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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
FT
00:12
New York
7
Georgia
12
Q2
10:49
Las Vegas
7
Colorado
4
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 PreviewsNewsPlayoffsStories/Op-Ed

History Lessons Could Be Key to Game 1 of the NLL Finals

Buffalo Bandits coach John Tavares has either been through it or seen it during his legendary lacrosse career, first as a player and the NLL’s all-time leading scorer, and now as a bench boss.

Tavares recorded 1,949 points in 344 career regular-season and playoff games, all with the Bandits, but more importantly won four NLL championships during his 24-year career on the floor from 1992 to 2015.

Now, in his second season as Buffalo’s sole head coach, Tavares is using lessons from the past to prepare the top-seeded Bandits and propel them into Game 1 of the best-of-three NLL Finals against the underdog Colorado Mammoth at KeyBank Center on Saturday (7:30pm ET/ESPN+ and TSN4).

“Does history teach you anything?” asks Tavares, who won championships as a player in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 2008 but lost in his first as a head coach in 2019, the last time the NLL Cup was presented.

It’s perhaps the losses more than the wins that Tavares sees as instructional, including the 2006 championship against the Mammoth.

“I remember losing at home,” Tavares says. “I do think that team took Colorado very lightly, we thought we had to just show up and win.”

The visiting Mammoth surprised favored Buffalo, racing out to an early lead and cruising to a 16-9 victory in the one-game, winner-take-all final in front of 16,104 rabid Banditland fans. It’s Colorado’s lone title since relocating to Denver in 2002, and on that team was current Mammoth head coach Pat Coyle.

“Well I think the lesson for this year is literally the same as it was in 2019,” says Tavares. “We got to the championship as the favored team, same as in 2006, and thinking we got through the East, this is ours. But then we lost two straight games to Calgary. The lesson learned there is don’t treat anybody lightly.”

Against Colorado, the Bandits will have to contend with a potent Mammoth offense averaging 13.75 goals-for per game in the playoffs led by Eli McLaughlin, Connor Robinson and Zed Williams, a lightning-quick transition game featuring Joey Cupido, and standout goaltending from Dillon Ward.

McLaughlin is the postseason scoring leader with 17 goals and 33 points in four games, and Williams has two game-winning goals. Tim Edwards is tops in faceoff wins at 62.3 percent, while defenceman Robert Hope has hoovered a playoff-best 38 loose balls. Cupido has four goals, and Ward has an 11.88 goals-against average and .762 save percentage.

“Colorado is a very good team,” Tavares says. “We’ll try to slow them down on offense and in transition. They beat us in the one game we had this year, and during the regular season they had comebacks many times. In the West finals [against San Diego], they won two road games to win the series.”

“We have to be the better team. All week we’ve been watching video to prepare for every situation. We have to be prepared, then show up and work hard. It will be a dogfight for both teams. A tough, tough series.”

Buffalo will counter with its own high-powered offense, the dynamic duo of Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne, a stellar supporting cast including Chris Cloutier, Connor Fields, Chase Fraser, Kyle Buchanan and rookie Tehoka Nanticoke, and top netminder Matt Vinc.

“Guys this year are close-knit, the core of the group has been around for a while and are hungry to win,” says Tavares.

Byrne leads the Bandits in playoff scoring with eight goals and 23 points in three games, while Smith is right behind with seven goals and 22 points. Vinc and Buffalo have been perfect in the postseason so far at 3-0, Vinc with a 10.33 goals-against average and .805 save percentage.

Both Vinc and Smith are on the cusp of playoff milestones. Vinc needs 15 minutes to become the first goaltender in NLL history to play 2,000 career postseason minutes, while Smith needs eight points to become the 12th player in league history to reach 100.

During their one and only regular-season meeting this year on April 2 in Denver, the Mammoth outlasted the Bandits in a back-and-forth affair with Robinson scoring the game-winner late in the fourth quarter for a tight 15-14 win. Smith had 12 points for Buffalo, and recorded a league-best 135 points in 18 regular-season games.

“Obviously Buffalo is in the NLL Finals for a reason,” says Robinson, who has netted 12 playoff goals after sniping a team-high 42 for Colorado during the regular season.

The Bandits were the NLL’s best team this season with a 14-4 record. The Mammoth finished 10-8, third in the West.

“They are a very good team all around, from their offense to Vinc in-between the pipes,” Robinson says. “We have to be ready on both sides of the floor. Being aware of Buffalo’s personnel is important but we’re focusing on us and what’s got us this far, by sticking together and playing Mammoth lacrosse.”

NLL