NLL Insider

WIth the regular season about to come to a close and playoffs soon to start up, each game plays a pivotal role in deciding the final rankings for some teams.  This year each province seems to be neck and neck. 

Out in BC, although Coquitlam has established themselves as the team to beat, Victoria, New West, and Burnaby beg to differ. In Alberta, there are currently three teams tied for first.  Which team will grab the first seed heading into the playoffs?  In Ontario, everybody is beating everybody. While Orangeville seemed to be the team to beat, a tough Burlington team waltzed in and did just that. Brampton, St. Catherines and Six Nations all have double digits in the win column which should make things very interesting come playoff time. This weeks games might provide a sneak peak at some possible playoff match-ups but also decide where some of these teams end up. Check em out:

Nanaimo Timbermen @ Port Coquitlam (Sat., July 4)

With 5 of 6 playoff spots locked up in BC, this game determines who snags that last postseason birth.  PoCo’s huge win over Delta last night set the stage for a do a die situation for both teams.

Much of the talk this year in BC has revolved around a Coquitlam team which has sat in first all year. Teams like Nanaimo and Port Coquitlam fly under the radar until now, playoff time, when teams are fighting for their life. Nanaimo currently sits one point ahead of the Saints with 14. Last year a few names on the Timbermen roster impressed a lot of people. Rookie of the Year Cody Bremner and Colton Clark (Bellarmine) put up big numbers for Nanaimo last season and were expected to do the same again and they have not let people down.  Clark leads the Timbermen in scoring with 64 points and Bremner sits third with 45. Sandwiched in between the two is a player who did not sit in this spot last year, Jonathon Diplock. With only 20 points on the year in 2008, Diplock surprised many with the numbers he is putting up so far this year. He is now one of their “go-to” guys on offense. Goalies Rob Bannister and Rob Pierson have been putting up great numbers in net and will need to continue to do the same if the Timbermen want their season to continue on after this game.

The big name on the Port Coquitlam roster is Scott Jones. His 88 points currently sit him third in the league in scoring. With his 7 huge points last night in PoCo’s massive win over Delta, Jones continues to show why he is one of the best pure scorers in BC. Not only does he produce a lot of goals, he is a great passer as well. Of his 88 points, 44 are goals and 44 are assists, that is a pretty good balance if you ask me. But the Saints offense does not completely revolve around him. They currently have 8 players on their roster who have notched 40+ points. It is tough to find a roster with that many players who are contributing serious points. Matt Wiebe and Jordan Flamman keep opposing defenses busy which not only frees up Jones more but also allows guys like Brennan Galbraith, Scott Davidson, and Ryan Kwasnica to make an impact offensively. Mike Lowe and Tyson Cornfield have done well splitting time in net as both are averaging around the same GAA and save percentage. If PoCo expects to walk away with a win here they will need solid play defensively as well as great offensive production from more sources other than simply from Scott Jones

Peterborough Lakers @ St. Catherines Athletics (Wed., July eighth)

Things aren’t much different in Ontario. The playoff scene involves 11 teams fighting for 8 spots. With only a few games left on everyone’s schedule, each game can mean life or death for a team. This game could prove to be either a huge win or a huge loss for either one of these two teams.

At the start of the season, Peterborough seemed to be an early favorite to sit near the top of the OLA. But after a few early losses the Lakers quickly sank and currently sit 6th with 18 points.  Like Coquitlam’s Robert Church and Trevor Moore (Robert Morris), the Lakers have two names who are dropping absolutely ridiculous numbers this year: Jesse Guerin and Kyle Clancy. Guerin leads the nation in scoring with 103 points and Clancy is not far behind with 92 of his own.  These two guys have been racking up points left, right, and center all season but have not been getting much support. Zac McIlmoyle and Matt Crough have put up 66 and 63 points respectively but after that, the next player only has 22 points. Without offensive support coming from many different players it is hard to win games. Although goalies Ryan Masters and Kalvin Thomas have been doing a solid job splitting time between the pipes, the Lakers still find themselves playing .500 lacrosse, sitting at 9-9 and fighting for a playoff spot.

St. Catherines has had what some consider quite a tough season. The A’s started the season off with a record of 8-1 and looked to be an early favorite to sit atop the league. They then went on to lose 5 out of their next 6 games, including 4 in a row. St. Kitt’s the proceeded to trade away easily one of the best players in the league, Andrew Potter, to Minto Cup host Brampton. Potter had been tearing up the league, leading the nation in scoring at the time he was dealt. Now the offense rides on the shoulders of Joey Resetarits (Albany). Without Potter on the floor at the same time, opposing defenses now only have to key on Resetarits. Through 18 games, he has 72 points which is a lot for such a young player.  He seems as though the pressure has not slowed down his offensive production.  But guys like Geoff McNulty, Joel McCready, and Bryan Neufeld have taken some of the scoring burden and put it upon themselves. Goalie Zach Bowen has been solid in net with a GAA of only 8.70.  If he can keep that number low, with the offense producing and getting help from many players, this team could give some teams a hard time in the playoffs.

Calgary Jr. Raiders @ Edmonton Eclipse (Sat., July 4)

The long awaited rematch has finally arrived, and with another to follow a week after. The last time these two teams met the Raiders capitalized on some key injuries on the Eclipse roster. The two times before that, Edmonton got the best of Calgary. With the way the standings are shaping up to be, the next two meetings between these two teams could prove to be pivotal factors in deciding who grabs the first seed going into the playoffs.

The Raiders enter the game after taking a two week hiatus. Rejuvenated and rehabilitated, the Raiders should come out ready to play. Both teams boast some serious scoring threats (7 out of the top 8 are on one of these two teams) but the Raiders are lead by Casey MacIntyre and Jake Hayes (Robert Morris). The two 40+ point scorers (46 and 43) currently sit 6 and 7 in the league.  But the Raiders also are getting help from other players as well. Alberta’s #1 Money Baller Chad Mitchell, top D-man Danny Dahms, and rookie Aaron Tackaberry all have been giving the Raiders serious help offensively and defensively. Not only is the offense producing, but goalies Adam Shute and Greg Hallett currently sit first and second in the league amongst tendies.  Shute is posting almost an 88% save percentage while allowing just under 5 per. Hallett is not far behind posting an 83% save percentage with just under 7 goals per game. It is tough to find such good numbers for two goalies on the same squad.

While the Raiders are getting solid offensive production and great goaltending, the Eclipse are seemingly in the same boat. 5 out of the top 8 scorers in the league are on the Eclipse roster, that’s ridiculous. Simon Giourmetakis (Canisius), Sean Reid, and Carson Barton all have over 50 points on the year.  Just like the Raiders, the Eclipse are getting big time help from many different players. Eric Ransom and Shane Lopatynski each have over 40 points while Greg Bourett has 35 if his own. While the offense seems to be the headlining factor to the Eclipse team, the defense and goaltending is not something that should be over looked. Last time these two teams met, Ontario import and starting goalie Marc Nano was sidelined with a nagging knee injury. With his 82% save percentage back in net, Nano and the Eclipse seem to be getting back to full strength. Will it be the high powered offense of the Eclipse of the lockdown defense of the Raiders that decides this game?

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