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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
3QT
00:11
New York
4
Georgia
9
Fri, Mar 31
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Colorado
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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Stories/Op-Ed

Rush Defense Set On Stopping Buffalo’S Big Threat

The Saskatchewan Rush were built on defense, and ultimately, built into a champion.

For the last handful of seasons, the Rush have been able to boast about possessing the best defensive unit the National Lacrosse League. The group is headlined by four-time reigning NLL Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Rubisch, but it is the entire collection that makes them so daunting to overcome. What awaits them in the NLL Champion’s Cup Final is daunting in its own right.

The Rush face the Buffalo Bandits in the best-of-three league championship series which begins this Saturday night in Buffalo. If the Rush can keep a leash on Bandits scoring whiz Dhane Smith then they’ll deserve all the wings you can find in Buffalo.

Smith was simply amazing this season, setting a new record with 137 points including a whopping 72 goals. He’s off to an equally eye-popping start to the playoffs with nine goals and 16 points in just two games. The hulking 6-foot-3, 195-pounder is a load to contend with but the Rush have the right personnel to tame the beast.

“Dhane Smith is a special player. We must recognize where he is at all times he’s on the floor,” said Rush defenceman Brett Mydske, who called the Saskatchewan defensive corps a “confident group right now.”

“He’s the league-leading goal scorer but he’s also the quarterback of that offence. He has had a record-breaking year. We need to get out on him and not give him time and space to shoot or pass if we want to limit his production.”

The Rush didn’t do such a great job in holding back Smith when the two teams met in their only regular-season game back in February. Smith notched eight points (4 goals, 4 assists) and helped push his team to a 19-18 overtime victory in Saskatoon – a game that was simply a disaster for the defenses. The two teams’ star netminders – Saskatchewan’s Aaron Bold and Buffalo’s Anthony Cosmo – were both given the hook that night as well.  

“It was a very uncharacteristic game defensively for us at a time in the year we were having trouble finding consistency,” noted Rush defenseman Ryan Dilks, who stepped into the spotlight this season as the league-leader in forced turnovers.

“Since then I think we’ve realized how hard we have to work every game or even every shift to be successful.”

A lesson was learned and the Rush moved on from that game by winning their next six in a row. Saskatchewan would later sweep a weekend home-and-home series from Colorado to clinch first in the West Division, and then roll through the Calgary Roughnecks in the West Final.

Throughout the year, they’ve clamped down on several of the NLL’s top shooters including the weekend series when the Rush swept Colorado to claim first in the West as the defense held the Mammoth’s dangerous duo of Adam Jones and Callum Crawford to just three goals. In the West Final, the Rush put the grip on Roughnecks scoring whiz Curtis Dickson, holding him to just a single goal in Game 2.

Saskatchewan will certainly have to rein in Smith and do their best to limit his supporting cast led by two former Rush – Ryan Benesch (10 assists, 16 points in the playoffs) and Alexander-Kedoh Hill (eight goals in the playoffs). From the other perspective, the Bandits will have to keep a close eye on the Rush’s Mark Matthews, the most valuable player from last season’s Champion’s Cup, and his cast of cohorts who can give an opposing netminders sunburn from lighting the goal lamp.

The Rush have the deepest offensive attack of any team in the NLL, anchored by Matthews who had his second straight 40-plus goal, 100-plus point campaign in 2016. Ben McIntosh, the 2015 NLL Rookie of the Year, and Zack Greer, who had his second consecutive 40-goal season, both notched four-goal games during the West Final, and Robert Church led the NLL in power-play goals during the regular season. There’s danger waiting around every corner for the Bandits defense and the Rush hope to capitalize on that vast scoring arsenal.

“Our offense will definitely need to be executing well,” said McIntosh. “Buffalo’s team can do it all. They have great goaltending, great defense, and great offence, so these games are going to be a battle for 60 minutes.”

Goals on the Go: The transition part of the game is probably the most exciting for the fans and the most heart attack-inducing for the coaches. Saskatchewan excels at creating offensive out of its defense with the likes of Chris Corbeil, Nik Bilic, Adrian Sorichetti, and Jeff Cornwall. But Buffalo stampeded on the Rush with their own transition when they met in February, scoring eight of their 19 goals including the OT winner in transition. The Rush are well aware that they’ll need to be better at this key aspect in the Cup Final.

“They are very dangerous in all areas of the floor. We’ll need to be smart in the transition game, but also don’t want to get away from what makes us successful,” said Rush gunslinger Zack Greer. “We need to make good decisions and do our best to slow them down.”

Speed Thrills: ILIndoor.com named Saskatchewan’s Jeff Cornwall its second star of the week for the Division Finals after he racked up one assist, six loose balls, and three forced turnovers in Game 2 against Calgary.

By SaskRush.com. Photo by Micheline Veluvolu.

NLL