Denver, Colorado – February 14, 2025: Ottawa Black Bears at Colorado Mammoth at the Ball Arena in Denver Colorado, United States. (Photo by John Matthew Harrison/National Lacrosse League)
The finish line has never been closer and the playoff race has never been tighter! After Rochester’s loss to Halifax last weekend, three more teams have punched their ticket to the postseason, leaving just two playoff seats remaining with two short weekends left in the regular season.
Opening up the second-to-last weekend of regular competition, the freshly clinched Toronto Rock make their way to the Canadian Capitol for the final bout of the 2025-26 Battle of Ontario. With their playoff ticket punched, the pressure on the Rock has alleviated slightly, but this weekend is no time for them to ease up on the gas. Toronto is currently holding down the sixth seat in the League rankings at 10-6, right behind the also 10-6 Buffalo Bandits. If the season ended today, the Rock would find themselves matched up against the current third-place team, the Saskatchewan Rush. An extra win(s) this weekend and next could bump Toronto up to the fifth seat depending on the outcome of Buffalo’s last two matchups against Calgary and Oshawa, pitting them against the fourth seed in the first round of the playoffs, which depending on the outcome of their matchup later in the weekend, could be either the current third seed, the Saskatchewan Rush, or the current first seat, the Colorado Mammoth.
Their opponents and hosts for the evening, the Ottawa Black Bears in a far more lucrative position headed into the weekend. The 8-8 Black Bears are currently sitting in the seventh seat on the NLL leaderboard with two games left on the schedule. Their Week 18 loss to Georgia put them a game behind, and their Week 19 bye game put them even further back, but their first franchise postseason appearance is still well within reach. A win this weekend against Toronto or against Halifax in Week 2, as well as a Halifax loss to Vancouver, would clinch their seventh-seed playoff berth this Friday night.
The lights go up at the Canadian Tire Centre this Friday at 7:30PM ET on NLL Friday Night on TSN. Streaming is also available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Ottawa Black Bears (8-8) can clinch a playoff berth with:
Halifax, Nova Scotia – Apr 04: National Lacrosse League game between the Halifax Thunderbirds and Rochester Knighthawks on April 4 2026 at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Thunderbirds)
For night one’s second card, the #2 Vancouver Warriors open their doors to the Halifax Thunderbirds for the first time this season. Having punched their second-straight postseason ticket in Week 17, the Warriors are still eyeing up a first-round home playoff game, and with a win this weekend and the right chips felled in the right corners of the League, they’re likely to secure it. Additionally, Vancouver forward Curtis Dickson is just two goals shy of his tenth career 40-goal season, putting his name in the history books alongside John Grant Jr.
The visiting Thunderbirds, however, find themselves between a rock and a hard place this weekend, with their playoff hopes in their own hands and those of several other teams. A loss to Vancouver Friday night, as well as an Ottawa and Las Vegas win, will unfortunately eliminate the Thunderbirds from postseason contention. Though a loss won’t outright eliminate them, the Thunderbirds need another win this weekend to keep the playoffs within their reach. Luckily, Halifax is currently on a two-game hot streak after taking down the Wings in Week 18 and Rochester in Week 19. Their 15-10 victory over the Knighthawks last weekend not only met Buffalo, Georgia and Toronto’s additional clinching requirements, but also bumped them from the eleventh seat all the way up to the ninth. With a Las Vegas loss to Philly this weekend and a hard-fought win against Vancouver, the Thunderbirds could still secure the eighth seed on the playoff bracket.
The Thunderbirds fly into Vancouver this Friday at 9:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Halifax Thunderbirds (7-9) can be eliminated from playoff contention with:
The Vancouver Warriors (11-5) have clinched a playoff berth.
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
The Oshawa FireWolves and the Calgary Roughnecks return to the Saturday schedule for the second round of their two-game series! After their 10-9 win in Calgary last weekend, the FireWolves currently lead the series and are set to host the Roughnecks for their second-to-last home game of the season. Once again, though these two teams are no longer playing for a seat at the playoff table, there’s still this weekend and next to begin looking ahead at roles to fill in next year’s draft and free agency.
In last week’s meeting, though the FireWolves snuck away with the one-goal win, the two squads showcased a clear direction of growth and potential areas of need. While there was no shortage of shots, with Oshawa and Calgary respectively putting 50 and 52 shots on the cage, the Roughnecks were able to control the offensive momentum early on thanks to Justin Inacio’s 16 faceoffs won. Despite that, the Roughnecks were only able to score nine goals against Oshawa, largely due to unforced turnovers in settled offense and uncapitalized transition opportunities in the first half. However, their five-goal third quarter reflected once again the Roughnecks’ clear ability to run a full sixty minutes after a slow start, a common theme for the Calgary frontend through the season.
The FireWolves are getting off to a comparatively hot start in the second quarter. Though the Roughnecks shut them out in the first bracket, their four-goal second quarter and three-straight scores in the third put them on top thanks to dual hat trick performances from Tye Kurtz and Alex Simmons. However, even with a quick three-goal lead in the third, the FireWolves let the Roughnecks sneak back into the fold late in the third and into the fourth; a prevalent issue for Oshawa this season. With all that in mind, this weekend’s rematch will likely be an opportunity for both teams to take their game back to basics and address their cold starts and slow finishes.
Catch round two on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ this Saturday at 7:00PM ET.
March 29, 2026: Ron John [33] of the Philadelphia Wings Toronto Rock vs Philadelphia Wings at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
“Your support has been central to the identity of the Wings, and it has meant more than we can express,” the Wings office stated. “Thank you, sincerely, for your passion, your commitment, and the community you helped build around Wings lacrosse.”
The Wings players, coaches and front office staff invite all lacrosse and Wings fans to the Arena starting at 5:30PM ET this Saturday to meet the players and Wingston for photos, last-chance Wings memorabilia and $1 ice cream presented by Turkey Hill ahead of the evening’s contest with the visiting Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
As the evening’s heels, the 7-8 Desert Dogs are still sitting in the eighth seat on the Leaderboard, looking for the first of their two wins necessary to clinch their first franchise playoff appearance. Their Week 19 run-in against the now #1 Colorado Mammoth, a 13-8 loss despite a tight first half, unfortunately put the Desert Dogs an extra week out from punching their ticket to the postseason, dropping them to 7-9 while preserving their position in the Elite Eight. However, with the Wings up this weekend and a doubleheader against the San Diego Seals slated for Week 20, the Desert Dogs need only win two of their next three matchups to secure their spot.
Send off the Wings and cheer on the Dogs on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ this Saturday at 7:00PM ET.
Buffalo Bandits against the Vancouver Warriors on April 4, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
The I-90 Thruway Battle once again rears its head here in the final weeks of the March to May, bringing together once again two of the fiercest regional rivals this League has to offer. This Saturday, the Buffalo Bandits open their doors again to a few familiar faces, the Rochester Knighthawks.
The Bandits are clearly excited to welcome their old rivals into KeyBank Center this weekend, as the Knighthawks’ loss to Halifax last weekend was the last requirement to clinch Buffalo’s playoff berth. As thanks for helping them into the postseason as the fifth seed, the Bandits are on the lookout for an extra win to potentially clinch a first-round home playoff game. To do so, the Bandits will not only need to win this weekend and next against the Knighthawks and FireWolves, but also at least two losses for the current fourth-seeded Georgia Swarm in their next three games.
In keeping with this weekend’s trend, the challengers, the Rochester Knighthawks, join Halifax and San Diego in their last-ditch efforts to stay afloat and snatch the coveted eighth seed out from under Las Vegas. While the Thunderbirds’ win against Rochester last weekend opened the doors for three more teams to clinch, neither they nor the Knighthawks are safe from elimination. If the Bandits pull out a seventh straight win this weekend and any of the following happen– Halifax beats Vancouver, Las Vegas beats Philadelphia, or San Diego beats Georgia– the Knighthawks will be the next team crossed off the list of potential postseason contenders.
The Thruway Rivalry hits streaming this Saturday at 7:00PM ET! Tune in to ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Rochester Knighthawks (6-9) can be eliminated from playoff contention with:
Saskatchewan Rush v Colorado Mammoth
04-13-2025
Wrapping up Saturday night of Week 20 on the main card, the heavyweights take the stage in Saskatoon! The Saskatchewan Rush welcome the Colorado Mammoth to the SaskTel Centre to duke it out for the first seat!
Both the Rush and the Mammoth currently sit atop the leaderboard at 11-5, split to the first and third seed respectively by the also 11-5 Vancouver Warriors. Despite both dominating the headlines this season, Colorado and Saskatchewan’s paths have yet to cross this year, in stark contrast to their two meetings during the 2024-25 season. In both their 2024 meetings, Saskatchewan not only took home the victories but also beat the Mammoth by five goals in each meeting. In their last run-in, an 11-6 road victory for Saskatchewan during Week 20, the Rush held the Mammoth scoreless for the second and third quarters, and outshot Colorado by nearly 20 (Colorado 44 SOG, Saskatchewan 61 SOG). Despite the setback in the middle quarters, Mammoth forward Will Malcom was still able to score a hat trick against Saskatchewan with support from goaltender Dillon Ward’s 50 saves that evening.
With a shot at the number one slot on the line and a home playoff game hanging in the balance, both the Rush and the Mammoth need at least a win to snag the first seed and their ticket home. However, while Colorado only needs the win this weekend, the Rush need the win and either an Ottawa win against Toronto or a Rochester win against Buffalo.
Tune into ESPNU this Saturday at 9:00PM ET for the race to first place! Streaming also available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Saskatchewan Rush (11-5) have clinched a playoff berth.
The Colorado Mammoth (11-5) have clinched a playoff berth.
San Diego, CA – March 21, 2026: San Diego Seals vs Buffalo Bandits at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California (Photo by Alexis Goeller / National Lacrosse League)
Welcome back to sunny Duluth, GA, for the first of the Swarm’s three NLL Matinee games! With the Rochester Knighthawks doubleheader slated for Week 21, the Swarm first welcome the current eleventh seed, the San Diego Seals, into Gas South Arena for their annual Heroes Night! In addition to giveaways, games and Lyle Thompson’s Marvel Superhero-level diving shots, the Swarm also invites West and East Coast fans alike to join them in honoring first responders and healthcare professionals, teachers, military members, and community leaders.
With their earlier wins against Ottawa in Week 17 and Halifax in Week 18, the Swarm only needed the right wins and losses in Week 19 to clinch their playoff berth. With Rochester’s loss to Halifax last weekend, the Swarm announced their appearance in the postseason from the comfort of their couches during their well-earned bye week. While there’s potential for a home first-round playoff game for Georgia, the Swarm still have three games left on the schedule that could alter their odds.
The visiting Seals, however, are much worse for wear. With their fifth straight loss to Toronto in Week 19, the Seals have dropped to the eleventh seat at 6-9, sharing a similar record to the Rochester Knighthawks. In order to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Seals need a road win against the Swarm, which not only keeps them afloat but eliminates the Knighthawks in the event that they lose to Buffalo this weekend as well. Additionally, the Seals need a Halifax loss to Vancouver and an Ottawa win against Toronto to eliminate the Thunderbirds, and ideally, a Las Vegas loss to Philly. Their odds change drastically depending on upsets and shakeups, but above all, the Seals need to take care of business against the Swarm this weekend if they want to keep their hopes alive.
The NLL Sunday Matinee begins streaming this Sunday at 4:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
