Henderson, USA – March 28, 2026: Calgary Roughnecks vs Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, USA. (Photo by Candice Ward/National Lacrosse League)
The 2025 regular season is nearing the final stretches, and with five of the eight playoff bracket slots still open, it’s still anyone’s game. Kicking off the third-to-last weekend of regular competition, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs pay a visit to their neighbors in Denver, the #4 Colorado Mammoth.
Thanks to their 10-9 overtime win against Calgary last weekend, Vegas has jumped back up to .500 with their seventh win, maintaining their monopoly over the coveted eighth seat in the League rankings for a third straight week. Their Week 18 home win featured respective five and six-point performances from Mitch Jones (1G, 4A) and Chris Cloutier (3G, 3A), as well as two points notched by the Big Cat himself, Kevin Crowley. Additionally, the new defensive hire, Tyson Bell’s 12 loose balls, three blocks and two caused turnovers, giving the Desert Dogs the competitive edge they needed on the backend to finish the 60 minutes strong.
Heading into the weekend, the Desert Dogs sit two wins ahead of the 6-8 Knighthawks and 6-8 Seals. Though their victory over Calgary has provided a bit of cushion in the rankings, a loss to Colorado this weekend, combined with either a Rochester or San Diego win(s), the Desert Dogs stand to slip right out of the Top 8 with just three more games on the schedule. In the event of a loss this weekend, Las Vegas can still secure their postseason appearance provided they beat Philadelphia in Week 20 and win at least one game of their two-game series against San Diego in Week 21, if the Seals lose against either Toronto and/or Georgia, Rochester beats Halifax and falls to Buffalo and Georgia, and if Halifax loses to Vancouver and Ottawa.
Conversely, with the Week 18 bye under their belt, the hosting Mammoth are back on the weekend bill well-rested and reset, having already clinched their playoff berth in Week 17. While the Mammoth are in no danger of losing a bid with a loss this weekend, there is still a first-round home playoff game on the table, and a win would improve their chances of securing that.
Watch the chips fall this Friday at 9:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Thunderbirds are back at the Scotiabank Centre after two straight weeks of road competition! For the first of their last three games of the regular season, Halifax is hosting the Rochester Knighthawks for their East Coach Kitchen Party-themed evening.
After dropping both rounds of their two-game series against Las Vegas, the Knighthawks are back in the win column with Week 18’s victory against Oshawa, dropping the FireWolves from playoff consideration. Their 18-11 win last weekend featured massive offensive efforts from the Knighthawks’ front end, with forwards Ryan Lanchbury and Connor Fields each notching 11 points for a combined 22 points against the FireWolves, with Thomas McConvey and Ryan Smith right behind them, both with an additional eight points of their own. Week 18’s win propped Rochester up in the ninth seat on the rankings, still two wins behind the 7-7 Desert Dogs in the eighth seat.
The 6-9 Halifax Thunderbirds are currently sitting uncomfortably in the eleventh seat, just a few short games behind San Diego and their upstate opponents in the race to eighth place. Their 8-6 victory against the recently eliminated Philadelphia Wings put them back in the win column following a two-game losing streak, but the Thunderbirds have to secure a seventh win this weekend, as well as losses from Las Vegas and San Diego, in order to keep their postseason hopes alive in the weeks leading up to the playoffs.
Halifax opens its doors to the Knighthawks this Saturday at 6:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
March 29, 2026: Owen Hiltz [77] of the Toronto Rock duringToronto Rock vs Philadelphia Wings at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
After a three-win run, Toronto has finally relinquished control over the fifth seed in the League rankings with its unexpected loss to Philly in Week 18. Despite four four-point evenings for CJ Kirst, Owen Hiltz, Mark Matthews and Josh Dawick, the Rock’s nearly twenty minutes spent in the penalty box caused a severe break in defensive momentum that the Wings were able to take advantage of, securing their winning three-goal lead ahead of the fourth quarter. With their streak broken, the Rock have fallen into the sixth seat of the NLL rankings above the 8-8 Ottawa Black Bears. Though Toronto still has a bit of cushion in its record to keep the Black Bears at bay, tacking on an extra loss ahead of their Week 20 bout with Ottawa could allow the trailing teams to close the gap in the rankings.
In that trailing group, the visiting San Diego Seals are eager to drop the Rock down the League ladder and improve their current standings. Unfortunately, San Diego is currently on the receiving end of a four-game losing streak, placing them precariously in the tenth seat. Last weekend’s 9-8 overtime loss to Buffalo marked not only their fourth-straight loss, but also their third top-eight loss, having fallen previously to each of three current playoff clinching teams. Despite the deficit, the Seals could still be postseason contenders, especially considering each of their last four losses has been within two goals or forced into overtime. What the Seals now need, in addition to a collection of well-placed losses around the League, is a win against Toronto and at least two wins in their three final matchups.
The Seals take on Toronto this Saturday at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+
The Toronto Rock can clinch a playoff berth with:
A win vs. San Diego AND a Rochester loss at Halifax.
Buffalo Bandits against the Colorado Mammoth on March 13, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
The Buffalo Bandits have become the talk of the town here in the March to May, clawing their way back from a win-loss deficit into the fifth seat on the League leaderboard with their ninth win against Saskatchewan in Week 18. Their 8-7 second win over the Rush last weekend not only bumped them further up the ladder, but also dropped Saskatchewan out of the top spot for the first time since the early weeks of the season. Now occupying the top of the podium are this weekend’s visitors, the Vancouver Warriors, who are now once again vying for a first-round home playoff game after punching their ticket in Week 17.
Heading into the weekend, the Bandits are faced with the opportunity to climb higher, a tenth and fifth-straight win against the new number one. Coincidentally, the Warriors were the last team to defeat the Bandits way back in Week 13, skating away with a tight 11-9 win over Buffalo. Though they’ve already picked up a win against their hosts for the weekend, the Warriors have yet to square off against the Bandits post-trade deadline, meaning they’ve yet to defend the current Resetarits-Hendrycks-aided roster. Since acquiring Joe Resetarits and Tyler Hendrycks, the Bandits are not only 3-0, but have consistently seen offensive contributions from Resetarits, as well as strong team defense from Hendrycks in each of their activated games.
With revenge and a preferred postseason entrance on the line, neither team will be willing to allow an inch in this weekend’s competition. Additionally, with two of the highest-powered offenses in the League getting set to head off against one another, big defensive stops and repeat offensive possessions will ultimately decide the weekend’s winner.
Watch the Warriors take on the Bandits this Saturday at 7:00PM ET on TSN, with streaming available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Buffalo Bandits can clinch a playoff berth with:
A win vs. Vancouver AND a Rochester loss at Halifax.
Dyson Williams (51 – Oshawa Firewolves) during a National Lacrosse League game between the Oshawa Firewolves and the Philadelphia Wings at the Tribute Communities Centre on March 13, 2026 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada/David Pickering – Pick’s Pics/NLL
Closing out an action-packed Week 19, the late-night game showcases the weekend’s undercard, featuring the Oshawa FireWolves hosted by the Calgary Roughnecks. Though both of these teams have been eliminated from playoff contention following their recent losses in Week 18, these two teams are still fired up and ready for a fight!
The Roughnecks and FireWolves act as polar opposites in their Saturday matchup, with Oshawa presenting a high-octane offense to Calgary’s stonewall defense. The FireWolves currently carry two of the top fifteen goal scorers in the League, Alex Simmons and Tye Kurtz, who have tallied 35 and 32 goals respectively this season. Additionally, the FireWolves offense is backed by goaltender Doug Jamieson’s 603 saves on the season (third in the League for saves) and defender Nick Chaykowsky’s 25 caused turnovers and 106 loose balls.
Conversely, the Roughnecks’ defense, led by captain Eli Salama’s 89 loose balls, 15 blocks and 11 caused turnovers, has proven a force to be reckoned with despite their less-than-satisfactory winning record. Additionally, with the support of faceoff specialist Justin Inacio (257/387 FO, 66% FO%, 133 LB) and goaltender Aden Walsh (577 SV, 78% SV%, 11.47 GAA), the Roughnecks have placed a significant emphasis on their transition play following the exit of many of their mainstay offensive pieces through free agency.
While this weekend’s victor won’t be making any steps closer to the NLL Playoffs, they’re still set for an evening of high-energy play.
Close out Week 19 with Calgary and Oshawa this Saturday at 9:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and ESPN+.
