Lacrosse News

National Lacrosse League 2002 Playoff Preview

The 2002 NLL post-season opens this Easter / Passover / Final Four week-end, with the first quarter-final and "wild card" play-off games in League history. The expansion Vancouver Ravens won their last seven games to take the fifth seed and the dubious right to play the Knighthawks in Rochester, while the homeless Eastern Division champion Washington Power have ceded the home floor advantage to the Champion's Cup-holding Philadelphia Wings. The top-seeded Albany Attack and runners-up Toronto Rock await the winners.

Paul & Gary Gait were 1st and 2nd in NLL scoring

Washingon Power v. Philadelphia Wings, Saturday, March 30 - [Netcast via nationallacrosse.com, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, no TV]

It's really too bad that this game is not televised somehow, somewhere, especially given the Commissioner's current courtship of U.S. network TV, but the Wing-nuts, plus those Power faithful who make the short trip, are in for a good time at the First Union Center.

The Washington Power won the Eastern Division with 9 wins and 7 losses, behind a career season from Paul Gait, who led all NLL scorers with 54 goals and 61 assists. Brother Gary was just 2 goals behind. The Power backed into the post-season, however, going 3-and-5 over the second half of the schedule, after a 6-and-2 start. Granted, that second half included two games against Philadelphia, plus Albany and Toronto, and they only managed a split with the Wings among these play-off bound opponents; but they also lost to Buffalo and New Jersey.

The Wings came off a less-than-stellar 8-and-8 season in defence of their 2001 championship. The still-dazzling Tom Marachek finished 5th in League scoring with 45 goals and 53 assists, while Kevin Finneran was 15th with 79 points. Philadelphia won a crucial final home game against Toronto, which put them into the play-offs, but still had a .500 second half.

Tom Marachek

The Power averaged 15.8 goals per game, second in the League, while allowing 14.6 . The Wings averaged 13.9 goals a game, tied for 6th with the Rock, while allowing 14.8 . Washington's power play was tops in the NLL at 76.2% efficiency and 64 goals, while Philadelphia's ranked 9th at 50.9% and 57 goals. The Power were a much more humble 11th in penalty-killing effectiveness at 36.5%, although they scored 14 (4 by Paul Gait) while short-handed. The Wings' PK was 3rd behind the Attack and the Rock at 53.7%, with 9 man-short markers.

Washington had ten players in double figures in the goals column, and their top five shooters accounted for 184. Philadelphia's top 5 managed 177.

Washington's Devin Dalep was 10th on the League 'tenders' list at 14.5 goals-against in 15 games, while playing some 753 minutes. Back-up Erik Miller appeared in 6 games and was tagged with 3 losses, while Tom Still was awarded 1 loss on less than 36 minutes of work. Dean of NLL goalies Dallas Eliuk played less than 600 minutes in 11 games, finishing 7th with a 14.03 GAA. Back-up Chris Sanderson logged more than 346 minutes in 8 games, winning 2 and losing 4, while Nick Schroeder got less than a quarter of work in 2 games.

The brothers Gait combined for 104 goals, and Del Halladay and Matt Shearer added 31 apiece, as the Power finished their 2002 season dogged by rumours and news reports of as-yet unsuccessful attempts to sell and/or relocate the franchise. Philadelphia finished under another kind of cloud, as Jake Bergey's 1-game suspension, which would have otherwise kept him on the sidelines for this Saturday, was lifted 'upon further review' by the League office. His, and Eliuk's, physical readiness are also in question. Nevertheless, these two teams have much too much pride, experience, professionalism, and in the case of the Wings, downright orneriness (although Power head coach Darris Kilgour epitomized ornery during his playing days), to let anything stand in the way of a strong showing.

VOTE FOR THE ALL-STARS NOW!

Special teams could be the determining factor in this contest - Washington had four defenders with more than 50 penalty minutes, led by Brian Reese's 61, while Captain Dave Stilley topped the Wings' bad boys with 59 minutes. Washington's superior fire power should prevail, even over Philadelphia's "seventh man". Philadelphia stands a better chance if they can get to Dalep early, especially from outside. This contest may only be decided by a goal or two, and late, and expect a Gait to be in the thick of it.

Vancouver Ravens vs Rochester Knighthawks, Saturday, March 30 - [Live on CNN/SI at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, tape delay on Rogers Sportsnet, 12:00 midnight Eastern, 11: 00 p.m. Central and Western, 8:00 p.m. Pacific]
The Ravens bring their 7-game win streak to the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial in Rochester, to face the Knighthawks, who finished the regular season with six straight victories themselves. Vancouver coach Paul Dal Monte said Wednesday that his team would have to play "almost flawless lacrosse" to have a chance to win their first-ever NLL play-off contest. He's right.

Chris Gill

The Ravens began their run at home, February 2 with a 21 - 10 win over Ottawa, and backed that up with sweeps of New York and Calgary. The Knighthawks, meanwhile, finished their second 6-game string of the season against the giant-killing (or eating) Landsharks in Columbus. They are also responsible for both Albany losses, while falling themselves only to Washington, Toronto, and Philadelphia, all on the road.

The Ravens scored 236 goals, for an average of 14.8 per game, tied with the Express for fourth in the League. Their 11.9 team goals-against average was second only to the Toronto Rock. The Knighthawks led the NLL with 258 goals, an average of 16.1, while allowing a fourth-best 12.5 .

On the special-teams front, the Ravens ranked third in power-play efficiency (tied again with the Express) at 57.3%, scoring 63 goals while allowing only 7 short-handed. The K'hawks were eleventh in power-play efficiency at 49.6% on 57 goals, and they gave up 15 short-handers.

Vancouver's penalty-killers were 44.4% effective, ninth in the NLL, however they did score 14 while short-handed, including 5 from Chris Gill. The Knighthawks' efficiency was a fourth-ranked 50.9%, and they snuck out the front door for 10 short-handed markers.

The Ravens' Chris Gill finished 7th in NLL scoring with 90 points, and, after leading the League most of the season, his 53 goals (including 12 PPG) were second only to Paul Gait. Chris Prat edged into the Top 20 with 74 points, including 25 goals, 24 of them in a Ravens uniform. John Grant paced the Knighthawks again this year with 105 points, 3rd behind the NLL's BeeGees, and hot on Gill's heels with 52 goals, including 11 on the power-play and 3 short-handed. Shawn Williams finished 19th (his 75 points just 1 ahead of Prat), his 40 goals including 13 PPG and 4 SHG.

Mike Law

Behind each team's leading two scorers, however, Vancouver is at a substantial disadvantage, in production and NLL play-off experience. Although Peter Morgan scored 32 goals in just 12 games, and Ryan O-Connor and specialist Jamie Bowen each added 20 (Bowen's 13 PPG led his team), The Knighthawks had Derek Malawsky (25 goals), Cory Bomberry (22 goals, 11 PPG), Curt Malawsky (31 goals, 11 PPG), Duane Jacobs (20 goals), Tim Soudan (19 goals), and Darcy Sweet (18 goals). All told, the Ravens got 150 goals from their "Top 5", 195 from their "Top 10", while the K'hawks got 170 and 240, respectively.

In goal, Vancouver's Darren Maetche, not only the oldest goal-tender, but the oldest player in the League, finished 2nd among his padded peers to the Rock's Bob Watson, with an 11.77 goals-against average while logging just over 907 minutes between the pipes. Pat O'Toole was 5th with a 12.72 GAA, while clocking more than 849 minutes in the crease for Rochester. Both net-minders appeared in every game, with rookie Scott Wylie and Chad Miller combining for some 50 minutes and 1 victory (credited to Wylie) behind Maetche, while Rochester back-up, veteran Pat Campbell, played almost 114 minutes and is also credited with 1 win.

The Knighthawks will have the advantages of the friendliest home floor in the NLL, and three time zones of travel, over the visitors. The Ravens have a veteran defensive corps, a solid power play, and Chris Gill. They also had a softer schedule, particularly in the second half. The Knighthawks have more scoring depth, more championship experience, and John Grant.

The Knighthawks should take the lead and hold it (no slow start this time), but we can expect to see the Ravens make it close, at least for a couple of quarters. Rochester coach Paul Day said that he expects a tough Canadian-style game from the Ravens (coming from Ontario himself, he knows whereof he speaks), however, his Knighthawks can give every bit as good as they get "where the metal meets the meat" (I just saw We Were Soldiers the other night, and highly recommend it).

The NLL Web Site!
3/26/02