Power Rankings | Week 6

8) Ottawa Black Bears (2-1)

Week 5 Results: 12-11 win over Toronto
Week 6 Opponent: at San Diego (2-2)
Previous Ranking: Unranked

The final two positions feature a battle between three teams: Calgary, Ottawa and Colorado. Ottawa receives the final spot in this week’s Power Rankings ahead of Calgary, despite claiming a resume that isn’t particularly impressive. The Black Bears have beaten a winless Toronto team twice and were blown out by the top-ranked Bandits. It still feels like Ottawa is a little bit enigmatic, but the Black Bears have a golden opportunity to make a statement when they venture to the West Coast this weekend to play a Seals team that should be refreshed after a bye week. In many ways, Saturday’s contest at Pechanga Arena will be a “prove it” kind of game for both the Seals and the Black Bears. Ottawa’s leading goal-scorer and former Seal Jacob Dunbar will have to continue his hot start, while Jeff Teat has an opportunity to resurrect the form that made him an MVP finalist last season. Saturday night should be appointment viewing. Are the Seals overrated and receiving too much benefit of the doubt, or are the Black Bears better than their mixed efforts have illustrated this far? Watch this one on ESPNU.

7) Colorado Mammoth (3-2)

Week 5 Results: 13-12 loss to Georgia
Week 6 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 6th

Despite losing to the Swarm, the Mammoth posted one of their most impressive efforts of the season, pushing the undefeated Swarm to the brink and coming inches away from halting Georgia’s undefeated start. Colorado led early, but faltered late, allowing the Swarm to net five of the game’s final seven goals. Colorado’s two losses have been to two of the league’s most talented teams in San Diego and Georgia, while their opening weekend win over Vancouver looks better each week. Any disappointment Mammoth fans are feeling after Sunday’s loss is warranted, but Colorado is still positioned well moving forward. After a weekend off to re-group, the Mammoth will host Albany for the first of two consecutive games against the FireWolves on January 11 and January 18.

Wings vs Rush 12-28-2024 (Photo: Jeff Crawford)

6) Saskatchewan Rush (3-1)

Week 5 Results: 12-11 OT loss to Philadelphia
Week 6 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 3rd

Saskatchewan endured the week’s largest drop in the Power Rankings, falling three spots in the wake of the squad’s first loss of the season. The Rush find themselves in the sixth position—as opposed to fourth or fifth—because San Diego didn’t play, Vancouver clinched an impressive win, and Philadelphia bested the Rush head-to-head. Saskatchewan is still an exciting team that is off to one of its best starts in recent memory, all while flashing improvement in key areas. Rookie face-off man Jake Naso was fantastic once again, winning 20 of 27 draws, helping the Rush overcome a three-goal deficit entering the final quarter. Zach Manns turned in his first pedestrian scoring performance of the season, managing just one goal, but Mike Triolo picked up the slack with a pleasantly surprising four-goal night. The concerns over Saskatchewan’s secondary scoring are still present, however, as no player other than Triolo tallied multiple goals. Defensively, Matt Hossack continued to show out in his second stint with the Rush, collecting four caused turnovers and leaping into the league lead with 11 caused turnovers through four games. The Rush have a week off before welcoming the Desert Dogs to Saskatchewan on January 11.

5) Philadelphia Wings (3-1)

Week 5 Results: 12-11 OT win over Saskatchewan
Week 6 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: Unranked

After a season-opening loss to San Diego during Faceoff Weekend, the Wings have ripped off three straight wins, most recently knocking the Rush from the ranks of the unbeaten. If anything is crystal clear about the Wings this year, it is that their left side will be able to score with impunity. The trio of Holden Cattoni, Mitch Jones and rookie Brennan O’Neill combined to pour in nine of 12 goals for Philadelphia. While the Wings were held scoreless for the final 16 minutes of regulation, the veteran-laden offense re-emerged 1:35 into overtime, as Cattoni netted his fifth marker of the night to end things. It is mildly concerning that Philadelphia wasted a three-goal lead entering the final quarter, but this was without a doubt the Wings’ most impressive win of the season. The Wings enjoy a bye this week before a visit from the Roughnecks to the City of Brotherly Love on January 11.

CALGARY, AB – DECEMBER 28, 2024: The Calgary Roughnecks against the Vancouver Warriors at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)

4) Vancouver Warriors (2-1)

Week 5 Results: 14-10 win over Calgary
Week 6 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 8th

The Warriors may have made the loudest statement of the weekend, handing the Roughnecks their first loss of the season. After building a commanding halftime lead, the Warriors withstood a third-quarter surge from Calgary to then pull away once again in the fourth. This was Vancouver’s most complete performance by far. Kevin Crowley jump started the offense with a five-goal performance, including four tallies before halftime. Despite a rough shooting night (1-for-13), Keegan Bal matched his point total (six) from Vancouver’s first two games with a one-goal, five-assist effort against Calgary. Owen Grant continued to build his case for the league’s most improved player, piling up a staggering five caused turnovers and four blocked shots. The Warriors’ defense did a remarkable job keeping things simple for their young goaltender, Aden Walsh, who stopped 34 shots. The Warriors look like a team just beginning their ascent and will have a chance to host a quality opponent in two weeks when the Seals come to Vancouver on January 10. First, the Warriors get a chance to rest up on a bye week this upcoming weekend.

3) San Diego Seals (2-2)

Week 5 Results: Idle
Week 6 Opponent: vs Ottawa (2-1)
Previous Ranking: 4th

At this time last week, it would have seemed unthinkable that the Seals, fresh off a second loss, could climb in the Power Rankings during their bye week. Yet, all of the contenders who could have jumped them, lost. While it may seem inappropriate to rank a two-loss team ahead of five teams with only one loss each, consider the following reality: San Diego has lost two games to the league’s second ranked team by four goals total. The Seals have also beaten the Philadelphia Wings (3-1) and the Colorado Mammoth (3-2). Vancouver’s lone loss was to the same Colorado team that San Diego handled somewhat easily at home and Saskatchewan’s first loss this past weekend came against the same Wings team that San Diego beat on opening weekend. Of the other single-loss teams, Ottawa has beaten winless Toronto twice and Calgary was nearly blown out by Vancouver this weekend. Needless to say, the #3 spot in the Power Rankings is an utter mess. Perhaps some clarity will arrive on Saturday when the Seals play host to Ottawa.

Georgia Swarm at Colorado Mammoth from Ball Arena in Denver Colorado on December 29, 2024, Bryan Cole (Photo: John Harrison)

2) Georgia Swarm (4-0)

Week 5 Results: 13-12 win over Colorado
Week 6 Opponent: vs Rochester (1-4)
Previous Ranking: 2nd

The Swarm rallied to score five of the game’s last seven goals to escape the Loud House with another single-goal victory to become the league’s first 4-0 team this year. The Swarm and the Bandits are the only remaining unbeaten teams in the NLL, making their positions at the top two impossible to dispute. While Buffalo has dominated en route to a perfect start, the Swarm have demonstrated a cool and collected identity under pressure, logging three of their four wins by a single goal. Despite Brett Dobson registering a season-low 31 saves and struggling through stretches of this weekend’s game, the Swarm were able to buckle down in crunch time and hold the Mammoth to just one goal over the game’s final eight minutes. Andrew Kew once again flashed his poise as a clutch performer, netting both of his goals in the final 5:34, including the game-winner with 53 seconds remaining. The Swarm look to move to 5-0 next week with a home game against the Knighthawks, who enter play riding a four-game losing streak. It’s unlikely that the Swarm would leap Buffalo with a win while Buffalo is idle.

1) Buffalo Bandits (3-0)

Week 5 Results: 13-6 win over Rochester
Week 6 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 1st

In a week that complicated the Power Rankings immensely, Buffalo remained one of two constants at the top. In a fitting display after raising their second consecutive championship banner, the Bandits ran away from the Knighthawks from the opening whistle. Buffalo surged to a 6-0 lead and ultimately took a four-goal lead into halftime. The Knighthawks were never able to pull closer than a three-goal deficit, as Matt Vinc was truly stellar in net. The ageless wonder broke Buffalo’s franchise record for saves in a single game with 62 and continued to illustrate that he is poised to be as dominant as he has been throughout his remarkably successful career. Through three games, the Bandits have not shown any notable holes or weaknesses, out-scoring their opponents by a baffling 26 goals. Buffalo’s scoring margin is twice that of the next-best mark (13) posted by the Philadelphia Wings. After a week off, the Bandits will welcome the winless Toronto Rock to Banditland on January 10.