Week 8 was loaded with eight thrilling games and gave us a little bit of everything. In response, the NLL power rankings have shifted with 6 of our Top 8 on the move. Let’s get into it:
8) Georgia Swarm (4-3)
Week 8 Results: Lost to Calgary 12-11 OT Week 9 Opponent: Bye Week Previous Ranking: 5th
There is no singular issue plaguing the Swarm during their current three-game losing streak after starting the season 4-0. Georgia’s latest loss is another example of just how minimal the margin for error is in the NLL on a weekly basis. Whereas the Swarm were 3-0 in one-goal games during their undefeated start, the necessary degree of luck that is associated with winning close games was absent over the weekend. It’s hard to take a silver lining from a third consecutive loss, but it’s worth noting that Georgia’s first two losses were fairly lopsided. Four weeks ago, it would have been hard to believe that the Swarm would be hunting for positives in the face of an extended losing streak, but such is reality. This upcoming weekend is the perfect time for Georgia to enjoy a bye week to regroup. Next on the schedule is a trip to Las Vegas on February 1.
7) Colorado Mammoth (4-3)
Week 8 Results: Lost to Albany 13-10 Week 9 Opponent: @ Rochester (3-5) Previous Ranking: 6th
A week after beating the FireWolves in Denver, the Mammoth made the return trip to Albany over the weekend and were defeated 13-10. At this point, Colorado is exactly who they’ve shown that they are: a talented team with the ability to score in bunches that struggles mightily on the road. Colorado’s loss to Albany isn’t so much concerning as it is unsurprising, which is why it doesn’t make sense to disproportionately punish the Mammoth in this week’s Power Rankings. There are, however, two items of note from Colorado’s latest road loss that are worth following. First, Dillon Ward was very good once again, reinforcing the idea that his rebound season will be a resilient effort likely to last the length of the campaign. Secondly, the Mammoth have yet to master the art of scoring balance. Connor Kelly and Eli McLaughlin combined to score just twice in support of Will Malcom (four goals) and Ryan Lee (three goals). If Colorado is going to turn the corner and become a more consistent group, it will likely be a function of finding a sustainable flavor of scoring balance.
6) Calgary Roughnecks (3-2)
Week 8 Results: Beat Georgia 12-11 OT Week 9 Opponent: vs Toronto (1-5) Previous Ranking: Unranked
The Roughnecks have been one of the league’s most pleasant surprises this season. Calgary’s veteran-laden, explosive attack has led the team to a 3-2 start. It’s crystal clear through five games that the Roughnecks will go as far as Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie can take them. The pair combined for six goals against Georgia and have scored 36 goals collectively, accounting for more than half of Calgary’s goal total. Jesse King scored twice against the Swarm, which is an encouraging development for the Roughnecks, who have been in desperate need of secondary scoring behind Dickson and Dobbie. King poured in 74 goals over the last two seasons, but has been limited to six scores in five games this season. If he can more consistently chip in two or three goals per game, the ceiling of the Roughnecks’ offense raises considerably. While Cam McLeod hasn’t posted the kind of numbers Calgary fans might hope—he had just 29 saves against Georgia. The reality is that the young net minder has done enough to give the Roughnecks a chance to win in four of their five games. We’ll have a pretty clear picture as to whether or not Calgary’s win over Georgia this weekend was fool’s gold when the Roughnecks square up against Toronto, who are fresh of their first win, when the Rock visit the Saddledome on Friday.
CALGARY, AB – JANUARY 18, 2025: The Calgary Roughnecks against the Georgia Swarm at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)
5) Vancouver Warriors (3-3)
Week 8 Results: Lost to Ottawa 9-8 & Lost to Philadelphia 14-13 Week 9 Opponent: vs Ottawa (4-2) Previous Ranking: 2nd
After ascending to number two in the Power Rankings last week, the Warriors endured a disappointing weekend, losing twice by a single goal. Despite slipping to 3-3, the Warriors are still positioned to be one of the league’s best teams and don’t deserve to be punished as heavily as one might assume. Curt Malawsky’s team will continue to improve, as his squads do every season, and Adam Charalambides’ explosive Monday evening is a great sign of things to come for the Vancouver lefty. Charalambides entered Monday night with just three goals in five games but erupted for five scores against the Wings. After a solid first five games, young goaltender Aden Walsh was finally exposed by Mitch Jones and Brennan O’Neill. Vancouver’s current schedule is brutal, as they’ll play a third game in eight days when they return home to play the upstart Ottawa Black Bears.
4) Saskatchewan Rush (4-2)
Week 8 Results: Lost to Toronto 11-8 Week 9 Opponent: vs Albany (2-5) Previous Ranking: 4th
After their 3-0 start, the Rush have slipped up twice in their last three games, most recently against the Rock on Saturday. While it might feel justified to punish the Rush harshly for losing to the league’s only previously winless team, it was only a matter of time before Toronto broke through. The Rush continue to play with a concerning degree of offensive inconsistency, but may stand to receive a boost from Robert Church after his two-goal night looks poised to reignite his perennial scoring superpower. Frank Scigliano played well once again, posting 43 saves, but Rookie Jake Naso failed to win a face-off battle for just the second time this year and Zach Manns was limited to a single goal. The biggest takeaway from the Rush’s second loss of the season is that they remain a talented team with a high ceiling, but at the moment they’re forced to navigate an exceptionally narrow margin for error. The Rush return to Saskatchewan on Saturday when they host the FireWolves, who are fresh off an impressive win over Colorado.
3) Ottawa Black Bears (4-2)
Week 8 Results: Beat Vancouver 9-8 Week 9 Opponent: @ Vancouver (3-3) Previous Ranking: 8th
Since their disappointing 18-7 loss to the Bandits on December 13, the Black Bears have gone 3-1 with the only blemish being a one-goal loss to San Diego. In their most encouraging development to this point in the season, the Black Bears channeled the lessons from their low-scoring defeat to the Seals to best last week’s second-ranked team (Vancouver) 9-8. Ottawa’s penalty kill turned in its best performance of the season, preventing the Warriors from netting an extra-man marker in any of their five opportunities. It’s extremely hard to not be bullish on Dan Ladouceur’s team as it continues to round into form. Zach Higgins has been the group’s anchor in the early season as the young offensive pieces around Jeff Teat continue to mesh. Larson Sundown’s breakout effort against Vancouver doubled his goal total, which is an optimistic sign for an Ottawa offense that has been seeking consistent secondary scoring behind Teat and Jacob Dunbar. The Black Bears will get a great test of their ability to adjust when they run it back against Vancouver on Friday at Rogers Centre. Ottawa has a chance to really build on their momentum, especially considering that the Warriors will be playing their third game in eight days.
Vancouver Warriors at Ottawa Black Bears 01.17.25 (Photo: Greg Mason)
2) Philadelphia Wings (5-2)
Week 8 Results: Lost to Buffalo 19-14 & Won vs Vancouver 14-13 Week 9 Opponent: Bye Week Previous Ranking: 3rd
The Wings salvaged a challenging double-header weekend with a narrow one-goal win over Vancouver, white-knuckling to the finish after watching the Warriors narrowly overcome a three-goal deficit in the fourth quarter. While the Wings might have the league’s second-best record, the distance between them and the Bandits was evident over the weekend as Buffalo opened a nine-goal lead in the third quarter. Once again, the Wings demonstrated remarkable firepower, particularly on their left side. We’ve arrived at the point in the season where skepticism around the re-tooled Wings is likely unfair. This team can hang with anyone and if their defense makes some strides in front of Nick Damude. They have the potential to make some serious playoff noise.
From the preseason through Week 8, the Bandits have been the clear-cut number one team in the Power Rankings, running their undefeated start to 5-0 with a win over the Wings. There really is no question that Buffalo is the most deserving squad atop the charts this week once again. One of the league’s top stars, Josh Byrne, continued to defend his MVP title from last year. Byrne’s 7-goal, 12-point performance stands out as the most notable highlight so far this season. In a game that was ultimately not as close as the final score might indicate, the Bandits led by as many as nine goals in the third quarter before conceding a six-goal run to the Wings to make things interesting. The battle-tested Bandits buckled down to outscore the Wings 3-1 in the game’s final 11 minutes, securing the victory. Buffalo now enjoys a bye week before returning to the floor on February 1 against Albany at home.
Just Missed: San Diego Seals (3-4)
Week 8 Results: Lost to Las Vegas 12-10 Week 9 Opponent: Bye Week Previous Ranking: 7th
The Seals slipped under .500 for the first time since December 2021 and looked listless in the process of losing to the 13th place Desert Dogs. After a strong start to the season, San Diego’s offense has gone stale. Patrick Merrill and his staff are some of the best coaches in the business, but getting this train back on the rails won’t be an easy task. But as we’ve seen with Georgia’s unexpected slide, fortunes turn on a dime in the NLL, so don’t count these Seals out just yet.
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