It was a packed slate with everyone in action in Week 3, but now we’re back to the pared down lineup in week four. We’ve got a four game schedule, starting with some Lax After Dark for us east coasters on Friday night. Not even a full month in, already we have plenty of surprises. Is the fact that there are two teams sitting at 0-3 a shock? Probably not. Is it a shock that one of them is Toronto, and the Rock have the worst scoring differential in the NLL? Hell yes it is. The current combined records of last year’s playoff field is 8-10. The current combined record of the teams that missed last year’s playoffs is 9-7. In the immortal words of John Sterling, that’s baseball Suzyn.
This week has a small slate, but all four games have some fun to them. Philly and Vegas rematch from…last week. Halifax has to visit the Loud House, Saskatchewan takes their cardiac kid play style on the road, and Georgia tries to stay undefeated when they visit the west coast.
Spreads are current as of the time of writing, and all come from DraftKings. If you’re planning to bet on games, it’s always smart to shop all books for the best value.
FRIDAY
Who: Philadelphia Wings (1-1) vs Las Vegas Desert Dogs (0-3)
Where: Lee’s Family Forum, Las Vegas
When: 10:30pm EST
The Spread: Philadelphia favored by 2.5 (+114), game total set at 24.5
SATURDAY
Who: Saskatchewan Rush (2-0) vs Rochester Knighthawks (1-2)
Where: Blue Cross Arena, Rochester
When: 7:00pm EST
The Spread: Saskatchewan favored by 1.5 (+110), game total set at 23.5
Who: Halifax Thunderbirds (0-2) vs Colorado Mammoth (2-0)
Where: Ball Arena, Colorado
When: 9:00pm EST
The Spread: Colorado favored by 1.5 (+120), game total set at 23.5
Who: Georgia Swarm (2-0) vs San Diego Seals (2-1)
Where: Pechanga Arena, San Diego
When: 10:00pm EST
The Spread: San Diego favored by 1.5 (+100), game total set at 23.5.
STORIES TO WATCH
Can the Rush start on time?
The Rush have scored two first quarter goals this season, three second quarter goals, four third quarter goals, and eight fourth quarter goals. Plus two OT game winners in two games. Their scoring total has gotten bigger as games go on. They have had a flair for the dramatic in their first two games. They have a 2-0 record to show for it, but is this a sustainable way to play? The Rush are playing a dangerous game by starting slow and charging late. That said, their opponent this week has allowed this type of game so far. Rochester has given up 13 first half goals and 24 second half goals in their three games.
Can Halifax close?
The Thunderbirds are 0-2, and frankly 0-2 in spectacular fashion. They held a seven goal lead in the second quarter against Calgary and lost. They held an 8-3 lead at the start of the 4th quarter last week and lost 9-8 in OT. They have scored as many total goals in the second quarter (8) this year as they have in the second HALF of games. Jake Withers can have a major positive impact in this game. Colorado doesn’t have a faceoff man over 50%. Withers could tilt the field from the spot, and have his usually loose ball impact as well. The possession dominance, and maybe a point or two from Withers, can be the difference between winning and losing for Halifax right now. The Loud House will be, well, loud. Halifax will need a strong start, and then to lean on it through Withers and and scoring runs, to quiet the crowd and get their first win.
We already have rematches
Georgia got a great win over San Diego in OT to star the season. This weekend, the Swarm head west for a rematch with the Seals. Last week, Philly put up 19 goals on Vegas last week. Through two games, the Wings have 34 goals, their best two game scoring stretch ever. Vegas gets a quick chance for revenge on their home floor this weekend as the Wings head to Sin City. I don’t really have a strong feeling one way or another about if having a rematch this quickly and this early in a season is good or bad. I think it’s fun. I could have watched Philly and Vegas play a whole second game right after the first one ended. Wings were cooking, and despite the 0-3 record I enjoy watching the Vegas offense. San Diego and Georgia have a ton of star power, sign me up for more of that. This will be the last time the Seals and Swarm play this season, same for Philly and Vegas, barring a playoff matchup.
Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup
December 17th, Tuesday this past week, marked 10 years since the passing of Tucker Williams. If you aren’t familiar with the story, Tucker was the son of Desert Dogs head coach Shawn Williams, and younger brother of FireWolves forward Dyson Williams. This week the Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup was announced. Three teams are participating, each with a connection to the Williams family. Las Vegas, Albany, and Buffalo, who hosted the first Tucker Out Lymphoma night in 2014. Five games this season will decide the cup, two points for a win and one point for an OT loss. There are no cup games this weekend, but with 10 years having passed and the creation of this cup, this is a story that will be on my mind every week. Teams have their own Tucker Our Lymphoma nights throughout the year, usually with some great ways to raise money for a wonderful cause attached. Check the schedule for your local team to see if there’s one on the slate for you.