Just when we thought we would have some clearance as to what team in the West would be starting to pull away, darting up the ladder are the Edmonton Rush. The Rush went on to sweep last weekends match-ups over the Stealth 15-10 and Mammoth 14-7, in which rookie Mark Matthews notch 11 of the goals to place Edmonton into 3rd in the West, and a chance to be…dare I say… Tied for first at the end of this weekend?
Here are some things to watch for this weekend!
Edmonton Rush (3-4) vs Minnesota Swarm (2-4) these team will face each other twice this weekend, Friday in Edmonton and Sunday afternoon in Minnesota. Can Edmonton pull another weekend sweep? They did it last weekend. Can Mark Matthews continue to excel in his rookie campaign? Minnesota can not afford two losses this weekend, although they would have 8 games left, it would put a dent into the playoff chances. A weekend split at the least is what they need. Rookies Shayne Jackson and Kiel Matisz are proving their worth in the NLL, can they keep it up I this crucial math-up. Goaltending, Someone needs to step up…Kirk or Carlson?? This is year two of flip flopping and not in a good way. Both these games should be very exciting.
I say they split, each winning on their home floor.
Calgary Roughnecks (5-3) vs Washington Stealth (4-4) This is the game we have been waiting for since Washington started out 2-0 and Calgary 0-2. This game will be for first place in the West!! Calgary is coming off a 17-12 beating by the Rock, and nearly escaped the Hive with a 17-16 win. After this game Calgary’s 5 of the final 7 games are at home. Look for Calgary to get back on track this weekend with their faced paced offense. This is an important game for the Stealth, first it will give them win #5 topping last years mark. But more importantly it will put them in a tie for the top spot with Calgary and make a statement that they belong on top of the west. I say you will see some fantastic goaltending with Richards & Poulin. Also look for some incredible scoring chances and highlight reel goals. When the dust settles in the Wild, Wild West…Calgary comes out on top this week.
Philadelphia Wings (2-3) vs Rochester Knighthawks (2-4) These are the only teams playing in the East this weekend. This game is a rematch from two weeks ago when the Hawks doubled the Wings 20-10. Wings know what is at hand here. Hawks own an 11 game win streak over the Wings, and goaltender Matt Vinc owns an 11 game win streak as well over the Wings. Look for the Wings to come out quick, adjustments have been made. Crowley and Westervelt will be main producers this week. The addition of Mike McLellan will add to the offense and hopefully open some space for Rabil. For Rochester, they want to get back on track after a 10-6 loss to Buffalo. I don’t expect much change in there offense. Jamison, Powless, Keogh, and Dawson will get their share. But will the young defense and Brandon Miller be able to stop the Hawk curse at 11??
I say Wings win 13-11, a nail biter to the end. A game for the archives.
Colorado Mammoth (2-4) vs Philadelphia Wings (2-3) Which Mammoth offense will show up? Which goaltender will be on their game? Mammoth where beat 14-7 last week and 5 of the goals came from Grant & Adam Jones. Will Matt Roik be able to stay calm in his return to Philly? Fans & players know he loses cool at times, but we also know if Roik is on his game he is tough to beat. Last season was split each winning on the others floor. For the Wings (see above) how will they rebound after finishing a game 18 hrs prior to the start of this one? We seen what happened last time. The team knows they can not drop 3 in a row at home. Regardless of the outcome of the Knighthawks game, Wings win this one big 15-10 in a battle of the 2 oldest franchises
