Five teams have clinched playoff spots, leaving three spots still up for grabs. Seven teams are in the hunt, while Toronto and Las Vegas have been eliminated. The race for the remaining spots is heating up as the season winds down.
The Halifax Thunderbirds (10-7) visit the Toronto Rock (5-11) Friday at 7 p.m. ET, with a chance to clinch a home playoff game in the quarterfinal round. A win seals it for Halifax, but they can also secure it if both Vancouver and Rochester lose.
The Calgary Roughnecks (8-8) head to Las Vegas to face the Desert Dogs (4-13) on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET, kicking off a crucial two-game weekend. Calgary is the only playoff contender with a doubleheader, also facing fellow postseason hopeful Colorado on Saturday.
The Albany FireWolves (7-10) visit the San Diego Seals (8-9) at 10:30 p.m. ET in a high-stakes rematch after Albany’s 12-10 win last week kept their playoff hopes alive. San Diego enters the weekend in a four-way tie for the final two postseason spots, while Albany, winners of five of their last seven, must win and get help to stay in the race. Coming off a sock trick last week, Albany star forward Tye Kurtz joined NLL Box Out with Maki and Coop.
Buffalo Bandits’ Dhane Smith on April 12, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Halifax Thunderbirds @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
The Buffalo Bandits (13-4), who have clinched the No. 1 seed, visit the Georgia Swarm (8-9) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Georgia fighting for one of the final three playoff spots in a tight four-way race. Buffalo’s Dhane Smith, fresh off an 11-point performance, is just nine points shy of breaking his own single-season record and one assist away from back-to-back 100-assist campaigns.
The Colorado Mammoth (8-9) take on the Calgary Roughnecks (8-8) Saturday at 9 p.m. ET, with Colorado still battling for one of the final three playoff spots. Calgary, who plays Friday night, will look to take advantage of Colorado’s four-game losing streak, with each loss coming by exactly five goals after a strong 8-5 start.
The Philadelphia Wings (7-10) visit the Vancouver Warriors (10-7) on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, with Philadelphia still alive for the postseason and needing a win and some help. Vancouver can clinch a home playoff game with a win, and the Warriors are 5-0 since acquiring goaltender Christian Del Bianco from Calgary.
Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Ottawa Black Bears 04.12.25
The Ottawa Black Bears (8-9) visit the Saskatchewan Rush (12-5) on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET, with Ottawa still in the hunt for one of the final three playoff spots. Saskatchewan is locked into the No. 2 seed. Ottawa’s Jeff Teat, who leads the NLL with 53 goals, is aiming for his third consecutive league-leading season.
The race is on for playoff spots! Check out all the top plays from Week 20
Who will grab the final playoff spots? Check out Cooper Perkins’ latest Power Rankings to make your prediction!
The NLL is debuting a new multiview streaming option for NLL+ subscribers. Viewers will be able to watch up to four live games simultaneously as teams compete for the remaining playoff spots.
