Week 2Results: 18-17 win over Halifax Thunderbirds Week 3 Opponent: at Albany FireWolves (1-1) Previous Ranking: Unranked
The final spot in this week’s Power Rankings came down to a debate between the 1-1 Rochester Knighthawks and the Roughnecks, who debuted over the weekend with a wild win over Halifax. Rochester was overpowered by Buffalo, while Calgary exceeded any offensive expectations in their opener. The Roughnecks looked a lot more like the 2019 version that won the NLL Championship than any of the iterations we’ve seen in the last four seasons. Dane Dobbie and Curtis Dickson turned back the clock to combine for 10 goals and 18 points, while Jesse King contributed 10 points of his own. This year’s version of the Roughnecks is going to need to lean on its offense to win some shootouts if they’re going to make the playoffs. It’s a different formula than folks in Calgary have grown accustomed to watching, but one thing is true if nothing else… the Roughnecks won’t be boring!
Week 2Results: 15-9 win over Las Vegas Desert Dogs Week 3 Opponent: at San Diego (1-1) Previous Ranking: Unranked
What a difference a year can make! The Colorado Mammoth are finally healthy and look every bit the part of a perennial contender out West. Will Malcom has been a brilliant addition to the Mammoth’s offense, stretching the defense on the left side, and Ryan Lee looks like his old self. Through two games, two things are abundantly clear about the Mammoth: they are going to go on big-time runs and Dillon Ward is absolutely back. Colorado followed their Faceoff Weekend comeback win over Vancouver by ripping off 7 straight goals in the second half against the Desert Dogs to pull away. Any team that can turn a deficit into a big lead in a hurry deserves mention as a playoff contender, and the Mammoth have demonstrated that ability as well, if not better than any other team in the League through two weeks. The Mammoth square off with the Seals in San Diego this Friday in what is surely one of the most intriguing matchups of the week.
Like the Rush in front of them, the Black Bears enjoyed a bye week after their Faceoff Weekend thrashing of the Toronto Rock. Despite not playing, the Black Bears moved up two spots thanks to Rochester dropping out of the top eight and Toronto plummeting with their second consecutive loss. We’ll learn very quickly if Ottawa’s opening win was fool’s gold, as they welcome in the defending champs, the Buffalo Bandits, into the bear den on Friday night. Zach Higgins and Jacob Dunbar starred in Ottawa’s first game, but Jeff Teat will need to be at his best for the Black Bears to make the League’s biggest statement to date.
Despite enjoying a weekend off, the Rush climb two spots this week, thanks to Albany’s dominant performance over Toronto. Saskatchewan’s overtime win over the FireWolves during Faceoff Weekend is one of the two most impressive wins of the season thus far. Frank Scigliano was masterful in Saskatchewan’s opener and will receive a major test from the high-flying Halifax Thunderbirds, who piled up 17 goals in defeat over the weekend. The Rush have all of the ingredients to be a playoff contender, but our knowledge base on this group is still limited. Their next test is a big one against the T-Birds.
4) San Diego Seals (1-1)
Week 2Results: 13-12 loss vs Georgia Swarm Week 3 Opponent: vs Colorado (2-0) Previous Ranking: 2nd
The new-look Seals made one of the loudest statements of Faceoff Weekend with an 18-goal outpouring against Philadelphia. San Diego’s first road test of the season was a mixed bag that ultimately resulted in the group’s first loss of the year. While their defense looked noticeably better than it did a week ago, San Diego’s offense wasn’t nearly as explosive. Georgia goaltender Brett Dobson made life exceptionally difficult on the revamped Seals offense, limiting them to just 1 goal in the game’s final 31 minutes, including overtime. San Diego let a 3-goal lead in the third quarter slip away, which surely makes Patrick Merrill sick. The Seals now return home on Friday for what may be the most intriguing matchup of the week, hosting the revitalized, 2-0 Colorado Mammoth. We’ll know a whole lot more about both the Seals and the Mammoth after week 3.
3) Albany FireWolves (1-1)
Week 2Results: 15-4 win over Toronto Rock Week 3 Opponent: vs Calgary (1-0) Previous Ranking: 5th
After clobbering a depleted Toronto team on the road, the FireWolves catapulted back to their preseason placement in the top three. Sam Firth exploded for 5 goals, out-scoring the Rock all by himself. Second-year sensations Alex Simmons and Tye Kurtz each had 2 goals and an assist. While the Rock are exceptionally thin due to injuries, the Albany defense was suffocating, led by Doug Jamieson’s 43-save performance. Albany benefits from two teams ranked ahead of them losing this weekend, and authoring the kind of all-around performance that fans grew used to seeing from Glenn Clark’s team last year. Albany’s defense will face quite a test this upcoming weekend when the Calgary Roughnecks visit the Capital Region.
2) Georgia Swarm (1-0)
Week 2Results: 13-12 win over San Diego Seals Week 3 Opponent: vs Toronto (0-2) Previous Ranking: 4th
Like the Bandits, Georgia did not play during Faceoff Weekend, meaning that their Saturday night duel with San Diego was the first opportunity for fans to witness the Swarm experience. The box score doesn’t tell the entire story of Georgia’s defense. The Seals scored more than half of their goals in the second quarter but were stifled by a magical second half from Brett Dobson between the pipes. The defensive big three of TJ Comizio, Jordan MacIntosh and Adam Wiedemann combined for 6 caused turnovers in front of Dobson, helping to limit a San Diego offense that scored a league-high 18 goals a week ago. While it wasn’t a dominating effort by any stretch, the Swarm certainly claimed the first real signature win of the season over a likely playoff team. We’ll learn a lot about the Swarm in the next two weeks as they host a depleted Toronto team and then travel to California for a rematch with the Seals.
Week 2Results: 15-7 win over Rochester Knighthawks Week 3 Opponent: at Ottawa (1-0) Previous Ranking: 1st
The Bandits answered any doubters of their preseason placement as the League’s top-ranked team with a loud greeting on Saturday. Dhane Smith, fresh off a league-record 101-assist season, resumed where he left off a year ago with 3 goals and 8 assists to pace the Bandits. Most notably, Buffalo’s defense handled an explosive Rochester attack brilliantly. The Bandits allowed more than a single goal in only one quarter and muted the Knighthawks’ power play unit by going a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. Ageless wonder Matt Vinc quieted any questions about his advanced age with a robust 54-save performance, holding the dynamic duo of Connor Fields and Ryan Smith to a collective 2 goals and 3 points. On a weekend that facilitated some serious shuffling in the PowerRankings, the Bandits are the clear leader atop the field.
Honorable Mention: Rochester Knighthawks (1-1)
Week 2Results: 15-7 loss to Buffalo Bandits Week 3 Opponent: at Vancouver (0-1) Previous Ranking: 6th
Rochester disappointed in their second game of the season, struggling to find a consistent offensive presence against Buffalo. It’s too early to be worried about the Knighthawks, but Ryan Smith and Connor Fields can’t afford many quiet nights if Rochester is going to return to the playoffs. Just 2 goals between the two of them isn’t enough, which is what the duo managed against the Bandits. The Knighthawks have piled up an absurd number of shots in their two games, but might be well-served to prioritize shot quality over quantity in the coming weeks. Rochester will have a very interesting match up against another team just outside the Power Rankings in Vancouver. The winner of Rochester vs. Vancouver will be in a good position to crack next week’s top eight.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
3rd Party Cookies
This website uses Google Analytics and Facebook to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
