PK’s NLL Power Rankings - Week 4

*Reminder these are Power Rankings. To see the Standings please head to NLL.com

1         Buffalo Bandits - 1-0 (Last Week: 1)

4th straight week coming in at #1 in the Power Rankings and why should it be a question at this point? This team is in midseason form already putting up another blow out win, this time 18-7 over Ottawa Friday night. Ian MacKay had a career night scoring 5 goals on his 5 shot attempts. I questioned how the offense would look without that lane setter on the left side, but through 2 games averaging 16.5 goals, it seems like they have just gotten better. On top of MacKay, the offense is just loaded and so deep with talent. Josh Byrne had 10 points. Dhane Smith with 9. Chase Fraser 7. Tehoka Nanticoke and Kyle Buchanan finished with 4 each. And Chris Cloutier was the low forward at 3. It is a very tough offense to contain. And even with all the praise we can heap on the forwards, the defense and goaltending has been just as good, if not better. Jeff Teat was held in check with 2/3/5, while only 3 other players had multi point nights. Through 2 games, the defense with Matt Vinc have held the top 6 scorers on Ottawa (Jeff Teat, Connor Kearnan, Reilly O’Connor, Larson Sundown, Kiel Matisz, and Jacob Dunbar) and Rochester (Connor Fields, Ryan Smith, Ryan Lanchbury, Curtis Knight, Thomas McConvey and Kyle Waters) to 11 goals, 14 assists and 25 points with 87 SOG. Or 13% Shooting. The team is primed to defend their title as they head into the bye.

2         San Diego Seals – 2-1 (Last Week: 4)

After an OT loss to Georgia dropped them down to 4 last week, the Seals are back in that #2 spot after their 14-11 win over Colorado Friday night. Colorado has been a 2nd half team through their first 2 games, but San Diego was able to get that controlled, limiting them to 6 in the 2nd half. Chris Origlieri had his best performance of the year stopping 32/43 shots from what I view as one of the top offensive units in the league. The defense was solid on the back end with Kyle Rubisch accounting for 9 LBs and 4 CTO in the win. Danny Logan went 2/1/3 while gathering 12 LBs and a CTO, while Trevor Baptiste was a welcomed addition back to the lineup collecting 12 LBs and going 19/27 at the dot. But for the 3rd straight week, it was the 2nd quarter offense that led the way for the team who put in 7 goals once again. Wes Berg led the way with 4/3/7, while Rob Hellyer continues a great start to his Seals career with 2/3/5. Kyle Jackson was welcomed back to the left side this week going 3/1/4 in his return while the do it all man Zach Currier went 2/2/4 with 12 LBs and 3 CTO. If this team can get steady play in net, along with staying healthy, the now evened out forward group can continue to make waves in the league and be that title contender I believe they are. They look to get revenge vs Georgia Saturday night after dropping a week 2 matchup in OT.

3         Georgia Swarm – 2-0 (Last Week: 6)

Up 3 this week are your undefeated Georgia Swarm. It was a lot closer than it probably should have been given Toronto’s injuries, but they will take the 10-9 win. Andrew Kew led the way with a 3/3/6 night but it was Lyle Thompson and his 3/2/5 night that netted the game winner with a minute left on the clock. Brett Dobson was solid once again in net, making 46/55 saves in the win. The main problem in his young career has been consistency, but through 2 games, he has had one off quarter which was the 2nd vs San Diego and I’m able to look past that as they have scored 7 in all 3 of their 2nd quarters so far this year. But the biggest issue that has held this team back in the past is the depth scoring. That is why the game was as close as it was. Lyle and Kew will always get theirs. But it’s the players behind them that need to rise up. Brendan Bomberry, Shayne Jackson and Seth Oakes combined for 1 goal on 18 shots. That will not cut it against healthy teams. The team gets the chance to complete the early season sweep of the Seals Saturday night that might have playoff seeding implications at seasons end.

4         Colorado Mammoth – 2-1 (Last Week: 3)

Sliding back 1 this week are the Mammoth after their 14-11 loss in San Diego Friday night. They were unable to replica the 2nd half magic they have had the first 2 weeks of the NLL season. Connor Robinson led the way with a 3/3/6 night, while Will Malcolm, Ryan Lee, Zed Williams, Connor Kelly, and Eli McLaughlin each chipped in 4 points apiece. Robert Hope continues to be one of the best, not talked about defenders in the league. 12 LBs, 4 Blocked Shots and 2 CTO in the loss. Dillon Ward made 37/49 saves to continue his nice bouncer back campaign. The biggest fault I can lay on the Mammoth this week is their PP. After going 50% in games 1 and 2 combined, the team was just 2/9 in this loss. There is too much talent up front to go 22%. The team will look to rebound quickly and move to 3-1 when they host the 0-2 Thunderbirds Saturday night.

5         Saskatchewan Rush - 2-0 (Last Week: 7)

Two games in, 2 OT wins after their 9-8 win over Halifax Saturday night. It was the Zach Manns show in the 2nd half of that game. Down 6-2 at half and 8-3 with 12:50 to go, Manns would score 5 of his 6 goals in the 4th and the game winner in OT to go with his 8 point night. Levi Anderson in his first career game went 1/1/2 while fellow rookie Brock Haley mirrored that performance, as did Austin Shanks. Matt Hossack, who was snagged in the dispersal draft, has been amazing for this defense, adding 10 LBs and 4 CTO in the win. And in net, Frank Scigliano was stellar once again making 39/47 saves. He has now stopped 88/105 shots good for 84% and a 7.94 GAA. Frankie has always been capable of playing to this level It’s just been his inconsistency between the pipes that has been the issue. If he has that figured out, the Rush are playoff bound no question. They will try to move to 3-0 in Rochester Saturday night.

6         Albany Firewolves – 1-2 (Last Week: 2)

Down 4 spots this week are the Firewolves. And that may be a bit harsh for a team who has 2 losses in OT. But at the end of the year, they don’t ask how, but how many. And that how many is at 2 right now after their 13-12 OT loss to Calgary. Tye Kurtz and Ethan Walker both went 3/3/6 on the night while Eric Fannell (5) and Alex Simmons (6) combined for 11 assists. Doug Jamieson was 35/48 in net and holds an 8.83 GAA through 4 games. Some years the close games go your way. Other years they go against you. So far they have not gone the way of Albany, but the season is still very young. But the biggest question I have is how you let one player take over the game the way Dane Dobbie did in this one. 8 goals in the 4th and OT. You’d think after 3 or 4, maybe even 5, you’d figure out some way to not allow him to keep pumping them in. But 8? I think that is a big reason they slipped as far as they did even if it was another OT loss. They are off this week before heading to Halifax on the 28th.

7         Vancouver Warriors – 1-1 (Last Week: 9)

A 10-7 win over Rochester sees the Warriors enter the top 8 for the first time this year. And it is all thanks to the work of the Defense and Aden Walsh. They held Connor Fields and Thomas McConvey scoreless on 19 shots and while Ryan Lanchbury and Ryan Smith both had 3 each but, it took them 20 combined shots to reach that mark. When you can hold an offense with this much talent to 7 goals, the defense is giving you a great chance to come out on top. I am one of the very few people who did not pick Vancouver to make the playoffs. Aden Walsh was one of the 2 reasons for that. But through 2 games, he has stepped up his game in a big way from what we saw last year. 46/55 saves in this one and 74/91 on the year good for 81%. He has quieted all of the CDB rumors that have been out there. The 2nd reason I had Vancouver missing playoffs was the offense. And while they got the win, a big reason they are sitting at 7 is the lack of firepower out the front door. Keegan Bal netted 3 while rookie Jonathan Peshko went 2/1/3 on the night. But 4 of your 10 goals came from your transition group. Now that area of the game can be a threat, see Calgary from years past. But you need a steady offense with your transition game to be an effective team. Players like Adam Charambides (1/3/4), Ryan Martel (0/4/4) and Kevin Crowley (1/2/3) need to step it up if they want to be a nice complement to what they have going for them in net and out the back door. They head into the bye before getting Calgary on the road on the 28th.

8         Calgary Roughnecks – 2-0 (Last Week: 11)

I am not claiming to be wrong about this team just yet, but I do have to afford them the respect they deserve after their 13-12 OT win in Albany and move them into the top 8. Before the season I said this team is going to have a better offense then last year but a worse defense and far worse goaltending. Just 2 games in, that seems to be true. Through 2 games, this team is 3rd in the league in GPG with 15.5 while being 13th in GAA at 14.5. Dane Dobbie was other worldly in the win. Not only did he score 8, but they all came in the 4th and OT and were all of Calgary’s goals in that timeframe netting the tying goal with 49 seconds left and the game winner 50 seconds into OT. Curtis Dickson went 2/4/6, Tanner Cook was 2/3/5 and Jesse King provided 7 assists. Oh and if the offense couldn’t have been lethal enough, Tyler Pace chipped in 5 assists in his first game after signing a 1 year deal last week. Cam MacLeod was 41/52 in net. Young Colby Bowman came in for the 2nd straight week and played just over 9 minutes of action. Calgary finally has that offense it has been missing the last couple years. They are just now missing the stability of the back end they had for so many years. They will carry their 2-0 record into the bye before hosting the 1-1 Warriors.

9         Rochester Knighthawks – 1-2 (Last Week: 5)

10     Philadelphia Wings – 1-1 (Last Week: 12)

11     Ottawa Black Bears – 1-1 (Last Week: 8)

12     Toronto Rock – 0-3 (Last Week: 10)

13     Las Vegas Desert Dogs – 0-3 (Last Week: 13)

14     Halifax Thunderbirds 0-2 (Last Week: 14)