Ease up, Buttercup.
This is not the time to start pointing fingers and looking for traction to jump off the wagon.
Better yet, clamp in with the team and hang on for a wild ride to the finish. This is the most competitive NLL regular season I have experienced in quite some time.
I love the game’s critics, who point out the deficits and cracks, acting as armchair quarterbacks. We need more of this, as it provides good discussion and passion around the water cooler and bar rail.
“This latter half of our schedule is our most challenging. We are playing a lot of desperate teams that need playoff spots and teams that we will see in the playoffs,” said Anthony Cosmo, goaltending coach and filling in as defensive coordinator for Steve Dietrich, who is on medical leave.
“It’s going to be tough for us. But I like our group in our room and the challenge ahead.”
Numbers
The Bandits are 24-5 since March 1, 2024 (which included a 16-game winning streak), have qualified for the NLL’s postseason for the 26th time in franchise history, and remain number one in the league standings with an 11-4 record with plus-42 goals for and against standing.
And the Asterisk
Three of the four losses were by one goal. But truthfully, you don’t win games by shooting 14 percent from the floor and turning the ball over 34 times. Such was the case last Saturday night.
What a strange start Saturday night, with eight goals scored in the first 16 minutes of the game, six of which were 25 seconds apart. And darn, those two majors assessed on the club.
Recover and Reset
Dhane Smith leads the league in scoring and is headed to his fifth 130-plus point season. Dhane went 1+6 last Saturday, is 18 assists away from breaking his NLL record (101) and is five points to 1200, and six loosies to cross the 1,000 mark.
Matt Vinc is the busiest in the loop. With a .792 save percentage, he has nine career 10-plus win streaks. His helper, Paul Dawson, leads the league in blocked shots with 42.
The defense is solid with transition (Nick Weiss leads the league in defenseman scoring with 7+17=24) and the offense is getting secondary help, including Kyle Buchanan, who has matched his career high of 29 goals from his 2+1 performance and team-high 10 scoopers last Saturday.
For the second game in a row, 10 Bandit players were on the scoring sheet.
Faceoff specialist Connor Farrell won 53 draws in his last three games for a 68 percent efficiency rate.
Three regular season games remain, which include a trip to Denver this Saturday to meet the Mammoth. The Bandits are 6-1 on the road, the best in the league.
Defense..Defense..Defense
Defenseman Dylan Robinson shares his responsibilities:
“Dictate on defense, hands-on opponents sticks, don’t get beat down the middle, push the ball up, and get off as quickly as possible.
“If we get the Right habits going into the playoffs, we’ll be clicking.”
No chunks in the wheels here.
Could Happen
If you want to start speculating and developing your NLL playoff brackets with the remaining regular season games, go to Graeme Perrow’s NLLstats.com and click “Could Happen” in the left-hand column of the home page.
The directions are easy to follow, and drop-downs provide backup information such as tiebreakers.
As they say in the broadcast business, “The race is too close to call.”
A Warrior and Innovator
I had a good, constructive conversation with Vancouver’s GM and head coach, Curt Malawsky, on Saturday’s radio pregame show. One topic was his review of how athletic and talented the NLL players are today.
“It’s the best league in the world. The players train, stay in shape all week, and prepare for the next game.
“We’ve had many great pioneers who started it, including the Gates and Johnny Tavares, Johnny Grant, Jr., and Colin Doyle. All of these players can tip their hats to them.
“The game has evolved, and it’s exciting to see; I love where the NLL is heading.”
Broadcast Information
Saturday’s game from Denver against the Mammoth will be on 1520 AM & audacy.com. The pregame show will start at 8:30 pm Eastern.
Television will be provided by ESPN+, TSN+, and NLL+. The broadcast time is 9:00 pm Eastern.