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BUF at TOR - Sat. 7pm ET 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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Stories/Op-Ed

First Mission: Rush & Stealth Aim For West’S Top Spot

Wins are equally important at all stages of the year, and this week’s matchup between the Edmonton Rush (4-4) and the Vancouver Stealth (4-4) for first place might prove to be as crucial as it will ever be. The Stealth will make its first visit to Rexall Place this season on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on NLL LIVE in the U.S. and TSN GO in Canada.

This will be the final game of a four-game homestand for the Rush who have suffered back-to-back overtime losses to Toronto and Calgary. There have been moments in both games where they were playing well and had opportunities to win, but those moments don’t show up in the standings.

For Edmonton general manager and head coach Derek Keenan, the team’s play hasn’t been consistent at the level it needs to be.

“I don’t think we’re playing well,” Keenan said. “Our compete level is not where it should be, where it has been in the past, and it needs to be better. I think we need to play with more grit, there’s some things on defense that we’ve done uncharacteristically that we haven’t in the last couple weeks, and we need to fix it. I think the biggest thing is…our guys have become a little bit complacent and we need to get back to that urgency we’ve played with in the past.”

One would be hard pressed to say the Rush’s defense is struggling, but it has the reputation of being the best group in the league, a title that doesn’t come without expectations. They have allowed 28 goals in their last two games, a number the team would like to be much lower.

“Our defense hasn’t been like it’s been in the past and we’re hoping to change that this weekend,” said Rush defender Ryan Dilks. “Vancouver’s got a lot of firepower, they’re playing well, and obviously coming off of a huge 20-goal game, they’re going to be clicking again. We’ll have to be ready and we’ll have to play our A-game.”

Saturday night marks the first time Corey Small will be back at Rexall Place after being traded to the Stealth earlier this season. Small was drafted ninth overall in the 2009 NLL Draft by the Edmonton Rush and was a key part of their offense since his inception into the league. The Rush played all of last season without Small, and after a 0-2 start, decided to part ways to get back to the offensive setup that made them successful during its record-breaking regular season. In five games with the Stealth, Small has 32 points (13+19), and sits second on the team with 6.4 points per game.

“We obviously feel great for Corey, that he’s doing so well,” said Keenan. “He’s a great kid, he’s the first kid I drafted in Edmonton. I have a lot of strong feelings about him as a person and he’s a great player so I’m glad to see him do well. We hope to deter him a bit this weekend though that’s for sure.

“He’s a unique player, because he shoots the ball so well. If he gets an inch to shoot the ball, he’s going to score quite often.”

If Edmonton is to be successful Saturday night, they will have to shut down not only Small, but the rest of a high-powered Stealth offense that averages 14.25 goals per game, the best in the league.

The Stealth must have enjoyed its bye week considering they didn’t play a game yet moved from a second place to a share of top spot in the NLL’s West Division. And Vancouver can grab sole possession of top spot with a victory this weekend as they head into Edmonton’s Rexall Place to play the Rush in a battle of 4-4 teams.

It is the first meeting of the season between the two teams and they come in on opposite streaks. The Stealth have won three of its past four games to get back to .500 while the Rush have dropped a pair of overtime games to fall to 4-4.

“I am sure we are going to face a real hungry Edmonton team,” said Stealth coach Dan Perreault. “I am sure they are not happy losing a couple of overtime (games).”

Rhys Duch, the Stealth’s leading scorer with 22 goals and 52 points, is happy the team’s on a roll, but knows how quickly things can change — after all, the Stealth had an early-season three-game losing streak themselves.

“A 4-4 season isn’t your highest plan when you are first staring, but to have a chance at first is a positive thing,” he said. “CH (Chris Hall) always told us to get wins at the beginning of the year; it seems a lot easier than to get them at the end of the year when you really need them. (But) every game is important in an 18-game season.”

This is the first of five straight games for Vancouver against Edmonton and Colorado (4-5) the two teams they are jockeying with for playoff positioning. The Stealth are coming off its most impressive win of the season, scoring a season-high 21 goals in a 21-15 victory over the Minnesota Swarm two weeks ago.

“Anytime you score 20 goals, you are doing something right,” Duch said. “We have had success on that side of the ball. That being said, we haven’t played a defense like Edmonton. They are kind of unique in this league. They have been one of the strongest for a couple of years. It is going to be a test to see if we can keep that high output going.”

The Rush have allowed a league-low 82 goals on the season while the Stealth counter with the second most-potent offense. A big part of that has been the addition of Corey Small — who came over from Edmonton in January.

Perreault said that Small — who is averaging more than six points per game with Vancouver — has been a great fit for the team, using his tremendous shot and displaying good chemistry with his new teammates. One more win and the Stealth will surpass last seasons total of four victories.

“We try not to talk about last year just because of the way things went,” said Duch, adding that the team needs to stay hungry for the second half of the season and not get complacent.

By Mike Wilson (@RushBeat) & Gary Ahuja (@VanStealthBeat) for NLL.com. Photo by Dale MacMillan.

NLL