Bandits & Lax

Posts covering the Buffalo Bandits and the great sport of lacrosse.

2ITB Header Design contest

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About a month ago I chose to run with a new design/theme for the site. The change over led me to abandon the header image I had used previously and adopt the plain blue and white header you see now.

But I feel the time has come to put a new header image up so that I can continue to grow my #brand. Or something. So I’m holding a design contest, of sorts, to pick a new site header. The contest is open to literally anyone and everyone and the winning designer will receive a 2ITB Prize Pack (some hats), so you won’t be doing this pro-bono. Well, sort of pro-bono since there won’t be any money involved, but you still get some cool stuff if you win.

Here are the stipulations for the design contest:

– The header image must be 1000×200 in size.

– The image should incorporate the Sabres, the city of Buffalo and/or the Bills. All three don’t need to be included, but the image should pull on each of these in some way.

– The image needs to incorporate “Two in the Box”, because #brand.

– Be creative. I’m not adverse to overly unique designs and I’m open to new things. So don’t shy away from an idea because you’re worried I’ll hate it. I will add that I’ve grown to like the clean look of the page with the basic blue header, so I’d be partial to a clean, uncluttered design, but I’m truly open to anything.

– Designs should be sent in to 2intheboxbuffalo@gmail.com

Feel free to send along any questions you might have along with tagging your entry on Twitter using #2ITBDesign. I’ll be sharing my favorite designs via Twitter as well.

 

1000 x 220

Dietrich makes a big splash early in his tenure

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Despite a heavy turnover with offensive talent entering the 2012 season, the Buffalo Bandits experienced a relative lull in production and success. The Bandits stumbled to a 7-9 record before a narrow, heartbreaking defeat to Toronto in the first round of the playoffs.

After some restructuring in the front office, new general manager, Steve Dietrich, has been busy this summer. In addition to applying the franchise tag to Tracey Kelusky and Anthony Cosmo, Dietrich re-signed John Tavares and pulled the trigger on three significant trades.

Shawn Williams was the prized acquisitions in a busy summer for the Bandits.

The first trade was easily the biggest. The Bandits acquired Shawn Williams, defenseman Brandon Doran, a 2012 first round pick and two 2012 second round picks in exchange for Buffalo’s first round selection in the 2012 draft. The draft is set to take place on October 1.Dietrich also acquired defenseman Glen Bryan and forward Jamie Rooney from the Toronto Rock in exchange for a second-round pick (14th overall) in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2013. His final trade brought in transition player David Brock and forward Mike Hominuck from the Philadelphia Wings in exchange for Kevin Buchanan and a third-round pick in the 2013 NLL Entry Draft.

The trade with the Wings signified the end of a short, disappointing stint with Buffalo for Buchanan. A talented forward, he struggled to get free in Darris Kilgour’s system and was never an effective piece of the offense. His inability to tally on outside attempts made him particularly impotent here. Hominuck is a steady offensive player who should fill a similar role as Buchanan on Buffalo’s second offensive unit.

The Hominuck acquisition could potentially be a wash if his return to the system is as rough as Buchanan’s introduction appeared to be. However, after seeing Hominuck for a number of years, and his brief history in Buffalo, it is safe to assume his game is versatile enough to work with Buffalo’s motion sets. Continue reading →

Bandits front office turned upside down

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According to a Buffalo News report, Darris Kilgour will only be making decisions from behind the bench next season.

Budd Bailey reports that Kilgour has been relieved of his duties as general manager, but will remain on as head coach. The report also indicates that Derek Graham will no longer serve in a position with the team.

This is a huge decision for the Bandits to make. Kilgour has played a major role in he franchise’s impressive run since the early 2000s. His skills as a coach haven’t wavered much, but it seemed as if the burden of doing both jobs was affecting his success rate.

Kilgour stepped down from his duties as GM and coach a couple of season ago, allowing Graham to cover most of the major personnel decisions as the associate GM. However, that seemed like a decision made merely in the title and that Kilgour would certainly remain a major part of the decision making process when it came to drafting, trades and decisions with contracts.

This is a step towards giving the Bandits a clean sweep of sorts. Much like the Sabres, fans have begun to wonder if the message with the Bandits had begun to grow stale. Kilgour has been a fixture behind the bench much like Lindy Ruff. While there is little reason to remove one of the greatest coaches in NLL history, Kilgour will be under a bit more scrutiny from those above him.

As to who may fill the void in the front office is up for debate. There are plenty of strong lacrosse minds out there who would certainly compliment Kilgour’s hard-line coaching style well.

Bandits into postseason on heels of Steenhuis’ big week

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The Buffalo Bandits will be playing the post season thanks to another victory on national television.

Buffalo’s 14-9 victory over Rochester was powered by a tremendous effort by Anthony Cosmo in goal and the NLL’s newest Player of the Week, Mark Steenhuis.

Photo courtesty: Buffalo Bandits

Steenhuis led all players with eight points (4+4) as he helped clinch a playoff spot for the Bandits. The former Transition Player of the Year (2008) has improved his offensive output in recent weeks and has put him on pace for a strong showing offensively this season. This is of particular importance considering the regression he had over the past two years.

The Bandits still have a chance to improve their standing in the NLL’s East Division as the playoffs draw near, but they will be playing on the road in the first round no matter what. Saturday’s game in Washington will be nothing more than a warmup for next week’s first round playoff game.

In addition to Steenhuis’ big effort, the Bandits defense locked down and stifled the usually high-octant Knighthawks offense last Saturday. Anthony Cosmo was superb in goal and enjoyed an evening of long, outside shots and only a handful of high-quality chances. He was capable of turning aside most of the Knighthawks’ best chances.

Cosmo was part of a larger defensive effort that saw the Bandits hold the Rochester to only two goals in the first half and many long scoreless stretches. That includes a drought of 16 minutes without a goal. From 11:54 of the second quarter until 12:45 of the third quarter and 11:26 of the third to 8:46 of the fourth quarter were the two longest droughts for Rochester. Buffalo made the Knighthawks pay, piecing together a number of lengthy runs, something they have struggled with this season.

The only missing puzzle piece on Saturday was John Tavares. For the first time in pretty much forever, Tavares did not factor in the goal scoring for the Bandits and only registered two assists. A good natured Darris Kilgour brushed off his stats, saying that he simply needs to shoot more. Continue reading →

Bandits presented with a unique opportunity

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The Buffalo Bandits enter this weekend’s game with Rochester with a truly unique opportunity in front of them. They can not only clinch a playoff spot, but also lock down the first overall pick in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft. Thus is life in a nine-team league, I suppose.

Obviously the Bandits will need some help if they are to achieve this feat. First, the easy part. The Bandits can clinch the playoffs if they beat Washington next weekend at home. Plain and simple, just win your game. However, the Bandits could also clinch with a win tomorrow and a loss by either Washington or Rochester in the next week.

The Bandits are currently flirting with missing out on the final playoff spot due to the swing rule that has been instituted this season. If the worst team in the East finished below the worst team in the West, the West team will play in the playoffs. Right now Washington and Buffalo are in a bit of a dog fight.

Despite some of the questions surrounding Buffalo’s post season future, they even have a shot at the East Division crown. This is more or less because of the parity in the East versus the success the Bandits have had. However, if they win out and both Toronto and Philadelphia lose out, Buffalo will win the East. Continue reading →

Bandits Postgame: Defense powers blowout victory

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A national audience was able to tune in to catch the most convincing victory of the year for the Buffalo Bandits.

The debut of the NLL on CBS Sports Network was a good one of the league and the Bandits. Mark Steenhuis had six points (3+3), Luke Wiles had seven (3+4) and John Tavares  had eight (4+4) as Buffalo cruised to a 17-7 victory over Philadelphia.

Bandits.com

The real story was the near flawless effort the Bandits defense put together. It has been a rough season for the Bandits, defensively. Mike Thompson has had his ups and downs and Anthony Cosmo has struggled to settle in since being acquired via trade. However, things came together last night for Darris Kilgour’s squad. Cosmo was phenomenal for the entire game and the defense, as a unit, kept most of the Wings’ shots well to the outside.

“Our defense was great tonight, great slides and movement,” Luke Wiles said. “[Cosmo’s] a great goalie and there are teams in the league that are scared of us because we have him in our net.”

There were a number of easy saves that Cosmo made on the night. However, there were plenty of dazzlers as well. That includes a pipe-to-pipe stop in the third quarter that goes down as one of the most impressive saves I’ve seen made on an indoor lacrosse field.

If Cosmo’s game is on the upswing, the Bandits could become a very scary team to play against. As they stand now, their still in a dogfight to avoid losing out in the new crossover system installed for this season. However, they have started to find some more goal scoring (outside of last weekend) and the defense very well may be coming around. Continue reading →

Patty’s Day unis for the Bandits

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The Bandits are hoping the luck of the Irish will help snap them from their current losing streak. For their game against Minnesota on Saturday, March 17, the Bandits will wear special St. Patrick’s Day jerseys.

Here is the info, straight from the Bandits:

The game-worn black and green jerseys will be auctioned off on Bandits.com, with the auction beginning at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 19 and ending at 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 25. Proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In addition, replica jerseys will be available for purchase in the team store, along with other St. Patty’s Day-themed Bandits items.

Futhermore, Bandits forward Luke Wiles will appear on Time Warner Cable Sportsnet’s “The Enforcers” tonight, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 13 to discuss the jerseys and the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day game.

I like when teams do this sort of thing. It gives you a reason to check out the game and usually the designs are pretty fun. The jerseys look as if they will just be a modified version of their black road uniforms. In place of orange and purple, there will be green. The Bandits.com story has a picture.

Double Minors: Rochester roadtrip

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Saturday afforded me the chance to check out a pair of games and sample some of the best BBQ in Western New York.

Rather than just stay at home for Saturday’s Sabres – Senators game, a few friends and I took a quick trip to Rochester for a Bandits game, Dinosaur BBQ and the Amerks – Senators game.

The purpose of the trip was to see the Amerks and see some of the talent the Sabres have in the pipeline. It ended up being a great day trip featuring a sports double header. The Bandits game was a loss. They are a team in complete disarray who don’t seem to have a clue which way is up. Buffalo was held to three goals fro most of the game until they finally went on a late run. The final score was 13-10, but that was hardly indicative of the domination the Bandits endured.

The Amerks game was far better. Joe Finley dropped the gloves just three seconds in and Rochester put on a clinic against the AHL’s cellar dwellers. Mark Voakes (0+3) and Travis Turnbull (1+2) paced the Amerks as six different players scored for Rochester.

David Leggio didn’t see his tenth shot until the third period and was largely untested for most of the night. He did allow one goal, but did mange to make a few impressive stops along the way. Leggio finished with 17 saves.

While Marcus Foligno was busy scoring his first NHL goal, there were a few bright spots from some of the players biding their time in Rochester this season. Paul Szezchura, Brayden McNabb and even Finley had some strong moments in the blowout victory.

The highlight of the day may have been grabbing a massive plate of BBQ between the games. Dinosaur BBQ is located about 100 yards from Blue Cross Arena. Would it be that difficult to put a location in downtown Buffalo? Seriously, are the people making decisions on the waterfront that obtuse? Continue reading →

2ITB Roadie: Bandits, Amerks and BBQ

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The Buffalo Sabres will skate into Ottawa tonight with the chance to at least draw even with Winnipeg this evening. If the Bruins can take care of business this afternoon, the Sabres will be playing for a share of eighth.

Now, I still contend that the team has yet to reach a point of watching the schedule on a nightly basis, but that day is drawing near. The Sabres have twice had a chance to draw even with eighth and have failed. Tonight is a game in which they will be rested (sort of) and is also one of those valuable “games in hand”. Winnipeg’s loss last night in Calgary came in their 68th game, this is game 68 for the Sabres. So far Buffalo has been strong when playing on a night their opponents are idle, but this game is yet another pivotal matchup.

Ryan Miller will be back in net tonight after getting a couple well deserved days off. I expect to see Ben Bishop in net for the Senators. Bishop is a massive goalie looking to make his mark on the league. He has waited a long time for his break and this season might be it. Buffalo’s oft-anemic offense will need to start rolling early tonight.

The main thing to watch for is two-fold. First, if Thomas Vanek is playing, I expect to see some new lines. John Vogl, Kevin Snow, Paul Hamilton and the rest of the Sabres media reported the shuffled lines at yesterday’s practice. However, those combinations came without Vanek and Patrick Kaleta. I expect to see some changes made in the hope to spark some more offense. If Vanek isn’t playing, seeing what Lindy Ruff comes up with (Marcus Foligno was recalled) will be equally interesting to a fully healthy lineup.

This special edition of The Morning Skate is because I’ll be taking the day to enjoy all the city of Rochester has to offer. So I’ll have Dinosaur BBQ and watch the Bandits and Amerks play.

The Bandits enter tomorrow’s game with their season in the balance. They simply cannot afford another loss if they expect to sneak in the playoffs and who better to snap their funk than their I-90 rivals?

One of the Bandits’ two victories this season came against Rochester, but this is a whole different Bandits team we are talking about. They have unraveled defensively and are getting offensive contributions from a small, core group. Things need to change in Banditland if a playoff push is to remain in the cards.

Like the Sabres, the Amerks are in the thick of a playoff race themselves. Luke Adam has been wearing #72 since his demotion (ugh) but has seven points in 11 games. He had a couple rough games upon his arrival, but has come around as of late. David Leggio had a great night against Binghampton tonight and I hope to see him again tonight. We shall see. Here are a few things I’ll be looking for from the Sabres prospects:

  • Shaone Morrisonn: I’m interested to see the big veteran. I liked his signing last year, unfortunately he didn’t work out. He has been steady for Ron Rolston and the Amerks this year, I want to see his game now; perhaps he still has a future in the show.
  • Defensive prospects: Drew Schiestel was loaned to Texas, which has freed up some playing time for other prospects. The defensive cupboard is going to be crowed in the next few seasons; Mark Pysyk and JGL are on their way and Brayden McNabb has shown his chops. I want to watch McNabb closely along with Joe Finley, T.J. Brennan and even Matt MacKenzie (if he plays). These guys have something to prove if they expect to stick around.
  • Phil Varone: Dude has been lighting it up for the Amerks. 8+33 in 60 games from the development camp invitee. I liked him (along with Johnathan Parker and Steven Beyers) in the summer and Varone has turned out to be a worthy addition to the pipeline. He is only signed with the Amerks for now, but I could see him getting a look from the Sabres.
  • David Leggio: I hope he gets the nod in net again, I’m interested to see where he stands in terms of development. The Sabres have some tough choices regarding all of their goaltenders in the coming months. Leggio is part of that group.

There will be Double Minors posted of the Amerks game, a Bandits recap and a brief write up on the Sabres. Stay tuned.

Bandits Postgame: Defensive stuggles continue as losing streak hits five

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The Buffalo Bandits have been setting records for a number of years since 2000. This year is no different, however the record is not one to remember.

Buffalo set a franchise mark with their fifth-straight loss on Saturday, falling to 2-5 on the season. There seems to be a systematic failure at nearly every level on the team at this point in the season. Their 2-0 start seems light years away after Saturday’ 16-13 loss.

Anthony Cosmo was given his first start as a Bandit, but he didn’t last the full 60 minutes. Mike Thompson replaced the trade acquisition after Cosmo allowed 15 goals. Darris Kilgour was quick to direct the blame to his defense, perhaps the weakest unit for this struggling team.

Buffalo received big games from Mark Steenhuis (1+6), John Tavares (1+4) and Luke Wiles (4+1). However, the defense let the team down again. John Grant Jr. rolled up nine points (4+5) – which included his 500th career goal – while Gavin Prout and Adam Jones each had seven points of their own. Continue reading →