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Breaking: League Adopts Unified Standings Format & Updated Playoff Structure for 2023-24 Season

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 1
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Halifax
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Albany
Las Vegas
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
Sat, Dec 2
19:00:00
Calgary
Rochester
Sat, Dec 2
19:30:00
Philadelphia
New York
WK
2
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Dec 9
19:30:00
Colorado
Georgia
Sat, Dec 9
20:00:00
Rochester
Saskatchewan
Sat, Dec 9
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sun, Dec 10
16:00:00
Las Vegas
Panther City
WK
3
Fri, Dec 15
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
Sat, Dec 16
13:00:00
Albany
Philadelphia
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
Halifax
New York
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
San Diego
Buffalo
Sat, Dec 16
22:00:00
Georgia
Vancouver
WK
4
Fri, Dec 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Panther City
Fri, Dec 22
21:00:00
Georgia
Colorado
Sat, Dec 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Rochester
WK
5
Fri, Dec 29
18:30:00
Philadelphia
Halifax
Fri, Dec 29
19:30:00
Georgia
Buffalo
Fri, Dec 29
22:00:00
Rochester
San Diego
Sat, Dec 30
16:00:00
New York
Toronto
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sun, Dec 31
20:00:00
Albany
Saskatchewan
WK
6
Sat, Jan 6
19:00:00
Halifax
Albany
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Panther City
Georgia
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Colorado
Buffalo
Sun, Jan 7
15:00:00
New York
Philadelphia
WK
7
Fri, Jan 12
18:30:00
Toronto
Halifax
Fri, Jan 12
22:00:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Buffalo
Rochester
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Panther City
New York
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Albany
Georgia
Sat, Jan 13
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Jan 13
22:00:00
Calgary
Vancouver
WK
8
Fri, Jan 19
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
Georgia
Toronto
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
San Diego
Albany
Sat, Jan 20
20:00:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sat, Jan 20
21:00:00
Calgary
Colorado
WK
9
Fri, Jan 26
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Jan 27
18:00:00
Rochester
Halifax
Sat, Jan 27
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
San Diego
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 27
22:00:00
Panther City
Las Vegas
WK
10
Fri, Feb 2
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Fri, Feb 2
19:30:00
Vancouver
Georgia
Fri, Feb 2
21:00:00
New York
Calgary
Sat, Feb 3
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Albany
Sat, Feb 3
19:30:00
Rochester
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 3
20:00:00
Panther City
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 3
21:00:00
Toronto
Calgary
Sun, Feb 4
18:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
WK
11
Fri, Feb 9
18:30:00
Las Vegas
Halifax
Fri, Feb 9
20:00:00
Colorado
Panther City
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Calgary
Toronto
Sat, Feb 10
19:30:00
San Diego
New York
Sat, Feb 10
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Vancouver
WK
12
Fri, Feb 16
18:30:00
Buffalo
Halifax
Fri, Feb 16
22:00:00
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Sat, Feb 17
19:00:00
Colorado
Albany
Sun, Feb 18
19:00:00
Halifax
Calgary
WK
13
Fri, Feb 23
21:00:00
New York
Colorado
Fri, Feb 23
22:00:00
Georgia
San Diego
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Rochester
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Vancouver
Toronto
Sat, Feb 24
19:30:00
Albany
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 24
20:00:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 24
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Calgary
Sun, Feb 25
16:00:00
Georgia
Panther City
WK
14
Fri, Mar 1
19:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Fri, Mar 1
20:00:00
San Diego
Panther City
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Toronto
Las Vegas
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Buffalo
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 2
13:00:00
Calgary
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 2
19:00:00
New York
Albany
Sat, Mar 2
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Colorado
Sat, Mar 2
22:00:00
Toronto
San Diego
Sun, Mar 3
16:00:00
Rochester
Panther City
WK
15
Fri, Mar 8
19:00:00
Vancouver
Albany
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Calgary
Georgia
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 9
17:00:00
Colorado
Toronto
Sat, Mar 9
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Mar 9
19:30:00
Las Vegas
New York
Sat, Mar 9
22:00:00
Halifax
San Diego
Sun, Mar 10
15:00:00
Panther City
Philadelphia
WK
16
Fri, Mar 15
18:30:00
Panther City
Halifax
Fri, Mar 15
21:00:00
San Diego
Calgary
Fri, Mar 15
22:00:00
Las Vegas
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Rochester
Albany
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 16
19:30:00
Philadelphia
Georgia
Sat, Mar 16
20:30:00
New York
Saskatchewan
WK
17
Fri, Mar 22
20:00:00
Buffalo
Panther City
Fri, Mar 22
21:00:00
Albany
Calgary
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Halifax
Toronto
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 23
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
New York
Sat, Mar 23
21:00:00
Rochester
Colorado
Sat, Mar 23
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Mar 24
17:30:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
WK
18
Sat, Mar 30
13:00:00
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 30
19:00:00
Halifax
Rochester
Sat, Mar 30
19:30:00
Toronto
New York
Sat, Mar 30
22:00:00
Vancouver
Las Vegas
WK
19
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Buffalo
Colorado
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Panther City
San Diego
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Halifax
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
New York
Rochester
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Apr 6
19:30:00
Las Vegas
Georgia
Sat, Apr 6
20:00:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 7
16:00:00
Philadelphia
Panther City
WK
20
Fri, Apr 12
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Colorado
Sat, Apr 13
19:00:00
Rochester
Toronto
Sat, Apr 13
19:30:00
Calgary
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 13
20:00:00
San Diego
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
Colorado
Las Vegas
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sun, Apr 14
16:00:00
Albany
Panther City
WK
21
Fri, Apr 19
19:30:00
Rochester
Georgia
Fri, Apr 19
22:00:00
Vancouver
San Diego
Sat, Apr 20
18:00:00
Colorado
Halifax
Sat, Apr 20
19:30:00
Albany
New York
Sat, Apr 20
20:00:00
Toronto
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 20
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 20
22:00:00
Buffalo
Las Vegas
Sun, Apr 21
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
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Air Canada: Rush & Rock Take Flight For Champion’S Cup

The National Lacrosse League’s top two teams from the regular season will begin the first-ever all-Canadian Champion’s Cup Finals in the league’s 29-year history when the East Division champion Toronto Rock host the West champion Edmonton Rush at Air Canada Centre for Game 1 on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Watch the game live on TSN4, TSN5, and TSN GO (Canada) along with ESPN3, MSG, Comcast Sportsnet California Plus, NESNplus, and Altitude 2 (U.S.). Fans outside North America can click here to watch live.

The Rush won its spot in the Finals by flipping the script from last year’s West Finals against its rival Calgary Roughnecks. After winning Game 1 at home, the Rush lost Game 2 in Calgary, but were able to pull through with a 4-1 win in the 10-minute tiebreaker game.

“Those are difficult, the ten-minute sessions,” said Rush general manager and head coach Derek Keenan. “There’s really no way to prepare for them. Based on our experience from a year ago, we know how much effort is expended trying to get to that game, when you’ve lost the first game, in the two game. I think we had a little more fuel in the tank in the ten-minute extra time than Calgary did.”

The last time the Rush were in the Champion’s Cup Finals was 2012, a year in which they won their spot playing on the road. The Rush lost to the Rochester Knighthawks 9-6 despite leading 5-1 at halftime. After a record breaking 16-2 regular season last year, which included a league-record 14-0 start, Edmonton was unable to get past the West Finals.

“It’s not an easy place to get to,” said Keenan about the championship round. “I think we’ve put together four good years in a row now, but getting to this point is difficult and I think we’ve earned it. We’ve learned along the way, I think we’ve learned a lot last year in the process, and this year as well, but it’s going to be a tough road ahead that’s for sure.”

Now the Rush have to prepare for the league’s regular season champions, the Toronto Rock, and the game plan is a little different than it was last week.

“I think Toronto, offensively, they share the ball so well and they move the ball,” Keenan said. “You can’t focus on any one guy or two guys or any one side of the floor so team defense is going to be essential to have success against them. We can’t even really match guys up on them because they’re deep on offense, and they all contribute, and they’re all unselfish. They’re a handful to play against and we’ll have to be at our best on the back end.”

A big part of that back end is Jeff Cornwall, who had a spectacular game last week against the Roughnecks, pairing strong defensive play with scoring the game-winning goal in the tie-breaker game. Cornwall’s success stems from a challenge given to him by his coach.

“Jeff is a special athlete and he’s a bit of a freak of nature how strong, and fast, and powerful he is. About three quarters the way through the season, I thought he had sort of taken a step backwards in his play. We challenged him and we actually sat him out a game and since then, I think he’s been our best guy.”

For the Rock, after its thrilling come-from-behind East Finals series win over the three-time defending champion Rochester Knighthawks, Toronto will make a bid for the franchise’s seventh all-time Champion’s Cup in the full best-of-three series over the next three weekends.

The admirable effort last weekend included an 11-8 Game 2 win over Rochester before surprisingly decisive 8-2 thrashing in the 10-minute tiebreaker Game 3, paving the way for the Rock’s first Champion’s Cup appearance since winning it all in 2011.

“I’m very pleased with our effort last Saturday night, we were able to take the momentum from Game 2 into that mini-game, and were fortunate to get a couple early goals,” said Rock head coach John Lovell. “Then it steamrolled for us. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Rock forward Josh Sanderson opened the tiebreaker game’s scoring by netting two goals over the first 1:13. Toronto, with its 10,000-plus fan crowd at the ACC behind them, went on to score another five-straight goals en route to the 8-2 final.

“It was good to start with a powerplay in [the mini game], and once you get that first one, you get the crowd going,” said Rock captain Sanderson, who will play for his third Champion’s Cup ring. “You figure it’s going to be a 2-1 or 3-2 mini game like they have been in the past, but it was nice to get that lead and put [Rochester] out.”

Thanks to a league-best 14-4 record, the Rock will have the opportunity to open the series on home floor, a place they have been nearly perfect in 2015. Toronto has only dropped two games at Air Canada Centre, but it would be remiss not to note that one of those defeats did come at the hands of the Rush. The Rock fell 11-9, which at the time, was its first home loss of the season.

“That was one of the goals – to see if we could get that home floor advantage, but whether it means anything or not, we’ll see,” said Lovell.

“[The Rush] are good everywhere – offensively and defensively,” said Sanderson. “[The coaching staff] has done a great job with those guys, we know got our hands full.”

The Rock did get a taste of victory against Edmonton however as they snagged a thrilling 16-15 overtime win in Alberta on Feb. 27. The high-scoring battle saw the Rush come back from a 15-11 deficit in the fourth frame before Rock forward Rob Hellyer spoiled the show with an rifle point shot in extra time.

Lovell has indicated all year that the key to Toronto’s success is a well-balanced game – good play on both ends of the floor. There was no question of that being on display in the East Finals. The Rock outscored Rochester 28-20 over the three-game series and a big shout out has to go to goalie Brandon Miller. Miller, allowing just 9.23 goals per match this playoff, out-duelled Matt Vinc, who many regard as the league’s top netminder.

Miller’s present counterpart however is not any less of a challenge. Rush goalie Aaron Bold (9.44 GAA) was statistically the league’s top goalie over the 2015 regular season.

“Aaron [Bold] is a great goaltender and he’s the backboard of a solid defense,” Lovell admitted. “We know it’s not going to be easy to score against him. But we’ve had some success with our team approach, we share the ball and get contributions from lots of guys. That’s what it’s going to take to beat them.”

“We have a really good team offense and it really came into play against Rochester and we’ll need it to come into play against Edmonton,” Sanderson said.

By Mike Wilson (@RushBeat) & Justin Millerson (@RockBeatToronto) for NLL.com. Photo by Dale MacMillan.

NLL