NLL Power Rankings: Week 13
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.
Toronto Rock 8-2 (1)
Coming off a bye, Toronto has a double to deal with in Week 14, hosting Rochester on Saturday and then a rare Monday match in Philadelphia. Over their last ten two-fer weekends, the Rock have only won both games once.
Season: results (weekend record)
2019: W vs. BUF + L at ROC (1-1)
2019: L vs. GA + L at BUF (0-2)
2017: L at VAN + L at NEW (0-2)
2017: W at GA + W vs. VAN (2-0)
2017: L vs. GA + W at ROC (1-1)
2016: W vs. BUF + L at BUF (1-1)
2016: L vs. SK + L at SK (0-2)
2016: L vs. CGY + W vs. VAN (1-1)
2016: L vs. ROC + L at ROC (0-2)
2015: W vs. BUF + L at BUF (1-1)
Buffalo Bandits 8-2 (2)
The Bandits have obviously been legit while missing key contributors all season. They re-signed Chase Fraser over the weekend and also moved Josh Byrne back to their active roster. At almost full strength, they’re (still) going to be a lot to handle through the second half of the season.
Rochester Knighthawks 8-2 (4)
While his importance was emphasized last weekend with that OT dagger against the Riptide, the off-season addition of defenseman Brad Gillies in Rochester has been a significant one. A total of five of the Knighthawks’ eleven goals this past Saturday were netted in transition, led by, of course, Gilles’ hat-trick.
Calgary Roughnecks 7-4 (3)
No Tyler Pace (IR), no power-play goals, minimal forward goal production past Jesse King & Josh Currier, and few stops in the first period led to one of this year’s biggest upsets when the Roughnecks went down to the expansion Desert Dogs in Week 13. Off this weekend, Calgary has a mammoth game against Colorado on March 10th.
San Diego Seals 6-2 (6)
Like a number of this year’s top teams, the Seals were off last week, but they’ve got a big one on the horizon. San Diego hosts a recently really hot Las Vegas team in the NLL’s first-ever outdoor game at Snapdragon Stadium this Saturday (4:30pm ET).
Saskatchewan Rush 5-4 (5)
Their goalies had just a combined 31 stops while allowing 16 against a Warriors team that has struggled to score this year. Rush shooters had an above-average amount of looks at Aaron Bold (63 shots), but couldn’t get by their former #1 netminder nearly enough and dropped a disappointing result against Vancouver.
Halifax Thunderbirds 5-5 (7)
Last week we reviewed the Thunderbirds struggles this year against higher seeded sides. They’ll get a chance to buck that trend this Friday when they host the 8-2 Bandits at home in Halifax. Over the past three seasons, the Thunderbirds are an impressive 16-5 at the Scotiabank Centre. Their two losses at home this year were both decided in OT. Plus, they’re 1-1 at home against Buffalo since moving to Nova Scotia. They get the Banditos twice over the next two weeks, a mid-season series they went 0-2 on last year.
Colorado Mammoth 5-5 (10)
Well, Ryan Lee is back. Not only just back on the Mammoth’s active roster, but back to where he left off last year. Lee had 10 points (2G, 8A) in Colorado’s victory over Panther City last Friday night, his presence reinvigorating the entire roster. Sure, they won last year’s Cup without him, but the Mammoth are obviously a massively better team when Lee is in the lineup. In less positive news, Colorado placed Eli McLaughlin on their IR last week, one of so many significant injuries the team has dealt with this year.
Panther City Lacrosse Club 6-5 (8)
They still own the West’s fourth spot, but their loss to the Mammoth last week had final-standing implications. Just a half game ahead of Colorado currently, Panther City dropped an all-important tie breaker in that 12-14 result. They’ll get a chance this weekend to finally win their first game against a .500+ team in 2023 when they host the Rush on Saturday night.
Las Vegas Desert Dogs 4-5 (11)
After starting their debut season 0-4, the Desert Dogs are 4-1 since and have injected themselves into the West’s playoff picture after upsetting Calgary in Week 13. Their veteran core are performing at a high rate (Rob Hellyer, Zack Greer, Garrett McIntosh, James Barclay, and others), Jack Hannah is right at the top of the ROTY convo, and Landon Kells has been so clutch in the Vegas crease.
Philadelphia Wings 3-5 (9)
Realistically, the Wings are down to just two potential playoff spots based on their current record and what’s happening ahead of them: fourth in the East or the East-over-West wild card. With two games this weekend (well, Saturday & Monday), Philadelphia has a chance of passing Halifax for fourth (if T-Birds lose and they go 2-0) or could slip further down the East’s standings depending on how things go. A big weekend would be an understatement.
New York Riptide 2-8 (12)
The effort was clearly there, but the result, again, was just out of the Riptide’s reach, losing the NLL’s second-longest game ever against the highly rated Knighthawks. Although Jeff Teat’s 4-goal performance was one of last week’s best, Steve Orleman’s 53-save effort was too, and easily the second-year stoppers most impressive game of 2023. Kevin Brownell’s three transition strikes weren’t too shabby either.
Georgia Swarm 1-7 (14)
At times Swarm forwards seemed to just be lobbing the ball at Albany’s net and sneaking shots in during their 20-4 shellacking of the FireWolves, one of many one-sided beatings this year. Lyle Thompson & Andrew Kew went off, Brett Dobson bagged his first W, and John Ranagan looked really good back in Georgia gold & blue (traded from Philadelphia to Georgia for a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft).
Vancouver Warriors 2-8 (15)
With so many teams lacking a veteran backstop, it was kinda crazy that it took so long for Aaron Bold to be picked up this year. His 51-stop performance against the Rush, a franchise he formerly played seven seasons for, was one of 2023’s best backstop performances. Vancouver’s offense looked more polished than it has all season; Keegan Bal, Adam Charalambides, Shawn Evans and Kyle Killen all leaving Saskatoon with a hat-trick.
Albany FireWolves 2-7 (13)
If you watched their game last week and think they should be ranked higher than 15th right now, ummm, OK. Their 20-4 loss to the Swarm was one of the most incomplete efforts we’ve seen from any team in a while. It’s been 46 days since the FireWolves won a game. It’s been 304 days since they last won at home.