NLL Insider

The Orlando Titans have lost 2 of their last 3. Can they snap the skid? (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

Back is action is the best way to describe what’s up for the National Lacrosse League after having just 2 games to watch last weekend. All 11 teams are back on the floor, which includes a massive matchup out West between the Calgary Roughnecks and the Washington Stealth. The winner has first place all itself and the Riggers enter the home contest as winners of 4 straight. The Stealth have lost 3 straight so you can bet there’s gonna be some hungry lacrosse out there. We could have a new leader in the East when the weekend’s all said and done, too, and Buffalo’s Darris Kilgour could very well make NLL history. Lots to track, so let’s start with reports on each squad.

Boston Blazers (5-4) East Division

Last week: Bye.
This week: Saturday vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: none.

Hot: The Blazers have won 5 of their last 6 after an 0-3 start … The penalty killers, at 60% (20 of 51), rank 3rd in the NLL … Team is 3-1 when scoring first … Team is 5-1 when leading after the first quarter … G Anthony Cosmo leads the NLL with a 9.39 goals-against average.
Not: Boston’s power play, at 28% (15 of 52), ranks last in the NLL … Team is 1-4 when outshot … Boston was 0-2 last season following bye weeks. “We had trouble with bye weeks last year,” coach Tom Ryan said. “We got distracted, but I think the guys this week are focused.” … F Jamie Rooney has been moved to the PUP list.

“Buffalo has been struggling, but they’re a dangerous team,” said Ryan. “And whenever you have a team that’s had varying performances like the Bandits, you have to assume you’re facing a team that’s firing on all cylinders. You have to be prepared for their best game.”

Buffalo Bandits (3-6) East Division

Last week: defeated Orlando Titans, 12-10.
This week: Saturday at Boston, 7:30 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: WWKB (1520-AM), Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: D Chris Corbeil (lower body).

Hot: A Buffalo win gives coach Darris Kilgour 94 regular-season wins, moving him past Les Bartley for the most in league history … F Kyle Clancy has 18 points to rank 5th among all rookies in scoring, and he’s played just 4 games while the 4 rooks ranked ahead of him have played no less than 8 games each. He’s the NLL Rookie of the Week … Team leads NLL with an average crowd of 15,766 per game … T Mark Steenhuis had 10 points in the win over Orlando, tying him with 3 others for the single-game high this season … He opened the game with a natural hat trick and is the NLL Offensive and Overall Player of the Week … Bandits outshot Titans 16-7 in first quarter.
Not: Buffalo’s power play, at 41% (19 of 46), ranks 7th in the NLL … The penalty killers, at 51% (26 of 54), rank 8th in the NLL … Team has been outshot in all but 1 game this season … Team won just 7 of 27 faceoffs vs. Orlando … Injuries hit Buffalo hard in the win over Orlando, but D Kyle Schmelzle (nose) and D Steve Priolo (slight concussion) should be able to play. “The broken nose for Kyle isn’t as bad as we thought,” assistant coach Duane Jacobs said. “And Steve Priolo, we thought it was a concussion. But he practiced (Tuesday) night and he’ll be fine … D Chris Corbeil is a different story. He’s out at least 3 weeks with a lower body injury. Look for increased defensive roles for Brett Bucktooth and Jon Harasym and, maybe even John Tavares. “He played most of the fourth quarter out the back door for us on Satuday,” Jacobs said.

“I would say that it was,” Jacobs said when asked if Saturday was a season-saving win. “We showed some confidence and had a realization of how well we can play and how bad we’ve been in the past. The season is still on the line for us… time’s running out but we still have an opportunity.”

Orlando Titans (4-3) East Division

Last week: lost to Buffalo, 12-10.
This week: Friday vs. Philadelphia, 7:35 p.m.; Saturday at Rochester, 7:35 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: none.

Hot: The power play, at 60% (21 of 35), is No. 1 in the NLL … The penalty killers, at 59% (17 of 42), rank 4th in the NLL … Team has scored more goal on the road (47) than at home (37) … F Ryan Boyle is tied with Rochester’s Gary Gait for most game-winning goals this season, with 3 … D Bill Greer leads all NLL defensemen with 12 points (5-7) … D Greg Peyser won 19 of 26 faceoffs vs. Buffalo.
Not: Orlando has lost 2 of its last 3 games … Team leads NLL with an average of 29 penalty minutes per game … F Casey Powell, who took a beating, accounted for half the team’s goals in the loss to Buffalo. “He plays real hard and he leaves it all on the field,” coach Ed Comeau said. “It was a physical game and we ook some lumps, but we delivered some lumps, too.” … Boyle was scoreless on 7 shots on goal.

Rochester Knighthawks (5-4) East Division

Last week: Bye.
This week: Saturday vs. Orlando Titans, 7:35 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: WZNE (94.1-FM), Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: T Bobby McBride (shoulder) on IR.

Hot: The power play, at 47 percent (26 of 55), ranks 4th in the NLL … The penalty killers, at 65% (22 of 64), rank 2nd in the NLL … F John Grant is tied with Toronto’s Colin Doyle for most power-play assists this season with 17 … Team has rallied to win an NLL-high 3 games when trailing at halftime … G Pat O’Toole is 33 saves from breaking Dallas Eliuk’s all-time record of 6,536 … F Shawn Williams needs 1 assist to become the 5th player in NLL history to reach 500. “When it all breaks down, he’s the last man there so it’s a testament to his career,” assistant coach Mike Hasen said, who also is O’Toole’s brother-in-law. “He’s a steady constant.”
Not: Team has allowed an NLL-high 61 goals in road games … Average crowd of 6,541 is 10th in the NLL … Team’s defense is under scrutiny after having to sit 2 weeks on the overtime loss to Edmonton, a game the Knighthawks led by 4 goals at one point. “It’s not just one thing,” said Hasen. “Guys just got out of the groove, out of the system. They’ve just got to stay focused and trust in each other.”

Toronto Rock (6-4) East Division

Last week: Bye.
This week: Friday vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: D Stephen Hoar (ankle).

Hot: The power play, at 52% (36 of 68), ranks 3rd in the NLL … The penalty killers, at 59% (18 of 44), rank 5th in the NLL … Team is 4-1 at home … Rookie F Garrett Billings leads NLL with 8 power-play goals … F Colin Doyle is tied with Rochester’s John Grant for most power-play assists this season with 17 … Team has scored a league-high 34 goals in first quarter … Rookie F Stephan Leblanc leads NLL with at least 1 goal in 10 straight games.
Not: Team leads the NLL with 6 game-misconducts … Team has given up 16, 14 and 10 goals in last 3 games after giving up double-digits just 2 times in the first 7 games … Team is 2-4 when surrending 10 or more goals in a game.

“I liked all aspects of their game on Saturday,” general manager Terry Sanderson said of preparing for Buffalo. “Kenny was Kenny in goal and when you allow Mark Steenhuis to go off like he did, it’s a recipe for disaster. I’m sure we’ll have our hands full.”

Philadelphia Wings (2-7) East Division

Last week: lost to Calgary, 15-7.
This week: Friday at Orlando, 7:35 p.m. (EST), Saturday vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: F Merrick Thomson, D Shawn Nadelen.

Hot: T Geoff Snider leads the NLL with 133 loose balls and has won that title the last 2 seasons … F Drew Westervelt, F Mat Giles and F Bill McGlone have scored at least 1 goal in 5 straight road games, tops in the NLL … F Kyle Wailes scored 3 of the team’s 7 goals in Calgary … Vs. Calgary, Snider won 18 of 23 faceoffs and scooped a team-high 15 loosies … D John Christmas has scored a goal 3 of the 4 games he’s played. “He’s played great,” coach Dave Huntley said. “It’s great to have him back and he’s doing a great thing with his L.E.A.P.S. program and we’re proud of everything he’s doing. He bided his time, got back and he’s given us a lot of energy.”
Not: The power play, at 33% (17 of 51), ranks 9th in the NLL … The penalty killers, at 48% (30 of 58), rank 10th in the NLL … Snider leads NLL with 72 penalty minutes, 1 more than Orlando’s Rory Smith … G Brandon Miller leads the NLL with 7 losses … Team is 0-5 when trailing after first quarter.

Calgary Roughnecks (5-3) West Division

Last week: defeated Philadelphia Wings, 15-7.
This week: Saturday vs. Washington, 9:35 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: T Rob Van Beek (wrist).

Hot: The power play, at 46% (23 of 50), is 5th in the NLL … Team is 5-1 when scoring first … Team has outscored opponents 38-18 in the second quarter … F Scott Ranger scored a season-high 4 goals vs. Philadelphia after scoring 3 in his previous 3 … Outscored Philadelphia 9-3 over 2nd and 3rd quarters … F Tracey Kelusky scored 3 goals in a game for the 3rd time this season … Team has won 4 straight and can move into first place in the West with a win. “It’s nice to be where we’re at but it’s only halfway through the season,” coach Dave Pym said. “This weekend could have a dramatic impact on either team’s season.” … G Matt King is the NLL Defensive Player of the Week and T Jeff Shattler is the NLL Transition Player of the Week.
Not: The penalty killers, at 56% (17 of 39), are 6th in the NLL … Team has scored a league-low 34 goals in road games … Team has allowed league-high 8 short-handed goals … Power play was just 2-for-7 vs. Philadelphia.

Colorado Mammoth (2-6) West Division

Last week: Bye.
This week: Saturday vs. Edmonton, 9 p.m (EST).
TV/radio: Altitude2/Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: D John Gallant (hand).

Hot: Team is an NLL-best 2-0 in overtime games this season … The young guys: of the Mammoth’s top 8 point producers, 6 are in their 4th NLL season or lower, including 3 rookies. “Our rookies have played really well,” coach and GM Steve Govett said. “I like the way they’re playing and the intensity they bring to the table.”
Not: The power play, at 28% (11 of 38), is 10th in the NLL … The penalty killers, at 47% (19 of 36), rank last in the NLL … Team is 0-4 at home this season … Team is 1-4 when scoring first … Team has been outscored 28-18 in the fourth quarter … Team has played 5 games decided by 1 goal and is 2-3 in those games. “We’ve got to put ourselves in better position to win those games,” Govett said. “We have to learn how to close games out.”

Edmonton Rush (5-3) West Division

Last week: Bye.
This week: Saturday at Colorado, 9 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: CFRN 1260-AM, Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: D Pat Jones (calf).

Hot: Team is 3-0 at home … F Ryan Ward leads NLL with 3 short-handed goals … Team has rallied to win 2 games when trailing after 3 quarters, tops in the NLL … Team averages 18.5 penalty minutes per game, lowest in the league … The 5-3 start is the best in franchise history. “There won’t be any overconfidence here,” coach/GM Derek Keenan said. “We’re a group that works hard and needs to pay attention to detail. It’s a good start, but our 2nd half is very difficult and that starts with the game in Denver this weekend, which is a very difficult place to play.”
Not: The power play, at 35% (14 of 39), ranks 8th in the NLL … The penalty killers, at 55% (18 of 40), rank 7th in the NLL … D Pat Jones is “iffy,” according to Keenan. He suffered a setback in his recovery while practicing with the team in Rochester 2 weeks ago, according to Keenan.

Minnesota Swarm (4-4) West Division

Last week: Bye.
This week: Saturday at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: none.

Hot: The power play, at 56% (18 of 32), ranks 2nd in the NLL … Team is 4-1 this season when scoring 10 or more goals in a game … Team is 3-1 when leading after the first quarter … Team has won 3 straight and has outscored opponents 44-29. “We’ve gotten on a little bit of a run, which is nice,” coach Mike Lines said. “We’re starting to turn the corner.” … F Aaron Wilson has 23 points (7-16) in his last 3 games … F Callum Crawford won his appeal to a 1-game suspension.  
Not: The penalty killers, at 50% (19 of 38), rank 9th in the NLL … Team has scored first in just 1 game this season and is 0-1 when scoring first … D Ryan Cousins has been moved to the hold-out list due to work commitments.

Washington Stealth (6-3) West Division

Last week: Bye.
This week: Saturday at Calgary, 9:35 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com
Reported injuries: D Travis Gillespie, D Kyle Sorensen.

Hot: The penalty killers, at 68% (14 of 44), are 1st in the NLL … Team is 4-1 at home … In his 2nd NLL season, T Jamison Koesterer leads the NLL with 248 faceoff wins. He didn’t take a single faceoff last season in Portland … Team leads NLL with 9 short-handed goals, 5 of them scored on the road … D Mike Grimes appealed and got his 2-game suspension reduced to 1 game, so he’ll sit this weekend’s game against Calgary with fellow D Matt Beers, who also is serving a 1-game suspension.
Not: The power play, at 45% (20 of 44), is 6th in the NLL … Average crowd of 3,482 is last in the NLL … Team is 1-3 when trailing after first quarter … Three-game losing streak. “Injuries have played a role defensively,” coach Chris Hall said. “And when you win 6 straight games, teams start to pay attention. I think we caught some teams by surprise early.” … Sloppy execution on offense also has contributed to the losing streak, Hall said.

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