Back to Blog
Will championship zed6/18/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Seeing the team produce three hat trick efforts Monday amidst eight different scorers, Colorado will need to continue to utilize its options if they hope to solve veteran netminder Matt Vinc Saturday night in Game 3. Meanwhile for the Mammoth, four players have eclipsed the 25-point mark so far, as the team continues to feature each of its top offensive threats on an ever-night basis. When Buffalo is clicking, Fraser and Byrne are part of that top-end production, an aspect the team hasn't seen during the NLL Finals so far. Typically flashy and a regular on the scoresheet, Chase Fraser has managed just 10 points (8g, 2a), albeit eight goals, good for fifth-most on the squad. The fact that Byrne still ranks third not only speaks to how talented the scorer is, but how much the team relies on him to be that 1B option to Smith's 1A. Kyle Buchanan (5g, 16a) and Nanticoke (14g, 6a) round out the top five producers and serving as the five Bandits forwards to surpass the 20-point mark through five games. Looking at overall postseason scoring for the Bandits, Smith has done his part with 40 points (13g, 27a), but Cloutier at 27 points (12g, 15a) has just one more than Josh Byrne's 26 points (11g, 15a) despite playing in two more games than the injured Byrne. Dhane Smith did his thing for the Bandits, racking up eight points (2g, 6a) in Game 2, but other than Tehoka Nanticoke (4g, 0a) and Chris Cloutier (1g, 4a) stepping up Monday, it was a bit of a one-man show for Buffalo. Netminder Dillon Ward stopped 38-of-48 in his fourth win of the postseason. Liger McLaughlin (3g, 4a) and Flyin Ryan Lee paced the Mammoth with seven points each, while Zed Williams (2g, 4a) and Connor Robinson (3g, 2a) helped spark the Game 2 victory. Becoming the seventh forward on the night to find the scoresheet, Dylan Kinnear solidified a 16-10 final with a penalty shot score at the 14:26 mark, quite the exclamation mark. Nanticoke followed that score up just 17 seconds later with a goal of his own, and fourth of the contest, but that would serve as Buffalo's last conversion. With just under five to play, the magic man Connor Robinson sealed the deal with third of the night as the third Mammoth forward to reach the three-goal mark. Doubling down the opposition 93 seconds into the final quarter, Tyson Gibson made it a 14-7 game to kick things off, but Nanticoke and Fraser continued to punch the clock, each answering with goals as the session raged on. Lee and Williams also notched goals as the contest began to chippy, which would see a total of 58 penalty minutes (42 for Buffalo, 16 for Colorado), while Nanticoke found twine twice for Buffalo. With Buffalo's Chris Cloutier and Colorado's Zed Williams exchanging tallies as the half come to a close, the home team took an 8-5 advantage into the break.Ĭontinuing to ride the momentum of the Loud House, the defending champions went on to outscore the Bandits 5-2 throughout the third quarter, seeing Eli McLaughlin pick up a hat trick throughout the productive 15 minutes of action. Smith was able to earn one back for the visiting team, but Lee quickly completed his second-quarter hat trick with another stellar finish, which was followed up with another Robinson goal three minutes later. Eventually ripping off a four-goal run as the opening quarter concluded and keeping it going into the second, Colorado received scoring efforts from Tim Edwards and Connor Robinson before seeing Flyin Ryan Lee cash in a pair of scores within 24 seconds (1:24, 1:48). Again allowing the opposition to get things started quickly, the Mammoth found themselves down 3-1 before things started to click late in the first. Seeing 16 tallies in the game score, fans would typically assume it was the Dhane Smith-led squad who'd be next to the elite mark, but instead Monday afternoon, it was Colorado, despite having just one goal on the board through the first 12 and a half minutes of play. Not to say that the West Conference doesn't bring the same firepower each year, but rather a conference who's learned to prioritize goaltending and physical defensive units: a formula which has helped produce cups out West for, well a while now. Seeing the defending 2022 NLL Champion Colorado Mammoth pick up a quality 16-10 victory over the defending East Conference Champions inside the Loud House Monday afternoon, Mammoth fans, who have already begun their plans to head east and support the team at KeyBank Center, weren't surprised in the least when they saw the burgundy boys show up and show out in the "Win or Go Home" Game 2 showdown.Īnytime you see Buffalo included within a matchup, or potentially any of the offensive-forward East Conference teams, you know goals are going to be happening left and right. Detroit Red Wings: Avalanche Rivalry Top 5 Moments ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |