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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
FINAL
New York
7
Georgia
12
Fri, Mar 31
FINAL
Las Vegas
9
Colorado
11
Fri, Mar 31
FINAL
Calgary
8
San Diego
14
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

Is Christian Del Bianco The NLL’s Best Goaltender?

In an NLL Finals series that mirrored the intensity, suspense, thrill (and thankfully not gore) of an episode of Game of Thrones, Calgary Roughnecks goaltender Christian Del Bianco was able to bolster his claim to the throne as the league’s best goaltender as he out-battled Matt Vinc and the Buffalo Bandits en route to an NLL Cup.

As the adage goes, “To be the best, you have to beat the best,” and Del Bianco did just that in consecutive games while facing the six-time (potentially seven) Goaltender of the Year in Vinc. Much like a video game, Del Bianco needed to defeat the likes of other “bosses” before tackling the NLL’s supreme challenger. Before Vinc, Del Bianco had performances more masterful than Frank Scigliano and Dillon Ward who were across the floor in-between pipes: quite the list of goaltenders to outplay.

Long-dubbed as “The NLL’s best up-and-coming goaltender,” Del Bianco’s NLL Playoffs run was one for the ages. Del Bianco posted a 8.71 goals against average (GAA) and an .838 Save Percentage (SV%) throughout the playoffs, a rare performance among goaltenders who played at least three games in the postseason.

Included in those epic numbers are back-to-back games in which he allowed only four and seven goals versus the Colorado Mammoth and Bandits, respectively. During the matchup against the Mammoth, Del Bianco stopped 29 shots and shutout the visitors in the opening 30 minutes before surrendering a measly four goals in the second half and finishing with 47 saves. It was arguably the greatest NLL Playoffs performance in league history. To follow that with another epic outing on the road in “Banditland” and one of the toughest arenas to visit in the NLL in KeyBank Center against the league’s most potent offence was mind-boggling.

And while not his best game, in the most consequential game of his young career, Del Bianco made clutch save after clutch save to earn his team the most coveted trophy in the game.

Throughout the year, and especially during Game 2 of the NLL Finals, when the Roughnecks’ young goaltender was not in top-form, head coach Curt Malawsky and his tight knit staff’s confidence in Del Bianco never wavered because they have always known what he’s capable of since he entered the league.

“From day one, we haven’t worried about Christian,” said Malawsky. “I say that because we have one hundred percent trust in Christian and he proved why he earned that this year.”

Before the post-season began, Del Bianco showed flashes of his brilliance, allowing only five goals against twice and surrendering less than ten goals on five other occasions. Those efforts, including the stretch of games in the post-season, brought on deep admiration from veteran teammates such as Rhys Duch who has played with and against some of the NLL’s most feared goaltenders over the last decade.

“Del Bianco is a great goalie, and he’ll be a great goalie in this league,” said Duch. “But what he did during that final stretch of games – it’s tough to remember any goalie in the history of the league who put together a run like that.”

It may be expected for teammates to support each other like this, but it’s not always the case. It’s even harder to win over top-tier veteran players such as Duch and Curtis Dickson. Yet, Dickson, too is impressed with what Del Bianco has accomplished at his age.

“You don’t see that often when a player at his age steps up, and they have an impact that he did,” said Dickson. “To see the strides that he made this season, especially during the second half of the season, he was obviously a huge reason for why we got to where we did.”

With only two years under his belt as the starting goaltender, the Coquitlam native has already totaled 16 games in which he has played 45 minutes and allowed single-digit goals against. Del Bianco has also racked up 22 performances of at least 40 saves.

At the same point in his career, a young Matt Vinc had only five games in which he allowed less than ten goals in 45 minutes and six games with 40 or more saves. If Del Bianco were to continue at his current rate, he will statistically obliterate what one of the greatest goaltenders in NLL history has accomplished.

When a goaltender can produce results the way Del Bianco has, and then improve each year that he’s been a starter, as well as in the post-season, it gives his teammates confidence that they can rely on their man between the pipes.

Jesse King is new to the Roughnecks organization and he knows how much easier it makes his job in this new system. Having played with a skilled goaltender like Mike Poulin in Georgia for the Swarm, King appreciates having a reliable man in net.

“When you’ve got a guy like Christian who is stopping the opportunities that you’re trying to limit as a defence, you have the utmost confidence in a guy like that,” said King. “It allows you to settle in, relax and play your role better because you have that trust and confidence in one another,”

Del Bianco’s teammates greatly respect what he’s done at such a young age in this league and believe he can achieve even greater heights. Outside of the Roughnecks organization, the feel-ing is mutual, which is something to be feared considering a goaltender isn’t expected to hit his prime until his mid-20’s.

He has achieved as much as he has because of his ability to rebound after allowing a goal and process quickly to make in-game adjustments, his dedication in practice and his raw talent. These are treasured gifts we’ve seen him hone since Junior-A lacrosse with the Coquitlam Jr. Adanacs.

He has matured and improved every season and has now shown the world that even on the toughest stage in box lacrosse, he is the one to beat.

NLL