Nothing like Live Radio
Bandits forward Chris Cloutier said it best on the radio halftime show Friday night while catching his breath outside the team dressing room from Ball Arena in Denver about momentum.
“We have been trying to focus on the message all year of playing 60 minutes, which starts with coming out hot. It’s when we are at our best.
It’s much easier for our defense to settle in, do their thing, and know exactly who will take the ball every time. You’ll see us moving and swinging the ball, having fun and celebrating each other.”
Celebrating Each Other
The Bandits’ unity and unselfishness are not just words but an accurate tale of the tape of this year’s team.
They are unselfish to the core, genuinely relishing the success of everybody on the bench. This sense of belonging and team spirit is what sets them apart.
Last Friday night’s 13-11 victory over Colorado was not just a win but a testament to the Bandits’ unwavering resilience. It showcased their ability to overcome lead changes and obstacles with determination.
We’ve Been Here Before
“We’ve been in that situation before, giving up a lead but coming back in a sense,” said Chase Fraser on the radio postgame show from Denver.
“We just stayed calm on the bench, did our thing, went out and played the ball, turned it around and walked out with a victory. I’m so happy to get the win with the guys, especially in Colorado.”
Congratulations to Chase for eclipsing, in totality, his 200th career point with his three key assists Friday night. “Oh, right on, 200 points, that’s sweet,” Fraser said through the mic modestly.
Remains of the Day
In past two weeks, things have changed dramatically for the Bandits, even with the complexion of their 9-7 record. It reads so much better.
It’s good, too, that Bandits defensemen Justin Martin and Justin Robinson returned to the lineup. Both had been on IR with injuries.
“It’s essential when teams hit their stride at the right time. We want to continue to build, using our momentum,” said Bandits forward Kyle Buchanan.
“We’re 4-1 in the last five. We’re still fine-tuning a few things, but I think we are getting into our groove now.”
Cool and the Gang
And it’s a cool groove to be in for the highest-scoring team in the National Lacrosse League.
“Our offense is getting close to the higher numbers that we’ve put up in the past, and it’s nice to see it come to fruition with shots dropping across the board for all guys.”
With two crucial games remaining in the regular season, the goal is to earn a home seed in round one of the playoffs with some help.
“A lot of the guys on this team and core guys only know winning, only know success over the last little while, so a little adversity is good for us,” said Buchanan.
The 15-team standings
It’s challenging to habitually look at the unified NLL standings, even during a jam-packed schedule, and especially in the middle of a game!
“We’re playing some teams we haven’t played as much in the past. You’re watching the jockeying in the standings, and the reality is we hold our fate,” Buchanan said.
Master Class
Bandits head coach John Tavares reiterates the primary culture of this game, echoing all time.
“We must maintain our composure and understand it’s a game of runs; we must minimize their runs. You know everything is not going to go our way. We’re going to take penalties; they are going to score goals.
We have to respond with a better reaction, better response, maintain composure, not focus on the negative, stay focused on the positives.”
The above reads beautifully, but it’s so hard to do. However, this is what makes a great team.
Make it Rain, Dhane
Dhane Smith is jamming to a new groove by scoring four hattricks in his last five games. He has 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points, averaging 8.4 points a game during those five contests.
I asked coach Tavares on the radio pregame show Friday night about Dhane changing a few things.
“I definitely think he changed his shot a little bit. As a goal scorer, teams are going to concentrate on you; goalies are going to focus on you, watch the videos, and study what you do,” said the NLL’s all-time leading goal scorer.
“Just changing his shot’s placement and release point helped a lot. It was good timing, and he has started to bury the ball.”
Josh and Clouts
Josh Byrne continued his career-high goal-scoring and point-earning campaign with his three-goal, four-assist performance in the Mile High City.
The smooth lefty leads the NLL in scoring with 119 points, including 11 hattricks. All statistics followers will be focused on his points per game average of 8.6 in his last five, stemming from 17 goals and 26 assists.
Congratulations to Chris Cloutier on surpassing his regular-season career goal and point totals. With his two goals and four assists last Friday night, the fifth-year pro now has 27 goals and 36 assists for 63 points. Cloutier is 8+14 in his previous five games.
Fan Appreciation
Oh my, it will be a festive Saturday night inside KeyBank Center as the Bandits present the Fan of the Year Award and team awards before the start of the game against Calgary.
Several fun things will happen during the game as the Bandits organization salutes Banditland for once again leading the NLL attendance with a 16,713 average per game this season.
In addition, after the game, Bandit players will take their jerseys off and hand them over to a selected group of Season Ticket Members.
The following will be presented in living color and wireless
Saturday’s Fan Appreciation Night against the Calgary Roughnecks will be on CW23 television, ESPN+, and TSN+. The broadcast time is 7:30 p.m.
Radio coverage will be provided by 1520 AM The Bet will have the pregame show set for 7 p.m. Steve Bermel and former bandit star Pat McCready join me in the booth. Dave Buchanan will cover the action with stories and updates between the benches.