With the 2014 regular season now in the books and the playoffs just days away, we can start crunching some numbers and see if any fearless predictions can be made.
One thing we can definitively state is that scoring is a good thing. The teams with the top four records in the NLL also happen to be the top four teams in goals for. The Calgary Roughnecks (12-6) were tops for the second straight year, this time with 237 goals, followed by the Edmonton Rush (16-2, 220 goals), Toronto Rock (9-9, 219 goals) and Rochester Knighthawks (14-4, 210 goals).
But we can’t quite say the same thing about goals against; three of those same four teams were in the top four lowest goals against totals in the league: Edmonton (157), Rochester (167) and Toronto (213). The Buffalo Bandits came in at third in goals against (200) while Calgary, was in fifth overall with 215 goals against.
When you put all this together, it gives us a pretty clear picture of how the playoffs are likely to shake out.
The Rush are first in goals against and second in goals for. Not surprisingly, they look to be in very good shape to win it all, even though their two losses both came in April (those losses were also against the Roughnecks and Colorado Mammoth, their two potential opponents in the second round of the playoffs.)
The Knighthawks should be in good shape to win the East Division, with the second best defense and fourth best offense. With Garrett Billings out of commission, you have to think that the Rock will have an uphill battle to win the division, in spite of being third best in both goals for and against. And with the tailspin Buffalo is in, unless Anthony Cosmo can produce a shutout, it doesn’t look good for Banditland.
That leaves the Roughnecks and Mammoth. Calgary should have a significant edge, being first in goals for and fifth in goals against while the Mammoth don’t figure in either list. However, Colorado has beaten Calgary twice in three tries this year and their goals against has been improving late in the year behind the strong play of goaltender Dillon Ward. Still, the numbers say the Roughnecks should be moving on the face the Rush in the Division Finals.
