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BUF at SD - Sat. 10pm ET on ESPNews Schedule

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 2
FINAL
Philadelphia
8
Halifax
18
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Vancouver
8
Toronto
19
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
San Diego
15
New York
14
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Albany
11
Buffalo
10
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Rochester
16
Georgia
11
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Colorado
6
Saskatchewan
18
WK
2
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL
Las Vegas
11
Panther City
13
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
12
San Diego
13
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Toronto
7
Rochester
11
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Vancouver
9
Calgary
11
WK
3
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
5
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Panther City
9
Las Vegas
3
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Buffalo
11
Toronto
8
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Rochester
14
Albany
13
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Philadelphia
13
Georgia
12
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Halifax
20
New York
11
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Colorado
12
Panther City
9
WK
5
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
Halifax
13
Buffalo
18
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
San Diego
17
Calgary
14
Sat, Dec 31
FINAL
Panther City
9
Saskatchewan
11
WK
6
Fri, Jan 6
FINAL
Philadelphia
14
Las Vegas
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Panther City
9
Rochester
17
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Halifax
14
Albany
11
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Buffalo
18
Georgia
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Toronto
15
New York
7
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Calgary
8
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Vancouver
11
San Diego
16
WK
7
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Albany
11
Halifax
10
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
10
Colorado
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Halifax
8
Toronto
17
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Panther City
12
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Georgia
9
Buffalo
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
San Diego
10
Calgary
14
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Las Vegas
16
Vancouver
19
Sun, Jan 15
FINAL
Rochester
11
New York
8
WK
8
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Buffalo
12
Rochester
15
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
15
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
Toronto
14
Philadelphia
5
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
New York
16
Albany
10
WK
9
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Rochester
7
Halifax
17
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Buffalo
13
Philadelphia
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Buffalo
16
New York
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Las Vegas
10
Saskatchewan
15
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL/OT
Toronto
11
Calgary
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
San Diego
13
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Panther City
20
Vancouver
7
WK
10
Fri, Feb 3
FINAL
Georgia
10
Colorado
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL/OT
Calgary
12
Halifax
11
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
New York
14
Toronto
22
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Albany
5
Philadelphia
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Rochester
10
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Panther City
10
San Diego
12
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
14
Vancouver
8
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Colorado
8
Las Vegas
13
WK
11
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Toronto
11
Georgia
10
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
13
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Halifax
14
Rochester
16
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Albany
12
New York
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Vancouver
13
Panther City
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Colorado
9
Calgary
13
WK
12
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
9
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
16
San Diego
11
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Georgia
7
Toronto
16
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
Albany
10
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
12
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Colorado
7
Panther City
13
Sun, Feb 19
FINAL
New York
12
Halifax
13
WK
13
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Panther City
12
Colorado
14
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Calgary
9
Las Vegas
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL/OT
New York
10
Rochester
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Albany
4
Georgia
20
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Vancouver
16
Saskatchewan
12
WK
14
Fri, Mar 3
FINAL
Buffalo
10
Halifax
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
New York
12
Philadelphia
19
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
San Diego
15
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Rochester
8
Toronto
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL/OT
Georgia
9
Albany
8
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
10
Panther City
16
Mon, Mar 6
FINAL
Toronto
10
Philadelphia
11
WK
15
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL/OT
Halifax
9
Buffalo
10
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL
Calgary
16
Colorado
10
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Albany
6
Toronto
12
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Philadelphia
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
San Diego
12
Saskatchewan
11
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
5
Sun, Mar 12
FINAL
Rochester
19
Georgia
18
WK
16
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
11
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
San Diego
16
Vancouver
9
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Georgia
13
Philadelphia
12
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Toronto
12
Halifax
14
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Albany
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Colorado
13
Buffalo
8
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
8
Panther City
11
Sun, Mar 19
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
9
Rochester
8
WK
17
Fri, Mar 24
FINAL
San Diego
17
Panther City
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Toronto
11
Albany
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Halifax
14
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Georgia
13
New York
8
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Calgary
14
Saskatchewan
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL/OT
Buffalo
7
San Diego
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Colorado
12
Vancouver
14
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Rochester
7
Las Vegas
12
WK
18
Fri, Mar 31
19:00:00
New York
Georgia
Fri, Mar 31
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Colorado
Fri, Mar 31
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sat, Apr 1
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Apr 1
20:00:00
Albany
Panther City
Sat, Apr 1
21:30:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 2
13:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Sun, Apr 2
18:00:00
Rochester
Philadelphia
WK
19
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sat, Apr 8
22:30:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
WK
20
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Georgia
Albany
Sat, Apr 15
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 15
21:30:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 15
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
WK
21
Fri, Apr 21
20:30:00
Calgary
Panther City
Sat, Apr 22
18:00:00
New York
Halifax
Sat, Apr 22
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 22
21:30:00
Colorado
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 22
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Apr 23
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Albany
WK
22
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Halifax
Georgia
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 29
22:30:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
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Game Previews

Alterna Cup Preview: VAN at CAL

Don’t count out the NLL’s reigning champion, the Calgary Roughnecks, especially at this point of the season.

With a win against the Vancouver Warriors on Friday, the Calgary Roughnecks will move to 6-7, the same record they had at one point during their run to the league’s 2019 title, the last Championship awarded due to the cancellation of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

In other words, Calgary has the rest of the teams in the NLL right where they want them.

“In previous years we have had slow starts,” says Roughnecks goaltender Christian Del Bianco. “Sadly this year has been no different. We’ve been able to overcome it in years past and are primed to do it again.”

This year Calgary has been consistently inconsistent, alternating wins and losses since the start of the season.

There was also a three-game losing streak through a weird pandemic period of postponements and reschedulings throughout December and January when the Roughnecks went more than 40 days between games.

“The year we won [the championship in 2019] we just took it a game at a time,” Del Bianco says. “With that being said we’re not looking ahead to the playoffs a month from now, we’re looking at the Warriors this weekend.”

Fast forward to 2022 and Calgary is again at 5-7 and looking to move to 6-7 with a win over Vancouver at WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday in the Sports Interaction Game of the Week on TSN (9pm ET/ESPN+).

A Roughnecks win would also leap them over both Panther City (6-8) and the Warriors (6-7) into the third guaranteed playoff spot in the West Conference. In 2019 Calgary also finished third in the West, once again proving lacrosse’s ever-present it’s-not-how-you-start it’s-how-you-finish axiom.

Friday’s game is also part of the all-Canadian Alterna Cup. The competition among all five Canadian clubs was created in partnership with Alterna Savings, the exclusive banking partner of the NLL in Canada. The Roughnecks (3-1) and Halifax (4-0) are the two teams still in contention for the Alterna Cup, which will be awarded to the squad from the north with the best winning percentage against other Canadian clubs. These two clubs will face each other next week on April 8 in what could be the deciding game for the Cup.

“We want to win every game: Alterna Cup, divisional or versus the East. It’s all the same,” says Del Bianco, a 2019 Second Team All-Pro who currently sports an 11.61 goals-against average and .765 save percentage. His career regular-season numbers are 11.13/.785.

“I think we have been hit with a bit of injuries and COVID protocol much like other teams throughout the year so some younger guys have got chances to play bigger roles. We’re hoping, as we get our full lineup back, that will pay dividends and make it easier for us to get the results that are needed.”

On his own journey to consistency this season Del Bianco is cool as a cucumber, much like his demeanor in net: “Overall just putting in the time practice-wise, trusting myself and trusting the guys in front of me. The rest will take care of itself. I don’t overthink it too much.”

Calgary lost to the Warriors earlier this season, giving up three power-play goals in an 11-10 setback on February 18. Vancouver’s power-play is currently second best in the league at 51.8% and led by rangy forward Keegan Bal (seventh in NLL scoring with 71 points), veteran Logan Schuss (47 points) and sniper Kyle Killen (30 goals).

“Obviously you want to avoid being shorthanded,” Del Bianco says. “But if we take penalties working [or] playing hard we can live with it. We just have to eliminate the ones that we can control.”

The Roughnecks will counter the Warriors’ dynamic extra-man offense with big stops from Del Bianco, whose career playoff numbers are better than his regular-season ones with a 10.17 goals-against average and .821 save percentage, as well as an all-round team game.

Calgary is led by rover Zach Currier, first in the league in both loose balls (162) and forced turnovers (37) who also has seven goals and a 57.0 faceoff percentage, and the offense is supplied for the most part by Jesse King (18th in NLL scoring with team-best 60 points), Curtis “Superman” Dickson (22 goals) and Tyler Pace (38 points).

The Warriors, meanwhile, have been consistently streaky this season, with alternating winning- and losing-streaks since the start of the season, and are currently on a three-game road losing streak.

Both Calgary and Vancouver enter Friday’s game with wins under their belts from last weekend, and are trying to keep things moving in the right direction. The Warriors also play this weekend at home in Rogers Arena against Albany on Saturday (10pm ET/ESPN+/TSN.ca).

Back to Roughnecks goalie Del Bianco on what in part helps him maintain his cool inside the crease; he is somewhat active on social media (@cdelbianco35), giving a bit of an irreverent inside look into the life of an NLL player.

“I get a good chuckle out of social media,” he says. “I don’t take it very serious, as anyone who follows me can probably tell.”

But what Del Bianco does take seriously is being solid and steady between the pipes.

Calgary has the championship banners and rings from 2019 to prove it, and the Roughnecks are once again looking to ride off into the sunset at the end of the season with both the Alterna Cup and the NLL crown.

NLL