The Buffalo Bandits will wrap up the regular season Saturday night against the Toronto Rock.
Following a bye week, Buffalo remains the top team in the NLL with a 14-3 record, while Toronto’s second-half surge has catapulted them into second place in the East Division at 12-5.
Buffalo has already locked up the top overall seed for the playoffs.
The winner on Saturday will take the season series between the two clubs. The Bandits cruised to a 12-6 victory at home in early January, but the Rock got their revenge handing Buffalo their first loss of the season a month later in Hamilton, Ontario, 12-10.
Tickets are on sale now. The game will air live on ESPN+ and WGR 550.
Saturday is also Fan Appreciation Night in Banditland. In addition to other discounts and giveaways, the first 7,500 fans in attendance will receive a team photo.
We can't wait for Saturday, Banditland!
▪️30% off at the team store
▪️$2 concessions items
▪️Lucky row giveaways— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) April 26, 2022
The players know how much it would mean to their passionate fan base to end the regular season on a high note.
“Every game matters in this league. If it’s not for the standings it’s for pride,” Bandits forward Dhane Smith said. “At the end of the day, we want to go into the playoffs with a win, especially in front of Banditland because we owe them that much for Fan Appreciation Night.”
After dropping two games in a row, Buffalo got back in the win column on April 16 with an 18-9 victory over the Georgia Swarm.
Toronto is the hottest team in the NLL, currently riding a four-game win streak. The Rock have won six of their last seven games.
Saturday night in Banditland. Let's go! https://t.co/RZKG2YFcCk | #LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/ydzyg8hxIS
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) April 26, 2022
Here is everything that you need to know:
1. More Records To Be Broken?
It has been well documented that Buffalo’s Dhane Smith and goaltender Matt Vinc are paramount to the Bandits’ success due to their play on the field this season.
Both players have already broken records this year and are on the verge of rewriting portions of the NLL record book again.
Smith already holds the single-season goals record (72 in 2016) and he broke the single-season assists mark back on April 9. He has 94 helpers through 17 games this season, besting Mark Matthews, who had 84 in 2018.
Smith is on the verge of breaking another league mark: the single-season scoring record he also set in 2016. He needs just three points on Saturday to set the new record at 138.
In two games against Toronto this season. he recorded 11 points (3+11).
In Buffalo’s last game, Vinc became the first goalie in the history of the NLL to make 9,000 career saves. In what was his 14th victory of the season for Buffalo, Vinc also jumped up to third in single-season saves with 715.
The seven-time NLL Goaltender of the Year needs 38 more stops to break former Bandit Anthony Cosmo’s record of 752. He set that mark in 2014.
Vinc has combined for 81 saves and a .818 save percentage in a pair of appearances against the Rock this year.
2. Schreiber’s Goal-Scoring Prowess
Toronto’s Tom Schreiber has put the NLL on notice this season with his ability to bury shots in the back of the net. Schreiber is tied with Georgia’s Lyle Thompson atop the NLL leaderboard with 45 goals.
The 2017 Rookie of the Year has missed two games this season, one of which was this year’s first matchup against Buffalo.
With 82 points, he ranks 13th in the NLL. He’s 12 point shy of matching his career high. In the last seven games, he has 17 goals and 21 assists.
3. Around the NLL
Six teams have punched their ticket to the NLL Playoffs, which means two spots are still up for grabs.
In the East, Buffalo, Toronto and Halifax (10-7) all have secured their positioning. Colorado (10-7), San Diego (9-8), and Calgary (9-8) are also heading to the postseason, although final seeding is yet to be determined.
The races to watch are for the last seed in the East and the final Wild Card spot. Georgia (9-8), Albany (8-9), and Philadelphia (8-9) are the three teams fighting for two remaining playoff spots. Philadelphia plays Georgia on Saturday.
For all of the clinching scenarios, click here.
While Buffalo doesn’t know who they’ll be playing in the quarterfinals, they know they’ll be hosting the single-elimination playoff game on Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.