Clutch Kings: Ben McIntosh making money moves

We’ve got a new leader at the top of the table with Ben McIntosh (Philadelphia) knocking off Connor Kearnan (New York) after a money-matinee performance this past Sunday.

While the Wings were unable to topple the Halifax Thunderbirds in Hamilton, McIntosh came up considerably clutch during Philly’s failed fourth quarter bounce-back bid.

In a game where no team ever trailed by more than two, McIntosh first tied the game at seven in the fourth, then three minutes later gave Philadelphia their first lead since midway through the opening frame. Even more impressive, in a game filled with PIMs (twelve PP opportunities combined between the two clubs), McIntosh tallied both of those late markers at even strength.

What happened next also heavily impacted this week’s clutch countdown.

After a tremendous transitional finish to tie the game by Brad Gillies, one of the all-time Clutch Kings we highlighted last week not so shockingly showed up, again.

Stephan Leblanc, Halifax Thunderbirds (Photo: Ryan McCullough)

He’s not necessarily scoring at the same rate as McIntosh is while his career winds down, but Stephan Leblanc is certainly still burying ones that matter most.

With just 23 tics left on the clock, Leblanc would score the go-head/eventual game-winning goal against the Wings, his second result-sealing scorch this season (his first was in OT vs. Toronto).

The goal is Leblanc’s 14th game winner of his career, with only about a dozen players in NLL history with more recorded GWGs on their resume. This year, Leblanc has 72 players with more goals than he’s gunned, by far the lowest regular-goal position of anyone found on our leader list below. That decided difference just further defines how magnificently money the man still is.

Leblanc, who also scored a tying goal early this past weekend, moves into a tie for second with last week’s chart topper, Connor Kearnan, in our updated Clutch Kings leaderboard. Since New York’s nail-biter against the Buffalo Bandits, Kearnan and the rest of the Riptide’s forward cast have struggled to surge in losses to the Thunderbirds and Georgia Swarm. Over those 120 minutes of lacrosse, the Riptide have led for just 3 minutes and 31 seconds of game play while slowly slipping out of this year’s playoff picture.

Although he is still a ways out of crashing the countdown, Vancouver transition player, Brandon Goodwin, scored his third game winner this year, tying him with Eli McLaughlin (Colorado) for the league lead. In his previous five seasons, Goodwin had never scored a single GWG, and during the shortened 2020 NLL campaign, he never netted a single shot in eleven games. Outside of his new-found knack for big-money markers, Goodwin, like many Warriors defenders this year, is having a solid season, on pace to set new career loose-ball and caused-turnover tallies within a single NLL campaign.

NLL Clutch Kings: Week 11

CKs Rank. Player (NLL G Rank), Team, CKs Points (GTG/GAG/GWG)

1. Ben McIntosh (T5), Philadelphia, 15.50 (1/5/0)
T2. Stephan Leblanc (T73), Halifax, 14.00 (1/1/2)
T2. Connor Kearnan (T3), New York, 14.00 (6/1/1)
4. Blaze Riorden (T32), Philadelphia, 13.25 (2/3/1)
T5. Josh Byrne (T12), Buffalo, 13.00 (2/5/1)
T5. Lyle Thompson (1), Georgia, 13.00 (4/0/2)
T7. Dan Dawson (T63), Toronto, 11.00 (1/1/2)
T7. Austin Staats (T25), San Diego, 11.00 (4/2/1)
9. Brett Hickey (T20), Philadelphia, 10.75 (3/2/1)
T10. Chris Boushy (T32), Halifax, 9.00 (0/2/2)
T10. Wes Berg (T9), San Diego, 9.00 (0/4/2)
T10. Jesse King (T53), Calgary, 9.00 (3/2/1)
T10. Matt Rambo (T25), Philadelphia, 9.00 (2/1/1)
T10. Patrick Dodds (T53), Panther City, 9.00 (2/0/1)*
T15. Chris Cloutier (T53), Buffalo, 8.50 (0/1/2)
T15. Tre Leclaire (T45), San Diego, 8.50 (2/3/1)*
T17. Eli McLaughlin (T20), Colorado, 8.25 (2/1/3)
T17. Dane Dobbie (T3), San Diego, 8.25 (2/2/1)
T17. Robert Church (T15), Saskatchewan, 8.25 (4/2/0)

*Rookie

Scoring System

First 3 Quarters (GTG/GAG/GWG)
Even-Strength Goal: 1.00/1.50/2.00
Power-Play Goal: 0.50/0.75/1.00
Short-Handed Goal: 2.00/3.00/4.00

4th Quarter (GTG/GAG/GWG)

Even-Strength Goal: 2.00/3.00/4.00
Power-Play Goal: 1.00/1.50/2.00
Short-Handed Goal: 4.00/6.00/8.00

Overtime (GWG)

Even-Strength Goal: 6.00
Power-Play Goal: 3.00
Short-Handed Goal: 12.00