Editor’s Note: We’re back with another NLL Game of the Week! Thanks to the help of the innovative team at SISU Guard, the Official Mouthguard of the NLL, we are beefing up our National Lacrosse League coverage for 2016! We hope you enjoy our look at the NLL season through a new lens with the aid of our partner SISU!
Now two weeks down, we have a good idea of the hand each team is going to play this season. We had a couple thrillers in Week 2 and a couple blowouts. Our NLL Game of the Week pick for last week turned out to be a bit of a dud as the New England Black Wolves beat up on the Vancouver Stealth for the hope opener in British Columbia.
Our third NLL Game of the Week features two of our four undefeated squads in an out of conference matchup. The Buffalo Bandits head to Denver to square off against the rolling Colorado Mammoth.
The Pepsi Center packed out with over fifteen-thousand fans on New Year’s Day to watch their beloved Mammoth and you better believe they’ll be back at in on Saturday. The Bandits are no stranger to a little noise, this one is shaping up to be a fun one. Here’s what we know…
NLL Game of the Week
Buffalo Bandits (1-0) at Colorado Mammoth (2-0)
When: 1/16/2016 – 9 pm ET
Where: Pepsi Center – Denver, Colorado
Watch: WatchESPN & TSN GO
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[mks_one_half]Standing: 1st (Tied) in Eastern Conference
Watch For: Buffalo to hit their scoring stride. Missing the net 20 times in 1 half won’t happen again, I hope.
Leading Scorer: Dhane Smith – 2g, 3a
Things to work on: Offensive production. Their shooting was atrocious last week, Cosmo and the defense kept them in the game.
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[mks_one_half]Last year’s record: 1st in Western Conference
Watch for: I expect the Mammoth to take a lot of shots against Cosmo. They have 6 players averaging 6 points, or more, per game. The crowd will be behind them, that’s for sure.
Leading scorer: Adam Jones – 7 g, 8 a
Needs to work on: Game two was not nearly as consistent as the first. Their winning by 1 or two goals, the Mammoth can score 9 in a quarter. They need to find the lead and expand it or the Bandits will find wind late.
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Colorado doesn’t have a win against Buffalo since 2013. Every time they square off it’s a barn burner, the Buffalo offense won’t be able to just “find a way” like they did last week. The Mammoth coming in hot off two impressive wins and will be expecting a shootout. Last Saturday the Bandits offense missed the net 20 times in the first half and another 10 times in the second. Their shooters are simply way too good to do that. Regardless of what happens, it looks like net minder Anthony Cosmo and their brusier defense can keep them in it.
The Mammoth are basically the same squad we’ve known and loved (or hated). When Junior isn’t scoring, he’s hooking everyone up on the floor. We’ve seen both tenders get a win so far, so although they haven’t quite found “their guy,” they’re in solid form knowing they have two young guys that can get the job done. Adam Jones is straight up lethal and Callum Crawford was a HUGE pickup for their already potent offense. If the defense can tighten things down and keep Buffalo down the boards, the Bandits shooters could struggle to find themselves again.
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Week 3 Games
Thursday
- Rochester Knighthawks at Toronto Rock – 7:30 pm – Fox Sports GO
Friday
- Calgary Roughnecks at New England – 7:00 pm – Fox Sports GO
- Vancouver Stealth at Saskatchewan Rush – 8:30 pm – Fox Sports GO
Saturday
- Toronto Rock at Rochester Knighthawks – 7:30 pm – Fox Sports GO
Sunday
- New England at Georgia Swarm – 2:00 pm – Fox Sports GO
Which game are you looking forward to the most? Make your predictions for this weekend and the rest of the 2015 NLL season in the comment section below!
