Colorado Mammoth
All they had to do was get the win and they got in. Now the Mammoth have to jockey back and forth with the Rush for the #1 seed, a team they’ll see in back to back nights in the middle of their final 6 game stretch. Calgary was the team that broke Adam Jones’ epic 56-game goal streak the week prior. He hopped back on the horse against the Roughnecks last weekend and put up 3 goals and 3 assists in typical Jones fashion. Jones only leads his team with 37 goals, 2016 addition Callum Crawford has been dominant all season long, racking up 21 goals and a staggering 56 assists, 1st in the NLL. No shock that John Grant Jr. is putting up numbers, 61 points in 12 games. He’s on perfect pace for 91 points for the 4th straight year in a row.
Tearing it up in his sophomore season, Jeremy Noble is averaging nearly 4 points per game. He can be counted on to find a goal per game, but his real contribution has been those 33 assists. Chris Wardle and Eli McLaughlin have also chipped in their points here and there and the whole defensive/transition unit has proven that they can push the tempo and handle the rock on their own. One guy who stands out in the group is rookie Jordan Gilles, leading the backline with 6 goals so far. Veteran Greg Downing has 9 points of his own, but has put most of his efforts towards aggressive 1on1 defense. 27 caused turnovers and 66 loose balls are the fruits of Downing’s labor through 12 games.
A certain Mammoth net minder went viral with week with what I’ve got to label the hit of the year. Here’s the deal, Alex Buque left the crease while buddy pass was sent to a streaking Leung. Leung caught the ball, turned stepped and got rocked. The NLL came out with a statement that the play was legal by rule, despite countless fans, and even players, voicing their disapproval. Dillon Ward has been primarily the starter for Colorado, posting a .781 save average with a 5-1 record, but Buque is getting his minutes, earning a 4-2 record with at .776 average. They start in New England on Saturday with the same group after avoiding any late deadline-driven moves. Now looking to be back on track, I expect the big three to put Kirk and Co. to the test.
