NLL Insider

Philadelphia's Geoff Snider leads the NLL in faceoffs-winning percentage. (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

John Tavares scored the winning goal in overtime of two road games last weekend for the Buffalo Bandits and that’s pretty cool, right? But is it even cooler than the fact that there were penalty shots awarded in three different National Lacrosse League games? Three! When’s the last time that happened? And the one in Rochester wasn’t just any shot, either. If Pat O’Toole makes that save against Orlando’s Jordan Hall in the fourth quarter, O’Toole becomes the NLL’s all-time leader in career saves. But Hall’s shot low shot hit O’Toole’s stick and spun it just enough to squeak through the 5 hole. Let’s check in with each NLL team.

Boston Blazers (5-5) East Division

Last week: lost to Buffalo, 9-8 (OT).
This week: Saturday at Edmonton, 9 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: D Jon Durno (questionable), F Jamie Rooney (out).

Hot: Team drew a season-high 9,062 fans for the game … Blazers are 5-1 when leading after the first quarter … T Greg Downing leads the team with 68 loose balls … Team ranks 5th in total loose balls with 735 … T Brett Queener is expected to return to lineup after missing last week … Acquired F Mat Giles in a trade with Philadelphia. “We look at him as a veteran leder and an offensive threat that makes us more dangerous,” coach Tom Ryan said … Giles will see time on the power play from the right side … Rookie T Ryan Hotaling won 15 of 21 faceoffs.
Not: Team is an NLL worst 20% (5 of 24) on power play on road … The OT loss drops the team to 1-2 in OT games. “We didn’t have our best game,” said Ryan. “We kind of let them stay in it too long and John Tavares makes a living off that kind of clutch performance.” … F Daryl Veltman scored just 1 goal on 13 shots vs. Buffalo … The Blazers defense allowed 4 Buffalo goals in just less than 5 minutes in the fourth quarter, which sent the game into OT. The 4th goal, by Roger Vyse, was short-handed.

Buffalo Bandits (5-6) East Division

Last week: defeated Boston, 9-8 (OT).
This week: off.
Reported injuries: D Chris Corbeil (lower body).

Hot: Friday’s OT win in Toronto was the 94th regular-season win for coach Darris Kilgour, breaking the all-time record of the late Les Bartley … F John Tavares scored the winning goal in both OT road games, at Toronto Friday and at Boston on Saturday … Team has won an NLL-high 3 straight road games … G Mike Thompson made 52 saves to tie the NLL’s season-high for a single game with 2 other goalies (Tyler Richards, Matt Vinc) … F Tom Montour leads team with 93 loose balls … Montour scored 2 goals on just 3 shots vs. Boston.
Not: Team ranks 6th in total loose balls with 713 … F Mike Accursi was held without a goal (8 shots on goal) vs. Boston for the first time this season … Team won just 18 of 45 faceoffs for the weekend, including just 6 of 21 vs. Boston, but 2 of those 18 total wins led to the first possessions in OT, and the winning goals … T Mark Steenhuis scored just 1 goal on 10 shots vs. Boston.

Orlando Titans (6-3) East Division

Last week: defeated Philadelphia, 11-9, defeated Rochester 9-4.
This week: Saturday vs. Calgary, 7:35 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: F Casey Powell (day to day).

Hot: Game in Calgary is a rematch of last year’s Champion’s Cup game, won by Calgary, 12-10 … Team leads NLL with just 9.2 goals per game, the only defense in the league to hold foes to single digits … D Greg Peyser leads team with 63 loose balls … G Matt Vinc is No. 2 in the NLL with 380 saves. He averages 42 a game and is on pace to finish with an NLL record 675 … Rookie D Jesse Guerin made his NLL debut and had 1 goal and 3 assists … Penalty killers held Wings scoreless on 3 power plays … Defense held Rochester scoreless for first 38 minutes of Saturday’s win.
Not: Team ranks 10th in total loose balls with 613 … F Casey Powell is day to day, said coach Ed Comeau. “We won’t tell him, he’ll tell us” when he’s ready to play, said Comeau. “He knows his body and the rest was good for him.” … F Matt McLeod scored just 1 goal on 10 shots vs. Philadelphia … Power play was scoreless on 7 tries vs. Rochester … Won just 4 of 25 faceoffs vs. Philadelphia.

“We’re focused on the 2010 season,” Comeau said of the rematch. “Calgary is a good team and they’ve been playing well as of late.”

Rochester Knighthawks (5-5) East Division

Last week: lost to Orlando, 9-4.
This week: off.
Reported injuries: T Bobby McBride (shoulder) on IR.

Hot: T Steve Toll leads team with 102 loose balls … Team ranks 3rd in total loose balls with 774 … Penalty killers held Titans scoreless on 7 chances … F Shawn Williams had 4 assists to become just the 5th player in NLL history with more than 500 … T Bobby McBride is expected to return to the lineup next week after suffering a shoulder injury.
Not: Team averages an NLL-worst 9.6 goals per game … G Pat O’Toole gave up a penalty shot goal to Orlando’s Jordan Hall in the fourth quarter. A save would have broken Dallas Eliuk’s career saves mark of 6,356 so O’Toole will have to wait until the March 27 home game against Buffalo to break the record … Offense was scoreless for first 38 minutes of game vs. Orlando, bringing out the boo birds for the Knighthawks … F Scott Evans had 23 of the team’s 33 penalty minutes, which included 2 unsportsmanlike conducts, a 5-minute cross-checking major and a misconduct.

Toronto Rock (6-5) East Division

Last week: lost to Buffalo, 11-10 (OT).
This week: off.
Reported injuries: none.

Hot: Team leads NLL with 12.9 goals per game … Team is 6-2 when outshooting opponent … Rookie F Stephan Leblanc leads NLL with at least 1 goal in 11 straight games … D Sandy Chapman and D Pat McCready are tied for team lead with 59 loose balls … Team ranks 2nd in total loose balls with 833 … Rookie D Drew Petkoff led team with 11 loose balls vs. Buffalo … F Kasey Biernes scored 3 goals on just 7 shots … Every player on the scoresheed, with the exception of backup G Steve Dietrich, had at least 1 loose ball vs. Buffalo.
Not: Team is 0-3 when outshot by opponents … F Blaine Manning scored just 1 goal on 16 shots vs. Buffalo … After starting the season with 5 wins in his first 6 games, G Bob Watson has lost the last 3 games he’s played … F Colin Doyle scored just 1 goal on 9 shots, but he did have 4 assists … F Blaine Manning took a whopping 16 shots on goal vs. Buffalo, but scored just 1.

Philadelphia Wings (3-8) East Division

Last week: lost to Orlando, 11-9, defeated Minnesota 20-11.
This week: off.
Reported injuries: F Merrick Thomson, D Shawn Nadelen.

Hot: Team scored 7 unanswered goals third quarter, with 2 each from F Bill McGlone and T Geoff Snider vs. Minnesota … Snider finished with a season-high 4 goals vs. Minnesota… Snider leads the NLL in faceoffs (72%) and loose balls (160) … G Brandon Miller leads the NLL with 382 saves, including one on a penalty shot in the fourth quarter against Minnesota … Team’s 20 goals and 54 points are highest team totals in NLL this season … Team has an NLL-high 850 total loose balls … F Dan Teat scored 4 goals on 8 shots vs. Minnesota. Also had 6 assists for a 10-point night … Team shot 36% (20 of 55) vs. Minnesota.
Not: Team has scored the first goal in an NLL-high 8 games, but is 3-5 when scoring first … Team is an NLL-worst 21% (6 of 28) at home on the power play … Team was 3-for-8 on the PP vs. Minnesota … D John Christmas was scoreless on 11 shots vs. Orlando …

Calgary Roughnecks (5-4) West Division

Last week: lost to Washington, 12-11.
This week: Saturday at Orlando, 7:35 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: T Rob Van Beek (wrist, out), D Rob Kirkby (Achilles, out).

Hot: Game vs. Orlando is rematch of last year’s Champion’s Cup game, won by Calgary, 12-10 … F Tracey Kelusky scored a season-high 6 goals in the loss to Washington, including Calgary’s first 4 … Props to F Dane Dobbie for helping clean the floor, using his stick to scoop socks that’d been tossed to commemmorate Kelusky’s 6th goal for a “sock trick” … F Josh Sanderson had 8 assists in Saturday’s loss … Team is an NLL best 52% (13 of 25) on power play on road … Team has outscored opponents 42-20 in second quarter … F Jeff Shattler leads team with 75 loose balls … Released rookie F Carlton Schuss to make room for free agent F Mark Scherman. “He’ll bring some athleticism and energy to our front end,” coach Dave Pym said.
Not: Riggers were 1-for-6 on the power play vs. Washington … Team ranks 7th in total loose balls with 676 … What happened vs. Washington? “We’ve got to get better all over the floor. We’re getting away from our defensive system and offensively, we’re standing around,” Pym said. … D Rob Kirkby is out “for a couple of weeks” after tweaking his Achilles’ during practice … Penalty killers allowed 3 power play goals on 5 chances for Washington … Sanderson scored just 1 goal on 9 shots.

Colorado Mammoth (2-7) West Division

Last week: lost to Edmonton, 13-9.
This week: off.
Reported injuries: none.

Hot: D Brad Richardson leads team with 55 loose balls … Richardson also won 19 of 27 faceoffs … Rookie F Alex Gajic scored 5 goals on just 8 shots, including all 3 Mammoth goals in the fourth quarter … F Jed Prossner led the team with 11 loose balls … D John Gallant made his return to the lineup with 1 assist and 4 loose balls in the captain’s first game since Jan. 30 … F Derek Malawsky had 2 assists and has 6 total in his 2 games with the Mammoth, but has yet to score goal on 9 total shots.
Not: Mammoth went scoreless on a 5-minute power play, which included 2 minutes of 5-on-3 … F Jamie Shewchuk was denied on a penalty shot by G Matt Disher … Team is 0-5 at home … Team ranks 9th in total loose balls with 614 … F Brian Langtry scored just 1 goal on 11 shots vs. Edmonton … Team was 2-for-9 on the power play vs. Edmonton … Rookie F Ilija Gajic was not in the lineup last week.

Edmonton Rush (6-3) West Division

Last week: defeated Colorado, 13-9.
This week: Saturday vs. Boston, 9 p.m. (EST).
TV/radio: CFRN 1260-AM, Webcast on NLL.com.
Reported injuries: D Pat Jones (calf, questionable), T Chris McElroy (questionable).

Hot: Team has tied a franchise record with 6 wins in a season … F Ryan Ward had 3 goals, 4 assists … Team plays 5 of its final 7 games at home … Team is 3-0 at home, the only team in the NLL without a loss at home … Team is 3-1 vs. East division … Team is an NLL-best 63% (7 of 11) at home on the power play … G Matt Disher’s 19 saves in the third quarter against Colorado is the most by any NLL goalie in a quarter this season and it included a stopped penalty shot … T Brodie Merrill leads team with 106 loose balls … Team has 3 1-goal wins … F Gavin Prout scored a season-high 4 goals on 9 shots. He has 12 points (4-8) in 2 games this season against his old team.
Not: Team ranks 11th in total loose balls with 585 … Team’s 2 losses are by a combined 22 goals. “We’re pleased with the progress, though,” coach Derek Keenan said. “We’ve learned to go out and play better on the next shift rather than getting down about it.” … Rookie F Corey Small scored just 1 goal on 9 shots … F Ryan Powell scored 2 goals, but he hasn’t scored goals in consecutive games yet this season.

“We’re in a good position, but we want to look forward, not back,” said Keenan of the team’s 6-3 record and being in contention for the West division title. “We need to stay focused. Boston is a very good team so it’s a good challenge for us.”

Minnesota Swarm (4-5) West Division

Last week: lost to Philadelphia, 20-11.
This week: off.
Reported injuries: none.

Hot: T Jay Thorimbert leads team with 71 loose balls … Thorimbert scooped a team-high 9 loosies vs. Philly … F Ryan Benesch led team with 3 goals … F Tim Campeau was solid vs. Philly with 2 goals, 3 assists and 8 loosies … Penalty killers held Wings to 3 goals on 8 chances.
Not: Team has scored first in just 1 game this season … Team is 0-2 in tie games entering the fourth quarter … Team ranks 8th in total loose balls with 647 … Benesch was denied by Philadelphia’s Brandon Miller on a fourth-quarter penalty shot … An 8-7 halftime deficit turned into a 16-7 deficit after defense gave up 8 straight goals to start second half vs. Philadelphia … Team’s final 3 goals were with the extra attacker … It took a goal from a defenseman, Jon Sullivan, to end Philly’s 8-goal run. Sullivan’s goal was short-handed.

Washington Stealth (7-3) West Division

Last week: defeated Calgary, 12-11.
This week: off.
Reported injuries: D Travis Gillespie.

Hot: F Luke Wiles scored 3 goals in a game for the first time since Week 1, and his 3rd goal, with 1:22 left, was the game-winner … F Rhys Duch had 2 goals and 4 assists … Team is 5-1 when scoring first goal of game … Team leads NLL with 10 short-handed goals … Team is an NLL-best 6-0 when leading after the first quarter … T Jason Bloom leads team with 73 loose balls … Team ranks 4th in total loose balls with 748 … Penalty killers held Calgary to 1 goal on 6 chances … The Stealth own the season tiebreaker with Calgary if it’s needed, winning the season series 2-1 … Backup G Matt Roik made 42 saves to get the win … D and assistant captain Kyle Sorensen activated after missing 5 games with a lower body injury. D Wade DeWolff was released to make room for Sorensen.
Not: Welcome to the NLL, D Chris O’Dougherty. The Stealth were called twice for illegal substitutions and the rookie served both … F Cam Sedgwick scored just 1 goal on 6 shots … After leading the NLL much of the season in faceoff wins, T Jamison Koesterer won just 11 of 28 and has won just 20 of 42 in his last 2 games as Philly’s Geoff Snider has taken over the league lead.

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