Clutch Kings: Eli McLaughlin is more money than most

The last two Friday night games in the National Lacrosse League have produced two above-average money matches that have impressively impacted The Lax Mag Clutch Kings.

The Vancouver Warriors were involved in both battles.

Last week, in easily one of this year’s crazier comebacks, the Warriors let a commanding 7-goal lead slip away against the Colorado Mammoth, who seemingly switched gears after a previously porous Dillon Ward was brought back between the pipes.

Most notable by far were the late-game heroics of Eli McLaughlin, who scored four times in the fourth and the final goal of the game in OT. In fact, of the 7 goals the Mammoth manufactured in the fourth, McLaughlin either scored or assisted on 6 of them.

Eli McLaughlin, Colorado Mammoth (Photo: Jack Dempsey)

Largely due to the late-period points he produced in that game, McLaughlin takes the top spot over from Lyle Thompson this week to become our fifth leader this season (Blaze Riorden, Connor Kearnan and Ben McIntosh also led much earlier this year). And while our rankings are based on a weighted-point systems that takes into account when goals are scored (what quarter or OT), in what situation they’re scored (ES, PP or SH), and how they impact the score (game-tying, go-head or game-winning goals), McLaughlin leads in total game-shifting goals too with 4 GAGs, 4 GTGs and now 4 GWGs.

For those that have followed this series along all season, you’ll also know that McLaughlin is already one of the NLL’s biggest clutch-goal getters. He’s coming for you John Grant.

The Warriors wound up on the right side of the final score last night in their statement W over the West-leading San Diego Seals.

While he only torched twine twice, Vancouver rookie Adam Charalambides scored this year’s only fourth-quarter, short-handed, game-winning goal (the second highest point you can produce in the Clutch Kings) last night at Rogers Arena. In fact, he’s got only two goals that have registered on our clutch countdown all season. The other? The fourth-period winner against, guess who… the San Diego Seals. Although he’s total goal tally this year only sits him 79th on the NLL goal-scoring charts, those two massive game-sealing snipes snuck him onto this week’s leaderboard. Quality over quantity.

Phil Caputo, Panther City Lacrosse Club (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny)

In our Top 25 below, only three teams have as many as three players placing. Prior to the start of the season, guessing that San Diego (Staats, Berg and Dobbie) and Georgia (Thompson, Jackson and Leblanc) would have two of the more-money groups would be likely, but would you have thought Panther City too? You wouldn’t have.

PCLC has easily been one of the hottest teams of late (four straight Ws), and the clutch play of Patrick Dodds, Will Malcom and Phil Caputo has been key. While the two youngest of the three, Dodds & Malcom, have been getting much of the deserved-media attention, don’t sleep on Captuo, who ranks the highest of the trio here with 6 GTGs, 3 GAGs and a short-handed winner against the Mammoth. In fact, Caputo has three SHGs this season while leading the Panther City Lacrosse Club in the G column too.

Earlier this week, we wondered if Malcom would make for a good Breakout Player of the Year in the NLL this year? Well, should Caputo be up for Most Improved Player of the Year? Before being plucked up Panther City, in his previous five NLL seasons (31 GP), Caputo had scored a combined 25 goals for New England, Toronto and Rochester. In 12 games this year, he has 24.

FYI, neither of those awards exist, but it would be cool if they did.

NLL Clutch Kings: Week 16

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

1. Eli McLaughlin (T14), Colorado, 24.25 (4/4/4)
2. Lyle Thompson (1), Georgia, 22.50 (7/1/3)
3. Shayne Jackson (T4), Georgia, 18.00 (3/3/2)
T4. Robert Church (T7), Saskatchewan, 17.75 (7/3/1)
T4. Ryan Benesch (T14), Albany, 17.75 (2/6/1)
T6. Phil Caputo (T17), Panther City, 16.50 (6/3/1)
T6. Austin Staats (T20), San Diego, 16.50 (5/3/2)
T6. Tehoka Nanticoke (T17), Buffalo, 16.50 (2/2/4)*
9. Zach Herreweyers (T48), Calgary, 16.25 (2/2/3)
10. Josh Byrne (T32), Buffalo, 16.00 (4/5/1)
11. Ben McIntosh (T24), Philadelphia, 15.50 (1/5/0)
12. Joe Resetarits (2), Albany, 15.25 (5/4/1)
13. Chris Boushy (T35), Halifax, 15.00 (1/3/3)
14. Patrick Dodds (T27), Panther City, 14.50 (4/0/2)*
T15. Connor Kearnan (13), New York, 14.00 (6/1/1)
T15. Stephan Leblanc (T79), Georgia, 14.00 (1/1/2)
17. Kyle Killen (T4), Vancouver, 13.75 (3/6/0)
18. Blaze Riorden (T64), Philadelphia, 13.25 (2/3/1)
T19. Connor Robinson (T4), Colorado, 13.00 (2/3/1)
T19. Will Malcom (T24), Panther City, 13.00 (4/1/1)
21. Wes Berg (T7), San Diego, 12.75 (2/6/2)
22. Dane Dobbie (T10), San Diego, 12.25 (3/4/1)
T23. Callum Crawford (T10), New York, 12.00 (6/2/1)
T23. Dan Dawson (T56), Toronto, 12.00 (2/1/2)
T23. Adam Charalambides (T79), Vancouver, 12.00 (0/0/2)*

*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