The midway point is rapidly approaching. Some clubs have played about half their games, some still have a ways to go. However you slice it, it's time to for clubs decide if they fancy themselves pretenders or contenders. Are we a game away? A trade away? One move away from getting hot and running through the second half? Or should we cut bait, pile up assets for the future, and prepare to contend in 2026? In the NLL, that's never an easy call. Teams that are heavyweights one year might find themselves struggling the next, regardless of significant roster moves.
This weekend goes a long way to deciding what clubs are in this thing for the long haul, and what clubs burned too bright and too soon. This is the NLL Week 10 primer.
FRIDAY:
Who: Vancouver Warriors (4-3) vs Halifax Thunderbirds (2-4)
Where: ScotiaBank Centre, Halifax
When: 6:30pm EST
The Spread: Vancouver favored by 1.5 (+114), game total set at 22.5
Who: Calgary Roughnecks (3-3) vs Ottawa Black Bears (4-3)
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
When: 7:00pm EST
The Spread: Ottawa favored by 1.5 (+105), game total set at 22.5
SATURDAY:
Who: Buffalo Bandits (5-0) vs Albany FireWolves (2-6)
Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo
When: 7:30pm EST
The Spread: Buffalo favored by 2.5 (-130), game total set at 23.5
Who: Rochester Knighthawks (3-6) vs Philadelphia Wings (5-2)
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
When: 8:00pm EST
The Spread: Philadelphia favored by 1.5 (-130), game total set at 25.5
Who: Toronto Rock (2-5) vs Colorado Mammoth (5-3)
Where: Ball Arena, Colorado
When: 9:30pm EST
The Spread: Colorado favored by 1.5 (+120), game total set at 23.5
Who: Georgia Swarm (4-3) vs Las Vegas Desert Dogs (2-5)
Where: Lee’s Family Forum, Las Vegas
When: 10:00pm, EST
The Spread: Georgia favored by 2.5 (+100), game total set at 22.5
Who: Saskatchewan Rush (5-2) vs San Diego Seals (3-4)
Where: Pechanga Arena, San Diego
When: 10:00pm EST
The Spread: San Diego favored by 1.5 (+110), game total set at 21.5
STORIES TO WATCH
Home Sweet Home
In the last two weeks, there have been 12 NLL games. The home team is 9-3 in those games. The road winners were Colorado over Rochester (buzzer beater), Rochester over Halifax, and Toronto over Calgary. There are some home teams this weekend who could really use a win and need that streak to continue. San Diego hosts the Rush, the Seals have lost two straight. San Diego’s three wins this year all came at home, and they just signed James Reilly to help at the faceoff spot. Halifax dropped a heartbreaker to Rochester last week, they’re at home again on Friday to host Vancouver. At 2-4, Halifax needs to string some wins together. Vegas sits at 2-5 and is a 2.5 goal dog at home, but they just played in front of a sell out crowd in their new digs and got a win. They’ll be looking for that same home support.
Goalie help in Calgary
With Christian Del Bianco in limbo, Calgary has been looking for answers in the net. Cam MacLeod has gotten the starts, but his save percentage is currently sitting at 72.9%, the worst among primary starters in the NLL. Colby Bowman is a rookie who has played in relief. This week, they the Roughnecks signed Gowah Abrams to the squad. He last played for the Riptide in 2023, but was the netminder for Team USA at the World Box Lacrosse Championships. Getting consistent play in goal is a major part of success in the NLL. Bouncing between goalies, or just hoping to win shootouts, might be fun for fans to watch, but if you want to be a playoff team, it’s hard to just blast your way to the postseason with offense.
When will Buffalo lose?
The Bandits are a heavy favorite in Banditland against a two win Albany team. Looking at the schedule, their next four opponents currently have a losing record (though one of them is Toronto). In their five games, four were victories by at least five goals. Albany is surely better than their record. And last year, the FireWolves beat Buffalo twice, including a 13-10 win in Banditland. But Buffalo got the better of them in the postseason. Albany has the talent to hang with teams. Dyson Williams is heating up, and while they are still banged up on defense, the offense is starting to come together. Doug Jamieson will need to be at his best for the upset to be possible, and the Albany shooters will have to solve Matt Vinc early. Nobody will think Albany can go into Buffalo and win, just like we said last year before they did.
Warriors, come out to play
The Warriors defense just keeps getting it done. Vancouver got a home win last weekend, holding Ottawa to just four goals. They’ve held the opponent to single digits four times in seven games this year, and held Calgary to just 10. Even in their losses they don’t give up big totals, like their 9-8 loss to Ottawa in Week 8. Owen Grant seems to be in the mix for everything these days, from transition player of the year to defensive player of the year to even MVP. When he gets the ball in transition, look out. The Warriors have given up 64 goals in seven games. The only team to surrender fewer is Buffalo, and they’ve only played five games. Alec Stathakis has made an impact from the faceoff spot, and when he’s really going, the Warriors play make it take. Limiting possessions, coupled with a particularly stout defense, is a recipe to frustrate and slow down opponents, grinding them down over the course of a game. It won’t always be pretty, but it’s working.
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