Late last year I talked about not getting season tickets for the Buffalo Bandits this year only to reverse my decision shortly after. My biggest fear about not getting season tickets was that I would miss the excitement and entertainment Banditland offers. Well, I am learning this year that the fear may not exist any longer.
This season I bought season tickets, picked some games to go to and sold the tickets to the other games that I couldn't get to. As it turned out, I missed a game I was suppose to go to due to illness. Without going into details, both my wife and I were not well enough to spend over two hours in a car to get to Buffalo. We even had a babysitter scheduled for the game so we would have had a night out alone. Neither of us were too happy we missed a night out alone.
Anyhow, back to the point. Not having been to a Bandits game in almost two months has not been as bad as I would have thought. As it turns out, my kids are keeping me busy that not only do I enjoy doing nothing every chance I get, but I also have no energy to really follow anything too closely. Having the Rock on TSN2 has helped some I suppose; I'm still getting a lacrosse fix even though I have no invested interest in the game. I have paid attention to the standings enough to notice that Buffalo needs to win two more games (one against Rochester) and they secure at least one home game in the playoffs, regardless of the other games (among various other scenarios).
This season has turned into a test year for next year when I don't have season tickets. And this time I won't change my mind; two kids and a two hour drive with a potentially long wait at the border is more than I can take. With luck I will once again get season tickets for the Bandits but perhaps I will be content with just a couple game a season like in the years prior to being a Bandit season ticket holder. Time has a way of changing things though.
Showing posts with label NLL/MLL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NLL/MLL. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
NLL All Star Game
There was a time, not too long ago, that I enjoyed the National Lacrosse League's all-star game. Back then the game s more reminiscent of a regular season game instead of being a typical all star game. The game would be competitive and players would hit each other, perhaps not as hard as in a season game, but hitting was nonetheless part of the all-star game. This fact not only set it aside from other sports all-star games but also made it very enjoyable to watch. One year (perhaps in 2005 when the game was in Toronto) the game was even advertised as not your typical all-star game.
Sadly that time has passed us by.
Yesterday's NLL all-star game was exactly like the traditional all-star game. Players avoided most body contact, there were hardly any battles for loose balls, players would hover around the opposing teams end waiting for the long pass and the defense took over a quarter to finally provide a little help to the goalies. An all-star game in lacrosse is not needed if the sole purpose is to highlight the offensive talents of players. For the most part, the offensive players didn't do anything different from what they would normally do in a season game. Colin Doyle frequently scores the ridiculous over the shoulder/behind the back goals; John Grant takes a dozen or so behind the back shots a game; there are several behind the back passes each game; Dan Dawson has patented the between the legs shot; John Tavares tries to score from behind the net every couple of games, many times with successful results; and Mark Steenhuis frequently cradles one handed and tries all sorts of 'trick' shots as he drives to the net.
To see the stars shine in the NLL all one needs to do is attend a game. With so few teams in the league each team has at least a couple stars who have adopted some special move as part of their regular plays. It is almost a necessity to beat the great keepers in the game. With the increased competition in the league and more players using special moves during regular games, the all-star game is really unnecessary. The NLL should get back to the more competitive all-star game or end the silly dress rehearsal.
Sadly that time has passed us by.
Yesterday's NLL all-star game was exactly like the traditional all-star game. Players avoided most body contact, there were hardly any battles for loose balls, players would hover around the opposing teams end waiting for the long pass and the defense took over a quarter to finally provide a little help to the goalies. An all-star game in lacrosse is not needed if the sole purpose is to highlight the offensive talents of players. For the most part, the offensive players didn't do anything different from what they would normally do in a season game. Colin Doyle frequently scores the ridiculous over the shoulder/behind the back goals; John Grant takes a dozen or so behind the back shots a game; there are several behind the back passes each game; Dan Dawson has patented the between the legs shot; John Tavares tries to score from behind the net every couple of games, many times with successful results; and Mark Steenhuis frequently cradles one handed and tries all sorts of 'trick' shots as he drives to the net.
To see the stars shine in the NLL all one needs to do is attend a game. With so few teams in the league each team has at least a couple stars who have adopted some special move as part of their regular plays. It is almost a necessity to beat the great keepers in the game. With the increased competition in the league and more players using special moves during regular games, the all-star game is really unnecessary. The NLL should get back to the more competitive all-star game or end the silly dress rehearsal.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Set NLL salaries based on years of service?
A few years ago I pondered the idea of salaries in the National Lacrosse League and wondered if a sports league could standardize base salaries. I had put this thought into the overly large nether region of my mind until this blog post brought the thought out of hiding.
My work experience is far from extensive given that I've worked at one place since graduating from college, but I am with the understanding that pay scales are used by companies in compensating employees for their work. This pay scale could be formally set out and known to those in the company or perhaps there are unspoken limits that are known only by the top management or owners of smaller companies. Perhaps some companies do not refer to their practice as pay scales but I don't doubt there is an upper limit for each position within a company, big or small.
The big question is why can't a sports league use this principle in determining base salaries. The basic premise, which is pretty much all I have, is to set a standard base salary for rookies and each additional year in the league adds a predetermined amount for each year of service. These increases would be used to create set amounts for each year of service so year one is $20,000, year 2 is $22,000, etc. This would keep all players at each year of service at the same base salary and prevent timing differences in when a player joins the league.
Without leaving the beloved player's union out of the equation, they can still cause havoc...er, help players with respect to negotiating different pay scale increases for different lengths of service instead of a constant increase each year. For example maybe year 2-5 the increase will be $2,000/year, years 6-15 base salaries increase by $3,000/year and for over 15 years of service base salaries increase by $6,000/year. Of course those figures are only relevant if the league's revenues increase but the idea is the same. In addition, the PLPA would still be able to bargain for higher annual cost of living increases, better pensions and other such items that management wants to take away or not provide to their employees.
This amount being only the base salary. Whether this is already applicable in the NLL or not, any performance bonuses will continue to be in addition to base salaries (no need to get rid of player agents now is there?...). I am not too familiar with how bonuses work but perhaps there can be a requirement for a minimum performance level to retain certain bonuses for the length of the CBA, or individual contract. Perhaps bonuses can be left out of the NLL altogether...
As I said earlier, this is only a basic thought with some areas that need some significant thought yet, like how to deal with the salary cap, how to keep the bonuses respectable and have some bonuses that are a challenge to reach. As the league revenues grow the base salaries could increase as well. This might be able to keep the league affordable as it grows as well and that is a key benefit for me and I'm sure most followers of the NLL would like the league to remain affordable. I don't see why this concept could not be applied to a sports league but it is my idea and I am often blinded to the practicality of my thoughts when I think I have a good one.
My work experience is far from extensive given that I've worked at one place since graduating from college, but I am with the understanding that pay scales are used by companies in compensating employees for their work. This pay scale could be formally set out and known to those in the company or perhaps there are unspoken limits that are known only by the top management or owners of smaller companies. Perhaps some companies do not refer to their practice as pay scales but I don't doubt there is an upper limit for each position within a company, big or small.
The big question is why can't a sports league use this principle in determining base salaries. The basic premise, which is pretty much all I have, is to set a standard base salary for rookies and each additional year in the league adds a predetermined amount for each year of service. These increases would be used to create set amounts for each year of service so year one is $20,000, year 2 is $22,000, etc. This would keep all players at each year of service at the same base salary and prevent timing differences in when a player joins the league.
Without leaving the beloved player's union out of the equation, they can still cause havoc...er, help players with respect to negotiating different pay scale increases for different lengths of service instead of a constant increase each year. For example maybe year 2-5 the increase will be $2,000/year, years 6-15 base salaries increase by $3,000/year and for over 15 years of service base salaries increase by $6,000/year. Of course those figures are only relevant if the league's revenues increase but the idea is the same. In addition, the PLPA would still be able to bargain for higher annual cost of living increases, better pensions and other such items that management wants to take away or not provide to their employees.
This amount being only the base salary. Whether this is already applicable in the NLL or not, any performance bonuses will continue to be in addition to base salaries (no need to get rid of player agents now is there?...). I am not too familiar with how bonuses work but perhaps there can be a requirement for a minimum performance level to retain certain bonuses for the length of the CBA, or individual contract. Perhaps bonuses can be left out of the NLL altogether...
As I said earlier, this is only a basic thought with some areas that need some significant thought yet, like how to deal with the salary cap, how to keep the bonuses respectable and have some bonuses that are a challenge to reach. As the league revenues grow the base salaries could increase as well. This might be able to keep the league affordable as it grows as well and that is a key benefit for me and I'm sure most followers of the NLL would like the league to remain affordable. I don't see why this concept could not be applied to a sports league but it is my idea and I am often blinded to the practicality of my thoughts when I think I have a good one.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Bandits 2011 home opener
An air of excitement filled the HSBC arena Saturday night, as the cross border rivals Toronto Rock were in town to help the Buffalo Bandits open their 2011 home schedule. As the 16,685 fans, mostly clad in orange or black, made their way to their seats the excitement grew and exploded on the first note from the bagpipes. As the image on the big screen of a solo bagpiper zoomed out to reveal several more bagpipers and a drummer leading the Bandits to the floor, the fans got even louder. From this point one could tell it was going to be an entertaining game.
After a slight delay waiting for the signal to start the game, it began. And what a beginning it was for the Bandits. In under two minutes the home side was up 3-0 on goals by John Tavares, Chad Culp and Brett Bucktooth. Almost a minute later the Rock got on the board with Blaine Manning’s first of two goals and before long the game was knotted at 3. The first quarter ended with Buffalo holding a 4-3 lead.
The second quarter was back and forth and by the end the Bandits held tight to their one goal lead despite Colin Doyle scoring three in the quarter for the Rock. The third quarter was all Buffalo. They held the Rock scoreless in the quarter while netting three themselves and chasing Bob Watson from Toronto’s net. Just over a minute into the third period Buffalo opened a five goal lead but, similar to Toronto the previous night, they couldn’t put the game away.
Whether it was Toronto’s defense picking up their game or Buffalo’s sudden inability to make a cross floor pass in the offensive end that was the cause, the Bandits couldn’t seem to get a quality shot on Campbell. On the other side of the floor, the Rock seemed unstoppable as Garrett Billings and Blaine Manning took over feeding passes that ended up in the back of the net. This quarter it was sophomore Stephen Leblanc as the beneficiary of the Billings-Manning passes more times than not as he scored a hat trick the saw the game tied at 14.
With ten seconds left the Bandits won their fourth face-off and immediately called a time out leaving just over 7 seconds on the clock. Tavares lead the charge down the field but his shot was deflected out of play. After some quality chances by the Rock in overtime it was Scott Self scoring on a breakaway just over four minutes into the extra frame to win the game for the home side.
The game overall was extremely entertaining, well, with the exception of the numerous and lengthy reviews, but was not necessarily a good one. Can a game be called good when both coaches were yelling at the refs throughout the game? I am not sure how coach Cordingly didn’t get tossed from the game; he was inches from stepping onto the floor at one point near the end of the fourth quarter. The refs missed many calls, and I’m talking about obvious penalties where a ref was clearly watching the play, and called some soft penalties that must have left the opposing team chuckling.
There were times when my mind flashed back to the preseason scrimmage between these two teams (I’m talking about the brawl not the actual “game” as unfortunately I wasn’t there) and was amazed that there was no fight nor any penalties called during these scrums. I’m not sure who gets credit for keeping the players in line but it definitely wasn’t the refs.
In the end it was a much needed victory for the Bandits in front of their home crowd. Not a pretty one but win nonetheless. Toronto suffered their first loss of the season but still remain atop the East division standings. The Bandits sit tied for second with their New York rival Knighthawks. Toronto hosts the Bandits next Saturday for their second of three meetings.
After a slight delay waiting for the signal to start the game, it began. And what a beginning it was for the Bandits. In under two minutes the home side was up 3-0 on goals by John Tavares, Chad Culp and Brett Bucktooth. Almost a minute later the Rock got on the board with Blaine Manning’s first of two goals and before long the game was knotted at 3. The first quarter ended with Buffalo holding a 4-3 lead.
The second quarter was back and forth and by the end the Bandits held tight to their one goal lead despite Colin Doyle scoring three in the quarter for the Rock. The third quarter was all Buffalo. They held the Rock scoreless in the quarter while netting three themselves and chasing Bob Watson from Toronto’s net. Just over a minute into the third period Buffalo opened a five goal lead but, similar to Toronto the previous night, they couldn’t put the game away.
Whether it was Toronto’s defense picking up their game or Buffalo’s sudden inability to make a cross floor pass in the offensive end that was the cause, the Bandits couldn’t seem to get a quality shot on Campbell. On the other side of the floor, the Rock seemed unstoppable as Garrett Billings and Blaine Manning took over feeding passes that ended up in the back of the net. This quarter it was sophomore Stephen Leblanc as the beneficiary of the Billings-Manning passes more times than not as he scored a hat trick the saw the game tied at 14.
With ten seconds left the Bandits won their fourth face-off and immediately called a time out leaving just over 7 seconds on the clock. Tavares lead the charge down the field but his shot was deflected out of play. After some quality chances by the Rock in overtime it was Scott Self scoring on a breakaway just over four minutes into the extra frame to win the game for the home side.
The game overall was extremely entertaining, well, with the exception of the numerous and lengthy reviews, but was not necessarily a good one. Can a game be called good when both coaches were yelling at the refs throughout the game? I am not sure how coach Cordingly didn’t get tossed from the game; he was inches from stepping onto the floor at one point near the end of the fourth quarter. The refs missed many calls, and I’m talking about obvious penalties where a ref was clearly watching the play, and called some soft penalties that must have left the opposing team chuckling.
There were times when my mind flashed back to the preseason scrimmage between these two teams (I’m talking about the brawl not the actual “game” as unfortunately I wasn’t there) and was amazed that there was no fight nor any penalties called during these scrums. I’m not sure who gets credit for keeping the players in line but it definitely wasn’t the refs.
In the end it was a much needed victory for the Bandits in front of their home crowd. Not a pretty one but win nonetheless. Toronto suffered their first loss of the season but still remain atop the East division standings. The Bandits sit tied for second with their New York rival Knighthawks. Toronto hosts the Bandits next Saturday for their second of three meetings.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
On second thought...
maybe I will get season tix this year after all. Friend of mine contacted me and convinced me to buy tix this year and he would buy some from me. I may not get to all the games but I am sure to enjoy the ones I do get to. Now I only have to wait a couple months for my first game.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Winter without season tix
This winter is going to be a long one for me as I am giving up my season tickets for the Bandits. I'm hoping this is just a temporary thing and in a couple years I will be able to get them again but right now the future is uncertain. I'm thinking I'll need to do a road trip this winter at least once; I'm not sure I can go the whole winter without HSBC nachos or a beef on weck. I still have about a month before my renewal comes so maybe something can be worked out.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
What a crazy season
The 2010 National Lacrosse League season has been a really crazy one thus far. Toronto started 6-1 and looked almost unbeatable but have since lost five in a row and are sitting in a tie for second place in the East division. Buffalo on the other hand started 0-4 but have won four straight and have gone from last in the entire league to tied for second in the East. The Rochester Knighthawks, with John Grant Jr back, has struggled to get the offence going and are in danger of missing the playoffs. They do have a game in hand on those teams tied for second so they are not that far behind despite their inconsistent play.
Out in the West, the Washington Stealth, without the services of Colin Doyle after his trade back to Toronto, is sitting tops in the league and became the first team to clinch a playoff spot last weekend. Perhaps the craziest story of all this year is that the re-tooled Edmonton Rush are sitting in second place in the West (above the 2009 champion Calgary Roughnecks) and are one win away (or a Colorado loss) from clinching their first ever playoff spot.
This coming weekend can see two more teams enter the playoff picture in the West. If Buffalo can continue their great play and defeat Colorado Saturday night, and if Calgary can beat either Toronto or Rochester, both Edmonton and Calgary will claim a spot in the 2010 playoffs. The East as usual will likely come down to the last weekend and tiebreakers will likely be needed to decide the seedings for a third year in a row.
Can this season get any crazier? I'm thinking it can but we will have to wait and see what the last four(?) weeks has in store for us. Craziness or not, I expect we will be treated to some great lacrosse as the season winds down.
Out in the West, the Washington Stealth, without the services of Colin Doyle after his trade back to Toronto, is sitting tops in the league and became the first team to clinch a playoff spot last weekend. Perhaps the craziest story of all this year is that the re-tooled Edmonton Rush are sitting in second place in the West (above the 2009 champion Calgary Roughnecks) and are one win away (or a Colorado loss) from clinching their first ever playoff spot.
This coming weekend can see two more teams enter the playoff picture in the West. If Buffalo can continue their great play and defeat Colorado Saturday night, and if Calgary can beat either Toronto or Rochester, both Edmonton and Calgary will claim a spot in the 2010 playoffs. The East as usual will likely come down to the last weekend and tiebreakers will likely be needed to decide the seedings for a third year in a row.
Can this season get any crazier? I'm thinking it can but we will have to wait and see what the last four(?) weeks has in store for us. Craziness or not, I expect we will be treated to some great lacrosse as the season winds down.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Tavares truly is the leader
The crowd at the HSBC Arena on Saturday night seemed rather quiet prior to the start of the NLL game between the Titans, now of Orlando, and the hometown Buffalo Bandits. Perhaps the crowd was still in shock from the Bandits loss a week earlier to the worst place team in the East division and was expecting another horrible showing from the orange and black against the division’s best and the player of the month for February in Orlando’s goaltender Matt Vinc. As if this feeling of impending doom was felt by the players, just over two minutes into the game John Tavares laid a heavy check on Greg Peyser who crumpled to the floor (and laid there in a lifeless lump only to get to his feet showing no ill effects once the trainer came onto the floor) causing a bit of a skirmish. It all ended with Tavares and Mark Steenhuis in the box and a Titans powerplay.
Despite being down a man, Banditland came alive during that heated exchange. The Bandits killed the penalty and finally scored on a powerplay of their own on a shot from Steenhuis. The first quarter ended with the Bandits up 4-0 and Mark Steenhuis getting a natural hat trick. The second quarter saw some fights that left two Bandit players injured and the teams defence short two men. The scoring was a bit back and forth but Buffalo increased their lead by 1 leading 8-3 at half.
Orlando came out gunning in the third quarter and scored the next three goals to close the gap to two. The crowd was quiet once again as nervous tension built up. Buffalo escaped the third with a three goal lead though as Steenhuis stopped Orlando’s scoring run by netting his sixth of the game. Heading into the fourth, Buffalo looked more like they were trying not to lose but another big hit from John Tavares (this time clean) got the crowd and the team right back into the game. A short time later JT scored on the powerplay to get back a three goal cushion and the crowd began to sense victory. With over two minutes to play Matt Vinc was pulled for an extra attacker but Orlando was only able to score one goal with the extra man and Buffalo held on for the 12-10 win.
The tone was set early in that game, not that there was a big surprise after the division final last year, and the action didn’t let up until the final whistle blew. The officiating left a lot to be desired and the Titans players found the new carpet a little too comfortable but overall, that was a great hard hitting, action packed game. The kind of game Buffalo excels at. That win also gave Darris Kilgour his record tying 93rd regular season win. The only other coach with that many wins is the late great Les Bartley.
Despite being down a man, Banditland came alive during that heated exchange. The Bandits killed the penalty and finally scored on a powerplay of their own on a shot from Steenhuis. The first quarter ended with the Bandits up 4-0 and Mark Steenhuis getting a natural hat trick. The second quarter saw some fights that left two Bandit players injured and the teams defence short two men. The scoring was a bit back and forth but Buffalo increased their lead by 1 leading 8-3 at half.
Orlando came out gunning in the third quarter and scored the next three goals to close the gap to two. The crowd was quiet once again as nervous tension built up. Buffalo escaped the third with a three goal lead though as Steenhuis stopped Orlando’s scoring run by netting his sixth of the game. Heading into the fourth, Buffalo looked more like they were trying not to lose but another big hit from John Tavares (this time clean) got the crowd and the team right back into the game. A short time later JT scored on the powerplay to get back a three goal cushion and the crowd began to sense victory. With over two minutes to play Matt Vinc was pulled for an extra attacker but Orlando was only able to score one goal with the extra man and Buffalo held on for the 12-10 win.
The tone was set early in that game, not that there was a big surprise after the division final last year, and the action didn’t let up until the final whistle blew. The officiating left a lot to be desired and the Titans players found the new carpet a little too comfortable but overall, that was a great hard hitting, action packed game. The kind of game Buffalo excels at. That win also gave Darris Kilgour his record tying 93rd regular season win. The only other coach with that many wins is the late great Les Bartley.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I'm ready for the NLL season
My season tickets for the 2010 NLL Champion Buffalo Bandits have been ordered; American money has been taken out of the bank; and my jerseys are in my dresser waiting patiently for the call. I even had a bit of practice cheering as I encountered some Sabres fans last night after work on the short walk to the train. They noticed my Bandits hat so I joined them in some Let's Go Buffalo! chants and such. Now I only have forty some extremely long days to get through before the season starts and I'm sitting in the comforts of HSBC arena munching on their nachos.
Friday, October 30, 2009
2010 NLL season
Well, we are just a couple months away from the start of the NLL season and a couple weeks away from the start of training camps. Who will be the most improved? Who will fall to the bottom of the league? The end to our wait is in sight.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
NLL needs change in philosophy
With the National Lacrosse League’s third attempt at the Big Apple ending in failure, it is time for the league to come to terms with their position in the world of sports, that being a minor sports league. For those not yet in the know, the NLL announced yesterday that the Titans franchise will move from New York to Orlando, Florida for the upcoming 2010 season. This is the third announcement involving NLL franchises this off season after the Portland Lumberjax announced they were ceasing operations and the San Jose Stealth announced their relocation to Everett, WA.
Until the NLL has some franchise stability, this league will never gain the long sought after major league status. Sure it is a professional league but it is constantly compared to the Arena Football League and that league recently announced it is suspending operations indefinitely. The time has come (if it hasn’t been here for a few years already) for the NLL to focus on solidifying the current franchises and showing the media and the public that the league is sustainable. Once that happens then maybe, just maybe, ESPN2 and TSN2 (or Sportsnet) will pick up some games again. After the league gets some solid nationwide exposure throughout Canada and the US, then, and only then, should the league consider expanding. The league is currently on the path to joining the AFL in the land of invalid sports leagues and lacrosse is too good for that.
Until the NLL has some franchise stability, this league will never gain the long sought after major league status. Sure it is a professional league but it is constantly compared to the Arena Football League and that league recently announced it is suspending operations indefinitely. The time has come (if it hasn’t been here for a few years already) for the NLL to focus on solidifying the current franchises and showing the media and the public that the league is sustainable. Once that happens then maybe, just maybe, ESPN2 and TSN2 (or Sportsnet) will pick up some games again. After the league gets some solid nationwide exposure throughout Canada and the US, then, and only then, should the league consider expanding. The league is currently on the path to joining the AFL in the land of invalid sports leagues and lacrosse is too good for that.
Friday, May 15, 2009
2009 Champion's Cup final
Well it is finally here, the 2009 Champion’s Cup final. The top team from the West (and the league overall) will host the top team from the East in a one game showdown. The mighty Titans from New York will make the long trek to Calgary to face off against the home town Roughnecks. Many expected to see a rematch from the 2004 Champion’s Cup but an almost flawless defensive effort by the Titans last weekend crushed the hopes of a repeat for Banditland.
Allowing just three goals against the star-studded Bandits surely has the Titans entering the game as favourite's right? They not only defeated the defending champs but embarrassed them. Lead by Casey Powell on offense and Matt Vinc on defense, with a hard working supporting cast, these Titans really live up to their team name but are still considered underdogs for tonight’s game. Do they care? Not at all. They will play a full 60 minutes and give the Roughnecks all they can handle. Will that be enough to hoist their first cup? I personally don’t think they will be able to contain all the offensive threats Calgary has.
Calgary has been the top team in the league since game one. They easily handled their two playoff opponents so far and look to do the same to the Titans. Coming in as favourites, Calgary is looking to Matt King to continue his stellar play between the pipes. Even with their many offensive threats (Sanderson, Kelusky, Toth…), the Roughnecks will also need to put in a solid 60 minutes if they plan on raising a second banner to the rafters. They will also be out to prove a point as not a single player from the Roughnecks earned any end of year hardware (except their coach) despite being the top team all year. They only had one player named to the all-pro teams and that was Josh Sanderson for the second team.
Along with Casey Powell, I think containing Brendan Mundorf and Jordan Hall will be key to Calgary’s victory. Calgary plays as a team and will come back hard if they get down early. In the end Calgary will prevail in a close game. The score at the end may not reflect how close this game will be.
Allowing just three goals against the star-studded Bandits surely has the Titans entering the game as favourite's right? They not only defeated the defending champs but embarrassed them. Lead by Casey Powell on offense and Matt Vinc on defense, with a hard working supporting cast, these Titans really live up to their team name but are still considered underdogs for tonight’s game. Do they care? Not at all. They will play a full 60 minutes and give the Roughnecks all they can handle. Will that be enough to hoist their first cup? I personally don’t think they will be able to contain all the offensive threats Calgary has.
Calgary has been the top team in the league since game one. They easily handled their two playoff opponents so far and look to do the same to the Titans. Coming in as favourites, Calgary is looking to Matt King to continue his stellar play between the pipes. Even with their many offensive threats (Sanderson, Kelusky, Toth…), the Roughnecks will also need to put in a solid 60 minutes if they plan on raising a second banner to the rafters. They will also be out to prove a point as not a single player from the Roughnecks earned any end of year hardware (except their coach) despite being the top team all year. They only had one player named to the all-pro teams and that was Josh Sanderson for the second team.
Along with Casey Powell, I think containing Brendan Mundorf and Jordan Hall will be key to Calgary’s victory. Calgary plays as a team and will come back hard if they get down early. In the end Calgary will prevail in a close game. The score at the end may not reflect how close this game will be.
Big night for sports
Not only is today a Friday before a long weekend but it is also a big day for sports. The 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup gets underway tonight in Rimouski when the Kelowna Rockets take on the host Oceanic. The 2009 season of Major League Lacrosse also begins tonight in Annapolis as the Toronto Nationals take on the Washington Bayhawks in Toronto’s first MLL game. Perhaps the biggest game of the night will be the National Lacrosse League’s Champion’s Cup final in Calgary between the Roughnecks and the visiting New York Titans. As an added bonus for those in the Durham region, Rogers TV will be broadcasting the Clarington Green Gaels at Newmarket Saints lacrosse game this evening starting at 8:00 PM.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
NLL division finals
Since I got one of my first round predictions wrong, I figure I should revise my comments on the rest of the playoffs. Well, actually, all comments are still relevant except for the one series. Rochester was unable to finish the upset and in the last five minutes allowed New York (or should I say Casey Powell) to come back to tie the game and eventually lose it in overtime.
So with Rochester loss, New York Titans advance to the East division final to host the Buffalo Bandits. Buffalo lost both meetings against New York this year, which is why the Titans get to host this game and not Buffalo, all else being equal. In my opinion, Buffalo is the better team in this game although New York has played more consistently this year. I think Buffalo is going to avenge their two regular season losses in a big way. Bandits by a few, let’s say four.
I would like to see San Jose defeat Calgary so I can attend another game live but I think Calgary will pull out the win in the West final. Still backing the Bandits in the Cup final too, in overtime. With luck the Bandits will have the East final well in hand early so I can flip to the West final at the start. Otherwise, it’s split screen for me.
So with Rochester loss, New York Titans advance to the East division final to host the Buffalo Bandits. Buffalo lost both meetings against New York this year, which is why the Titans get to host this game and not Buffalo, all else being equal. In my opinion, Buffalo is the better team in this game although New York has played more consistently this year. I think Buffalo is going to avenge their two regular season losses in a big way. Bandits by a few, let’s say four.
I would like to see San Jose defeat Calgary so I can attend another game live but I think Calgary will pull out the win in the West final. Still backing the Bandits in the Cup final too, in overtime. With luck the Bandits will have the East final well in hand early so I can flip to the West final at the start. Otherwise, it’s split screen for me.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Ready for NLL playoffs
Well we’re a week and a half away from the NLL playoffs and I can’t wait for the drive down the QEW on May 2. The East division finished with a three way tie for first once again but due to tiebreakers, the Bandits (10-6) finished 2nd. New York (10-6) finished on top with Boston (10-6) in third and Rochester (7-9) in a distant fourth. Out West, the Roughnecks of Calgary topped the league with a 12-4 record while Portland (9-7) finished in second, San Jose (7-9) in third and Colorado (7-9) barely made the fourth spot.
Calgary, with top seed, will look to host their second Champions Cup but will have to win two games starting with the always tough Colorado team. Portland’s quest for a return trip to the finals starts with a home game against San Jose. Buffalo will seek revenge against Boston at the HSBC while their western New York rivals travel to the big city to take on the New York Titans. All eight teams have the ability to win and no team is guaranteed the win so these four games should be awesome to watch.
Starting in the East:
New York plays a consistent game, putting in sixty hard minutes every game so they could earn the respect of the league this year with a Champions Cup final appearance. Rochester finished fourth but came on strong late in the season and are still mad they missed the playoffs last year for the first time in franchise history. If the ‘time’ is right Rochester could steal the first round game from New York but I don’t think they can get by either Boston or Buffalo. Buffalo is perhaps the best team in the East but has lacked the consistency this year. They started strong, as in unbeatable, but have gone 5-6 since then with 4 of those losses to the other top teams in the East. Boston has already surpassed most people’s expectations this season. I thought they’d do okay but tied for first in the East, not a chance. If Cosmo stands on his head and the team in front of him plays like they have been, they could easily find themselves in the finals. Any team with Dan Dawson on it can’t be ruled out come playoff time.
Over in the West:
The West is Calgary’s to lose. They are solid from front to back, including both tenders. If their record gets to their heads, Colorado will be there to pull them back out of the clouds. I am not giving Colorado much chance but I am also not writing them off. Portland is looking to give their fans one more reason to get their season tickets for next year with a home victory. Not sure if the win will help but it can’t hurt. Difference in the game will be Matt Disher for the Jax and Colin Doyle for the Stealth. San Jose has a potent offence that can steal this game and Colin Doyle has the ability to take control of this game with rookie Rhys Duch as his more than able sidekick.
This is now a god time for my picks but I am hesitant to make them, anything can happen in one game. Alright, here goes but I reserve the right to change my picks for games after the first round when I get the first round wrong.
Division Semi-finals:
- Colorado at Calgary - May 3: Calgary, they are too good to lose so early in the playoffs.
- San Jose at Portland - May 1: San Jose, double D’s will lead the Stealth to victory
- Rochester at New York - May 1: Rochester, O’Toole and Williams will have great games
- Boston at Buffalo - May 2: Buffalo, they are not going to lose three games in a row, JT will ensure that.
Division Finals:
- San Jose at Calgary - Calgary, but in a close one; Sanderson and Doyle will compete for top points
- Rochester at Buffalo - Buffalo, the place will be electric giving the Bandits the extra edge (I like to think Bandit fans can actually make a difference)
Champions Cup:
- Buffalo at Calgary - Buffalo, in overtime. Payback for the loss in 2004, it’s that simple. If only I had more vacation time…and money…I’d be back in the saddle(dome) again.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Titans Steal One From The Bandits
The HSBC crowd was pumped, the announcer was pumped, the bag piper was pumped and even the anthem singer seemed to have a little extra enthusiasm prior to the New York Titans / Buffalo Bandits lacrosse game Saturday night. Unfortunately for the 18,550 in attendance, the Buffalo Bandits enthusiasm left quickly.
Despite getting off 59 shots on net, the Bandits were only able to score nine times as they lost 11-9 to the Titans. All game long the Titans defence caused the Bandits some off-ball struggles but the Bandits were still able to get several quality scoring chances on drives to the net. Those chances ended up missing the net, hitting iron or sucked into the mid-section of New York’s net minder Matt Vinc. During the first quarter Vinc added to the Bandits frustrations by turning aside several sure goals.
Coupled with the lack of emotion displayed by the Bandits was the inability of their defence to stop New York when the momentum shifted to the home side. Twice the Bandits had two goal runs that gave them momentum but each time the Titans responded by netting the next goal and killing all momentum. Some of this poor play rests at the feet of the Bandits goalie, Mike Thompson, as he let several long shots get past him (the type of shots that are meant to generate rebounds as the shot clock nears zero) and allowed some other goals that he should not have.
New York deserves some credit for the win as well. They did play hard the whole game and did not let the crowd and the momentum shifts affect their play. They did not look seem to control the ball as long as Buffalo did this game but they did enough to get the win. As mentioned earlier, Vinc made several spectacular saves in the opening quarter that kept the Titans in the game, including turning away some breakaway chances by the Bandits. The Titans played the full sixty minutes and that is the reason they won, it’s as simple as that.
Next game for Buffalo is the highly anticipated match up Saturday night against the Boston Blazers while the Titans have a home and home with Philadelphia next weekend. A sweep by New York would solidify a playoff spot for them and all but eliminate Philadelphia from the post season. A New York sweep would also give Buffalo a spot in the playoffs regardless of how they do in Boston.
Despite getting off 59 shots on net, the Bandits were only able to score nine times as they lost 11-9 to the Titans. All game long the Titans defence caused the Bandits some off-ball struggles but the Bandits were still able to get several quality scoring chances on drives to the net. Those chances ended up missing the net, hitting iron or sucked into the mid-section of New York’s net minder Matt Vinc. During the first quarter Vinc added to the Bandits frustrations by turning aside several sure goals.
Coupled with the lack of emotion displayed by the Bandits was the inability of their defence to stop New York when the momentum shifted to the home side. Twice the Bandits had two goal runs that gave them momentum but each time the Titans responded by netting the next goal and killing all momentum. Some of this poor play rests at the feet of the Bandits goalie, Mike Thompson, as he let several long shots get past him (the type of shots that are meant to generate rebounds as the shot clock nears zero) and allowed some other goals that he should not have.
New York deserves some credit for the win as well. They did play hard the whole game and did not let the crowd and the momentum shifts affect their play. They did not look seem to control the ball as long as Buffalo did this game but they did enough to get the win. As mentioned earlier, Vinc made several spectacular saves in the opening quarter that kept the Titans in the game, including turning away some breakaway chances by the Bandits. The Titans played the full sixty minutes and that is the reason they won, it’s as simple as that.
Next game for Buffalo is the highly anticipated match up Saturday night against the Boston Blazers while the Titans have a home and home with Philadelphia next weekend. A sweep by New York would solidify a playoff spot for them and all but eliminate Philadelphia from the post season. A New York sweep would also give Buffalo a spot in the playoffs regardless of how they do in Boston.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Montour Should Be Number 1 For Bandits
After a record tying performance last weekend against the Portland Lumberjax, will Ken Montour get the starting goaltender tag for the Buffalo Bandits and start this weekend’s game against the Titans?
At the beginning of the season coach Darris Kilgour stated he would use his two goalies on a rotating basis. If this is still the case after the career game, Montour will find himself watching Mike Thompson take to the field Saturday night. When given the chance, Thompson has not looked sharp and left his last two starts early in the first half. He might have been the victim of poor defence in front of him but he still hasn’t played like the Bandits need him to. Montour on the other hand has performed admirably. Montour sits atop the league in wins (tied with Anthony Cosmo of Boston), goals against average with an insane 9.04 and save percentage with .818. He has played the seventh most minutes and has allowed the fewest goals for those goalies that played over 400 minutes (8th among goalies that played more than 200 minutes).
Montour is in the running for Goalie of the Year honours and the only thing that would get in his way from achieving this honour is not getting enough minutes. Coach Kilgour needs to ensure his team is fully ready for the playoffs so that likely means giving Mikey some starts. Banditland can only hope that Thompson steps up like he can; he did backstop Buffalo to a Champion’s Cup win last year. For all I know this decision might already be made but I have not found any news of it.
At the beginning of the season coach Darris Kilgour stated he would use his two goalies on a rotating basis. If this is still the case after the career game, Montour will find himself watching Mike Thompson take to the field Saturday night. When given the chance, Thompson has not looked sharp and left his last two starts early in the first half. He might have been the victim of poor defence in front of him but he still hasn’t played like the Bandits need him to. Montour on the other hand has performed admirably. Montour sits atop the league in wins (tied with Anthony Cosmo of Boston), goals against average with an insane 9.04 and save percentage with .818. He has played the seventh most minutes and has allowed the fewest goals for those goalies that played over 400 minutes (8th among goalies that played more than 200 minutes).
Montour is in the running for Goalie of the Year honours and the only thing that would get in his way from achieving this honour is not getting enough minutes. Coach Kilgour needs to ensure his team is fully ready for the playoffs so that likely means giving Mikey some starts. Banditland can only hope that Thompson steps up like he can; he did backstop Buffalo to a Champion’s Cup win last year. For all I know this decision might already be made but I have not found any news of it.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Not To Get Ahead Of Ourselves, But…
There is still a lot of lacrosse to be played in this National Lacrosse League season but the two top teams are close to earning a spot in the playoffs. Calgary is leading the West division with eight wins while Buffalo is leading the East division with eight wins as well. Both teams can clinch a playoff spot with three victories and coincidentally, each team has three games remaining at home where they each team has lost just once.
Two wins coupled with a Rochester loss will put Buffalo in the playoffs. Boston needs three wins with a Rochester loss to enter the playoffs in their first season since their return to the NLL. New York has a two game lead on the basement dwellers in the East and play Philadelphia twice down the stretch so they have a chance to greatly influence the final standings. Unfortunately for them they also play Buffalo twice. Checking out the upcoming schedule, if both Boston and Buffalo win this coming weekend (March 27-29), then Buffalo can clinch a playoff spot by defeating the Blazers on April 4th, adding more fuel to an already heavily anticipated battle.
Over in the West, Calgary can clinch a playoff spot this weekend by beating Toronto at home Friday and Minnesota on the road Saturday. The rest of the teams are jammed together, however; Portland has two games in hand on those teams so they could pull ahead of the pack by winning both games. Too bad for them one of those games in hand is against the division leading Roughnecks.
The remaining games should make for some great entertainment as teams try to reach the playoffs. Will Edmonton finally click and string enough wins together? Will Rochester or Toronto return to the playoffs after their one year hiatus from postseason? Can Philadelphia battle through their injuries to make a serious run? Will Boston continue their improbable season and take first in the East? Will Portland continue to impress and make it to the finals for a second year in a row after many dismissed them before the start of the season? The most important question for this writer, will the Buffalo Bandits repeat as champions?
UPDATE: Apparently Buffalo can clinch a playoff berth this weekend too. Check out this article on NLL.com
Two wins coupled with a Rochester loss will put Buffalo in the playoffs. Boston needs three wins with a Rochester loss to enter the playoffs in their first season since their return to the NLL. New York has a two game lead on the basement dwellers in the East and play Philadelphia twice down the stretch so they have a chance to greatly influence the final standings. Unfortunately for them they also play Buffalo twice. Checking out the upcoming schedule, if both Boston and Buffalo win this coming weekend (March 27-29), then Buffalo can clinch a playoff spot by defeating the Blazers on April 4th, adding more fuel to an already heavily anticipated battle.
Over in the West, Calgary can clinch a playoff spot this weekend by beating Toronto at home Friday and Minnesota on the road Saturday. The rest of the teams are jammed together, however; Portland has two games in hand on those teams so they could pull ahead of the pack by winning both games. Too bad for them one of those games in hand is against the division leading Roughnecks.
The remaining games should make for some great entertainment as teams try to reach the playoffs. Will Edmonton finally click and string enough wins together? Will Rochester or Toronto return to the playoffs after their one year hiatus from postseason? Can Philadelphia battle through their injuries to make a serious run? Will Boston continue their improbable season and take first in the East? Will Portland continue to impress and make it to the finals for a second year in a row after many dismissed them before the start of the season? The most important question for this writer, will the Buffalo Bandits repeat as champions?
UPDATE: Apparently Buffalo can clinch a playoff berth this weekend too. Check out this article on NLL.com
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Another Dominant Win By The Bandits
On Saturday evening the Portland Lumberjax entered HSBC Arena in Buffalo looking to avenge their 14-13 loss in last years Champion’s Cup final. Portland was coming off three weeks rest (and limited playing time in the past two months) while the host Buffalo Bandits was coming off their first two game losing streak of the season. With Portland playing better than a lot of people expected of them this season and the Bandits on top in the East, this game promised to be a great one. And it didn’t disappoint, at least for the first half anyhow.
The Bandits wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Mark Steenhuis’ first shot of the game beat Matt Disher just 13 seconds into the first quarter causing Banditland to erupt. Portland quieted the crowd just over two minutes later as Tim Campeau’s shot found it’s way past Ken Montour. The next twenty-seven and a half minutes saw some great lacrosse on display. There were a lot of big hits, mostly thrown from the Bandits, some big saves from both ends and some excellent off ball battles. Buffalo emerged from the first half with a 5-3 lead.
Quarter three was a continuation of the first half until Portland gave into their frustration and got into penalty trouble. Three straight penalties, one a five minute major, three straight powerplay goals by the Bandits and the Lumberjax were down 8-4 with just under twenty minutes to play. Portland relieved some of their frustration after Buffalo’s ninth goal as Brodie Merrill squared off with Brandon Francis and big 6-10 David Morgan danced with Billy Dee Smith. Portland gained no energy or momentum from the skirmishes and Buffalo went on to score five goals in the last quarter for a 14-4 victory.
John Tavares (4G,3A) led all scorers with seven points while teammates Mark Steenhuis (1,5) and Cory Bomberry (3,3) had six apiece. Sean Greenhalgh (2,2) and Mike Accursi (1,3) had four points and Roger Vyse scored the other two goals. Ken Montour made 34 saves in net while earning a Bandits record for fewest goals allowed in a game. For Portland, five players had two points each: Tim Campeau (1,1), Brodie Merrill (0,2), Derek Malawsky (1,1), Ryan Powell (0,2) and Cory Conway (1,1). Peter Morgan scored a single goal.
Portland has a home and home series with San Jose next weekend while Buffalo hosts New York Saturday night.
The Bandits wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Mark Steenhuis’ first shot of the game beat Matt Disher just 13 seconds into the first quarter causing Banditland to erupt. Portland quieted the crowd just over two minutes later as Tim Campeau’s shot found it’s way past Ken Montour. The next twenty-seven and a half minutes saw some great lacrosse on display. There were a lot of big hits, mostly thrown from the Bandits, some big saves from both ends and some excellent off ball battles. Buffalo emerged from the first half with a 5-3 lead.
Quarter three was a continuation of the first half until Portland gave into their frustration and got into penalty trouble. Three straight penalties, one a five minute major, three straight powerplay goals by the Bandits and the Lumberjax were down 8-4 with just under twenty minutes to play. Portland relieved some of their frustration after Buffalo’s ninth goal as Brodie Merrill squared off with Brandon Francis and big 6-10 David Morgan danced with Billy Dee Smith. Portland gained no energy or momentum from the skirmishes and Buffalo went on to score five goals in the last quarter for a 14-4 victory.
John Tavares (4G,3A) led all scorers with seven points while teammates Mark Steenhuis (1,5) and Cory Bomberry (3,3) had six apiece. Sean Greenhalgh (2,2) and Mike Accursi (1,3) had four points and Roger Vyse scored the other two goals. Ken Montour made 34 saves in net while earning a Bandits record for fewest goals allowed in a game. For Portland, five players had two points each: Tim Campeau (1,1), Brodie Merrill (0,2), Derek Malawsky (1,1), Ryan Powell (0,2) and Cory Conway (1,1). Peter Morgan scored a single goal.
Portland has a home and home series with San Jose next weekend while Buffalo hosts New York Saturday night.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
NLL Trade Deadline
Forget the day long coverage where one can tune into a sports station and watch people discuss trades that will never come to pass. The trade deadline for the National Lacrosse League gets next to no mention in the media at all. If it wasn’t for John Tavares crediting lacrosse for his sick stick skills on the ice, TSN (Canada’s sports leader) would not even know the sport existed. Sportsnet is too busy showing poker to focus on anything sports related and The Score is busy covering CIS championships (thanks for this Score, no one else will let us see these fine events). This is about the only time that the lack of television coverage for Canada’s national sport is a good thing.
So without all the hoopla and fanfare, the NLL trade deadline will quietly pass by today at 3:00PM. Will there be anything big to report this year anyhow? There are some solid players sitting on the sidelines this year due to Chicago’s departure from the league but will any of them be called on to help a team reach the playoffs? I for one don’t think anything major will take place today but I am far from an expert. Here is my team by team analysis, it likely won’t be very accurate, but I am bored and need something to waste some time with. Please comment on the areas I went wrong or areas that need more discussion. It will be interesting to see if I get any of my predictions right.
Boston Blazers: This is a new team that is surprising a lot of the experts. I think they will finish the season with what they have, since they are the third best in the league, and will make a solid run. The game on April 4 against the Bandits should be a good test for this young team.
Buffalo Bandits: Currently number two overall they are fading somewhat from the start of the season where they looked unbeatable. Currently dealing with some injuries on the back end and their offence is not producing to their level. They have the pieces to defend their title this year but if the injuries are going to persist much longer they may look for some help in the back end. Darris will have this team playing back up to their level by this weekend.
Calgary Roughnecks: Sitting on top of the league this team is looking really sharp. They are getting great goaltending, solid defence and an offensive punch reminiscent of the 2005 Toronto Rock. Josh Sanderson leads the team in scoring (4th in the league) followed closely by team captain, Tracey Kelusky and sophomore Dane Dobbie. Calgary won’t be shopping today.
Colorado Mammoth: This team is just plain underachieving. They are a good team but just haven’t gone on a run this year. Some injuries have hurt them this year but they seem to be able to play with the top teams as they defeated Calgary on Valentine’s Day. A more consistent effort should result in better results. They might be looking for that one player to help them succeed in the playoffs.
Edmonton Rush: Their season is pretty much a wash even though they are only two games out of fourth in the west. They rebuilt almost the entire team this year and just can’t get things to go their way. If anything they may look to deal Teat or Quinlan. Lindsay Plunkett hasn’t played all year due to work commitments but perhaps he can be dealt to a team in the east to get Edmonton an extra body to use this year.
Minnesota Swarm: This team had a bit of a let down early in the season but has come back to .500 with three solid games against eastern teams. A trade with Rochester a couple weeks ago might have been the spark that was needed and the past three wins have given them their confidence back too. I think this team will stick with what they have at this point.
New York Titans: Are hurting without the services of Casey Powell but he will likely return to the lineup before too long. Having this weekend off will help. They seem to be a player or two away from the next level so if they want to make a serious push this year they may be shopping for some help.
Philadelphia Wings: This team has been hurt by injuries and inconsistent play all season. A trade may be what is needed here to shake up the team a bit. The goaltending is good but unless they play to their potential every minute of every game, the Wings won’t last long in the playoffs if they get there.
Portland Lumberjax: Another team playing surprisingly well. Not many people gave Portland a chance this year after losing Dan Dawson but they have come together as a team and performed well. I don’t see management messing with this team at this point.
Rochester Knighthawks: They are starting to play like they can and with this effort continuing the rest of the year, they may surprise a team or two in the playoffs. They already made a trade to get Craig Point and Dean Hill and both have helped immensely since coming over. They look to have all the pieces they need to compete now so they likely won't be in the market today.
San Jose: This is a very young team with several players trying to adapt to the indoor game. This year, although disappointing, is a learning year for this team. I think they will stick with what they have now and try to get their rookies as much game experience as possible so they can make a run again next year.
Toronto Rock: This team has been sinking since they traded away their true captain (Colin Doyle) a few years ago. They have hit rock bottom it seems and have made moves already to try to correct things. This team needs more consistent play from everyone including their goalie Bob Watson. They did play well in Boston last weekend so maybe they have turned a corner. They have a lot of players that could help other teams so if they get the right offer I can see them trading some offense for younger and quicker defence.
So without all the hoopla and fanfare, the NLL trade deadline will quietly pass by today at 3:00PM. Will there be anything big to report this year anyhow? There are some solid players sitting on the sidelines this year due to Chicago’s departure from the league but will any of them be called on to help a team reach the playoffs? I for one don’t think anything major will take place today but I am far from an expert. Here is my team by team analysis, it likely won’t be very accurate, but I am bored and need something to waste some time with. Please comment on the areas I went wrong or areas that need more discussion. It will be interesting to see if I get any of my predictions right.
Boston Blazers: This is a new team that is surprising a lot of the experts. I think they will finish the season with what they have, since they are the third best in the league, and will make a solid run. The game on April 4 against the Bandits should be a good test for this young team.
Buffalo Bandits: Currently number two overall they are fading somewhat from the start of the season where they looked unbeatable. Currently dealing with some injuries on the back end and their offence is not producing to their level. They have the pieces to defend their title this year but if the injuries are going to persist much longer they may look for some help in the back end. Darris will have this team playing back up to their level by this weekend.
Calgary Roughnecks: Sitting on top of the league this team is looking really sharp. They are getting great goaltending, solid defence and an offensive punch reminiscent of the 2005 Toronto Rock. Josh Sanderson leads the team in scoring (4th in the league) followed closely by team captain, Tracey Kelusky and sophomore Dane Dobbie. Calgary won’t be shopping today.
Colorado Mammoth: This team is just plain underachieving. They are a good team but just haven’t gone on a run this year. Some injuries have hurt them this year but they seem to be able to play with the top teams as they defeated Calgary on Valentine’s Day. A more consistent effort should result in better results. They might be looking for that one player to help them succeed in the playoffs.
Edmonton Rush: Their season is pretty much a wash even though they are only two games out of fourth in the west. They rebuilt almost the entire team this year and just can’t get things to go their way. If anything they may look to deal Teat or Quinlan. Lindsay Plunkett hasn’t played all year due to work commitments but perhaps he can be dealt to a team in the east to get Edmonton an extra body to use this year.
Minnesota Swarm: This team had a bit of a let down early in the season but has come back to .500 with three solid games against eastern teams. A trade with Rochester a couple weeks ago might have been the spark that was needed and the past three wins have given them their confidence back too. I think this team will stick with what they have at this point.
New York Titans: Are hurting without the services of Casey Powell but he will likely return to the lineup before too long. Having this weekend off will help. They seem to be a player or two away from the next level so if they want to make a serious push this year they may be shopping for some help.
Philadelphia Wings: This team has been hurt by injuries and inconsistent play all season. A trade may be what is needed here to shake up the team a bit. The goaltending is good but unless they play to their potential every minute of every game, the Wings won’t last long in the playoffs if they get there.
Portland Lumberjax: Another team playing surprisingly well. Not many people gave Portland a chance this year after losing Dan Dawson but they have come together as a team and performed well. I don’t see management messing with this team at this point.
Rochester Knighthawks: They are starting to play like they can and with this effort continuing the rest of the year, they may surprise a team or two in the playoffs. They already made a trade to get Craig Point and Dean Hill and both have helped immensely since coming over. They look to have all the pieces they need to compete now so they likely won't be in the market today.
San Jose: This is a very young team with several players trying to adapt to the indoor game. This year, although disappointing, is a learning year for this team. I think they will stick with what they have now and try to get their rookies as much game experience as possible so they can make a run again next year.
Toronto Rock: This team has been sinking since they traded away their true captain (Colin Doyle) a few years ago. They have hit rock bottom it seems and have made moves already to try to correct things. This team needs more consistent play from everyone including their goalie Bob Watson. They did play well in Boston last weekend so maybe they have turned a corner. They have a lot of players that could help other teams so if they get the right offer I can see them trading some offense for younger and quicker defence.
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