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!
The 2016 National Lacrosse League season is finally here and to kick it off we are treated to two games featuring both of the recently relocated franchises. The Georgia Swarm, featuring a slew of rookies, head off to the rowdy Pepsi Center in Denver to face the Colorado Mammoth on Friday, while the defending NLL Champions, the Saskatchewan Rush, visit former province-mate, the Calgary Roughnecks, in the Saddledome on Saturday night.
Each week we will be highlighting our LaxAllStars.com Game of the Week in which we will break down the matchup that we think you should have your eyes on.
This week will be special. Since we are kicking off the series, and the season, we are choosing both games! Since it’s exciting to watch both games for a variety of reasons, we are going to break them both down.
NLL Game of the Week
Georgia Swarm (0-0) at Colorado Mammoth (0-0)
When: 1/1/2016 – 9:30 pm ET
Where: Pepsi Center – Denver, Colorado
Watch: Fox Sports GO, TSN GO & Altitude
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[mks_one_half]Last year’s record: 6-12, Missed playoffs
Watch for: The debut of lacrosse-phenom Lyle Thompson. He will be joining his brother and Rookie of the Year finalist Miles on the offensive side with a handful of other rookies.
Leading returner: Shayne Jackson – 30 goals, 48 assists
Needs to work on: They’re a young squad that has natural chemistry. The transition team can’t take it on themselves to score goals. They need to push the ball up quickly and get it into the sticks of the playmakers.
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[mks_one_half]Last year’s record: 9-9 Regular, 0-1 Post
Watch for: The connection between John Grant Jr. and Adam Jones is back for 2016. Currently the hottest goal scoring tandem in the NLL, the pressure is on the Swarm defense to keep the pair at bay in their home opener.
Leading returner: Adam Jones – 51 goals, 42 assists
Needs to work on: They’re stronger and healthier than when they started last year. They need to capitalize on this early and carry momentum to road games where they lacked in 2015.
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The 2016 NLL season kicks off with the very young Georgia Swarm visiting the more experienced Colorado Mammoth. Since it’s the start of the season, both teams have a clean slate to work with. Georgia finished the preseason at 2-0 with wins over Eastern Conference rivals the Toronto Rock and Rochester Knighthawks. Georgia is dressing 4 first round draft picks and 2 other rookies on opening night so the lack of experience will be working against them all night. The debut of two-time Tewaaraton winner, silver medalist and #1 draft pick Lyle Thompson will be the dawning of a new era in the NLL as he pairs up with brother Miles.
The Mammoth return NLL legend John Grant Jr. and his talented sidekick Adam Jones. Jones finished 2015 with 93 points while Grant was right behind with 91. Jones finished 8th in overall points and 3rd on the scoring list. The rookies were the story of the year last season in Colorado. Jeremy Noble, Eli McLaughlin, Robert Hope and Alex Buque were each named to the All-Rookie and all return to their roles in 2016. Free agent Callum Crawford was picked up in the offseason to add even more firepower to an offense that put in 212 goals in 2015.
Saskatchewan Rush (0-0) at Calgary Roughnecks (0-0)
When: 1/2/2016 – 9:00 pm ET
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, Alberta
Watch: TSN GO & WatchESPN
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[mks_one_half]Last year’s record: 13-5 Regular, 4-1 Post
Watch for: Everything. From the offense to the goaltending, Saskatchewan is fundamentally solid and poised to make another run for another Champion’s Cup this season.
Leading returner: Mark Matthews – 142 total points, 53 regular season goals, 27 post-season points.
Needs to work on: Not much. For a returning champion that barely made any changes to their lineup, Saskatchewan is going to be in really good shape in 2016.
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[mks_one_half]Last year’s record: 7-11 Regular, 2-2 Post
Watch for: Superman Curtis Dickson, Tyler Digby and rookie Wes Berg getting fed by Dobbie and Shattler. Roles will change in 2016, but Dickson won’t hit the breaks.
Leading returner: Curtis Dickson – 48 regular season goals, 109 total points in 2015.
Needs to work on: Consistency and possession. It’s going to be weird seeing Calgary without Geoff Snider; even after winning 69% last season, the Riggers will go without the face-off athlete. Possessions need to come from somewhere if the wins percentage on the draws are going to drop off.
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Game two of the 2016 NLL campaign features the defending Champion’s Cup winners, the newly dubbed Saskatchewan Rush, against their former province partners, the Calgary Roughnecks. The Riggers vs the Rush is always a heated battle, and a repeat of 2015’s Western Conference Finals. The Rush won the first night of the series, then fell to Calgary the second game in the Saddledome. The following mini-game was captured by the Rush, 4-1, to send them to the Finals against Toronto. Saskatchewan seems to be the favorites to take the Cup again in 2016, barely making any offseason moves while boasting a young and healthy lineup. Matthews will be hard to stop and we can expect the sparks to fly between these two defensive heavy teams.
The Roughnecks will be without NLL MVP Shawn Evans who found his way to New England in the offseason. This leaves a huge gap for the offense to fill as Evans racked up 130 points and 90 loose balls in 2015. Coming into the offense is the giant Tyler Digby, previously with the Stealth and rookie Wes Berg will be immediate impacts to the Roughnecks offense. Jeff Shattler had a great summer with the Iroquois Nationals and will help lead the rebuilding offense. The key to victory will be peppering Aaron Bold, one of the best goaltenders to ever play the game. He’s not going to give up easy shots, so probability needs to be on their side.
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!
