National Lacrosse League 2002 Playoff Preview

By Ted Montour

Two entertaining quarter-final games last week-end saw the Washington Power and the Rochester Knighthawks advance to the semi-final round of the 2002 NLL play-offs. The Power travel to the Air Canada Centre Friday, April 5 to face the Northern Division champion Toronto Rock, while the top-seeded Albany Attack host the Knighthawks the next evening, Saturday, April 6 at the Pepsi Arena.

    

Washington Power vs Toronto Rock, Friday, April 5, 7:30 p.m. Eastern - [Tape delay on Rogers Sportsnet, 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 1: 00 a.m. Mountain, 12:00 midnight Pacific]


The Power performed pretty well for a homeless bunch, edging the defending champs 12 - 11 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, before a crowd of 10,041. The Wings were unable to hold an 11 - 9 lead as the Power scored 3 unanswered in the fourth quarter, capped by Gary Gait's game winner with some four minutes remaining. Washington faces a different, but equally familiar, opponent in the Rock.




The Toronto Rock won 11 games and lost 5 en route to the Northern Division title, and were 5-and-3 in the second half of the season. They lost their first meeting with the Power in Washington on January 5, 12 - 11, as Devin Dalep made 52 saves on 63 Toronto shots and Del Halladay lit up Anthony Cosmo for 5 goals. They won the return engagement February 10 at the Air Canada Centre before some 13,800 Rockers (on their way to an unblemished 2002 home record), as neither Dalep nor Eric Miller could stop Colin Doyle, the proverbial one-man gang with 6 goals. Bob Watson made 36 saves on 50 Washington shots, though he gave up 5 to Matt Shearer.

Colin Doyle led all Toronto shooters with 47 goals, including 11 on special teams. The former Kitchener Brave and 1998 NLL Rookie of the Year started the season fresh from a Mann Cup victory (along with partner Kimbo Squire) with British Columbia's Coquitlam Adanacs, and wound up 13th in League scoring with 80 points, the only Rock player in the NLL Top Twenty. Dan Stroup scored 37 goals, including 12 on the power-play, Squire had 27 and Steve Toll, who saw a lot more offensive action this season, added 26, including a League-leading 7 short-handed. Captain Jim "Scoop" Veltman added to his NLL all-time total with 203 loose balls. Bob Watson led all NLL goal-tenders with an 11.54 goals-against average in 12 games (9- 3). Anthony Cosmo was 2-and-2 with an even stingier 10.55 GAA, with one of his losses to the Power.
Toronto's power-play was the 6th most efficient in the NLL this winter at 54.2%, with 39 goals on 72 opportunities; their penalty-killing effectiveness was a more impressive 57.9%, just a couple of ticks behind Albany, with a League-leading 19 short-handed markers.

Toronto's defence was the best overall in the League, as they held their opponents to an average 11.0 goals per game, while netting 13.9 .



The League's (second-) best offence against the best defence - sounds like a classic match-up; Washington's gunners trying to get past Coyle, Ladouceur, Veltman and company, only to face Whipper Watson. Special teams are a microcosm of the even-strength game, except that Steve Toll, on the break-away, and Colin Doyle sneaking out the front door, make the Rock's PK especially dangerous. While Toronto has outscored the opposition 2-to-1 in the opening period, their fourth quarter is statistically their weakest. Washington's third quarter has been their Achilles' heel.


Washington can score from anywhere on the floor, while Doyle, Stroup and Squire key Toronto's inside offence. Both teams are dangerous in transition, with speedsters like Toronto's Toll, and Washington's Kip Fulks and Bobby Horsey. The Rock have a clear advantage in goal. This game will likely turn on whoever has the ball last. Look for the Rock to return to the NLL final in a (rougher than might be expected) squeaker.






SCOOP & SHOOT FINALISTS!





    

Rochester Knighthawks vs Albany Attack, Saturday, April 6, 7:30 p.m. Eastern - [Live on WYSL AM Radio, Rochester, netcast via nationallacrosse.com, no TV]

The Rochester Knighthawks had all that they could handle from the Vancouver Ravens last week, before Curt Malawsky netted the overtime winner. The West Coasters gave a strong accounting for themselves throughout this contest, taking the lead on several occasions, however, they were unable to hold it. Rogers Sportsnet (Rogers is the biggest cable carrier in Canada, in addition to owning this sports network) showed the game by tape delay, starting at "0-dark hundred" in the several Canadian time zones, in its first broadcast from the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. Albany can expect a strong showing from the "K'hawk Krew" this Saturday night, making for what will no doubt be the largest NLL crowd ever in the Pepsi Arena. The Attack will be facing the team responsible for both losses on their 14-and-2 record.



Josh Sanderson set an NLL regular-season record with 68 assists, topping the one-year old mark of 64 helpers established by Buffalo's John Tavares. The Orangeville, Ontario native proved the truism about making those playing around him better, while finishing 4th in League scoring. He all but doubled his own production last season, from 18 goals and 32 assists to 35 and 68 this year. Gary Rosyski, 24 goals and 22 assists last season, improved to 44 and 41; Dan Teat, from 25 goals and 20 assists, to 37 and 36; and home town boy Mike Regan with 18 goals and 7 assists in his rookie year, up to 32 and 26.


Add Nick Trudeau to the mix, to the tune of 38 goals and 29 assists, and you can see why Albany's overall goal scoring improved from an average of 10.9 goals-per-game to 15.6 .

Rob Blasdell has been steady in goal, with a goals-against average of 12.01, good for 3rd behind Toronto's Watson and Vancouver's Maetche. Back-up Brandon Miller got credit for 1 win on about 27 minutes of work. While the Attack power play was 10th in efficiency at 50.5% and 55 goals on 109 opportunities, their penalty killing was a League-best 58.2% effective, while their 18 short-handed goals was 1 short of Toronto's benchmark.





So how did the Rochester Knighthawks take both Central Division matches from the Attack? November 24 in Rochester, the sixth game of the season, the Knighthawks get 7 goals from Curt Malawsky, and 8 from special teams (7 power-play, 1 short-handed), while back-up 'tender Patrick Campbell, taking over from Pat O'Toole with 1:17 left in the opening quarter, gets the win. Josh Sanderson scores all of his 4 goals on the power-play, Trudeau, Teat, Rosyski and Regan account for all but 1 of the rest, and Albany special teams produce 10 goals (9 PPG, 1 SHG), but Blasdell faces 64 shots and stops 42 --- Rochester 22, Albany 16, outgunned in a shoot-out.

January 12 in Albany, NLL game 36, the Knighthawks get 4 goals from John Grant, 3 each from Curt Malawsky and Cory Bomberry, scoring from eight players in all, while Pat O'Toole stops 43 of 57 shots. "Blazer" stops 44 of 61 Rochester shots, and Gary Rosyski scores 5 goals, but the power-play accounts for the difference, Rochester producing 6 goals to Albany's 3, as the Knighthawks prevail 17 - 14.

Rochester has eight players in double figures in the goals column, from John Grant's 52 to Darcy Sweet's 18, while Albany has six double-digit goal scorers, from Rosyski's 44 to Jamie Grimoldby's 12. More fire power and more variety give Rochester a decided overall edge.


Albany is out to prove that their 14-and-2 record is no fluke, while Rochester wants to prove all of the pre-season prognosticators right (not to mention another shot at Toronto for the Cup). The Knighthawks are the better candidates for 'team of destiny' in this contest.



The NLL Web Site!

NLL Playoffs: Knighthawks 11, Ravens 10 (OT), 3/29

Washington Power 12, Philadelphia Wings 11, 3/29


4/5/02