NLL Insider

Ryan Sharp's hit on Scott Ranger last year has trailed into today's opener against Calgary. (Photo: Dave Sanders)

Between the Calgary Roughnecks coming into today’s home opener as a slightly new-look defending champ attempting to stand their ground early, and the Minnesota Swarm eager to prover their rebuilt offense and improved D can compete with the best this year, some early apparent verbal barbs behind the scenes look like they’ll make today’s Western clash even more heated than already expected.

The Calgary Sun is reporting that Necks head coach Dave Pym is still pretty pissed about some talk he heard through the grapevine from Swarm management in regards to some of their players being “divers” last season.

The paper says that the comments stem from last year’s clash in Minnesota when Swarm defender Ryan Sharp, who will not be available in today’s game (or likely for most of the season due to work commitments), drilled Roughnecks forward Scott Ranger, sending him crashing to the floor.

“It’s disrespectful of the talent, character and hard work our guys live and die by,” Pym told The Calgary Sun. “Ranger has had his head taken off a few times. It incenses me someone would say it’s a systemic approach to the game (to be divers). The blood and guts on this team is second to none.”

Minnesota Swarm GM, Marty O’Neill, knows his boys need to stay out of the box against a team like the Roughnecks, whether he thinks it’s a legit call or not. O’Neill tells the Calgary Herald, “… you don’t want to get on the penalty-killing side of Calgary’s power play, which won them a championship last year. So that’s Job 1.

“And then I think we need to come together as a team, and the NLL training camp is short so we’ve still got a ways to go there. To game plan that game is pretty simple. We just want to hang with them as long as we can and try to pull it out late.”

Today’s game between the defending camps and Swarm goes live at 5PM EST, 3PM local time, at the Pengrowth Saddledome, or live at the NLL Network.

PLUS THE LINKS

Riggers vs. Swarm – “It’s one of those things where they’ve got nothing to lose. They’ve got no pressure on them. They’re coming into the defending champs’ building — they’re supposed to lose. They’re going to come in loose and play strong, so we’re going to have to be on our game.” – Andrew McBride (Calgary Herald)

Battered cap - “I’m hoping (to keep playing) as long as the body holds up and as long as I’m contributing and as long as I love coming to the rink still. I enjoy going to practice, I enjoy going down to the Dome for games.” – Tracey Kelusky (Calgary Herald)

Rookie defender Sid Smith is very happy with his debut and the Knighthawks’ performance against the John Tavares-less Bandits last night…

Kilgour blasts – “We’ve got a lot of selfish offensive players that don’t want to move the ball. That’s the bottom line.” – Darris Kilgour, John Tavares out with “lower body injury” (American Chronicle)

The Bandits were without Tavares last night, and it showed. (Photo: Buffalo Bandits)

What it’ll take - Calgary Sun sports editor and NLL Insider contributor, Ty Pilson delves deeper into what it will take for the Necks to be the NLL’s first repeat champs since the ‘03 Toronto Rock. (Calgary Sun)

Man against men – NLL Insider top ‘08 draft prospect, Curtis Manning, makes his rookie pro debut later this afternoon against the Swarm, even though he doesn’t feel like much like a rookie, already playing a starting role in the past two Mann Cups. “On the floor, I’m not concerned with feeling out of place or being young. We’ll just have to see what happens.” – Manning (Calgary Sun) Plus… Manning first ever NLL Insider Defender of the Year. (NLL Insider)

King starter – “I was probably on my last legs in this league. I was bouncing around a few teams in a few years. It’s definitely different now. But I know things can change quickly, and I have to approach it like this could be my last game.” – Matt King (Calgary Sun)

Swarm crystal ball – The Minnesota Swarm take a loot at themselves in the mirror before today’s opener. (Minnesota Swarm)

Happy Meat – “It’s easy to feed of the energy of the crowd when they are that loud throughout the game. They definitely have an impact on how we play on the floor.” (Washington Stealth)

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