NLL Power Rankings: Week 11

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.

San Diego Seals 6-1 (2)

The offensive depth behind Dane Dobbie is deadly deep with Wes Berg & Austin Staats proving as valuable over the past month plus as Dobbie was in December & early January. Jeremy Noble is quietly connecting on more goals per game than anyone in the league. Frank Scigliano was challenged to be as good as he was in San Diego’s expansion season. Well, he hasn’t been. He’s been better. We’ve seen similar high-profile rosters succumb to super-charged egos & game-day instability in the past. That’s not happening in San Diego. Far from it.

Buffalo Bandits 5-1 (1)

They had been flirting with that first L for the last number of weeks, finally knocked off by a determined & defensively dynamic Rock team on Saturday night. Prior to that highly anticipated match, GM Steve Dietrich had stated, “I think we need to learn some lessons and realize that everybody is good. It doesn’t matter who you are; you have to bring your A-game.” Lesson learned. Look out.

Halifax Thunderbirds 5-1 (4)

We got classic Cody Jamieson, another outstanding between-the-pipes performance by Warren Hill, plus more proof that Stephan Leblanc is one of the most clutch finishers of all time. With defenders Graeme Hossack & Jake Withers (who also bettered Baptiste in their rematch) combining for six caused turnovers and rookie Ryan Terefenko playing some tremendously truculent ball coming out of the T-Birds’ own end, Halifax is proving to be as potent as their pre-season potential promised.

Toronto Rock 5-3 (5)

With a number of key injuries (Latrell Harris, who was arguably their top transitional defender in December, is sadly still sidelined) and many placed in protocol, the Rock have not only survived during that spell, they’ve thrived beyond expectation. Over the past month they’ve outplayed their opponent in an OT loss, then knocked off three division rivals in convincing fashion, including this past weekend’s triumph over the previously unbeaten Bandits. Honestly, we coulda argued them as #1 and you couldn’t have complained, much.

Colorado Mammoth 5-2 (3)

Their 42 totals shots were the lowest we’d seen from Colorado’s extra-crispy offense in almost two months (40 vs. Panther City on Dec. 17) and they clearly could not overcome a very motivated Roughnecks roster in the second half (just one goal scored in the 3rd & 4th quarters) of their 9-7L. No Joey Cupido after the two-way talent was placed in protocol clearly hurt. The Mammoth had zero goals in transition a week after Cupido helped power an offensive press with pop (D-first players directly factored in on four) against the same Calgary club.

Georgia Swarm 4-5 (8)

Win or lose (and this past weekend they were worthy winners) this Swarm side has given every team they’ve battled this year one of their toughest tests, and they just keep getting better and better every week. Mike Poulin has played far finer than his GAA and SV% would indicate, Brendan Bomberry has been a beast, and few defenders across the league have seen their stock rise at the same rate as Adam Wiedemann’s growing game. Plus, they’ve been fun AF to watch.

Albany FireWolves 4-4 (6)

That hot streak seems to have slowly simmered in recent weeks, their loss to Rochester this past weekend a cause for at least some concern. After averaging an absurd nine goals against over their first five (including holding high-powered Halifax to just 6), the FireWolves are allowing over 13 during a troublesome 1-2 stretch. How significant has a still sidelined Adam Bomberry been this season? Albany is 3-1 (1-3 without) and letting in just 8.25 goals in games Bomberry is on the floor (13 against, again, when he’s away). There’ve been a lot of players MIA this year (injuries, protocol, PUP, etc.) but maybe the most significant seems to be the one oddly no one is talking about.

Vancouver Warriors 4-3 (10)

Hands up if you thought the Warriors were doomed with Mitch Jones missing? Everyone, yep. No team is playing as inspired, motivated and driven as Vancouver is right now, regaining respect across the league after nearly a decade of dishing out Ws (averaged just 4.8 wins per season since moving to Langley). Alex Buque is playing the best ball of his NLL career, Tyrell Hamer-Jackson has easily been the West’s top drawman, Reid Bowering just keeps delivering, and their next-man-up offense has responded rapidly to the loss of their rehabbing star scorer.

Philadelphia Wings 5-5 (7)

In recent weeks, the Wings kick started a stretch that would see them regularly battling the beasts of the east. While there’ve been parts of their play that have been positive, dropping pivotal points to Toronto and now Halifax inside the hardest swing of their schedule are results that could ruin their post-season plans. Not nearly enough possession, far too many penalties, and zero offense produced off the press made it difficult for the Wings to topple the T-Birds, even though they came close. After their upcoming bye week, Philly faces Halifax, Buffalo, Rochester and Buffalo, again. They still see San Diego too. Gulp.

Calgary Roughnecks 2-4 (12)

The offense could have clearly used a still-ill Curtis Dickson, but with an overall effort like Calgary composed against Colorado, gutsy wins like that 9-7 stunner can also help steer the ship. Zach Currier, who has easily been one of this season’s top transitional talents (or players, period), told the Calgary Sun, “Any time you hold that team to seven goals, it’s a testament to how well your defence is playing, how well your goalie is playing and how well your offence is getting back and stopping transition.” True, true and true. The Roughnecks defense kept Colorado shooters contained (see Colorado at #5 for more on that), Christian Del Bianco had arguably his sharpest start of the season, and the Mammoth’s press production was put on pause.

Rochester Knighthawks 3-5 (13)

During Rochester’s recent losing streak, effort was never an issue, but execution was. At times players were trying to do too much and the team’s timing, approach and ultimately success quickly slipped away. That didn’t happen in their 15-13 victory over the favoured FireWolves. Led by Shawn Evans (1G, 9A), their offense was clearly more cohesive, composed and crushing than it had been in many weeks. And how legit has Rylan Hartley been between the pipes? Sure, the kid’s saves are about as spectacular as we’ve seen this season, but his continued evolution as an emerging, elite everyday #1 is one of this year’s more special storylines.

Saskatchewan Rush 2-5 (9)

OK, it might actually be panic-button time in Saskatoon after yet another loss in a critical West Division contest. As Captain Chris Corbeil confirmed, special teams & transition were trouble spots for Saskatchewan in their loss to a Vancouver Warriors side that continues to separate themselves in the standings. While it felt more like trade-tease talk to spark an early-season swing, you’d have to think Derek Keenan might be ringing the rest of the league for real now, right?

New York Riptide 1-7 (11)

That momentum that was ignited after beating Philly and then nearly bumping Buffalo has kind of collapsed after the Riptide dropped their third straight on Saturday in Duluth. The team is playing good lacrosse, but are back to playing ball not good enough to drop dubs within their declining record too. Their next two are against a talented Toronto side, those results likely dictating if playoffs are at all a possibility in 2022. Ring ring?

Panther City Lacrosse Club 1-7 (14)

At the half, things looked promising. Over the next half hour, however, San Diego’s experience and talent took over in Panther City’s 10-4 loss to the Seals. With Patrick Dodds placed in protocol, we saw just how relied on the rookie is to the team’s overall offensive success. PCLC was held to just 33 shots and went 0-5 on the powerplay against the Seals, numbers that need to be significantly sharper for any score-sheet success the rest of the way. Will Benesch be the only veteran body they deal in 2022?