NLL Power Rankings: Week 20
Every week during the 2021/22 National Lacrosse League season, The Lax Mag will publish updated NLL Power Rankings reflecting the previous week’s performances, as well as a team’s overall regular season rep, status and success rate.
Buffalo Bandits 14-3 (1)
They needed a big bounce back performance with the playoffs just weeks away. It couldn’t have gone much better than dismantling the Swarm, 18-9. It was easily one of this year’s most complete games from any team this year, but...
Toronto Rock 12-5 (2)
…so was the Rock’s equally impressive one-side 15-7 suffocation of the Thunderbirds on Saturday. The biggest difference between Toronto’s early season games against Halifax (two Ls) and their huge W this past weekend: confidence.
Toronto is in Buffalo for both teams’ final regular season game in a couple of weeks. Not only is Dhane Smith on deck to outdo his own record for points in a season, but Toronto Head Coach Matt Sawyer will pass the late legend Les Bartley for most games coached for the Rock franchise. He matched Bartley’s 82 games this past weekend.
Matt Sawyer, Toronto Rock (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
Toronto Rock Regular Season Coaching History:
Head Coach, Games Coached (W-L)
Les Batley, 82 (57-25)
Matt Sawyer, 82 (48-34)
Troy Cordingley, 64 (38-26)
John Lovell, 54 (28-26)
Terry Sanderson, 42 (28-14)
Glenn Clark, 31 (12-19)
Jamie Batley, 13 (5-8)
Ed Comeau, 6 (2-4)
Terry Bullen, 4 (2-2)
Calgary Roughnecks 9-7 (5)
While the Rock appear to be pulling off perfect-peak play leading into the playoffs, out west, the Roughnecks are having similar timely success. Their top vets are often the best ball players on the floor (between either team), they’re getting consistent secondary support (on offense & defense), and like Toronto, they’re oozing confidence right now.
Also, looks like Calgary’s Jesse King has a really good chance of making the extremely exclusive 30/60/90 Club this year. Only ten players over the league’s 35 years have hit 30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose balls or more in a single season. See who they are here, and check out this year’s almost-there talent below…
Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits
41G, 94A, 86LB
1 game left - needs 4LB
Jesse King, Calgary Roughnecks
26G, 60A, 98LB
2 games left - needs 4G
Jeff Teat, New York Riptide
34G, 59A, 100LB
2 games left - needs 1A
Keegan Bal, Vancouver Warriors
42G, 53A, 88LB
1 game left - needs 7A & 2LB
Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
42G, 48A, 94LB
2 games left - needs 12A
Colorado Mammoth 10-7 (3)
When they get a complete performance at both ends of the floor, the Mammoth are the best in the West, and like they showed against the Bandits (15-14W), maybe league wide too. When one side is stuck, results like their 9-8 loss to the Rush happen. With only 31 shots (albeit against a still extremely strong Rush defensive unite) and zero luck on the PP (0-3), the Mammoth missed a chance to strengthen their spot at the top of the standings this past Saturday.
Dillon Ward, Colorado Mammoth (Photo: Jack Dempsey)
San Diego Seals 9-7 (4)
In his always honest post-game comments, Seals GM & HC Pat Merrill said, “We weren’t good enough. The bottom line is we weren’t good enough and we haven’t been the last few weeks.” Here’s a quick comparison of how the team has fared since their surprising losing skid started on March 25th vs. Vancouver.
First 11 Games
Record: 9-2
Goals For Average: 11.55
Goals Against Average: 8.55
Last 5 Games
Record: 0-5
Goals For Average: 10.20 (-1.35)
Goals Against Average: 12.60 (-4.05)
In those five recent losses, three have been by just a single goal and another by only two.
Halifax Thunderbirds 9-7 (6)
On paper, this team should be much, much, much better than what they’ve displayed recently. During this 1-6 slide, last week’s loss to the Rock in front over 10K fans in Hamilton mighta hurt the most for a variety of reasons (did not clinch, can no longer finish second in the East, etc.). Although a playoff miss is possible, you’d have to think they’ll secure a spot over the next two weeks. There’s too much talent there not to.
Warren Hill, Halifax Thunderbirds (Photo: Trevor McMillan)
Albany FireWolves 8-9 (11)
No team has flip flopped more in the Power Rankings than the FireWolves, who this past weekend again showed why their roster is not only post-season worthy, they’re capable of making noise. Their 11-5 W over the Wings not only kept them alive, it reaffirmed just how good Albany can be. With previous wins against San Diego & Halifax, plus pushing Buffalo to OT, if they can sneak into the playoffs, don’t discount a legit run.
Panther City Lacrosse Club 7-9 (9)
Like we said last week, we aren’t counting these kids out (like we have already with others) until the math marks them MIA for the 2022 playoffs. Anyone surprised that it was Phil Caputo that scored the late game-tying and then game-winning goals for PCLC in their 11-10 W over San Diego? You shouldn’t be. He’s been the team’s TLM Clutch Kings leader for almost the entire season, currently in 8th overall overall. Caputo has scored 7 GTGs, 4 GAGs and 2 GWGs this season.
Georgia Swarm 8-8 (8)
We dropped them after this past weekend’s pounding against the Bandits, but the Swarm still control their own destiny with two pivotal games left to be played. Plus, now they’re doing it with Miles Thompson, who made a surprising return to the lineup on Saturday.
Miles Thompson, Georgia Swarm (Photo: Kyle Hess)
Philadelphia Wings 8-9 (7)
They were really heating up, but the FireWolves put their push on pause after holding the Wings to just 5 goals (just 3 even strength) in their disappointing Week 20 L. It’ll be a fight between Georgia, Albany and Philly for the last spot in the East and Wild Card entry (New York & some Western sides too). They’ll need help now after last weekend’s wrong result though.
New York Riptide 6-10 (10)
Two things… we feel bad dropping them a spot after a W, but it’s just where they fell after last week’s league-wide results. Also, if the NLL had a 20-game season, the New York Riptide would be in the playoffs. Sure, they still might make it this year, but New York needs A LOT to go right: they need to go 2-0 (vs. Halifax & at Albany), the Swarm need to go 2-0 (at Panther City & vs. Philadelphia), and hope that Wild Card tiebreakers play out in their favour.
Saskatchewan Rush 6-10 (12)
If the East’s fifth place teams finish at 8-10 and if Saskatchewan beats both San Diego and Panther City, it looks like the Rush can still crash the playoffs. Like New York, they need A LOT to go right, but they are indeed still alive. If they do get in, between their Cup-winning culture, still league-leading defensive unit, and capable vets up top, not sure this is a team you want to tangle with during the second season.
Mike Messenger, Saskatchewan Rush
Vancouver Warriors 6-11 (13)
Vancouver joins Rochester as only the second for-sure eliminated team, which is bananas considering we’ve barely got any games left to go. The team added Mitch Jones to their active roster on Saturday, and although he didn’t play this past weekend, the Warriors’ sidelined star forward has very much been busy on social media lately. In probably this year’s best NLL Twitter beef, Jones & (former Vancouver Stealth player) Travis Cornwall have been going back and forth about the franchise’s past and present, Jones tweeting, “I don’t think anyone has EVER won a championship in Rogers Arena so why would there be a banner? Are Rochester banners hung in Halifax??” Check out their convo here, it’s worth the clicks.
Rochester Knighthawks 3-13 (14)
Although the players are still very much competing, these last few weeks have also kind of been an early tryout for 2023 in many ways. Plus, from their 2021 draft class, the Knighthawks have three intriguing prospects that will be pro eligible next year: Corson Kealey (Toronto Beaches/Robert Morris), Riley Curtis (Brampton/Peterborough/Denver) and Pent Eistrat (Mississauga/Brampton/RIT). The team has also maintained most of their picks in this year’s draft, and has an extra first coming their way (2023, 2024 or 2025) through the Shawn Evans trade.