After the Buffalo Bandits’ first loss in nearly three months, head coach John Tavares said his group was disappointed after missing out on a first-round home playoff game. However, he added, they remain confident with wins in seven of their last eight games.  

The 12-8 defeat to Oshawa – which stormed out to a 7-0 lead – also served as a reminder of the importance of starting fast and maintaining discipline. These dynamics will be critical against a complete Georgia Swarm group when the two teams face off in a first-round, single-elimination playoff game at Gas South Arena on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.  

“We were on a pretty good run, seven straight wins, we’re playing one of the teams out of the playoffs in Oshawa, and we spot them a seven-goal lead to start the game,” Tavares said. “It’s an opportunity for us to learn from our mistakes. Hopefully this is a wake-up call going into the playoffs. That first round of playoffs, that one-game elimination, anything can happen, and hopefully it just prepares us for that where we don’t go into that game lightly, like maybe we did against Oshawa.”  

The Bandits went 7-3 against fellow playoff teams this season including a 15-11 win over the Swarm on opening night. Dhane Smith – who finished the regular season tied for third in the NLL with 118 points – had four goals and four assists in the first meeting between Buffalo and Georgia.  

Buffalo scored 13 goals against Georgia goaltender Brett Dobson which is the most he allowed in a game all season.  

Dobson is the odds-on favorite to win NLL MVP with the lowest goals-against average and best save percentage in a single season in NLL history. He leads all qualified goaltenders with 742 saves, a 7.86 goals-against average and an 84.7 save percentage. 

Dobson is the first goaltender in league history with a sub-8.00 goals-against. He’s allowed 10 or fewer goals in 15 of 18 games, given up eight or fewer tallies 12 times and has 40 or more saves in 12 of 18 contests.  

Georgia – which has allowed the fewest goals of any NLL team with 156 – plays a similar style to Buffalo where low-scoring, tight-checking and close games are customary. The Bandits have been battled tested in these kinds of games and will have to play to their identity on Saturday

“We’re accustomed to those games,” Tavares said. “When we were losing there, we were 4-6, we were trying to identify what kind of group we have here, and that’s exactly what we came up with is we’re a team that has to win 7-6, 8-7 games and be just as stingy as anybody else, make everybody else earn their goals. We got to be disciplined. That’s one of the team goals, is stay out of the penalty box. We have the defense, the style that we play to keep teams under 10 goals and give our offense an opportunity to score more than 10.” 

The Bandits’ quest for a fourth consecutive NLL Cup will be spearheaded by a veteran group that’s navigated close games against some of the league’s top goaltenders.  

Buffalo picked up one-goal wins against San Diego’s Christopher Origlieri, Halifax’s Warren Hill and Saskatchewan’s Frank Scigliano. The Bandits showcased their ability to handle the adversity of low-scoring affairs during their seven-game winning streak and found ways to win scoring less than 10 goals in a game.  

The Bandits scored less than 10 once again on Saturday against Oshawa, in part due to the absence of Tehoka Nanticoke – who missed the final two regular-season games – and Clay Scanlan, who were out due to injuries. Tavares did not have an update on either forward.  

Regardless of the offense being at full strength or shorthanded, maximizing each possession will be critical against a Georgia team that erases passing lanes and has created 191 turnovers, which is the most of any NLL team.  

Transition will be a key aspect where getting off the floor quickly or rifling outlet passes up the floor could lead to odd-man opportunities. Ian MacKay – who won the 2025 NLL Finals MVP – could be a difference maker here as he’s looking to bounce back after his first pointless game of the season against the FireWolves.  

Tavares said they’ll be looking to return to what made them successful over their seven-game surge, which was spearheaded by goaltender Matt Vinc. The Bandits are 9-0 when Vinc has a save percentage of 80 or higher and this is the time of year Buffalo’s postseason experience shines.  

“Having a veteran group, the guys have been through this, they know that if we can minimize their goals, we’re going to give ourselves a better opportunity to win the game,” Tavares said. ” … Making sure we’re not giving up transition, we’re going to make it difficult for them to score, they’re going to make it difficult for us to score. Being a veteran group where we’ve been there before, we understand what it takes, and it’s just a matter of if we want to do it or not, and I’m pretty sure the guys are up for it. Hopefully our guys perform and I’m looking for a 6-5, 7-6 game here.” 

How to Watch  

TV (Buffalo Broadcast Market): CW23 

Streaming: ESPN+  

Radio: WWKB 1520 AM 

Scouting the Swarm  

Saturday’s showdown between the Bandits and Swarm will be a rematch of their first-round matchup in 2024, which the Bandits won 10-9 in overtime on a Josh Byrne game-winning goal. 

The Swarm recorded first-round exits in each of the last two seasons and have not made it past the opening round since 2018. Georgia is coming off 13-6 and 17-12 wins on back-to-back days against the Rochester Knighthawks to end the regular season and went 4-4 against fellow playoff teams.  

Georgia’s path to the playoffs was paved by a six-game winning streak in January and February and through its discipline, having taken the fewest penalty minutes in the league (165).  

The Swarm are paced by consistent veterans Shayne Jackson – who has his 11th consecutive season with 30 or more goals and a team-leading 82 points – and Lyle Thompson, who has 77 points. They’re balanced by NLL Rookie of the Year candidate Nolan Byrne, who leads all first-year players with 36 goals.  

An area to watch on Saturday is the faceoff dot where Georgia is last in the NLL in faceoff percentage with a 23.3-percent mark as a team. Connor Farrell is coming off his best game of the season with a 72-percent success rate (18-for-15) against Oshawa.