NLL Power Rankings: Week 22
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.
With the regular season done and the playoffs starting on Friday in Hamilton & Calgary, this week’s edition of the Power Rankings will be 2022’s last. Below, see how teams have ranked from our Preseason Rankings to today’s final league-wide list.
NLL Power Rankings
Team (Highest Position/Lowest Position): Preseason to Week 22
Albany (4/12): 8, 7, 9, 12, 12, 12, 9, 6, 6, 4, 6, 7, 8, 6, 6, 5, 6, 10, 9, 11, 7, 6, 4
Buffalo (1/2): 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2
Calgary (3/14): 7, 11, 6, 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 10, 12, 12, 10, 10, 11, 12, 14, 12, 12, 10, 5, 3, 4, 3
Colorado (3/11): 11, 6, 10 , 9, 9, 9, 6, 5, 5, 3, 3, 5, 5, 4, 4, 6, 7, 7, 4, 3, 4, 3, 5
Georgia (3/12): 10, 12, 12, 11, 11, 11, 12, 10, 9, 8, 8, 6, 9, 9, 7, 7, 5, 3, 6, 8, 9, 8, 9
Halifax (2/6): 4, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 5, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6
New York (10/14): 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 13, 11, 11, 13, 13, 12, 14, 11, 11, 11, 12, 10, 11, 12, 12
Panther City (6/14): 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 13, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 13, 8, 8, 6, 7, 9, 8, 10, 11
Philadelphia (3/10): 5, 5, 3, 7, 7, 7, 4, 7, 7, 7, 7, 9, 7, 8, 9, 10, 9, 9, 8, 7, 10, 9, 8
Rochester (8/14): 9, 8, 11, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 11, 13, 13, 11, 11, 13, 10, 13, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 13, 13
San Diego (1/10): 6, 10, 8, 6, 6, 6, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 7
Saskatchewan (1/14): 1, 4, 7, 4, 4, 4, 10, 12, 12, 9, 9, 12, 12, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 11, 10
Toronto (1/6): 3, 3, 5, 3, 3, 3, 5, 4, 4, 6, 5, 4, 4, 5, 5, 3, 3, 4, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1
Vancouver (4/14): 12, 9, 4, 5, 5, 5, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10, 8, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 8, 11, 13, 13, 14, 14
Toronto Rock 13-5 (2)
No team is rolling into the playoffs with the same mountain-high momentum as the Rock, who quieted the Bandits on Saturday with one of this season’s most impressive second-half comebacks.
Buffalo Bandits 14-4 (1)
They’ve gone 1-3 over the last month of their season, which as we pointed out a few weeks ago, is not the kinda record eventual Cup-winners usually walk into the playoffs with. Buffalo had been our #1 for most of the season. Can they get back to playing Bandit ball when it matters most?
Calgary Roughnecks 10-8 (4)
While their loss to Rochester two weeks ago was concerning, Calgary looked like legit post-season players after containing Colorado’s fourth-quarter comeback on Saturday. As noted last week, although young, the Roughnecks have a roster full of players that know what it takes to capture an NLL Cup. That experience matters, a lot.
Albany FireWolves 9-9 (6)
When it comes to building momentum at the most-ideal moment, the FireWolves look like another team with a really well-timed climb for the Cup. After beating up on New York last week, Albany was 3-0 through April (combined scores: 39-21), and prior to that, gave some of the league’s top teams all they could handle. There’s always that one lower-seeded side teams want to avoid in the playoffs. The FireWolves are that team in 2022.
Colorado Mammoth 10-8 (3)
They’re streaking heading into the playoffs, just not the way they probably wanted. Last week’s loss to Calgary was their second straight, which included a 20+ minute stretch where their offense was completely silenced by the Roughnecks. They’re 0-2 against the Riggers at the Saddledome this season (7-9 in Feb., plus last week’s 11-14 loss). The Mammoth’s playoffs start there this Friday.
Halifax Thunderbirds 11-7 (5)
Even with two recent wins, the Thunderbirds are not riding a record similar to almost every Cup-winning team since 2005 - emphasis on almost. Only two teams with final months of .500 or worse records have won the Cup over the past 15 years. One was this franchise in 2012. That team was led by current Thunderbirds players Cody Jamieson, Stephen Keogh, Scott Campbell, and Halifax Head Coach, Mike Accursi.
San Diego Seals 10-8 (7)
Last Saturday the Seals snuck by the last-place Warriors to not only snap a six-game slide but also secure the West’s #1 seed. That spot sees them face the first-ever wild card entry, the Philadelphia Wings. San Diego has struggled against the East this year, losing to Toronto, Albany and the same side they see this Saturday in a single-game eliminator.
Philadelphia Wings 9-9 (9)
The Wings could not have asked for a bigger momentum-building result than they one they got in Georgia last weekend, Blaze Riorden’s short-handed OT stunner forcing Philly into the playoffs. By finishing fifth in the East versus fourth, they avoided the #1 seeded Bandits (0-2, 17-34 combined score this year) and instead see the Seals, who they sunk in San Diego less than a month ago.
Georgia Swarm 9-9 (8)
With a slight clinching advantage and a regular-season resume with some really strong results, most had Georgia going to the playoffs heading into Week 22. Clearly that didn’t happen. During a season with a lot of uncertainly due to vets either swapped (Randy Staats) or sidelined (Miles Thompson for most of the year) and rookies promoted to big-playing minutes, the Swarm staff should still be pretty pleased with the many positives their players produced in 2022. Right now, the Swarm select twice in this year’s NLL Draft (their own pick, plus one of the many compensatory picks that has made the first round ludicrously long).
Saskatchewan Rush 8-10 (11)
Since that late-season coaching switch, the Rush are 4-0 under promoted bench boss Jimmy Quinlan. Although they have their HC confirmed, there are still many questions the team faces this offseason. Who will Derek Keenan bring onto to the bench as their offensive/assistant coach? Of their long list of unrestricted free agents, who can Keenan convince to come back? Do the Rush require a more experienced goaltender? And most importantly, what team does Keenan trounce in a trade while he restocks the Rush roster this summer?
Panther City Lacrosse Club 7-11 (10)
No playoffs, but Panther City’s expansion run was surely a better-than-average campaign compared to most first-year franchises. What they lacked in experience or pro-proven skill they more than made up for in effort, work ethic, and a belief in themselves & Tracey Kelusky’s game plan. We’ve mentioned it before, but with incoming talent like Randy Staats & Jonathan Donville, another draft, and an already playoff-possible roster thanks to this year’s many successes, the PCLC have positioned themselves well for Year 2.
New York Riptide 6-12 (12)
There is no debate that the Riptide were vastly improved this year, going from a 1-12 expansion effort to 6-12 over this year’s full regular-season stretch. They found their franchise starting stopper in Steve Orleman, their long-term offensive leader in Jeff Teat (shocker) and started adding dependable depth pieces at the trade deadline. If they plan on securing a post-season spot in 2023, addressing their league-low 226 goals against is a must. The last time the team with the worst GA qualified for the playoffs? The Colorado Mammoth in 2014, when virtually everyone in the NLL got in.
Rochester Knighthawks 4-14 (13)
The severely sidelined Knighthawks gave another post-season side all they could handle, their endless effort against Halifax almost enough to end a difficult season with a deserved dub. In addition to losing Evan Kirk much earlier this year, Rochester had a helluva lot of notable names on the IR this year: Holden Cattoni, Rylan Hartley, Matt Gilray, Cory Highfield, and most recently Turner Evans.
Vancouver Warriors 6-12 (14)
The finished last in the West and we’ve got them 14th here, but as we’ve said throughout this season, for the first time in a long-ass time, the Warriors feel like they’re playing with a plan and clear direction. They’ll again draft in the first round this August, and own the rest of their firsts moving forward.