The NLL has had some very good goaltenders over the years. Start with Dallas Eluik, who may be the best of all time. After that you look at Bob Watson, who is the current goaltender of the Toronto Rock. Currently, you would also talk about Anthony Cosmo, Matt Vinc, and Pat O'toole. But who is the best goaltender iin lacrosse? The worst? Who can lead his team to the Champions Cup?
#13 on our list of goaltenders is Andrew Leyshon of the Colorado Mammoth.Last in goals against average last season, he was the reason Colorado wanted Matt Vinc. In his career, he has a GAA of 13.05. Last season his mostly backed up Chris Levis, but he was not exactly a goaltender of the year either. He also previously backed up Curtis Palidwor, who returns to Colorado. Leyshon's future is unclear right now, with Palidwor returned and Matt King now on the Colorado roster. But one thing is for certain; He is not a starting goaltender.
#12 Mike Thompson of the Buffalo BanditsThompson came into the league in 2001 and then took a six year absence. In 2007, he returned to a 12.08 goals against average in all 16 games. In 2008 and 2009 he had some better seasons, and in 2010 he did a terrific job playing while Ken Montour was out. Unfortunately, that may be all that he is. A backup.
#11 Aaron Bold of the Rochester KnighthawksAaron Bold is probably the best backup goaltender in the league. Last season in Rochester, he had a 11.12 GAA in 16 games and 313 minutes. He had an offseason in 2009 with a GAA over 15, but he was also injured and played only seven games. In the years before that, he average a goals against average of under 11, with minutes around 145 per season.
#10 Matt King of the Colorado MammothKing played most of his career in Calgary before being traded to the Colorado Mammoth. He started off in Calgary, and then was traded to the Anaheim Storm. After they dispersed, King played backup goaltender for the Portland Lumberjaxx, backing up Aaron Bold and Dwight Maetche. In 2008, The Edmonton Rush acquired King to be their starting goaltender. But they traded him to Calgary late in the season. Since the move to Calgary, King has had GAA os 10.38 and 11.27. Now he looks to replace Vinc in Colorado.
#9 Nick Patterson of the Minnesota SwarmPatterson started his career with the Vancouver Ravens as a backup goaltender. He was traded to Minnesota in 2005, and had a GAA of 15.51. He was later made the Swarm's starting goaltender, where he put up better numbers to lower his career GAA to 12.90.
#8 Tyler Richards of the Washington StealthRichards was drafted in the fourth round of the 2007 NLL entry draft. He found himself in their in 2009 as a backup goaltender, where he had a GAA of 10.48. The Stealth made him their starter in 2010, where he helped get them to the Champions Cup. Richards also has a playoff record of 4-1, his loss coming in the 2009 loss in the Western Conference Championship to the Calgary Roughnecks.
#7 Ken Montour of the Buffalo BanditsMontour missed some of the 2010 season due to injury, but when in there he had a GAA under 11. Before that season, Montour has been the Bandits starting goaltender in 2009 and 2008. In 2009, Montour had a GAA of 9.57.
#6 Matt Disher of the Edmonton RushDisher was drafted in 1999 by the Buffalo Bandits and became their backup goaltender. In his first four seasons, his lowest GAA was 14.00. After being traded to Anaheim and then Minnesota, Disher turned his game around, excusing the 17 GAA in 2007. In his move to Edmonton, he had a career low in GAA and then Portland and Edmonton again. He helped Edmonton get to the Western Conference finals last season.
#5 Brandon Miller of the Philadelphia WingsMiller began his career in Albany/San Jose backing up Rob Blasdell and Anthony Cosmo. He was later traded to Chicago where he became the starting goaltender. Miller was successful in San Jose before moving to Chicago, with GAAs of 12.06, 10.46, and 11.45. After being traded to Philadelphia, Miller's success returned, though the Wings missed the playoffs.
#4 Bob Watson of the Toronto Rock
Read about Watson here.
#3 Pat O'toole of the Rochester Knighthawks
Read about O'toole here.
#2 Anthony Cosmo of the Boston Blazers
Read about Cosmo here.
#1 Matt Vinc of the Rochester Knighthawks
Read about Vinc here.
Showing posts with label Blazers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blazers. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
What Kind of Season Can Toronto Have?
(photo credit: NLL.com) 
The Toronto Rock are coming off an amazing turnaround season, going to the Champions Cup. The Rock had had 3 straight losing seasons before GM Jim Veltman pulled the lever and acquired Colin Doyle from Washington, who they eventually played in the Championship.
But it was not only Doyle who helped them get back into relevance. It was rookies Stephen LeBlanc, Garret Billings, goaltender Bob Watson, as well as Blaine Manning, Sandy Chapman, and Creighton Reid. But what do the Rock have to do to overcome a much improved eastern division?
Their biggest hurdle will be the Boston Blazers(read about them here). After that the Rochester Knighthawks have also improved. What area does Toronto have an advantage? Can they return to the Champions Cup? More, after the jump.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toronto got a huge boost when word came that Bob Watson was returning the the organization. Watson amazingly had a GAA of under nine last season. And while Steve Dietrich retired, they have a healthy backup goaltender competition.
On offense, the Rock return with most of the same lineup as last season, with some new additions, but mostly defensemen with Kyle Ross and Phil Sanderson.
In what area does Toronto have an edge over Boston? If anything, maybe defense. Toronto did trade their defensman Scott Campbell to Boston's improved defense, but Toronto certainly does not have a better offense. With Dawson, Sanderson and Powell, it's hard to beat them. But Toronto is not far behind, with Billings, LeBlanc, Doyle, etc. Boston has more electric players, but Toronto may have more depth at forwards and transition players.
Does Toronto have an advantage in Goaltending? Probably not, with Boston having Anthony Cosmo, but Watson is sure a good goaltender to have. While they don't have the exact advantage, I would not complain if I was left with Bob Watson.
Last season, Stephen LeBlanc was seventh in the league in overall goals. Billings was 11th. Those two now-sophomore players look to be a huge part of Toronto's season in 2011. LeBlanc, 24 years old, last season had 36 goals and 82 points to lead the Rock in goals. Billings had 33 goals and 83 points. They had a combined 32 points in the playoffs.
Toronto has had a very interesting training camp so far, most of it revolving around goaltenders. There are a few more non-goalies, however, who have impressed Rock officials during camp. A few of note are Brice Queener, Aaron Pascas, Damon Edwards, and Glen Bryan. Right now Toronto has 34 men on their training camp roster. They will have to narrow it down to 23. Other players on their training camp roster include Geoff McNulty, Pat Maddalena, Mat McLeod, Drew Petkoff, Sandy Chapman, Tim O’Brien, Anthony Lackey, Rob Marshall, Colin Doyle, Kasey Beirnes, Creighton Reid, Kyle Ross, Garrett Billings, Blaine Manning, Patrick Merrill, Stephan Leblanc, Phil Sanderson, Brendon Doran, Jeff Gilbert, Mike Hobbins, Cam Woods, Josh Wasson, Stephen Hoar and Watson
Toronto plans to narrow down their roster over the next weekend when they play Colorado in a pre-season game. They will also scrimmage vs Buffalo and Minnesota.
As a whole, Toronto has not had an as noticeable off-season as Boston and Rochester. And while they may have taken a step forward, Toronto has not taken a step back, and will compete with them every step of the way.
The Toronto Rock are coming off an amazing turnaround season, going to the Champions Cup. The Rock had had 3 straight losing seasons before GM Jim Veltman pulled the lever and acquired Colin Doyle from Washington, who they eventually played in the Championship.
But it was not only Doyle who helped them get back into relevance. It was rookies Stephen LeBlanc, Garret Billings, goaltender Bob Watson, as well as Blaine Manning, Sandy Chapman, and Creighton Reid. But what do the Rock have to do to overcome a much improved eastern division?
Their biggest hurdle will be the Boston Blazers(read about them here). After that the Rochester Knighthawks have also improved. What area does Toronto have an advantage? Can they return to the Champions Cup? More, after the jump.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toronto got a huge boost when word came that Bob Watson was returning the the organization. Watson amazingly had a GAA of under nine last season. And while Steve Dietrich retired, they have a healthy backup goaltender competition.
On offense, the Rock return with most of the same lineup as last season, with some new additions, but mostly defensemen with Kyle Ross and Phil Sanderson.
In what area does Toronto have an edge over Boston? If anything, maybe defense. Toronto did trade their defensman Scott Campbell to Boston's improved defense, but Toronto certainly does not have a better offense. With Dawson, Sanderson and Powell, it's hard to beat them. But Toronto is not far behind, with Billings, LeBlanc, Doyle, etc. Boston has more electric players, but Toronto may have more depth at forwards and transition players.
Does Toronto have an advantage in Goaltending? Probably not, with Boston having Anthony Cosmo, but Watson is sure a good goaltender to have. While they don't have the exact advantage, I would not complain if I was left with Bob Watson.
Last season, Stephen LeBlanc was seventh in the league in overall goals. Billings was 11th. Those two now-sophomore players look to be a huge part of Toronto's season in 2011. LeBlanc, 24 years old, last season had 36 goals and 82 points to lead the Rock in goals. Billings had 33 goals and 83 points. They had a combined 32 points in the playoffs.
Toronto has had a very interesting training camp so far, most of it revolving around goaltenders. There are a few more non-goalies, however, who have impressed Rock officials during camp. A few of note are Brice Queener, Aaron Pascas, Damon Edwards, and Glen Bryan. Right now Toronto has 34 men on their training camp roster. They will have to narrow it down to 23. Other players on their training camp roster include Geoff McNulty, Pat Maddalena, Mat McLeod, Drew Petkoff, Sandy Chapman, Tim O’Brien, Anthony Lackey, Rob Marshall, Colin Doyle, Kasey Beirnes, Creighton Reid, Kyle Ross, Garrett Billings, Blaine Manning, Patrick Merrill, Stephan Leblanc, Phil Sanderson, Brendon Doran, Jeff Gilbert, Mike Hobbins, Cam Woods, Josh Wasson, Stephen Hoar and Watson
Toronto plans to narrow down their roster over the next weekend when they play Colorado in a pre-season game. They will also scrimmage vs Buffalo and Minnesota.
As a whole, Toronto has not had an as noticeable off-season as Boston and Rochester. And while they may have taken a step forward, Toronto has not taken a step back, and will compete with them every step of the way.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Training Camp Update
As the NLL season creeps closer, more teams are coming to agreements with their players. The Boston Blazers signed Casey Powell and Dan Dawson to two year deals today, locking up two of their new big three. The Blazers have all three of the last three MVPs in Dawson, Powell, and Josh Sanderson. “Dan is one of the most electrifying players in our league,” team president and general manager Doug Reffue said in a release by the team. “With his leadership and offensive presence as well as the addition of all-stars like Casey and Josh, we will be a major challenge for every team this year. Anything short of a Champions Cup would be a major disappointment.”
John Tavares will return to the Buffalo Bandits for one last season. He says he feels old, but wants one more season as a Bandit. “I asked my wife to put my bag in my car because it looked really heavy, since I’m too old. Once I get my stick in my hand, then it’ll be nice to be back. Now it’s like, ‘oh man,’ line after line and driving two hours to get here can be a pain, but it’s nice to be able to do it.” Buffalo looks to be another improved team in the east with additions such as Tracey Kelusky, Scott Self, Brenden Thenhaus, Travis Irving and Ben McCoullogh.
The Toronto Rock have already had an interesting training camp after the retirement of Steve Dietrich. With him out, the Rock have four backup goaltender candidates with Zack Boychuk, Gee Nash, Pat Campbell and Matt Flindell.
Over in Colorado, rookies Ned Crotty and Ben Daives have impressed. They look to add to a much improved offensive Colorado Mammoth team. They look to join John Grant, Ilija and Alex Gajic, and Jamie Shewchuk as the Mammoth offense.
John Tavares will return to the Buffalo Bandits for one last season. He says he feels old, but wants one more season as a Bandit. “I asked my wife to put my bag in my car because it looked really heavy, since I’m too old. Once I get my stick in my hand, then it’ll be nice to be back. Now it’s like, ‘oh man,’ line after line and driving two hours to get here can be a pain, but it’s nice to be able to do it.” Buffalo looks to be another improved team in the east with additions such as Tracey Kelusky, Scott Self, Brenden Thenhaus, Travis Irving and Ben McCoullogh.
The Toronto Rock have already had an interesting training camp after the retirement of Steve Dietrich. With him out, the Rock have four backup goaltender candidates with Zack Boychuk, Gee Nash, Pat Campbell and Matt Flindell.
Over in Colorado, rookies Ned Crotty and Ben Daives have impressed. They look to add to a much improved offensive Colorado Mammoth team. They look to join John Grant, Ilija and Alex Gajic, and Jamie Shewchuk as the Mammoth offense.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Boston Blazers.. Is This Their Year?
(photo credit: NLL.com)
When the Boston Blazers first acquired Casey Powell, I thought they became the favorites in the East. When they acquired Josh Sanderson, I thought so even more. The Blazers certainly have what looks to be a powerhouse offense, with those additions along with Dan Dawson. But did the Blazers address their biggest need? And are there more teams to worry about in the East?
Looking at the Blazers roster up-to-down, it looks pretty solid. Along with their big three they have Scott Campbell, John Orsen, Greg Downing, Gary Bining, Kevin Buchanan, Sean Morris, and Dan Teat. Those are some pretty good complementary players to Sanderson, Dawson and Powell. And on the goaltending front, you cannot go wrong with Anthony Cosmo. So again, on paper this team looked solid.
I feel they did address their biggest problem, which was second half scoring. After teams would adjust to Dan Dawson, the Blazers did not have enough players to pick up the slack. They tried to fix this by acquiring Mat Giles, and he was ok, but he was also not their scoring solution.
By getting Powell and later Sanderson, that should solve the issue. Teams cannot double cover all three players. Especially Powell, who has had a history of good second halves.
While credit to Boston for improving the issue, Powell kind of fell right into their lap. Thanks to the Giles trade of the previous season, Boston was left with the #2 pick of the Titans dispersal. With Colorado snatching up Matt Vinc, Powell was left open for the Blazers. They did have to surrender a few players for Sanderson, but it was well worth getting the former MVP.
The rest of their additions look like good support players, like Dan Teat, who is 20th all time in NLL scoring. And then Kevin Buchanan, who looks to score a few goals.
But other teams are improving too. Toronto has a really solid roster, with Blaine Manning, Colin Doyle, Garret Billings and Wade LeBlanc. The Rock, I have always thought, would be able to contend with Boston. But with the recent additions of Rochester, the Knighthawks might jump into that mix. And it is not so much Vinc, as they always had Pat O'Toole in net.
But even with the loss of John Grant, they have Cody Jaimeson, Jordon Hall, Craig Point, Steve Toll, Shawn Evans, and Matt Zash. With a few more roster moves, they also have Brad Self and Matt Danowski.
So with the Knighthawks and Rock in the mix, that leaves the Blazers with some tough opponents. Back to the Blazers, is their still a weakness on this team? They improved their problems from last year, but that does not mean they won't have problems somewhere else.
I think the Blazers acquired some good defensive players with Orsen and Campbell, but they lost Paul Dawson, who is one of the best in the league. While those two may make up for the loss, the acquisition of Kyle Rubisch was supposed to as well. However he remains unsigned, and it is unknown if Boston will have to trade him.
When the Boston Blazers first acquired Casey Powell, I thought they became the favorites in the East. When they acquired Josh Sanderson, I thought so even more. The Blazers certainly have what looks to be a powerhouse offense, with those additions along with Dan Dawson. But did the Blazers address their biggest need? And are there more teams to worry about in the East?
Looking at the Blazers roster up-to-down, it looks pretty solid. Along with their big three they have Scott Campbell, John Orsen, Greg Downing, Gary Bining, Kevin Buchanan, Sean Morris, and Dan Teat. Those are some pretty good complementary players to Sanderson, Dawson and Powell. And on the goaltending front, you cannot go wrong with Anthony Cosmo. So again, on paper this team looked solid.
I feel they did address their biggest problem, which was second half scoring. After teams would adjust to Dan Dawson, the Blazers did not have enough players to pick up the slack. They tried to fix this by acquiring Mat Giles, and he was ok, but he was also not their scoring solution.
By getting Powell and later Sanderson, that should solve the issue. Teams cannot double cover all three players. Especially Powell, who has had a history of good second halves.
While credit to Boston for improving the issue, Powell kind of fell right into their lap. Thanks to the Giles trade of the previous season, Boston was left with the #2 pick of the Titans dispersal. With Colorado snatching up Matt Vinc, Powell was left open for the Blazers. They did have to surrender a few players for Sanderson, but it was well worth getting the former MVP.
The rest of their additions look like good support players, like Dan Teat, who is 20th all time in NLL scoring. And then Kevin Buchanan, who looks to score a few goals.
But other teams are improving too. Toronto has a really solid roster, with Blaine Manning, Colin Doyle, Garret Billings and Wade LeBlanc. The Rock, I have always thought, would be able to contend with Boston. But with the recent additions of Rochester, the Knighthawks might jump into that mix. And it is not so much Vinc, as they always had Pat O'Toole in net.
But even with the loss of John Grant, they have Cody Jaimeson, Jordon Hall, Craig Point, Steve Toll, Shawn Evans, and Matt Zash. With a few more roster moves, they also have Brad Self and Matt Danowski.
So with the Knighthawks and Rock in the mix, that leaves the Blazers with some tough opponents. Back to the Blazers, is their still a weakness on this team? They improved their problems from last year, but that does not mean they won't have problems somewhere else.
I think the Blazers acquired some good defensive players with Orsen and Campbell, but they lost Paul Dawson, who is one of the best in the league. While those two may make up for the loss, the acquisition of Kyle Rubisch was supposed to as well. However he remains unsigned, and it is unknown if Boston will have to trade him.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Games of the Year- #13
This is going to seem like an odd game but it just stood out to me as one of the most exciting games in the NLL this season.
It was a regular season game between the Boston Blazers and Colorado Mammoth. There was a brawl, goalies ejected, and a game with playoff implications coming down to the final seconds. So here is your number 13 game of the year.
This was the first ever meeting between the Blazers and Mammoth,but they played like they had known each other for a long time.
It was a low scoring game, with no one scoring until ten minutes into the first quarter. Boston did a terrific job defending Colorado, who had averaged 12 goals per game in their last three.
Boston ended up with a 2-0 lead after the first quarter, after goals from Daryl Veltman and Jamie Rooney.
Colorado made it 2-1 seconds into the second, but Dan Dawson scored 28 seconds after that.
The controversy began when Alex Gajic shot hit the post, then deflected behind Anthony Cosmo's leg and the ball spun on the goal line before Boston picked up the loose ball.
However, Colorado coach Bob Hamley threw the challenge flag and the officials ruled the play a good goal.
However, the officials reviewed the play again at halftime and stripped the Mammoth of their second goal, making it 3-1 Boston at halftime.
The third quarter was a high scoring one, with the score at 6-4 Boston going into the final frame.
The Mammoth got lucky when Boston goalie Anthony Cosmo was thrown out of the game for having enlarged pads. So Boston had to go with their backup goaltender,Nick Rose. The Mammoth took advantage of their momentum and starting shooting several shots on net. Colorado tied the game at six before Dan Dawson again worked his magic to take the lead for the Blazers.
Rich Catton tied it again for Colorado, but after a Dan Dawson and Jon Harnett goal the playoffs hope for Colorado were over.
Media coverage:
NLL.com
Box Score:
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
44 Cosmo, Anthony G 0 0 0 0 0 12 0/0
66 Rose, Nick G 0 1 0 0 0 0 0/0
2 Dawson, Paul D 0 0 0 0 6 2 0/0
6 Dawson, Dan F 5 3 12 13 4 0 0/0
8 Downing, Greg T 0 1 1 1 4 0 0/0
9 Bining, Gary F 0 0 4 5 2 0 0/0
12 Durno, Jon D 0 0 0 0 3 4 0/0
16 Veltman, Daryl F 1 2 7 11 4 0 0/0
18 Reid, Jack D 0 0 0 0 3 2 0/0
20 Hotaling, Ryan T 0 1 1 6 8 0 10/21
23 Queener, Brett T 0 3 0 1 3 0 0/0
26 Kirk, Mike D 0 0 0 0 5 0 0/0
27 Giles, Mat F 1 2 6 6 4 0 0/0
33 Harnett, Jon D 1 0 1 1 4 0 0/0
37 Cotter, Nick F 0 1 9 9 3 2 0/0
85 Belisle, Mitch D 0 0 0 0 7 2 0/0
90 Rooney, Jamie F 1 0 4 6 6 2 0/0
97 Ross, Kyle T 0 0 1 2 2 2 0/0
TEAM 9 46 61 68 28 10/21
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
30 Levis, Chris G 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
41 Leyshon, Andrew G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
1 Prossner, Jed F 2 1 12 15 6 0 0/0
6 Langtry, Brian F 0 2 8 14 5 0 0/0
8 Carlson, Nick T 0 0 0 0 2 2 0/0
9 Gajic, Ilija F 0 0 6 12 4 4 0/0
10 Gajic, Alex F 1 0 8 8 2 2 0/0
11 Gallant, John D 0 0 0 0 4 0 0/0
17 Richardson, Brad D 0 1 0 0 5 0 11/21
18 Malawsky, Derek F 0 2 4 4 2 2 0/0
20 Murray, Bruce D 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
24 McFadyen, Ryan D 0 0 1 1 3 0 0/0
27 Smith, Cliff T 1 0 1 1 7 0 0/0
28 Ethington, Tom D 0 0 0 0 5 0 0/0
36 McKay, Chris D 0 2 0 0 7 4 0/0
48 Catton, Rich D 1 0 1 1 2 0 0/0
85 Shewchuk, Jamie F 2 0 9 14 6 0 0/0
91 Conway, Cory F 0 0 2 3 2 0 0/0
TEAM 7 52 73 64 14 11/21
It was a regular season game between the Boston Blazers and Colorado Mammoth. There was a brawl, goalies ejected, and a game with playoff implications coming down to the final seconds. So here is your number 13 game of the year.
This was the first ever meeting between the Blazers and Mammoth,but they played like they had known each other for a long time.
It was a low scoring game, with no one scoring until ten minutes into the first quarter. Boston did a terrific job defending Colorado, who had averaged 12 goals per game in their last three.
Boston ended up with a 2-0 lead after the first quarter, after goals from Daryl Veltman and Jamie Rooney.
Colorado made it 2-1 seconds into the second, but Dan Dawson scored 28 seconds after that.
The controversy began when Alex Gajic shot hit the post, then deflected behind Anthony Cosmo's leg and the ball spun on the goal line before Boston picked up the loose ball.
However, Colorado coach Bob Hamley threw the challenge flag and the officials ruled the play a good goal.
However, the officials reviewed the play again at halftime and stripped the Mammoth of their second goal, making it 3-1 Boston at halftime.
The third quarter was a high scoring one, with the score at 6-4 Boston going into the final frame.
The Mammoth got lucky when Boston goalie Anthony Cosmo was thrown out of the game for having enlarged pads. So Boston had to go with their backup goaltender,Nick Rose. The Mammoth took advantage of their momentum and starting shooting several shots on net. Colorado tied the game at six before Dan Dawson again worked his magic to take the lead for the Blazers.
Rich Catton tied it again for Colorado, but after a Dan Dawson and Jon Harnett goal the playoffs hope for Colorado were over.
Media coverage:
NLL.com
Box Score:
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
44 Cosmo, Anthony G 0 0 0 0 0 12 0/0
66 Rose, Nick G 0 1 0 0 0 0 0/0
2 Dawson, Paul D 0 0 0 0 6 2 0/0
6 Dawson, Dan F 5 3 12 13 4 0 0/0
8 Downing, Greg T 0 1 1 1 4 0 0/0
9 Bining, Gary F 0 0 4 5 2 0 0/0
12 Durno, Jon D 0 0 0 0 3 4 0/0
16 Veltman, Daryl F 1 2 7 11 4 0 0/0
18 Reid, Jack D 0 0 0 0 3 2 0/0
20 Hotaling, Ryan T 0 1 1 6 8 0 10/21
23 Queener, Brett T 0 3 0 1 3 0 0/0
26 Kirk, Mike D 0 0 0 0 5 0 0/0
27 Giles, Mat F 1 2 6 6 4 0 0/0
33 Harnett, Jon D 1 0 1 1 4 0 0/0
37 Cotter, Nick F 0 1 9 9 3 2 0/0
85 Belisle, Mitch D 0 0 0 0 7 2 0/0
90 Rooney, Jamie F 1 0 4 6 6 2 0/0
97 Ross, Kyle T 0 0 1 2 2 2 0/0
TEAM 9 46 61 68 28 10/21
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
30 Levis, Chris G 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
41 Leyshon, Andrew G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
1 Prossner, Jed F 2 1 12 15 6 0 0/0
6 Langtry, Brian F 0 2 8 14 5 0 0/0
8 Carlson, Nick T 0 0 0 0 2 2 0/0
9 Gajic, Ilija F 0 0 6 12 4 4 0/0
10 Gajic, Alex F 1 0 8 8 2 2 0/0
11 Gallant, John D 0 0 0 0 4 0 0/0
17 Richardson, Brad D 0 1 0 0 5 0 11/21
18 Malawsky, Derek F 0 2 4 4 2 2 0/0
20 Murray, Bruce D 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
24 McFadyen, Ryan D 0 0 1 1 3 0 0/0
27 Smith, Cliff T 1 0 1 1 7 0 0/0
28 Ethington, Tom D 0 0 0 0 5 0 0/0
36 McKay, Chris D 0 2 0 0 7 4 0/0
48 Catton, Rich D 1 0 1 1 2 0 0/0
85 Shewchuk, Jamie F 2 0 9 14 6 0 0/0
91 Conway, Cory F 0 0 2 3 2 0 0/0
TEAM 7 52 73 64 14 11/21
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Top Games---- #15 Orlando Titans vs Boston Blazers
A first round playoff matchup between the #1 Orlando Titans and #4 Boston Blazers. Boston dominated the early half of the game, but Orlando made a terrific comeback on the shoulders of Casey Powell.
As I attended this game, my only of the year, this does hold a special place in my heart. So here is you #15 game of the year....
The Titans were the favorites going into the game, the #1 seed in the east with the #1 player in the world, Casey Powell. Boston came in as a good team that struggled at times in second halfs, with their #1 player Dan Dawson.
The Blazers had a problem in the second half of the season; Teams made a halftime adjustment to double-cover Dawson. Boston had some other good scorers, Daryl Veltman, Ryan Hotaling, Mat Giles and Gary Bining. But none good enough to take the double-cover off one of the best players in the game.
Boston played a terrific second half, dominating an Orlando team that had not been dominated, and carried a 7-4 lead into halftime.
But remember, Phil Jackson, Boston lovvves to blow a lead in the fourth quarter.
Casey Powell went on a rampage, scoring five goals to lead the game in goals and named game MVP.
Dawson, though scoring was shut down, did dish out 7 assists to go along with one goal.
Orlando tied the game 8-8 late in the third period, but Boston battled back and took the lead, 9-8. But it wasn't over there. In the fourth quarter, Casey Powell scored two goals to make it 10-9 Orlando before Jarret Park scored a goal to make it 11-9.
Boston continued to battle and tied it at 11 with one minute remaining and possession, but a turnover got the ball to the Titans and Jordon Hall scored the game winning goal. Matt Vinc had 35 saves in Orlando's comeback win.
Now, this could be an odd pick to some people. But like I said, because I was at this game it holds a special place in my heart. But this game was also one of the best in the NLL all season. Orlando made a terrific comeback, tying the game and then taking the lead, it was a classic back and forth.
Our #14 game will be the MLL All-Star game on Friday.
Media:
NLL Insider Coverage
Game Recap from The Lacrosse Blog
Game Stats:
Blazers
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
4Cosmo, Anthony G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
66 Rose, Nick G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
2 Dawson, Paul D 0 0 0 0 7 0 0/0
6 Dawson, Dan F 1 7 4 10 5 0 0/0
8Downing, Greg T 0 0 0 1 11 0 0/0
9 Bining, Gary F 2 1 4 4 3 0 0/0
12 Durno, Jon D 0 0 0 0 1 2 0/0
16Veltman, Daryl F 3 3 10 14 4 0 0/0
18 Reid, Jack D 0 0 0 0 3 2 2/2
20Hotaling, Ryan T0 2 2 2 3 0 17/25
23Queener, Brett T0 0 0 0 0 2 0/0
26 Kirk, Mike D 0 0 0 0 6 0 0/0
27 Giles, Mat F 1 4 8 9 7 2 0/0
33Harnett, Jon D 0 0 1 1 5 2 0/0
37Cotter, Nick F 2 0 9 11 6 4 0/0
85Belisle, Mitch D0 1 1 1 12 0 0/0
90Rooney, Jamie F 2 1 7 9 1 0 0/0
97 Ross, Kyle T 0 0 0 0 2 0 0/0
TEAM 11 46 62 76 14 19/27
Titans
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
3 Wagar, Kurtis G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
48 Vinc, Matt G 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
3 Alrich, Matt F 0 0 7 9 4 0 0/0
6 Bigas, Jeff D 0 0 0 0 2 0 0/0
10 Zash, Matt D 1 1 3 3 7 0 2/6
12 ark, Jarett T 1 0 1 1 7 2 0/0
14 Boyle, Ryan F 0 1 1 4 0 0 0/0
15 MacLeod, Mat F 0 1 1 1 3 0 0/0
16 Merrill, Pat D 0 1 2 2 2 2 0/1
17 Greer, Bill D 1 0 1 1 3 0 0/0
19McLellan, Mike F1 1 6 8 2 0 0/0
20 Peyser, Greg D 0 2 0 1 10 2 6/20
21Koneczny, Chet D 0 1 2 2 3 0 0/0
22 Powell, Casey F 5 2 12 14 2 0 0/0
24 Smith, Rory D 0 0 0 0 2 2 0/0
42Maddalena, Pat F 1 4 4 8 4 0 0/0
44 Hall, Jordan T 1 2 9 12 5 2 0/0
56 Orsen, John T 1 1 0 0 10 0 0/0
TEAM 12 49 66 67 10 8/27
Other Notes:
Shots on Goal: Bos: 46 Orl: 49
PP: Bos: 1-3 Orl: 1-4
FO: Bos: 19 of 27 Orl: 8 of 27
As I attended this game, my only of the year, this does hold a special place in my heart. So here is you #15 game of the year....
The Titans were the favorites going into the game, the #1 seed in the east with the #1 player in the world, Casey Powell. Boston came in as a good team that struggled at times in second halfs, with their #1 player Dan Dawson.
The Blazers had a problem in the second half of the season; Teams made a halftime adjustment to double-cover Dawson. Boston had some other good scorers, Daryl Veltman, Ryan Hotaling, Mat Giles and Gary Bining. But none good enough to take the double-cover off one of the best players in the game.
Boston played a terrific second half, dominating an Orlando team that had not been dominated, and carried a 7-4 lead into halftime.
But remember, Phil Jackson, Boston lovvves to blow a lead in the fourth quarter.
Casey Powell went on a rampage, scoring five goals to lead the game in goals and named game MVP.
Dawson, though scoring was shut down, did dish out 7 assists to go along with one goal.
Orlando tied the game 8-8 late in the third period, but Boston battled back and took the lead, 9-8. But it wasn't over there. In the fourth quarter, Casey Powell scored two goals to make it 10-9 Orlando before Jarret Park scored a goal to make it 11-9.
Boston continued to battle and tied it at 11 with one minute remaining and possession, but a turnover got the ball to the Titans and Jordon Hall scored the game winning goal. Matt Vinc had 35 saves in Orlando's comeback win.
Now, this could be an odd pick to some people. But like I said, because I was at this game it holds a special place in my heart. But this game was also one of the best in the NLL all season. Orlando made a terrific comeback, tying the game and then taking the lead, it was a classic back and forth.
Our #14 game will be the MLL All-Star game on Friday.
Media:
NLL Insider Coverage
Game Recap from The Lacrosse Blog
Game Stats:
Blazers
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
4Cosmo, Anthony G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
66 Rose, Nick G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
2 Dawson, Paul D 0 0 0 0 7 0 0/0
6 Dawson, Dan F 1 7 4 10 5 0 0/0
8Downing, Greg T 0 0 0 1 11 0 0/0
9 Bining, Gary F 2 1 4 4 3 0 0/0
12 Durno, Jon D 0 0 0 0 1 2 0/0
16Veltman, Daryl F 3 3 10 14 4 0 0/0
18 Reid, Jack D 0 0 0 0 3 2 2/2
20Hotaling, Ryan T0 2 2 2 3 0 17/25
23Queener, Brett T0 0 0 0 0 2 0/0
26 Kirk, Mike D 0 0 0 0 6 0 0/0
27 Giles, Mat F 1 4 8 9 7 2 0/0
33Harnett, Jon D 0 0 1 1 5 2 0/0
37Cotter, Nick F 2 0 9 11 6 4 0/0
85Belisle, Mitch D0 1 1 1 12 0 0/0
90Rooney, Jamie F 2 1 7 9 1 0 0/0
97 Ross, Kyle T 0 0 0 0 2 0 0/0
TEAM 11 46 62 76 14 19/27
Titans
PLAYERS Pos. G A SOG S LB PIM FO
3 Wagar, Kurtis G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0
48 Vinc, Matt G 0 0 0 0 1 0 0/0
3 Alrich, Matt F 0 0 7 9 4 0 0/0
6 Bigas, Jeff D 0 0 0 0 2 0 0/0
10 Zash, Matt D 1 1 3 3 7 0 2/6
12 ark, Jarett T 1 0 1 1 7 2 0/0
14 Boyle, Ryan F 0 1 1 4 0 0 0/0
15 MacLeod, Mat F 0 1 1 1 3 0 0/0
16 Merrill, Pat D 0 1 2 2 2 2 0/1
17 Greer, Bill D 1 0 1 1 3 0 0/0
19McLellan, Mike F1 1 6 8 2 0 0/0
20 Peyser, Greg D 0 2 0 1 10 2 6/20
21Koneczny, Chet D 0 1 2 2 3 0 0/0
22 Powell, Casey F 5 2 12 14 2 0 0/0
24 Smith, Rory D 0 0 0 0 2 2 0/0
42Maddalena, Pat F 1 4 4 8 4 0 0/0
44 Hall, Jordan T 1 2 9 12 5 2 0/0
56 Orsen, John T 1 1 0 0 10 0 0/0
TEAM 12 49 66 67 10 8/27
Other Notes:
Shots on Goal: Bos: 46 Orl: 49
PP: Bos: 1-3 Orl: 1-4
FO: Bos: 19 of 27 Orl: 8 of 27
Friday, October 22, 2010
Lax Links- 10/22
Lax Links for Friday.
Blazers sign Teat- NLL Insider
20 questions with Rory Smith- NLL Insider
Cody Jaimeson ready for Knighthawks season- NLL Insider
The Internet Sport Show talks lacrosse every Tuesday- YouTube
Blazers sign Teat- NLL Insider
20 questions with Rory Smith- NLL Insider
Cody Jaimeson ready for Knighthawks season- NLL Insider
The Internet Sport Show talks lacrosse every Tuesday- YouTube
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
NLL Season Preview- October
The NLL is still months away, but a lot has happened this offseason to shape the season already. Every month we will have an NLL preview, talking about different aspects that will matter this season.
NLL Preview- Scoring
A lot of prime offensive players switched teams this offseason. Including last season's MVP Casey Powell. The Boston Blazers offense has been well documented this offseason, acquiring Powell and Josh Sanderson from the Calgary Roughnecks.
But those were not the only players to switch teams. Geoff Snider was traded to Calgary, and Jeff Zwycki left the Washington Stealth. And with Colin Doyle being traded last offseason, this looks to be the norm in the NLL.
Who will lead?In the east, I think Boston. I've talked about them a lot so far already, so how about the west. If Calgary didn;t trace everybody, I would have said them, but I am going to go with Washington for now, the defending champs. Paul Rabil leads that team obviously, so I believe as of right now Washington will lead the West in scoring.
Who is in the cellar?Philadelphia. They lost Snider, which really hurts their offense. I don't see them even making the playoffs as of right now. In the west, I'm going with Colorado, though I do see them making the playoffs with Vinc. I think Minnesota will score more, but I do not believe they are good enough to make the playoffs this season.
Lead the league?I think Josh Sanderson will lead the league again. With playmaker Casey Powell playing with him, I can see a repeat for Sanderson.
Top 5?My top 5 point getters this season, in no order, would be Sanderson, Powell, Lewis Ratcliff, Colin Doyle, and Callum Crawford. Honorable mention: Paul Rabil
NLL Preview- Scoring
A lot of prime offensive players switched teams this offseason. Including last season's MVP Casey Powell. The Boston Blazers offense has been well documented this offseason, acquiring Powell and Josh Sanderson from the Calgary Roughnecks.
But those were not the only players to switch teams. Geoff Snider was traded to Calgary, and Jeff Zwycki left the Washington Stealth. And with Colin Doyle being traded last offseason, this looks to be the norm in the NLL.
Who will lead?In the east, I think Boston. I've talked about them a lot so far already, so how about the west. If Calgary didn;t trace everybody, I would have said them, but I am going to go with Washington for now, the defending champs. Paul Rabil leads that team obviously, so I believe as of right now Washington will lead the West in scoring.
Who is in the cellar?Philadelphia. They lost Snider, which really hurts their offense. I don't see them even making the playoffs as of right now. In the west, I'm going with Colorado, though I do see them making the playoffs with Vinc. I think Minnesota will score more, but I do not believe they are good enough to make the playoffs this season.
Lead the league?I think Josh Sanderson will lead the league again. With playmaker Casey Powell playing with him, I can see a repeat for Sanderson.
Top 5?My top 5 point getters this season, in no order, would be Sanderson, Powell, Lewis Ratcliff, Colin Doyle, and Callum Crawford. Honorable mention: Paul Rabil
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
1-1 with Casey Powell
A video from NLL Insider.com. Watch an interview with the NLL MVP and Boston Blazer Casey Powell, who we will have a feature about tomorrow.
Powell talks about playing in Boston, what Florida lacrosse did for him, preventing head injuries in lacrosse, and his new partnership with Eastern-bell.
Powell talks about playing in Boston, what Florida lacrosse did for him, preventing head injuries in lacrosse, and his new partnership with Eastern-bell.
Monday, October 4, 2010
NLL Player Preview: Josh Sanderson
After all the NLL team previews, we will now look at some player previews. We will look at some of the more intriguing players in the NLL. It will be a total of 20 players, with at least one from each team. This series will stretch until January.
Right now, it's Josh Sanderson.
Sanderson was originally drafted by the Rochester Knighthawks in 1998. In his rookie year, he played in four games and scored four points. The next he played five and then Rochester traded him to the Albany Attack. With the Attack in 2002, he scored 103 points with 35 goals. That was his peak in Albany, while he scored 76 and 89 points, the last year with San Jose before the franchise moved on from him and he went to Toronto. With the Rock he broke out, scoring 102, 98 and 85 points before being traded to Calgary. With Calgary, he had only 16 points in an injury plagued season and ended up back in Toronto. He scored only 50 points in 11 games that year before he was shipped back out to the Roughnecks, for Lewis Ratcliff. He then scored 103 and 104 points, leading the league last season and was second the year before. He was also named MVP of the 2009 Champions Cup with Calgary.
In the offseason, he was traded to the Boston Blazers, where he will play alongside Casey Powell and Dan Dawson.
Josh Sanderson is related to the goaltender, Chris Sanderson, who was an all-time goaltending great in the MLL. He recently returned from brain cancer and played in the FIL for team Canada.
Sanderson has won two NLL Champions Cups, with Calgary and Toronto. In 2002 he won the MVP of the Mann Cup in Major Series Lacrosse. He has been an all-pro in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010. He was also a starter for the 2009 NLL all-star game. Sanderson was MVP of Calgary's Championship. He also played in the Bowhunter Cup.
The Next Player Preview will be Ryan Powell at some time this month. If you have any ideas of who you want to see next in this series, write it in the comments.
Right now, it's Josh Sanderson.
Sanderson was originally drafted by the Rochester Knighthawks in 1998. In his rookie year, he played in four games and scored four points. The next he played five and then Rochester traded him to the Albany Attack. With the Attack in 2002, he scored 103 points with 35 goals. That was his peak in Albany, while he scored 76 and 89 points, the last year with San Jose before the franchise moved on from him and he went to Toronto. With the Rock he broke out, scoring 102, 98 and 85 points before being traded to Calgary. With Calgary, he had only 16 points in an injury plagued season and ended up back in Toronto. He scored only 50 points in 11 games that year before he was shipped back out to the Roughnecks, for Lewis Ratcliff. He then scored 103 and 104 points, leading the league last season and was second the year before. He was also named MVP of the 2009 Champions Cup with Calgary.
In the offseason, he was traded to the Boston Blazers, where he will play alongside Casey Powell and Dan Dawson.
Josh Sanderson is related to the goaltender, Chris Sanderson, who was an all-time goaltending great in the MLL. He recently returned from brain cancer and played in the FIL for team Canada.
Sanderson has won two NLL Champions Cups, with Calgary and Toronto. In 2002 he won the MVP of the Mann Cup in Major Series Lacrosse. He has been an all-pro in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010. He was also a starter for the 2009 NLL all-star game. Sanderson was MVP of Calgary's Championship. He also played in the Bowhunter Cup.
The Next Player Preview will be Ryan Powell at some time this month. If you have any ideas of who you want to see next in this series, write it in the comments.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
NLL Preview Buffalo Bandits
The Bandits finished 8-8 last season, making the playoffs as the third seed. They lost to the eventual east champions Toronto Rock in the first round. The Bandits made the playoffs on the last day of the season, beating the Boston Blazers to clinch.
Buffalo had a terrific year from Mark Steenhius, who finished fourth in the league in scoring with 90 points and 36 goals. Steenhius was looking to prove himself in elite player in this league, scoring 101 goals the previous season. Steenhius was also second in the league with 175 shots on goal, second to only John Grant.
Buffalo's next leading goal scorer was 37th in the league, and it was the 42 year old John Tavares. Tavares, a Bandit since 1992 and a future hall of famer, scored 49 points and was second on the team. He scored 21 goals and 28 assits.
Buffalo's next three top scorers were Mike Accursi, Kevin Dostie, and Brett Bucktooth. Buffalo was third in the East in goals scored, scoring more than Boston, Rochester, and Philadelphia. But their goals again est was also third in the east with 170 GA. One of their goaltenders, Mike Thompson, had a 9.92 GAA. The other two goaltenders for the Bandits, Ken Montour and Angus Goodleaf, had 10.89 and 10.75 GAAs, respectively.
Buffalo played more overtime games than anyone last season in the east, winning two and losing one. Their wins were a thrilling win over Toronto, and a nailbaiter in Boston. Their loss came vs Colorado. Buffalo had only one winning streak all season, and that was a three game winning streak vs Orlando, Toronto and Boston.
Buffalo has made some good acquisitions this offseason. They signed former Boston Blazer Brenden Thenhaus and Kyle Clancy, who was the Bandits first round pick last season. Buffalo also drafted Travis Irving with their ninth overall pick, and also drafted Ben McCollough.
Buffalo is going to have a tough time in the east this season. Orlando is gone, but Toronto is still there and Boston is much improved. The Bandits will make the playoffs, but probably no higher than a third seed. Buffalo will now be three years removed from their 2008 championship, and need to start a whole new dynasty this season.
Next On Previews: Rochester Knighthawks
Buffalo had a terrific year from Mark Steenhius, who finished fourth in the league in scoring with 90 points and 36 goals. Steenhius was looking to prove himself in elite player in this league, scoring 101 goals the previous season. Steenhius was also second in the league with 175 shots on goal, second to only John Grant.
Buffalo's next leading goal scorer was 37th in the league, and it was the 42 year old John Tavares. Tavares, a Bandit since 1992 and a future hall of famer, scored 49 points and was second on the team. He scored 21 goals and 28 assits.
Buffalo's next three top scorers were Mike Accursi, Kevin Dostie, and Brett Bucktooth. Buffalo was third in the East in goals scored, scoring more than Boston, Rochester, and Philadelphia. But their goals again est was also third in the east with 170 GA. One of their goaltenders, Mike Thompson, had a 9.92 GAA. The other two goaltenders for the Bandits, Ken Montour and Angus Goodleaf, had 10.89 and 10.75 GAAs, respectively.
Buffalo played more overtime games than anyone last season in the east, winning two and losing one. Their wins were a thrilling win over Toronto, and a nailbaiter in Boston. Their loss came vs Colorado. Buffalo had only one winning streak all season, and that was a three game winning streak vs Orlando, Toronto and Boston.
Buffalo has made some good acquisitions this offseason. They signed former Boston Blazer Brenden Thenhaus and Kyle Clancy, who was the Bandits first round pick last season. Buffalo also drafted Travis Irving with their ninth overall pick, and also drafted Ben McCollough.
Buffalo is going to have a tough time in the east this season. Orlando is gone, but Toronto is still there and Boston is much improved. The Bandits will make the playoffs, but probably no higher than a third seed. Buffalo will now be three years removed from their 2008 championship, and need to start a whole new dynasty this season.
Next On Previews: Rochester Knighthawks
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Boston Blazers Preview
The NLL Draft will be soon upon us. The NLL season is now only a few months away, and it's time to preview them.
The Boston Blazers bounced back last season from a devastating defeat to the Buffalo Bandits in the playoffs. They made the playoffs on the final day of the season, beating out the Rochester Knighthawks, but they barely backed in. They lost to Buffalo that night and needed Washington to defeat Rochester. Lucky for them, they did. But it once again proved Boston's inconsistencies with a season full of them.
Boston had one issue all season long; If Dan Dawson was shut down, so were the Blazers. They had some good players in Daryl Veltman and they went out and acquired Mat Giles, but it was not enough. They relied on Dawson and their goaltender Anthony Cosmo to get it done.
Boston finished fourth in the east and had to travel to Orlando for their playoff showdown. They lost similarly to the rest of their regular season: They had a lead, but Orlando adjusted to shutting down Boston's top scorer. Well, the Blazers were full aware of this flaw and used a golden opportunity to fix it.
The Blazers have lucked out on dispersal drafts their entire existence, having the number one pick to steal Dawson from Arizona and Cosmo from Chicago. This year they had a number two pick for the Orlando Titan's dispersal, and they drafted league MVP Casey Powell. Now with Dawson and Powell on offense, that was sure to fix a flawed offense. But even better, Boston made one of the bigger blockbusters of the last few years and acquired Josh Sanderson, the 2009 playoffs MVP. Similar to the Boston Celtics big three, the Blazers look to take this opportunity and win the whole thing.
With the best team in the east, Orlando, out of the league, their only real competition will be Toronto and maybe Buffalo might be a surprise team. But Boston has a real golden opportunity to make this their year.
The Boston Blazers bounced back last season from a devastating defeat to the Buffalo Bandits in the playoffs. They made the playoffs on the final day of the season, beating out the Rochester Knighthawks, but they barely backed in. They lost to Buffalo that night and needed Washington to defeat Rochester. Lucky for them, they did. But it once again proved Boston's inconsistencies with a season full of them.
Boston had one issue all season long; If Dan Dawson was shut down, so were the Blazers. They had some good players in Daryl Veltman and they went out and acquired Mat Giles, but it was not enough. They relied on Dawson and their goaltender Anthony Cosmo to get it done.
Boston finished fourth in the east and had to travel to Orlando for their playoff showdown. They lost similarly to the rest of their regular season: They had a lead, but Orlando adjusted to shutting down Boston's top scorer. Well, the Blazers were full aware of this flaw and used a golden opportunity to fix it.
The Blazers have lucked out on dispersal drafts their entire existence, having the number one pick to steal Dawson from Arizona and Cosmo from Chicago. This year they had a number two pick for the Orlando Titan's dispersal, and they drafted league MVP Casey Powell. Now with Dawson and Powell on offense, that was sure to fix a flawed offense. But even better, Boston made one of the bigger blockbusters of the last few years and acquired Josh Sanderson, the 2009 playoffs MVP. Similar to the Boston Celtics big three, the Blazers look to take this opportunity and win the whole thing.
With the best team in the east, Orlando, out of the league, their only real competition will be Toronto and maybe Buffalo might be a surprise team. But Boston has a real golden opportunity to make this their year.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
NLL Preview: Toronto Rock
The NLL Draft will be soon upon us. The NLL season is now only a few months away, and it's time to preview them.
The Toronto Rock finished in second place in the East last season and made it to the Champions Cup where they were defeated by the Washington Stealth. Key players for the Rock last season were rookies Garret Billings and Stephen LeBlanc, an then of course Colin Doyle, Blaine Manning and Sandy Chapman. But what will the Rock look like this year?
The Rock lost the division to the Orlando Titans. While they may not be in the league any more, expect the Boston Blazers to have a strong season. If the Rock want to compete, they will need those players and others to contribute. With Bob Watson getting older, the Rock will need a new "rock" in net. They already have Steve Dietrich, but can he step in and be the everyday goaltender? Or will the Rock go via the draft to find a new goaltender? They may still keep Watson on the roster, but he can not do everyday what he used to. I expect them to draft a young goalie to learn under Watson and Dietrich.
The Rock made a questionable deal this off-season, trading veteran defense man Scott Campbell to Boston for a second round draft pick. The Rock, however, did try to fill that void by attempting to sign restricted free agent defensemen Paul Dawson, Kyle Ross and John Orsen. They failed at the first two, but have a shot at Ross. The contract would make him one of the highest paid NLL defensmen, but he is not as good as Campbell.
In the dispersal draft this year, the Rock picked up attack man Mike McLellan. A great pick up, it adds a ton of scoring depth for an already high-powered Rock offense. Garret Billings was rookie of the year last season, and I just expect for him and LeBlanc to keep getting better.
I see the Blazers as the East champions, but the Rock are going to have a good shot at it too.
The Toronto Rock finished in second place in the East last season and made it to the Champions Cup where they were defeated by the Washington Stealth. Key players for the Rock last season were rookies Garret Billings and Stephen LeBlanc, an then of course Colin Doyle, Blaine Manning and Sandy Chapman. But what will the Rock look like this year?
The Rock lost the division to the Orlando Titans. While they may not be in the league any more, expect the Boston Blazers to have a strong season. If the Rock want to compete, they will need those players and others to contribute. With Bob Watson getting older, the Rock will need a new "rock" in net. They already have Steve Dietrich, but can he step in and be the everyday goaltender? Or will the Rock go via the draft to find a new goaltender? They may still keep Watson on the roster, but he can not do everyday what he used to. I expect them to draft a young goalie to learn under Watson and Dietrich.
The Rock made a questionable deal this off-season, trading veteran defense man Scott Campbell to Boston for a second round draft pick. The Rock, however, did try to fill that void by attempting to sign restricted free agent defensemen Paul Dawson, Kyle Ross and John Orsen. They failed at the first two, but have a shot at Ross. The contract would make him one of the highest paid NLL defensmen, but he is not as good as Campbell.
In the dispersal draft this year, the Rock picked up attack man Mike McLellan. A great pick up, it adds a ton of scoring depth for an already high-powered Rock offense. Garret Billings was rookie of the year last season, and I just expect for him and LeBlanc to keep getting better.
I see the Blazers as the East champions, but the Rock are going to have a good shot at it too.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
NLL Deals
Some trades in the NLL the last few days will be recapped.
The Minnesota Swarm traded Kevin Buchanan to the Boston Blazers for Mat Giles. Giles was acquired from Philadelphia in the middle of last season to sure up the power play. Buchanan on the other hand was the first round pick for Minnesota in the 2008 draft and led rookies in scoring in 2009 and made the all NLL-rookie team. Buchanan will fit in with the Blazers, he is also a player on the Boston Cannons.
Meanwhile the Rock and restricted free agent drama continues with them claiming Kyle Ross from the Roughnecks. Ross was in the deal that sent Josh Sanderson to Boston and Calgary is on the clock to match the deal. This is the third time the Rock have claimed a RFA free agent, the first two being Paul Dawson and John Orsen.
The Buffalo Bandits have acquired Scott Self and Jay Thorimbert fro the Minnesota Swarm for their second round pick and a first rounder in 2012.
Also a notice: The NLL Entry Draft is September 8th in Toronto. It will be broad casted at NLL Network at NLL.com, but stay at The Lacrosse Blog as we will Live Blog the draft here. There will be an open thread, so feel free to join.
The Minnesota Swarm traded Kevin Buchanan to the Boston Blazers for Mat Giles. Giles was acquired from Philadelphia in the middle of last season to sure up the power play. Buchanan on the other hand was the first round pick for Minnesota in the 2008 draft and led rookies in scoring in 2009 and made the all NLL-rookie team. Buchanan will fit in with the Blazers, he is also a player on the Boston Cannons.
Meanwhile the Rock and restricted free agent drama continues with them claiming Kyle Ross from the Roughnecks. Ross was in the deal that sent Josh Sanderson to Boston and Calgary is on the clock to match the deal. This is the third time the Rock have claimed a RFA free agent, the first two being Paul Dawson and John Orsen.
The Buffalo Bandits have acquired Scott Self and Jay Thorimbert fro the Minnesota Swarm for their second round pick and a first rounder in 2012.
Also a notice: The NLL Entry Draft is September 8th in Toronto. It will be broad casted at NLL Network at NLL.com, but stay at The Lacrosse Blog as we will Live Blog the draft here. There will be an open thread, so feel free to join.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Rock sign Orson to Offer Sheet, New Trend in the NLL?
The Toronto Rock have signed yet another Boston Blazer's restricted FA defenseman, John Orson. The Blazers, similar to Paul Dawson, have up to 72 hours to match that. The Blazers are obviously vulnerable with money after acquiring Casey Powell and Josh Sanderson, but may have cleared some space trading Daryl Veltman. The Blazers acquired Orson from the Orlando Titans in the recent dispersal draft. Orson was expected to be a key in the Blazer's defensive plans.
Meanwhile, there will be an arbitration hearing for the whole Paul Dawson thing. The Blazers traded him to the Calgary Roughnecks and they matched the offer sheet Toronto signed him to. The question is what is Dawson owed for the 2011 season?
Quote from Inside Lacrosse:
This will resolve an NLL-wide issue, as Professional lacrosse Players Association member David Succamore says. Dawson is still expected to be a Calgary Roughneck in this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, there will be an arbitration hearing for the whole Paul Dawson thing. The Blazers traded him to the Calgary Roughnecks and they matched the offer sheet Toronto signed him to. The question is what is Dawson owed for the 2011 season?
Quote from Inside Lacrosse:
The league maintains the stance that a matching offer to a restricted free agent only include the player’s base compensation and bonuses, the Professional Lacrosse Player’s Association also looking for promotional monies to be included, Dawson’s offer from the Rock also including those additional payments which normally includes non-playing additions like appearances, camps and extras of that nature
This will resolve an NLL-wide issue, as Professional lacrosse Players Association member David Succamore says. Dawson is still expected to be a Calgary Roughneck in this upcoming season.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Blazers, Roughnecks, make Blockbuster
The Boston Blazers and Calgray Roughnecsk continued their busy offseasons Friday afternoon with the Roughnecks sending Boston the NLL's leading goal scorer Josh Sanderson for Jon Harnett, Daryl Veltman and Kyle Ross.
The Roughnecks recently acquired Paul Dawson from the Blazers, a move which Boston probably did not want to make, but had to with the added salary of Casey Powell. But while they lost their best defensive player, they strengthened up an already electric offense adding Sanderson to Dan Dawson and Powell.
The Roughnecks also acquire Boston's third rounder while the Blazers get Calgary's seventh rounder.
The Roughnecks recently acquired Paul Dawson from the Blazers, a move which Boston probably did not want to make, but had to with the added salary of Casey Powell. But while they lost their best defensive player, they strengthened up an already electric offense adding Sanderson to Dan Dawson and Powell.
The Roughnecks also acquire Boston's third rounder while the Blazers get Calgary's seventh rounder.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Draft Recap
Not much information is out yet on who acquired who, but this is what I have so far.
The Boston Blazers, as expected, got 2010 NLL MVP Casey Powell and defenseman John Orson. The Blazers will become the favorites to win the ast with Powell, Mat Giles, Dan Dawson and Daryl Veltman on offense, and new acquisitions Orson and Scott Campbell on defense.
The Colorado Mammoth also got their guy, goaltender Matt Vinc. They also picked up Jarret Park, Marc Burton, Chad Thompson, and Bryan Barrett. Park is a transition player and a veteran of five years who can help the Mammoth with their scoring. Thompson is also a transition player. Barret and Burton will see limited roles.
Here are the rest of the results:
Rochester: Jordon Hall
Minnesota: Rory Smith
Philadelphia: Brenden Mundorf
Edmonton: Bill Greer
Philadelphia: Ryan Boyle
Toronto: Mike McLelen
Washington: Chet Konezey
Round 2:
Colorado: Jarret Park
Philadelphia: Stehpen Peyser
Rochester: Dan Hardy
Minnesota: Tim O'Brian
Boston: Greg Peyser
Buffalo: Jesse Guerin
Edmonton: Matt Alrich
Calgary: Curtis Wager
Toronto: Mat MacLeod
Washington: Matt Zash
Round 3:
Colorado: Chad Thompson
Philadelphia: Jeff Bigias
Rochester: Kenny Nims
Minnesota: Matt Bocklet
Boston: Matt Ammann
Buffalo: Matt Brown
Edmonton: Pass
Calgary: Kieth Cromwell
Toronto: Pass
Washington: Pass
Round 4:
Colorado: Marc Burton
Philadelphia: Dan Cocoziello
Rochester: Mike Evens
Minnesota: Pass
Boston: Chris Passavia
Buffalo: Pass
Calgary: Rob Smith
Round 5:
Colorado: Bryan Barret
Philadelphia: Pass
Rochester: Bobby Horsey
Boston: Pass
Calgary: Brian Spallina
(end of draft)
Boston looks like the most improved team in the draft, but Colorado and Calgary look to have improved also. Minnesota does not appear to have done much to improve though, if I were a Swarm fan I would be disapointed.
The Boston Blazers, as expected, got 2010 NLL MVP Casey Powell and defenseman John Orson. The Blazers will become the favorites to win the ast with Powell, Mat Giles, Dan Dawson and Daryl Veltman on offense, and new acquisitions Orson and Scott Campbell on defense.
The Colorado Mammoth also got their guy, goaltender Matt Vinc. They also picked up Jarret Park, Marc Burton, Chad Thompson, and Bryan Barrett. Park is a transition player and a veteran of five years who can help the Mammoth with their scoring. Thompson is also a transition player. Barret and Burton will see limited roles.
Here are the rest of the results:
Rochester: Jordon Hall
Minnesota: Rory Smith
Philadelphia: Brenden Mundorf
Edmonton: Bill Greer
Philadelphia: Ryan Boyle
Toronto: Mike McLelen
Washington: Chet Konezey
Round 2:
Colorado: Jarret Park
Philadelphia: Stehpen Peyser
Rochester: Dan Hardy
Minnesota: Tim O'Brian
Boston: Greg Peyser
Buffalo: Jesse Guerin
Edmonton: Matt Alrich
Calgary: Curtis Wager
Toronto: Mat MacLeod
Washington: Matt Zash
Round 3:
Colorado: Chad Thompson
Philadelphia: Jeff Bigias
Rochester: Kenny Nims
Minnesota: Matt Bocklet
Boston: Matt Ammann
Buffalo: Matt Brown
Edmonton: Pass
Calgary: Kieth Cromwell
Toronto: Pass
Washington: Pass
Round 4:
Colorado: Marc Burton
Philadelphia: Dan Cocoziello
Rochester: Mike Evens
Minnesota: Pass
Boston: Chris Passavia
Buffalo: Pass
Calgary: Rob Smith
Round 5:
Colorado: Bryan Barret
Philadelphia: Pass
Rochester: Bobby Horsey
Boston: Pass
Calgary: Brian Spallina
(end of draft)
Boston looks like the most improved team in the draft, but Colorado and Calgary look to have improved also. Minnesota does not appear to have done much to improve though, if I were a Swarm fan I would be disapointed.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Draft Set for Friday, Vinc to go #1
The NLL has confirmed that the Orlando Titans dispersal draft will be held tomorrow at 1 pm.
The draft is open to every player on the Titans, excluding Pat Merril and Pat Maddalena. Matt Vinc, Casey Powell, and Jordon Hall are expecting to go 1, 2, and 3.
I started a discussion here, so check that out and talk about it here.
UPDATE: The Blazers have traded Brenden Thenhaus to Buffalo for their first round pick in the Titan's dispersal draft. Boston also surrenders their 2011 first rounder.
DOUBLE UPDATE: The Wings have traded Geoff Snider to the Calgary Roughnecks for their dispersal pick. Is this an indication of a rebuilding Wings team, finishing last in the east last season?
The draft is open to every player on the Titans, excluding Pat Merril and Pat Maddalena. Matt Vinc, Casey Powell, and Jordon Hall are expecting to go 1, 2, and 3.
I started a discussion here, so check that out and talk about it here.
UPDATE: The Blazers have traded Brenden Thenhaus to Buffalo for their first round pick in the Titan's dispersal draft. Boston also surrenders their 2011 first rounder.
DOUBLE UPDATE: The Wings have traded Geoff Snider to the Calgary Roughnecks for their dispersal pick. Is this an indication of a rebuilding Wings team, finishing last in the east last season?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Titans confirm Hiatus, Mammoth hint at selecting Vinc?
The Orlando Titans have confirmed their hiatus from the NLL, while Pat Merril and Pat Maddalena were given their rights to free agency.
Meanwhile, the dispersal draft is expected to be held later this week, with the Colorado Mammoth holding the first pick. We all know they need goaltending, and the Mammoth all but confirmed they will select 2010 goalie of the year Matt Vinc.
If they do select Vinc, that leaves Casey Powell wide open for the Boston Blazers who continue to luck out on dispersal drafts. Two years ago they drafted Dan Dawson and Anthony Cosmo from Arizona and Chicago respectively.
If the Mammoth were to change their mind and select Powell, the Blazers would likely select Jordon Hall, as they do not need goaltending.
Mock draft:
Mammoth: Matt Vinc
Blazers: Casey Powell
Knighthawks: Jordon Hall
Swarm: Ryan Boyle
Wings: John Orson
Bandits: Dan Hardy
Rush: Rory Smith
Roughnecks: Matt Zash
Rock: Stephen Peyser
Stealth: Jarret Park
That is subject top change, obviously. Let's look into this a bit deeper;
If the Blazers were to draft Powell, they would be a force to reckon with in the East Division. Imagine a team with Dawson and Powell? This team would be a goal scoring machine.
If the Mammoth were to get Vinc, as we think, they might turn into contenders in the West. Remember they got hot at the end of last year as well.
Meanwhile, the dispersal draft is expected to be held later this week, with the Colorado Mammoth holding the first pick. We all know they need goaltending, and the Mammoth all but confirmed they will select 2010 goalie of the year Matt Vinc.
“We have certain needs that we are going to address,” Govett said on the team’s web site. “[Orlando goalie] Matt Vinc is arguably the best goalie in the league and that could be an answer for us for years to come. They also have Casey Powell, who is an all-time great player; a future Hall of Famer. Then there is Jordan Hall, who is probably the best offensive transition player in the league. There are three options there where we just couldn’t go wrong.”
If they do select Vinc, that leaves Casey Powell wide open for the Boston Blazers who continue to luck out on dispersal drafts. Two years ago they drafted Dan Dawson and Anthony Cosmo from Arizona and Chicago respectively.
If the Mammoth were to change their mind and select Powell, the Blazers would likely select Jordon Hall, as they do not need goaltending.
Mock draft:
Mammoth: Matt Vinc
Blazers: Casey Powell
Knighthawks: Jordon Hall
Swarm: Ryan Boyle
Wings: John Orson
Bandits: Dan Hardy
Rush: Rory Smith
Roughnecks: Matt Zash
Rock: Stephen Peyser
Stealth: Jarret Park
That is subject top change, obviously. Let's look into this a bit deeper;
If the Blazers were to draft Powell, they would be a force to reckon with in the East Division. Imagine a team with Dawson and Powell? This team would be a goal scoring machine.
If the Mammoth were to get Vinc, as we think, they might turn into contenders in the West. Remember they got hot at the end of last year as well.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Disscusion Topic: Casey Powell
With the much documented dispersal of the Orlando Titans, I questioned the future of Casey Powell a few days ago. But let's go deeper into this; With the upcoming dispersal draft, it has been widely assumed the Colorado Mammoth, with the worst record in the NLL the year prior, would select Powell. However, now reports are saying they might select Matt Vinc to sure up their goaltending woes. That leaves Powell wide open for the Blazers to select him, which could make them a very dangerous team. This theory goes out the door, however, if Vinc elects to terminate his contract after the Mammoth select him.
But the real question for me here is Powell's future in the NLL. He has sat out the MLL season and Team USA this summer. He won MVP of the NLL with the best record in the east Titans.
Would Powell play in Colorado, or terminate his contract? Would he play in Boston? I think he would, because if Powell comes to Boston, that team can be scary.
But the real question for me here is Powell's future in the NLL. He has sat out the MLL season and Team USA this summer. He won MVP of the NLL with the best record in the east Titans.
Would Powell play in Colorado, or terminate his contract? Would he play in Boston? I think he would, because if Powell comes to Boston, that team can be scary.
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