NLL Power Rankings: Week 3

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.

The San Diego Seals remain #1 with the hotter than hot Halifax Thunderbirds just behind them. The Rochester Knighthawks continue to rise, while the Toronto Rock rank lower than they did all of last year after yet another uninspired performance against a conference rival. The NLL enters it's holiday break, returning on December 30 with a light three-game weekend just before New Year’s Eve.

San Diego Seals 2-0 (1)

While other preseason favourites have stumbled, the Seals, who’ve been #1 since our preseason rankings were published, sit a squeaky clean 2-0 after a pair of wins against strong sides. After their extended holiday break, they’ll see another good group, the also still-perfect Calgary Roughnecks on December 30. The game will mark Curtis Dickson’s highly anticipated return to Cowtown, the former Calgary captain leaving the franchise via free agency this past offseason.

Halifax Thunderbirds 2-0 (2)

Last year their mid-season changes signalled a slide that the team never truly rebounded from. For those that wondered if even more significant movement over the offseason would hinder Halifax heading into 2023, well, clearly not. Two games. Two dominating performances. Their offense is hands down the best in the game right now, while the other side of the floor has been pretty perfect too.

Buffalo Bandits 1-1 (5)

Matt Vinc was in GOTY form (52 saves), Steve Priolo was back (9LB, 3BLK), and their offense looked aligned in a critical early win over the Rock in Week 3. Giving up 20 minutes in penalties could have proved costly, but Buffalo’s defense limited quality looks while giving up a kinda high 60 takes total, something we know Vinc doesn’t mind (see his saves/minute stats from last year). Even with Chase Fraser likely still sidelined for a bit, the Bandits certainly got back on track in a hurry.

Saskatchewan Rush 1-1 (4)

The Rush’s goaltending was questioned in their Week 2 collapse against the Seals. The same happened a season ago while their status in the standings spiralled. The response Alex Buque and/or Eric Penney provide between the pipes on NYE against Panther City is a pivotal, albeit still early, point of their season.

Rochester Knighthawks 3-0 (7)

It wasn’t until mid-February last year that the Knighthawks nailed down their third win. They couldn’t have done it any faster this season. The biggest story is obviously Connor’s Fields MVP-level start so far, but there’s a lot going on at the other end of the floor too. Rylan Hartley has been very good between the pipes, but the low-key addition of Brad Gillies has also proved significant. Getting Ryland Rees back last week is big too. After being unlucky last year (Evan Kirk, injuries, COVID, etc.), a lot is going right for Rochester right now.

Calgary Roughnecks 2-0 (6)

The Roughnecks got goals from eight different players, in a variety of ways (even, PP, outside, inside, transition, you name it) in their one-sided skewering of the Warriors in Week 3. As expected, Jesse King & Tyler Pace are leading offensively, but youngsters Haiden Dickson & Tanner Cook are coming on strong. Christian Del Bianco was stellar again, now sitting at 89 saves over his first two starts. Anyone on the Shane Simpson for TPOTY train yet? Curtis Dickson and the Seals come to town on December 30, starting a difficult seven-game stretch against top-rated teams.

Toronto Rock 1-2 (3)

Losing Latrell Harris early was an early blow against the Bandits in a Week 3 loss that likely isn’t sitting well with the team. For the second straight game the Rock met a hot goalie, couldn’t connect on the press (0G in last two) or much on the power-play (33% in last two), and lacked chemistry & consistency up front. It’s actually a somewhat similar start they had a season ago. They rebounded in 2022. Will they again in 2023? They’re off until January 7, which you’d hope gives Harris enough time to heal up.

Colorado Mammoth 1-1 (9)

Everything that went so wrong in their season-opening loss to the Rush, went really right a few weeks later as the Mammoth topped PCLC, 12-9. Dillon Ward was as sharp as ever (48 saves), Eli McLaughlin (4G, 3A) took control of their offense, Zed Williams produced like he did during last year’s playoffs (3G, 5A), and recent UFA signing Rhys Duch fit right in (2G, 1A). Will Ryan Lee be back soon? The team had previously targeted “an early-regular season date” for his return. Like the Rock, the Mammoth won’t play again until January 7.

New York Riptide 0-2 (8)

Last week we wondered if the Riptide could go 0-3 while playing really good lacrosse thanks to an early scary stretch in the schedule. Well, they lost last week, but didn’t look all that good. Halifax handled New York relatively easily in a decisive 20-11 win over the still-promising Riptide, who were out worked in seemingly every facet of Saturday night’s lopsided L. They’ll get the Rock on January 7 and the Knighthawks a week later, which will be their fourth home date in a row to start the regular season. They need a W badly.

Philadelphia Wings 1-1 (12)

A game against Georgia, who they beat three times a season ago, seems to have helped Philadelphia figure things out, the Wings again sinking the Swarm, 13-12, this past weekend. Cany the keep it up though? Last year, of the Wings’ nine regular-season wins, just one was against a club that qualified for the 2022 playoffs. They get Las Vegas & Panther City after the Christmas break. In order to get ahead in the super-competitive East, a double dub there (neither team played playoff lacrosse last year) is a must.

Albany FireWolves 1-1 (10)

They were dominated at the dot (7/30) with Joe Nardella done for the year (ACL) and generated just 41 shots on goal, but somewhat impressively, Albany lost by just one against arguably the hottest team in the league right now (Rochester, 14-13). In fact, their 41 for and 64 against are two of the worst single-game totals so far this season. They couldn’t have asked for much more from Doug Jamieson, who gave them a strong 50-save performance and a chance to win. He’ll likely be tested again in their next couple, the FireWolves seeing the 2-0 Thunderbirds twice to start 2023.

Panther City Lacrosse Club 2-1 (11)

Nick Damude joined elite company over the weekend. The three goals Panther City’s starter allowed over 60 minutes versus Las Vegas is one of the lowest goals-against totals ever in a single NLL regular season game. Only four other goalies since 1987 (the league’s debut season) have allowed three or fewer: Ted Sawicki, Bob Watson, Matt Vinc and Aaron Bold.

Georgia Swarm 0-2 (13)

Their special teams have been hurting, they’ve allowed nearly 30 in just two games, and are already in a bit of a hole at 0-2. Lyle Thompson, who usually has the best retention digits amongst the league’s top shooters (averaged just 2.6TO/GP last year), has already given the ball away 19 times in just two games. Over the Swarm’s next five, they’ll see Buffalo twice, Toronto twice and Colorado too. Unless they tighten up those areas of concern quickly, and obviously win a few, their plans for the postseason may fade fairly early. It’s obviously not panic-button time, but it might be during that formidable five-game stretch.

Vancouver Warriors 0-3 (14)

OK, well there’s their “preseason”. Thee in the books. At this point, effort is great and all, but the Warriors need Ws in the worst way possible. With zeros goals or assists, just two shots on target, and a ten-minute game misconduct call, Shawn Evans’ Vancouver debut wasn’t one to be remembered.

Las Vegas Desert Dogs (15)

Last week, we were a bit worried that rookies Jack Hannah & Jon Phillips were taking most of the offensive looks for Las Vegas. A week later, and almost no one was hitting the net in the Dogs’ historic home opener. Their three goals against Panther City was one of the lowest single-game totals in NLL history (three against has only happened during the regular season three times before, two just once), and the 33 shots they got on goal must be near the all-time bottom too. The Vegas offense, which many felt what be their strong suit, needs to find some chemistry quick. Wayner may want to give his “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” speech before their next one, which won’t happen until January 6 at home to the Wings.