greenhalgh to a roster many felt wouldn’t be able to compete without him in ’08, and Buffalo’s already-loaded offense just got a lot more versatile and should give the rest of the league migraines all year. Competition for a roster spot will no doubt be cutthroat.

Balance

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Coach Darris Kilgour has created an environment where even the greenest kids are excelling due to the on and off-floor relationships built by their veteran nucleus over the years. A guy like Kyle Schmelze was on absolutely no one’s radar when drafted by Kilgour in 2005, but now with Kyle Laverty lost in the Expansion Draft, Schmelze looks like he’s ready to graduate to a full-time role.

Chemistry

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That 10 players from last year’s squad played together with Kilgour’s St. Regis Indians in the MSL this summer means the lineup is going to be even more in-sync. Few teams can compete with Buffalo 5-on-5, mainly because these guys work so well together. If Buffalo stays out of the penalty box, it’s almost impossible to hang with them over a full 60.

Transition

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The Bandits have been incorporating an in-your-face two-way game since most teams in this league were still playing a snooze-inducing 5-on-5-off style. Virtually anyone who plays defense for Buffalo is capable of effectively playing the two-way game, which allows them to score in bulk, no matter the situation. A number of defenders, led by vet Clay Hill, posted career highs in most offensive stats in 2008.

SHANNY’S TAKE

Last year, I said the toughest thing for a professional team is to repeat as a champion and Rochester made that abundantly clear by missing the playoffs. Don’t expect that to happen with the Bandits.

Buffalo showed great perseverance last year in dealing with injuries that would have destroyed most teams. They made a blockbuster preseason trade for Sean Greenhalgh and he didn’t play a game. For many games they were without starting goaltender, Mike Thompson, as well as offensive stars Kevin Dostie and Brett Bucktooth. Thompson actually played fewer minutes last year than he did the previous season as Steve Dietrich’s backup.

Maybe John Tavares has slowed down a notch, but that just means he’ll score 90 points instead of 110. Mark Steenhuis is also one of the NLL’s most talented players, and guys like Bucktooth and Delby Powless have yet to reach their full potential.

The Bandits still have a great combination of skill, toughness and determination. Although it’s not easy to repeat as champions, Tavares will lead this team back to the Champion’s Cup.

SCOUTING REPORT

“Winning in this league starts with goaltending and they have a great 1-2 punch in Thompson and Kenny Montour. They’re both really unselfish players. … Any time Kilgour is leading a team, it’s good. He’s made of strong stuff, strong character, and that’s how his teams play. … Best-coached team in the league. Kilgour has guys doing what he wants them to do. … Steenhuis sometimes has trouble finding the open guy, but he doesn’t really need to most of the time. … On defense, they can be too aggressive sometimes and take bad penalties.”

NUMBER

37%

Buffalo’s face-off percentage last year — last in the league and about half of Philly’s league-leading 72%. The Bandits won 20% of their ’08 postseason face-offs.

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