Pepsi Center and the Colorado Mammoth will host the Washington Stealth this Friday at 7pm, with special uniforms & an auction that are part of the NLL's "Black Out Cancer" initiative
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1. No more two-week breaks between games!
This is actually a big one. While every team has at least one long break between games, the Mammoth are the only team to have three of them.
Not only have they had three of them, they have been broken up from the first week of February through the last week of March. For a league that only allows once-a-week practices, it’s extremely difficult for a team to find their groove if they play a game, have a two week break, play a game, have a two week break – especially if you’re going up against teams that haven’t had any long breaks.
Between February 27 and March 13, seven teams were on break. Only two of those teams won their first game back…one of which was the Edmonton Rush playing against another team coming back from a long break – the Colorado Mammoth. Six teams have been on break from March 13 through March 26, so it will be interesting to see how many win their games this weekend.
2. Bob Hamley + Bob McMahon = Power Team
The Mammoth have had a revolving door of coaches the past few years with both Hamley and McMahon included among those. For those who don’t know, GM Steve Govett named Bob Hamley as coach and Bob McMahon as Assistant Coach.
Many fans are both excited and worried about this recent change.
Fans are excited because, although both Hamley and McMahon have been successful in the league, their success has always been with both coaching on the same team. Neither seems to have been as successful on their own.
Fans are worried because Bob McMahon, who was let go as Head Coach earlier this season, is back on the coaching staff… albeit at Hamley’s request. Regardless, in a season wrought with injuries and filled with new players, the Mammoth need some stability, especially in their coaching staff.
3. Two Back-to-Back Games
Back-to-back games can either be really good or really bad for a team.
As GM Steve Govett said recently, teams usually play better in the second night of a back-to-back. It’s certainly not uncommon for a team to split back to back games. For the Mammoth, who seem to be struggling because of a lack of playing time as a team, having to back-to-back games in the second half of the season may turn out to be very fortuitous.
4. The Rookies are finding their way
As John Gallant said, playing in the NLL is unlike playing anywhere else.
For many rookies, playing in the NLL is often like playing an entirely new game because many of them come from playing outdoor lacrosse. Some make the transition well, some don’t. But add on to that playing in front of a packed Pepsi Center known across the league for how loud it gets, and you have an elevated stress level.
Getting comfortable with both the team and the new environment can be hard, but as Rookie of the Week Alex Gajic showed recently, he’s coming along fine.
5. John Gallant is back in the line up
The Mammoth have been struggling for leadership this season.
Colorado is now on their third coach and the season is only half over.  Add to that having your team captain injured and unable to play for six weeks. The only benefit was that Gallant was injured during the Mammoth’s short game month, so he didn’t miss as much playing time on the field as he could have.
The Mammoth have seven games remaining with five of them against divisional opponents. While they may not hold all the cards, they definitely have a say in their destiny. They could go from being 2-7 on the season to 9-7 if they’re able to play to their ability and the talent level that is on the team.   They could also go 2-14, but I think it’s a long shot. Once this team connects, look out.
This Weekend:
The Mammoth play the first in a “barn to barn” with the Washington Stealth on Friday March 26 at the Pepsi Center, then head to Washington to face the Stealth again on Saturday. Game time is 7 PM and tickets start at $5.
This game is important for another reason; the Mammoth will be taking part in a league-wide initiative to “Black Out Cancer“.
Many of the NLL’s teams are doing special events and auctions to raise funds and awareness. The Colorado Mammoth have opted to wear pink helmets and a special black jersey for the cause to be auctioned off afterward. If you’ve never seen a Mammoth game, come out and help support the team and a great cause.
