Buffalo Bandits

Fourth-straight loss puts Bandits in a deep hole

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Forgive me for delaying my recap of the Bandits most recent loss. This game comes one week prior to a bye and the NLL All-Star game. The 14-13 decision in Philly was Buffalo’s fourth-straight loss and it would appear something needs to be done in order to right the ship.

The Twitter jerseys that Philly rolled out are a really cool special edition uniform.

Mike Thompson was chased and Angus Goodleaf didn’t provide much additional support for Buffalo, who have given up at least 13 goals in three of their four losses. The rumor mill began to swirl yesterday that the Bandits were seeking some outside help, some say Anthony Cosmo – who is Minnesota’s property after the dispersal draft – may be the player the Bandits are targeting.

Acquiring Cosmo would be an interesting development for a team that has not received timely goaltending this season. A common thread in this losing streak has been questionable, untimely goals against. If Cosmo was able to step in and be a dominant force in net, he could be a big part of a turnaround for the Bandits. Continue reading →

Bandits postgame: Skid continues with overtime loss

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It took only 14 days for the Bandits to go from first to worst in the NLL East Division. Technically the Bandits are ahead of the Rochester Knighthawks by virtue of a tiebreaker, but they are still 2-3 and a full game behind the Toronto Rock for the division lead.

photo courtesy of Bandits.com

The Bandits recent slide is more of a testament to the parity in the NLL rather than Buffalo’s shortcomings. From top to bottom, every team has a handful of gamebreaking players which makes winning on a consistent basis a chore.

Last nights loss was the third different way the Bandits have managed to lose this season. After losing composure against Minnesota last Saturday and leaving goals on the table against Philly, the Bandits failed to capitalize on their second half momentum last night. They also let one of the league’s most dangerous goal scorers loose for the overtime game winner.

There was only one guy who we didn’t want to have the ball in the end. But for a young guy, Rhys Duch keeps doing it again and again. ~ Luke Wiles

Continue reading →

Bandits Shootaround: Rebound needed against Stealth

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Two-straight losses are staring the Bandits in the face. After two strong outings to open the season, the Bandits have dropped two in a row and have shown some different weaknesses during the stretch.

Buffalo gets a chance at redemption against a West Division rival at First Niagara Center this evening. The Bandits host the 2011 NLL runner-up, Washington Stealth. The Stealth are going through their own struggles, they are 0-3 and have averaged just eight goals per game this season.

The East Division standings are far tighter than the West, where Colorado has jumped to a commanding lead. With a Philadelphia loss and a Buffalo win this evening, the Bandits would be tied for the Division lead. Of course, the Wings would be just a half game back of the Bandits and Toronto Rock – who would be tied for first. Continue reading →

Bandits Postgame: Winless weekend erases hot start

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After a pair of wins against division foes, the Buffalo Bandits dropped a back-to-back set this weekend, bringing them back to the pack in the East Division standings.

Friday’s loss was a disappointing one, but resulted from sloppy play that could easily have been remedied. Yesterday was a different experience. Undisciplined play and a slow start doomed the Bandits. A 10-5 deficit grew to a 19-11 loss, the second-straight for Buffalo.

After entering the weekend first in the East at 2-0, the Bandits had the opportunity to strengthen their hold on the top spot in the division. Now they sit at 2-2 (.5 game back from first), right in the thick of what will become a dogfight for playoff position.

The bench-clearing brawl that erupted at the end of the second half cleared a handful of players from both rosters. However, Buffalo lost Mark Steenhuis, Billy Dee Smith and Steve Priolo – three major players on the defensive side of the ball. In addition, Mike Thompson – who came in relief of Angus Goodleaf – was in the box for five minutes to begin the second half. The penalty trouble that Buffalo got in cost them, giving up nine power play goals to the Swarm.

Buffalo returns home to face Washington next Saturday. Washington will be hungry for a victory, last year’s finalist has yet to win this season. Given Buffalo’s slide, they will need to turn around their effort next week. Continue reading →

Bandits shootaround: Swarm home opener pivotal for Buffalo

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Last night’s loss to Philadelphia was the first of the season for Buffalo. The loss also dropped the Bandits into a tie for first in the East Division. The tie in the standings makes tonight’s game in Minnesota that much more important.

The Swarm opened their season on the road on January 14 in Colorado. Minnesota has not played since their 20-14 loss on opening weekend. So, the Bandits face a rested opponent this evening in their home opener – albeit a rested opponent who has not seen game action in nearly two weeks.

Buffalo fell victim to sloppy passing and poor ball control last night at home. A handful of questionable goals against dug the hole deeper in the eventual loss. Last night’s game was also the first in which Darris Kilgour made changes to his lineup. Tom Montour and Frank Resetarits each saw their first action of the year while Jimmy Purves and Mat Giles watched from the press box. Given when Giles brought to the table in the first two games, I would have to think he will be back in the lineup for Resetarits this evening. The only other anticipated lineup change would likely come in goal; but with the need to keep their grasp on first, I think you will see Mike Thompson again.

Crease Crashing

Mike Thompson had a tough outing last night. He had a few tough goals beat him, but he owned that fact. He is a gamer and will certainly come to play tonight. There is a chance you see Angus Goodleaf rather than Thompson, depending on the schedule Kilgour put together. Taking last night’s loss into account, I go with Thompson in what looks a little like a must-win situation.

Nick Patterson was in a shooting gallery during his first contest this season. He faced 50 shots that night, turning aside 30. He is a fairly active goalie who has similar strengths to Brandon Miller – who shutdown the Bandits shooters last night. Last year the Bandits beat him with movement and rotation. They didn’t have much of that last night, hopefully that changes this evening.

Rested or Rusty

The Swarm haven’t played since January 14. That is a full two-week for those scoring at home. They certainly saw time together in practice since, but have not had game action. If the Swarm can get out to a good start, their legs will likely carry them to a win. There is also the chance that the layoff will take some time to shake loose. It could certainly go either way. The fact that Buffalo is coming off a game should only help Minnesota, however.

Spread the Scoring

Only two Bandits had four points yesterday – Mark Steenhuis and Chad Culp (2+2). In the first two wins there were multiple scorers with four or more points, namely John Tavares (16 points in two games). Buffalo’s offense was somewhat stagnant last night, with many shots coming from outside angles. Not only do the Bandits need to exploit the motion their offense can create to capitalize on chances.

Bandits postgame: Fourth quarter meltdown dooms result

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What should have stood out as the stat of the night ended up being nothing more than an afterthought for the Buffalo Bandits. A stingy third quarter effort was wasted as the Bandits gave up six fourth quarter goals in a 13-10 loss to Philadelphia.

After a see-saw first half, the Bandits defense clamped down in the third quarter. Buffalo shut out the Wings for the duration of the third and scored two of their own to take a 9-7 lead into the fourth. The Bandits actually held Philadelphia scoreless for 26:04 between the second and fourth quarters.

We didn’t play our best game, that’s disappointing. We had our chances, we could have gone up by three or four goals and it might have been a different game.  ~ Darris Kilgour

The fourth quarter was a different story. Pat Heim scored 2:59 seconds into the stanza and Drew Westervelt added the game-tying goal just 18 seconds later. Westervelt finished with seven points (3+4). Buffalo did not recover from the turnaround, getting outscored 6-1 in the final quarter. Continue reading →

Bandits Shootaround: Talented Wings fly into Banditland

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Of the teams to benefit from the summer’s expansion draft, the Philadelphia Wings would be in the conversation of the most fortunate. Dan Dawson was their most prized acquisition in a very busy offseason.

The Wings had an ugly first week, but dispatched the 2011 finalists last week in an impressive bounce-back effort. Philadelphia made a strong statement in beating Washington last week and have been fueled by their big names, as to be expected.

Dan Dawson is a truly unique talent who makes every player around him better. Darris Kilgour’s approach against Dawson in recent years hasn’t been to isolate and lock down on him, but rather to eliminate his weapons. Dawson is certainly a shooting threat, but is a pass-first player. Forcing him to play alone is likely the approach Kilgour will try and take.

The Wings also boast a few other impressive threats. Brodie Merrill is among the league’s best in the transition game. His defensive skill set is certainly the hallmark to his game, but his two-way skills are second to none. In my eyes, Mark Steenhuis is likely the most offensively talented transition player in the league and Merrill is the best defensive transition player. Continue reading →

Bandits postgame: Tavares, defense shine as Bandits overpower Knighthawks

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Just another day at the office for John Tavares. In two games the ageless wonder has sixteen points (6+10) for the 2-0 Bandits.

Tavares’ latest show came at Blue Cross Arena where he put up a four-goal, four-assist clinic against Buffalo’s I-90 rivals. Buffalo won the contest 12-9 after pulling away thanks to a late 7-1 run. It was a well-executed win for the Bandits who were able to keep the Knighthawks from running wild. Avoiding a run-and-gun game was key for the Bandits.

Just like in week one, the offense made the plays, but defensively, the Bandits were stellar. Mike Thompson made 31 saves on 40 shots, backing up a stellar performance from the week before. Buffalo’s defense held the young Rochester scorers in check. Only Cody Jamieson (three) and Stephen Keogh (two) scored more than once and the offense that produced 22 goals the week before didn’t break double digits against the stingy Buffalo defense.

Darris Kilgour’s deep bench flexed their muscles again this week. Roger Vyse – who was a healthy scratch last week – had a pair of goals and an assist while Mark Steehuis and Chad Clup each scored a pair too. Luke Wiles looks more and more like a brilliant acquisition. He added six more points (2+4) to his efforts from week one (3+1 vs. Toronto). Continue reading →

Bandits Shootaround: I-90 rivalry promises to produce fireworks

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The Buffalo Bandits flexed their new offensive muscles in last week’s 14-10 victory over Toronto. However, it was Buffalo’s defense that earned the most praise for the victory.

Tonight’s road battle in Rochester will put that defense to the test. The Knighthawks rolled up 22 goals on Philadelphia last week. Mike Thompson will be hard pressed to repeat as NLL Defensive Player of the Week considering Rochester’s firepower.

Rochester had some question marks entering the season considering the moves they made in the offseason. However, Cody Jamison is an elite talent, Stephen Keough should have no trouble following in his fellow Orange alum’s footsteps and Matt Vinc make this team a sure contender.

Considering the influx of talent to Rochester this year, the Bandits are sure to have their hands full this evening. Add in the fact that this is a road game and the I-90 rivalry will be sure to be in full force.

To think the Bandits can stymie another offense the way they did last week seems silly. Rochester has a great balance of veteran leadership (Mike Accursi, Pat McCready) and young, elite talent (Jamieson, Keough, Cory Vitarelli). Darris Kilgour won’t subscribe to trying to run and gun with Rochester, but you can expect Buffalo’s transition game to play a huge role. Continue reading →

Bandits postgame: New faces shine as Bandits roll Rock

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photo: Buffalo.com

Buffalo’s three veteran additions combined for seven of Buffalo’s goals and had nine points total on the night. Luke Wiles had a great first outing (3+1) and looks to be exactly the type of player the Bandits were searching for. Kevin Buchanan (2+1) and Mat Giles (2+0) also had strong nights in their Banditland debut.

Of course, the ageless wonder, John Tavares, proved he is still the best to play the indoor game. Despite suffering various ailments over the past few seasons, Tavares had a tremendous debut against Toronto. There should be no surprise that his eight-point (2+6) game has set the table for the superstar to lead the Bandits in scoring once again.

In total, the Bandits had nine players with multiple points and fourteen players in total who registered at least one. In addition, Mike Thompson was stellar in goal. Thompson turned aside 41 shots which registered an impressive .804 save percentage.

Perhaps the most impressive fact about this victory was the second half surge the Bandits enjoyed. Trailing at the half, Buffalo handily dominated the second half and came away with the victory. That says a couple of things; there are finishers on this roster and they have a strong ability to score in bunches. Continuing the ability to roll up dominant second half lacrosse will be key for the Bandits this season.

  • A big surprise was that Darris Kilgour chose to scratch Tom Montour and Roger Vyse. Frank Resetarits was also scratched, although he is less of a surprise. Montour is one of the best transition players in the league and Vyse’s talents have long been showcased in Buffalo. Vyse’s recent contract extension obviously adds to the surprise factor here, but apparently Kilgour wanted to see some of his new toys in action. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Vyse and Montour (or all three) play against Rochester this weekend. It is possible that Kilgour simply wanted to try out his new players before determining a concrete depth chart.
  • Kilgour said he is planning on getting Angus Goodleaf in four to six games. If Mike Thompson is going to continue to play at the level he showed on Saturday, Goodleaf may see his workload trimmed a bit. Thompson has long been a cornerstone for this team and looks capable of running together another impressive season.
  • Ten goals against is a very good number for the Bandits to surrender. The defensive corps may actually be the greatest strength of this team – despite the big names playing out of the front door. It doesn’t seem like a stretch to expect the Bandits to keep their team goals against between 10 and 13 this season.
  • Considering the additional flood of talent to the nine remaining teams this season, the Bandits will be facing a particularly difficult test nearly every week. One point that Darris Kilgour often cites is that every  game in this league is tough, no matter what a team’s record may be. That may never be truer than in this season. Even the teams whose records will sink are likely to be capable of pulling wins against the league’s top contenders.