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Breaking: League Adopts Unified Standings Format & Updated Playoff Structure for 2023-24 Season

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 1
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Halifax
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Albany
Las Vegas
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
Sat, Dec 2
19:00:00
Calgary
Rochester
Sat, Dec 2
19:30:00
Philadelphia
New York
WK
2
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Dec 9
19:30:00
Colorado
Georgia
Sat, Dec 9
20:00:00
Rochester
Saskatchewan
Sat, Dec 9
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sun, Dec 10
16:00:00
Las Vegas
Panther City
WK
3
Fri, Dec 15
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
Sat, Dec 16
13:00:00
Albany
Philadelphia
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
Halifax
New York
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
San Diego
Buffalo
Sat, Dec 16
22:00:00
Georgia
Vancouver
WK
4
Fri, Dec 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Panther City
Fri, Dec 22
21:00:00
Georgia
Colorado
Sat, Dec 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Rochester
WK
5
Fri, Dec 29
18:30:00
Philadelphia
Halifax
Fri, Dec 29
19:30:00
Georgia
Buffalo
Fri, Dec 29
22:00:00
Rochester
San Diego
Sat, Dec 30
16:00:00
New York
Toronto
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sun, Dec 31
20:00:00
Albany
Saskatchewan
WK
6
Sat, Jan 6
19:00:00
Halifax
Albany
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Panther City
Georgia
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Colorado
Buffalo
Sun, Jan 7
15:00:00
New York
Philadelphia
WK
7
Fri, Jan 12
18:30:00
Toronto
Halifax
Fri, Jan 12
22:00:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Buffalo
Rochester
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Panther City
New York
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Albany
Georgia
Sat, Jan 13
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Jan 13
22:00:00
Calgary
Vancouver
WK
8
Fri, Jan 19
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
Georgia
Toronto
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
San Diego
Albany
Sat, Jan 20
20:00:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sat, Jan 20
21:00:00
Calgary
Colorado
WK
9
Fri, Jan 26
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Jan 27
18:00:00
Rochester
Halifax
Sat, Jan 27
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
San Diego
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 27
22:00:00
Panther City
Las Vegas
WK
10
Fri, Feb 2
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Fri, Feb 2
19:30:00
Vancouver
Georgia
Fri, Feb 2
21:00:00
New York
Calgary
Sat, Feb 3
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Albany
Sat, Feb 3
19:30:00
Rochester
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 3
20:00:00
Panther City
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 3
21:00:00
Toronto
Calgary
Sun, Feb 4
18:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
WK
11
Fri, Feb 9
18:30:00
Las Vegas
Halifax
Fri, Feb 9
20:00:00
Colorado
Panther City
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Calgary
Toronto
Sat, Feb 10
19:30:00
San Diego
New York
Sat, Feb 10
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Vancouver
WK
12
Fri, Feb 16
18:30:00
Buffalo
Halifax
Fri, Feb 16
22:00:00
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Sat, Feb 17
19:00:00
Colorado
Albany
Sun, Feb 18
19:00:00
Halifax
Calgary
WK
13
Fri, Feb 23
21:00:00
New York
Colorado
Fri, Feb 23
22:00:00
Georgia
San Diego
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Rochester
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Vancouver
Toronto
Sat, Feb 24
19:30:00
Albany
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 24
20:00:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 24
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Calgary
Sun, Feb 25
16:00:00
Georgia
Panther City
WK
14
Fri, Mar 1
19:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Fri, Mar 1
20:00:00
San Diego
Panther City
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Toronto
Las Vegas
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Buffalo
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 2
13:00:00
Calgary
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 2
19:00:00
New York
Albany
Sat, Mar 2
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Colorado
Sat, Mar 2
22:00:00
Toronto
San Diego
Sun, Mar 3
16:00:00
Rochester
Panther City
WK
15
Fri, Mar 8
19:00:00
Vancouver
Albany
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Calgary
Georgia
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 9
17:00:00
Colorado
Toronto
Sat, Mar 9
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Mar 9
19:30:00
Las Vegas
New York
Sat, Mar 9
22:00:00
Halifax
San Diego
Sun, Mar 10
15:00:00
Panther City
Philadelphia
WK
16
Fri, Mar 15
18:30:00
Panther City
Halifax
Fri, Mar 15
21:00:00
San Diego
Calgary
Fri, Mar 15
22:00:00
Las Vegas
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Rochester
Albany
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 16
19:30:00
Philadelphia
Georgia
Sat, Mar 16
20:30:00
New York
Saskatchewan
WK
17
Fri, Mar 22
20:00:00
Buffalo
Panther City
Fri, Mar 22
21:00:00
Albany
Calgary
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Halifax
Toronto
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 23
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
New York
Sat, Mar 23
21:00:00
Rochester
Colorado
Sat, Mar 23
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Mar 24
17:30:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
WK
18
Sat, Mar 30
13:00:00
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 30
19:00:00
Halifax
Rochester
Sat, Mar 30
19:30:00
Toronto
New York
Sat, Mar 30
22:00:00
Vancouver
Las Vegas
WK
19
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Buffalo
Colorado
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Panther City
San Diego
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Halifax
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
New York
Rochester
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Apr 6
19:30:00
Las Vegas
Georgia
Sat, Apr 6
20:00:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 7
16:00:00
Philadelphia
Panther City
WK
20
Fri, Apr 12
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Colorado
Sat, Apr 13
19:00:00
Rochester
Toronto
Sat, Apr 13
19:30:00
Calgary
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 13
20:00:00
San Diego
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
Colorado
Las Vegas
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sun, Apr 14
16:00:00
Albany
Panther City
WK
21
Fri, Apr 19
19:30:00
Rochester
Georgia
Fri, Apr 19
22:00:00
Vancouver
San Diego
Sat, Apr 20
18:00:00
Colorado
Halifax
Sat, Apr 20
19:30:00
Albany
New York
Sat, Apr 20
20:00:00
Toronto
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 20
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 20
22:00:00
Buffalo
Las Vegas
Sun, Apr 21
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
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Rush’s Rubisch Regaining Stature as One of the NLL’s Top Defenders

Don’t count Kyle Rubisch out.

Not when talking about being one of the best defenders in the National Lacrosse League. He’s not just in the running, he’s very likely leading the charge.

Now in his ninth pro season, Rubisch is once again (arguably, maybe?) the top defenceman in the entire league. He was formally named the NLL’s best defensive player four years in a row – 2012 through 2015 – and then he seemed to reluctantly take a backseat to some of the other top stalwarts.

Not anymore.

“I think Rubes has had his best season in a while,” offered Saskatchewan Rush GM/Head Coach Derek Keenan.

“He’s been dominant every game. With all the changes on our back end, he’s been asked to do even more than in the past and he’s been an absolute beast on the ‘D’ end.”

“In my mind, still the best in the business.”

No matter what happens with the defending champions the rest of way this season as they prepare for Saturday night’s West Division clash with the Vancouver Warriors, Rubisch will have to be included in the rundown of defenders vying for end-of-season individual recognition.

The Brampton, Ontario, product is back on top of the league when it comes to the caused turnover stat – a category he virtually wrote the book on. He leads with 29 so far this season, owns the single-season record set in 2014 with an astonishing 61, and is the NLL’s all-time leader since the stat became official in 2011, now with 330.

He may not be the fastest or strongest guy on the back end, but Rubisch matches up, and more times than not, outmatches a long list of the league’s best shooters. His ball-swiping skills are legendary.

“It’s a product of our defensive principles,” said Rubisch of the turnover talents. “We like to play fast and pressure teams, so getting caused turnovers is a result of our defensive system.”

Though a fair bit less fleet-footed than some of his defensive teammates, Rubisch is also amongst the league-leaders in loose ball scoops, which is more a result of his keen sense of positioning rather than quickness. Earlier this season, Rubisch reached 1,000 loose balls as a member of the Rush, and has since eclipsed 1,100 for his entire career.

And somewhat surprisingly, he’s already matched last year’s goal total, too, when he bounded down the floor to strike for a shorthanded tally.

Rubisch had his four-year reign as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award-winner snapped by teammate Ryan Dilks in 2016. A year ago, Rochester’s Graeme Hossack took the honor home with Rubisch named as one of the three finalists. There’s little doubt Rubisch, who was on the NLL’s All-Rookie Team in 2011, will be in the hunt for the award this season.

The Rush, who have beaten Vancouver in seven straight regular-season meetings, have been notably better on the back end in recent weeks. Now it’s the offensive group’s turn to find a spark.

“I think our defence has been playing well recently. They have been improving as the season goes on. We need our offence to start doing the same,” said Rush forward Ben McIntosh, who netted a hat trick in last Friday’s narrow defeat in San Diego.

“A lot of teams in this league have not only scouted our offence, but they have started copying it. You can’t blame them. Bubs (assistant coach Jeff McComb) is an offensive genius. We have had a lot of success in the past, but teams have caught on, so we need to throw some wrinkles and adjustments into our offence.”

The Rush are averaging 12.50 goals per game, which is second-best in the NLL. Success on the offensive end has been hit and miss of late, however, for a variety of reasons. There have been times the Saskatchewan shooters have made opposing goalies look good or have been turned away by sensational saves. They’ve also rang shots off a good number of posts and crossbars, and made some head-scratching decisions with the ball as well.

It’s been tough sledding during this stretch. Before pocketing three against the Seals, McIntosh had been held to three goals over the previous three games. Robert Church, who got off to a hot start this season and has since been nagged by an injury, has just three goals in the Rush’s last four outings. Ryan Keenan has averaged only one goal a game over those same four.

There have been some bright spots, though, like Mark Matthews’ four-goal effort in the overtime loss to Buffalo, and Jeff Shattler’s 11 goals in the last five games – three of those being game-winners.

“It’s definitely not re-creating the wheel, but I think being a little less predictable will help us,” said McIntosh.

“Bubs has already been working on this with us so, I am confident we will only start improving.”

 

NLL