The Great Playoff Push

Before we get into the bulk of today's information, we'd like to direct you to the new home for friend of BNG Steven Grant who is now located at Steven Grant Design. While the NLL regular season winds down, the East is going to see the most drastic action tonight with the West all locked up. If Georgia beats Vancouver tomorrow then Rochester's first ever purple jersey game will not matter. If Georgia loses, Rochester need to win both  Saturday against Saskatchewan and Sunday against New England to lock up third. If Buffalo loses to New England and Saskatchewan loses, New England Needs to beat Rochester to get the number one overall playoff seed and the East division title. Likewise, the Bandits need to either beat New England (regardless of Saskatchewan result). If they lose, they need Rochester to win on Sunday in New England. For Saskatchewan, they need to beat Rochester along with a Buffalo loss and Rochester to beat New England the day after for the number one overall seed.

In the case of Buffalo or New England as the overall seed, the east division winner out right would have first overall as both beat Saskatchewan in their lone games against the Rush. If Buffalo loses but New England splits, the tie breaker will belong to Buffalo by a two games to one season series. As for the west, Saskatchewan will await the winner of Calgary at Colorado in a winner take all meeting at Pepsi Center in Denver. Back east, the Bandits or Black Wolves will await the winner of the play in, likewise play-in host New England/Buffalo will host either Georgia or Rochester.

All playoff games will be mostly on Saturday nights and perhaps a Friday somewhere- not including Calgary at Colorado next week. Should New England have to win the play-in game, they would host the following Monday (May 16) in game one of the division finals. If the Bandits win tomorrow night, that will be the case for the Black Wolves. That covers all of the potential playoff scenarios as we can affirm the Finals would be the only thing up for debate as it stands. Time for the teams to light the lamp in the playoffs with quite possibly (if all goes according to higher seeds) the road leading to the toughest place to play: Banditland.

-Ricky

2016 NLL Picks and Power Rankings: Week 17

The Bandits have recovered well from their blip against the team from the 905 up the 401, but they got comfort that they go the help from Vancouver they ma have been looking for. If things shape up accordingly this week, we may see the Thieves host the cup final in a month. Rochester now is fighting for their playoff lives however. Not only do they have to beat New England but, even if they lose to Saskatchewan the night before, they will need Vancouver to win in Georgia after an (assumed loss to Colorado in the altitude). But unlike the east, the west is all locked up. Boy it's heating up!

Week 17:

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Weekly Total: 3/4

Season Total: 48/75 (.640%)
*Away team is above the home team; underline below arrow indicates correct pick.

Week 18:

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Week 17:
1. (2) BUFFALO - Clearly the team to beat right now, haven't lost in a really long time, could hurt them later.
2. (4) NEW ENGLAND - Their fate could be in their own hands if Thieves falter.
3. (1) SASKATCHEWAN - Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me; I wasn't fooled twice or a third time...
4. (3) GEORGIA - Turning up at the right time.
5. (5) CALGARY - Keeping Stealth at bay.
6. (7) COLORADO - That sweep in the home and home with the Rush still hurts ranking despite similarity.
7. (8) VANCOUVER - I'm impressed though it's divisional; props to the Stealth.
8. (6) TORONTO - The way their season's gone, we saw this coming.
9. (9) ROCHESTER - Worst I've seen the Knighthawks in my lifetime, not even close to 2008...

View Brian Shanahan's picks on IL Indoor.

-Ricky

2016 NLL Picks and Power Rankings: Week 16

What a scintillating weekend of lacrosse, we have a clearer idea of who are the contenders, the pretenders, and who's in form. Saskatchewan now will finish atop the western division, whilst Buffalo now needs a win and a Black Wolves loss. New England has a game in hand, but if the results don't follow that storyline next week, they meet the following week in Buffalo despite a Black Wolves game in hand against Rochester following that. As for the last playoff spot, Georgia did themselves a favor by waking up in recent weeks. Even though the Stealth have two games in hand before Calgary get back to the floor in two weeks, they should be in comfortably as a loss in either or Vancouver's last game will see the Riggers in.

Week 15:

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Weekly Total: 3/7

Season Total: 45/71 (.634%)
*Away team is above the home team; underline below arrow indicates correct pick.

Week 17:

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Week 16:
1. (2) SASKATCHEWAN - The clear team to beat now in the West, stingy defense awards division title.
2.  (1) BUFFALO - If they can get help from Vancouver or Rochester, the Bandits can host the Champions Cup Finals.
3. (6) GEORGIA - They won two at home since the opener plus a road win for three in a row? Sign them up for the race for third!
4. (3) NEW ENGLAND - Giving the Swarm an open door to dare winning at Mohegan Sun in the playoffs.
5. (4) CALGARY - May be safe despite, two Vancouver games in hand.
6. (7) TORONTO -
7. (5) COLORADO - How the west was lost: scoring a combined 13 and allowing a combined 22.
8. (9) VANCOUVER - Have three straight games on the league schedule with two on back-to-back days.
9. (8) ROCHESTER - Couldn't take advantage of both the Swarm having to play last night and then travel - it may have cost them a playoff spot.

View Brian Shanahan's picks on IL Indoor.

-Ricky

Larry! Larry!

To be clear, we are not taunting Chipper Jones. Wait no longer, they are here! As the playoffs begin tonight in the NBA for the Larry O'Brien Trophy, we have a first - an exact match! No matter we've got interesting match-ups here and there.

That leads to interesting picks from the other half of us. The East is certainly much more wide open, but I credit Portland for making the playoffs after losing four of their five starters this past offseason. Memphis looked good in the first quarter of Golden State's record 73rd regular season win and then they flopped, so that leaves Houston to pull of the biggest potential upset in basketball by beating Golden State. There's still hockey too so enjoy your playoff sport of choice.

-Ricky

The Quest for Lord Stanley's Cup

The season of post season picks continues with two more installments to come including one on Friday! As for now, hockey it is. The staff consensus is in and the picks are view-able below in rather retro looking conference colors.

Background is more faint than average, but it has to do. The clear East favorite is Washington. The Western semis are more across the board. Before anyone calls mine a homer pick, the Ducks won in Washington on Sunday (a make-up from February) and the winner of that game was going to win the Jennings trophy for lowest goals against. But it isn't even that that is main factor. They went from 28 to first in special teams from last season to now. That convinces me this is their year (I had them losing to Tampa Bay the past couple years in the Cup Final). Now that I've said my peace, leave your picks below and enjoy your playoff hockey!

-Ricky

2016 NLL Picks and Power Rankings: Week 15

If the season had ended today, the race would be for who host the back end of the Champion's Cup final. Buffalo, Colorado, and Saskatchewan are all currently sitting at 10-4. Divisional tie-breakers are applied first, so the Mammoth and Rush. They're tied 1-1 heading into a home and home series, which leads to intra-divisional records. The 6-2 Rush are ahead of the Mammoth 4-3 on win percentage. Buffalo would win the tie-break over Saskatchewan by having beaten them in their only meeting this season in February. The hierarchal order would be Buffalo, Saskatchewan, Colorado as the top three. That's quite a setup for this coming week's games.

Week 15:

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Weekly Total: 2/5

Season Total: 42/64 (.656%)
*Away team is above the home team; underline below arrow indicates correct pick.

Week 16:

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Week 15:
1. (2) BUFFALO -  Though making the playoffs Dhane Smith Broke Tavares' single season point record, Cosmo broke Bob Watson's NLL goalie minutes record.
2. (1) SASKATCHEWAN - Good news, second game is at home.
3.(6) NEW ENGLAND - Still one more against Buffalo..
4. (5) CALGARY -  A part of the more spread out home and home with the Stealth.
5. (3) COLORADO - Good news, Rush have to travel to Colorado and back and play in the altitude to start.
6. (7) GEORGIA - Finally, a home win since the home opener.
7. (4) TORONTO -  Move over for Cozzy again, Whipper. Maybe the home and home will help put that behind you?
8. (8) ROCHESTER - Still 10 wins ahead in the overall series against the Thieves.
9. (9) VANCOUVER - What's left to say about this team?

View Brian Shanahan's picks on IL Indoor.

-Ricky