Clutch Kings: Don’t count 7-7 Colorado out quite yet
Conor Robinson, Colorado Mammoth (Photo: Jaclyn McKee)
The Lax Mag’s Clutch Kings tracks an individual player’s game-tying, go-ahead and game-winning goals, then weighs them based on when they’re scored (first, second, third or fourth quarter, plus OT), but also in what on-floor situation they’re finished (even-strength, power-play or short-handed goals). The Clutch Kings countdown calculates the league’s most money goal scorer all season long, crowning the king at the conclusion of the current NLL campaign. Click here for a more detailed breakdown of Clutch Kings scoring.
Robert Hope, Colorado Mammoth (Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
“We’re not the team where just one guy can take over. We need every single guy working their ass off…We can clean up some things but we’re not done yet. Let’s go!”
Those words were spoken last week by Colorado Mammoth captain Robert Hope after 2022’s champs beat the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, 11-9.
Due to a series of significant injuries and some underwhelming performances, last year’s Cup winners have, well, kinda struggled this year. Sitting at 7-7 and in a fight over the West’s potential fourth seed in this year’s playoffs (AKA the wild card), the Mammoth’s regular season results read very rollercoaster: L, W, W, W, L, W, L, L, L, W, L, W, L, W.
Prior to last year’s playoffs and an eventual Cup clinch, Colorado jumped out to a 6-2 record, then went 4-6 the rest of the way.
It's not the typical W/L resume you’d expect from a champion, but for this team, it worked at least once. Can it happen again?
“We put ourselves in a good position, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t come back next week,” said Mammoth Head Coach Pat Coyle after Week 18’s close win over Vegas. “We gotta be better, better next week. Take what we did this week and be better.”
The Mammoth have not won back-to-back games this year since January 13, an almost three-month stretch that has seen second-year franchise the Panther City Lacrosse Club pass them in the standings and own some comfy control of third in the West. Even though the Mammoth took the season series 2-1 over PCLC this year, it’s the Fort Worth franchise that is looking like the safer bet to make this year’s playoffs.
Colorado hosts the Vancouver Warriors this Saturday (Ball Arena, 9pm ET).
While a bit of an unintentional low-key diss, Hope was right in his assessment. Although the Mammoth do have a number of high-profile names on their roster, as they showed during last year’s playoffs and in many of this year’s Ws, without a total team effort, they won’t win.
Prior to last year, goalie Dillon Ward regularly seemed to carry much of the Mammoth’s load, and while individually impressive, that game plan didn’t get them too far. Since their first NLL Cup in 2006, Colorado lost the West’s semifinals ten times, the division final twice, and missed the playoffs completely in 2010. Between their two Cup wins, their post-season record was a terrible 2-13.
Eli McLaughlin, Colorado Mammoth (Photo: Jaclyn McKee)
Last year’s roster mix seemed to finally unlock their Cup-winning potential, and part of that formula was how incredibly clutch their top performers consistently were, even when it wasn’t overly obvious. A year later, we’re seeing similar beneath the score-line trends in Denver.
Mammoth power forward Eli McLaughlin was The Lax Mag’s 2022 Clutch Kings winner, scoring a combined 16 go-ahead, game-tying and game-winning goals, many of which were scored late in games. Talented teammate Connor Robinson finished fifth in our money countdown in 2022, and even though he missed a game this year and has played fewer GPs than many of this year’s top forward, he sits #1 in the current edition of this season’s Clutch Kings (see the updated leaderboard further down).
While McLaughlin’s timely scoring hasn’t been as impactful as it was a season ago (he’s tied for 55th this year), Robinson has clearly kept up (3 GWGs which have all been scored in the fourth quarter), plus Zed Williams has entered the clutch chat. Williams, who stepped up stupendously after MVP finalist Ryan Lee was lost to injury early in last year’s playoffs, is currently yet quietly have a career regular season run.
Zed Williams, Colorado Mammoth
After 14 games, Williams has set a new single-season high for goals (29) and matched his career-best assists total (25). His 54 points with four games to go, not surprisingly, is a new high for him too. Even though the Mammoth have been playing win-lose lacrosse this year, Williams has also managed to slip into this year’s Clutch Kings leaderboard: 5 GTGs, 2 GAGs and 2 GWGs, both winners coming in the fourth quarter.
The number of game-shifting goals scored by Robinson & Williams alone are more than many teams have received from their entire forward cast this year.
We’ve yet to mention what having a healthy Lee back does to their lineup, and although he often stars more as a poignant passer than shrewd shooter, the team is clearly better when he’s on the floor.
Whether by design or destiny, last year’s Mammoth achieved one of the most perfect late-season pushes we’ve ever seen in the NLL. While it might not be obvious after taking a quick look at the standings or their final scores, for a second straight regular season, Colorado is quietly building money momentum when it means the most.
They aren’t your Cup favourite? They weren’t anyone’s last year either.
NLL Clutch Kings: Week 18
CKs Rank. Player (NLL Gs Rank), Team, CKs Points (GTG/GAG/GWG)
1. Connor Robinson (25), Colorado, 29.25 (3/7/3)
2. Connor Fields (2), Rochester, 28.50 (8/6/2)
3. Joe Resetarits (10), Philadelphia, 22.25 (3/5/3)
T4. Dhane Smith (22), Buffalo, 20.75 (2/5/3)
T4. Blaze Riorden (T19), Philadelphia, 20.25 (5/4/1)
6. Robert Church (T4), Saskatchewan, 19.00 (6/5/1)
7. Will Malcom (T15), Panther City, 17.25 (6/3/2)
T8. Ryan Smith (T19), Rochester, 16.50 (3/6/1)
T8. Randy Staats (T29), Halifax, 16.50 (0/6/2)
10. Josh Byrne (T12), Buffalo, 15.25 (6/5/1)
11. Chris Boushy (21), Halifax, 15.00 (6/5/0)
12. Jon Phillips (T51), Las Vegas, 14.75 (2/3/2)*
T13. Holden Cattoni (T17), Rochester, 14.00 (3/5/1)
T13. Rob Hellyer (T45), Las Vegas, 14.00 (5/1/2)
15. Stephen Keogh (T32), Toronto, 13.75 (2/2/3)
16. Zed Williams (T22), Colorado, 13.50 (5/2/2)
17. Lyle Thompson (T7), Georgia, 12.75 (2/4/1)
18. Austin Staats (T36), San Diego, 12.50 (0/5/3)
19. Ryan Benesch (T32), Halifax, 12.00 (5/6/0)
20. Zack Greer (T26), Las Vegas, 11.75 (8/3/0)
21. Keegan Bal (T17), Vancouver, 11.50 (5/5/0)
T22. Connor Kelly (38), Albany, 11.00 (5/3/0)
T22. Jeff Teat (1), New York, 11.00 (2/2/2)
*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
Fourth 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