Editor’s Note: Each and every week throughout the NLL season we will drop in with our LaxAllStars.com 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!
Week 1 of the 2016 National Lacrosse League season treated us to a couple of close games that game down to the very end. The young Georgia Swarm were edged out by John Grant Jr. and the Colorado Mammoth in the final minutes of Friday’s, while the defending NLL Champions, the Saskatchewan Rush, kept their winning streak alive over the Calgary Roughnecks, with a two goal difference in the Saddledome on Saturday night.
While we took an in-depth look into both of last week’s games, this time our LaxAllStars.com Game of the Week is going to be the New England Black Wolves at Vancouver Stealth matchup on Saturday night.
The game was chosen mostly for three reasons:
- Both teams struggled to take flight in 2015, so it will be a fresh start for each franchise.
- I will be attending the game, along with a few more in Vancouver, and LaxAllStars.com writer Ryan Conwell will be keeping a close eye on the Black Wolves at their home games all season long.
- This is the only game of the weekend featuring two teams that have yet to play.
NLL Game of the Week
New England Black Wolves (0-0) at Vancouver Stealth (0-0)
When: 1/9/2016 – 10 pm ET
Where: Langley Events Centre – Langley, British Columbia
Watch: WatchESPN & TSN GO
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[mks_one_half]Last year’s record: 4-14, Missed playoffs
Watch for: The debut of the returning NLL MVP Shawn Evans in a Black Wolves jersey. Strongman Bill O’Brien is also back after becoming the viral king from all the beatdowns he handed out last season.
Leading returner: Pat Saunders – 38 goals, 30 assists
Needs to work on: Last year was a jumble for the relocated franchise. Road trips killed the Black Wolves and a revolving door didn’t help either. Their focus needs to be on playing the Stealth offense aggressively to keep them from getting on a roll.
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[mks_one_half]Last year’s record: 5-13, Missed Playoffs
Watch for: A potentially high-powered offense that should be lethal on the power play. Garrett Billings is now wearing a Stealth sweater, it will be exciting to see how the vet’s move west pans out.
Leading returner: Rhys Duch – 41 goals, 62 assists
Needs to work on: The defense needs to protect Penney, the team’s new starter in net. Their beefed up transition team can be a huge factor to their success if they can move ball up the floor quickly.
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Week 2 of the 2016 NLL season is capped off with the New England Black Wolves visiting the Vancouver Stealth on Saturday night. Both teams get a fresh start after finishing last in their conferences in 2015. New England only won two games on the road last season so they’ll be looking to get a jump on it early. Adding to the offense that was second to last in scoring is NLL MVP Shawn Evans who’ll be working with veteran Kevin Crowley. A new coaching staff should also bring a fresh look to the Black Wolves team as a whole.
The Stealth are looking forward to their newly revamped offense that might help lead them back to their glory days. Rhys Duch, Corey Small, Logan Schuss, Garrett Billings and Joel McCready is a great starting 5 on offense, but this team still finished with a -44 goal differential last season. The West is going to be strong again this season, if they want to make the playoffs they can’t wait for the second half of the season to get to work. Goaltender Eric Penney has the starting gig now after Tyler Richards retired. He’s a strong player but his team will need to take care of him to have any success.
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Week 2 Games
Saturday
- Toronto Rock at Georgia Swarm – 7:05 pm – Fox Sports GO
- Calgary Roughnecks at Buffalo Bandits – 7:30 pm – Fox Sports GO
- Colorado Mammoth at Rochester Knighthawks – 7:30 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!
