NLL Power Rankings: Week 12
Every week during the 2022-23 National Lacrosse League season, The Lax Mag will publish updated NLL Power Rankings reflecting the previous week’s performances, as well as incorporating a team’s overall regular season rep, status, and success rate.
Now that we’re at about the midway mark of the season and virtually everyone has nine GPs, this week’s Power Rankings will review the quality of opponent teams have played so far, plus the success rate of teams they have remaining on their 2022-23 schedule. We’ve split teams’ results up by who they’ve beaten with a .500 or better win percentage and then those below the .500 belt.
Toronto Rock 8-2 (1)
The Rock gave up those losses against .500+ teams several weeks ago, and have been on an unreal run since.
Record versus .500+: 2-2 (ROC L, BUF L, HFX W, CGY W)
Record versus -.500: 6-0 (VAN W, NY W, PHI W, NY W, GA W, GA W)
Remaining versus .500+: 4 (ROC, HFX, BUF, BUF)
Remaining versus -.500: 4 (PHI, ALB, ALB, PHI)
Buffalo Bandits 8-2 (2)
The Bandits don’t get many more -.500 matchups, however, they are perfect this year against the Rock & Thunderbirds, who make up four of their final .500+ remaining games.
Record versus .500+: 3-1 (TOR W, HFX W, ROC L, ROC W)
Record versus -.500: 5-1 (ALB L, GA W, GA W, PHI W, NY W, PHI W)
Remaining versus .500+: 5 (HFX, HFX, SD, TOR, TOR)
Remaining versus -.500: 3 (COL, NY, ALB)
Calgary Roughnecks 7-3 (5)
Like the Bandits, the Roughnecks are light on -.500 teams left on their schedule. The only .500+ West Conference team to beat them was San Diego, and that was way back on December 30.
Record versus .500+: 3-2 (SD L, SD W, TOR L, HFX W, SK W)
Record versus -.500: 4-1 (VAN W, VAN W, COL L, COL W, VAN W)
Remaining versus .500+: 5 (SK, SK, SD, PC, PC)
Remaining versus -.500: 3 (LV, COL, LV)
Rochester Knighthawks 7-2 (4)
At least as of today, the Knighthawks have just one .500+ team left on their schedule, by far the lowest total across the league. Based on their upcoming opposition, are Rochester the favourites for #1 in the East?
Record versus .500+: 4-2 (TOR W, PC W, BUF W, HFX L, BUF L, HFX W)
Record versus -.500: 4-0 (GA W, ALB W, NY W)
Remaining versus .500+: 1 (TOR)
Remaining versus -.500: 8 (NY, GA, PHI, LV, PHI, ALB, GA, PHI)
Saskatchewan Rush 5-3 (6)
Their month of March is bananas: at Panther City (March 4), vs. San Diego (March 11), at Calgary (March 17) and vs. Calgary (March 25).
Record versus .500+: 2-2 (SD L, PC W, CGY L, SD W)
Record versus -.500: 3-1 (COL W, COL L, LV W, VAN W)
Remaining versus .500+: 5 (PC, SD, CGY, CGY, HFX)
Remaining versus -.500: 5 (VAN, VAN, GA, COL, LV)
San Diego Seals 6-2 (5)
The Seals are just 3-2 versus this year’s top-ranked teams, and those three wins were all relatively close games. Their second half is heavy on -.500 sides, but you’d have to think the Mammoth will be mostly mended by then.
Record versus .500+: 3-2 (SK W, CGY W, CGY L, PC W, SK L)
Record versus -.500: 3-0 (NY W, VAN W, COL W)
Remaining versus .500+: 4 (SK, PC, BUF, CGY)
Remaining versus -.500: 6 (LV, VAN, LV, COL, LV, COL)
Halifax Thunderbirds 5-5 (7)
Their results read: good against the bad teams, bad against the good teams for the most part, right? Last year Halifax was 4-6 against teams that made the playoffs.
Record versus .500+: 1-4 (BUF L, TOR L, ROC W, CGY L, ROC L)
Record versus -.500: 4-1 (PHI W, NY W, ALB W, ALB L, NY W)
Remaining versus .500+: 4 (BUF, BUF, TOR, SK)
Remaining versus -.500: 4 (PHI, GA, NY, GA)
Panther City Lacrosse Club 6-4 (8)
They’re most definitely hot and their good-looking record would get them into the playoffs right now, but the one thing Panther City’s season is lacking are Ws against legit contenders, who today we qualify as .500+ team (0-3).
Record versus .500+: 0-3 (SK L, ROC L, SD L)
Record versus -.500: 6-1 (LV W, LV W, COL L, PHI W, VAN W, VAN W, COL W)
Remaining versus .500+: 4 (SK, SD, CGY, CGY)
Remaining versus -.500: 4 (COL, LV, ALB, VAN)
Philadelphia Wings 3-5 (10)
Same as last year, the Wings regularly beat the weaker teams and tank against the stronger sides. The second half of their schedule isn’t an easy one either.
Record versus .500+: 0-5 (HFX L, PC L, TOR L, BUF L, BUF L)
Record versus -.500: 3-0 (GA W, LV W, ALB W)
Remaining versus .500+: 6 (TOR, ROC, HFX, ROC, TOR, ROC)
Remaining versus -.500: 4 (NY, NY, GA, ALB)
Colorado Mammoth 4-5 (9)
While a mammoth amount of injuries have clearly played a part in Colorado’s (so far) disappointing title defense, their difficult schedule isn’t doing them any favours either. Not many in the league (if any) would trade their second-half schedule with the Mammoth.
Record versus .500+: 3-4 (SK L, PC W, CGY W, SK W, SD L, CGY L, PC L)
Record versus -.500: 1-1 (GA W, LV L)
Remaining versus .500+: 6 (PC, CGY, BUF, SD, SK, SD)
Remaining versus -.500: 3 (VAN, LV, VAN)
Las Vegas Desert Dogs 3-5 (13)
re: their second-half schedule: shit.
Record versus .500+: 0-3 (PC L, PC L, SK L)
Record versus -.500: 2-3 (PHI L, VAN L, VAN W, COL W, ALB W)
Remaining versus .500+: 8 (CGY, SD, PC, ROC, SD, CGY, SD, SK)
Remaining versus -.500: 2 (VAN, COL)
New York Riptide 2-7 (11)
Only the Mammoth saw as many .500+ matches as the Riptide, who were handed a brutal first-half schedule. The only -.500 team they’ve seen is Albany, who they’ve beaten twice, but they’ve got a bunch coming up against teams not presently in a playoff spot.
Record versus .500+: 0-7 (SD L, HFX L, TOR L, ROC L, BUF L, TOR L, HFX L)
Record versus -.500: 2-0 (ALB W, ALB W)
Remaining versus .500+: 3 (ROC, BUF, HFX)
Remaining versus -.500: 6 (PHI, PHI, ALB, GA, GA, VAN)
Albany FireWolves 2-6 (12)
Albany is the only NLL team with a better record against the top teams than the one they own against teams circling the cellar in the standings. Another head scratcher: the FireWolves are 0-4 at home. They’ll likely need to go (ballpark) 7-3 the rest of the way for a shot at the playoffs, and still play the East’s talented Top 3 four times.
Record versus .500+: 2-2 (BUF W, ROC L, HFX L, HFX W)
Record versus -.500: 0-4 (NY L, PHI L, NY L, LV L)
Remaining versus .500+: 5 (TOR, TOR, PC, ROC, BUF)
Remaining versus -.500: 5 (GA, GA, NY, GA, PHI)
Georgia Swarm 0-7 (14)
Not the easiest sked to start, especially with the amount of bye weeks the Swarm were handed. With two against both Rochester & Halifax left, their second half won’t get much easier.
Record versus .500+: 0-5 (ROC L, BUF L, BUF L, TOR L, TOR L)
Record versus -.500: 0-2 (PHI L, COL L)
Remaining versus .500+: 5 (ROC, HFX, SK, ROC, HFX)
Remaining versus -.500: 6 (ALB, ALB, PHI, NY, NY, ALB)
Vancouver Warriors 1-9 (15)
The Warriors need some wins ASAP to avoid setting a franchise-record low for fewest wins in a season going all the way back to Year 1 in 2000 with the Albany Attack, who actually featured Vancouver Head Coach Troy Cordingley on their roster that winter. During that expansion season, the Attack went 6-6 and were a win away from making the playoffs, something that is no longer in the cards for this year’s Warriors.
2018 Vancouver Warriors 2-16
2014 Vancouver Stealth 4-14
2012 Washington Stealth 4-12
2005 San Jose Stealth 4-12
Record versus .500+: 0-8 (TOR L, CGY L, CGY L, SD L, PC L, SK L, PC L, CGY L)
Record versus -.500: 1-1 (LV L, LV W)
Remaining versus .500+: 4 (SK, SD, SK, PC)
Remaining versus -.500: 4 (LV, COL, COL, NY)