At the start of every season, there’s always lots of conjecture on how each team is going to do.  Did the changes they made in the off season help or hurt?  Who’s going to dominate?  And of course, every fan wants to think their team improved and will take the Champion’s Cup.  The league is full of talent, but with the loss of the Orlando Titans, the talent pool was even deeper this year.  A lot of changes were made around the league, both on and off the field.

West

Calgary Roughnecks
The Roughnecks are one of those teams everyone else in the division seems to have a grudge with.  And for good reason as they are often a prime reason in their opponent’s not making it far in the post-season.  This year however, I think they’re going to have some issues.  They’ve added top face-off man and sin bin regular, Geoff Snider to the line-up but they’ve also made some leadership changes.  They’ve added former Mammoth coach Bob McMahon to the coaching`staff as defensive coordinator, but they’ve lost captain Tracey Kelusky and starting goalie Matt King.  Andrew McBride takes Kelusky’s place as captain.  Former backup Mike Poulin will be filling King’s spot with veteran goal tender Curtis Palidwor stepping in as backup.  The Roughnecks may surprise their critics, but like many others, I think they will struggle more this year and be in a fight for the last playoff spot against the Swarm.

Colorado Mammoth
The Mammoth have a lot to prove this year, especially after not making it to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.  To say last year was tumultuous is a bit of an understatement.  They started the season with Coach Bob McMahon, temporarily had General Manager Steve Govett and finished with Bob Hamley.  They lost their starting goalie in the opening minutes of the first game.  They struggled on offense finishing with the lowest goal total in their history and on defense with the most goals scored against. Known as one of the hardest teams to beat at home, they went 0-8, definitely not something the team wants to repeat.  Like many of the other teams, they made several roster changes.  Most notable is the addition of John Grant Jr.  They will have former Roughneck goalie Matt King in net with former Arizona Sting goalie Rob Blasdell backing him up until Chris Levis’ ankle heals. Last year, loose balls were a huge issue for the Mammoth, but with the signing of veteran D-man Steve Toll, hopefully this season will be better.  With Bob Hamley still coach and a team still feeling the sting from an embarrassing season, I fully expect them to come out fighting.  I expect to see them battling in the finals to compete for the Champion’s Cup, probably against one of their favorite post-season opponents, the Stealth.

Edmonton Rush
Despite being deep in talent, the Rush have struggled over the years.  Last year they made their first playoff appearance and will look to build on what they were able to accomplish last year. They’ve added some players from fellow division team such as Devan Wray and Bruce Murray,  While Murray will provide some veteran leadership, he was on my list of Mammoth players I didn’t expect to see back on the team because I felt he wouldn’t be able to make the cut.  Needless to say, I was surprised when he signed with Edmonton.  He was fun to watch both here and in Arizona, but time will tell if the Rush bolstered their defense or slowed it down.  I expect them to start strong, but finish weak ending up in third place when all is said and done.

Minnesota Swarm
Minnesota is another team that just continues to struggle each season.  They limped into the playoffs last year, but not on their own merits.  After losing their own crucial game, they narrowly squeezed in after the Mammoth dropped a must win game of their own. Compared to others in the division, the Swarm didn’t make any major moves.  They certainly have size in Richard Morgan on Defense, and with 2006 Rookie of the Year, Ryan Benesch still on offense, the Swarm won’t be pushovers.  I expect them to struggle in the first half of the season, but finish strong to battle the Roughnecks for the final playoff spot.

Washington Stealth
As defending champs, the Stealth have a huge target on their chest, and I don’t just mean their logo.  There’s no denying it, the Stealth looked good last year, but they didn’t finish as strong as they started.  They only made a few changes to the roster adding Jeff Moleski, Victoria Shamrock D-man Chet Koneczny and former Rush captain Chris McElroy. It can be much harder to defend a title than it is to win it and while the Stealth are a talented team, the division just got much deeper in talent.  Rhys Duch had a huge impact last year. It will be interesting to see if he’s able to continue his streak this season.  I expect to see the Stealth battling it out for the final cup spot.

East

Boston Blazers
The Blazers have many wondering when they made headlines recently for firing their head coach Tom Ryan and bringing in Toronto Rock assistant coach, Matt Sawyer. Plenty of people are speculating whether there are other issues at play with many speculating certain talented members may have had a hand in it.  Of this, I will not conjecture further, however, it is certainly odd with the start of the season on the horizon for them to make such a change. The reasons behind it may certainly have an impact on team morale.  The other big question hovering over the Blazers is a matter of Egos, and are there too many for one team. While Casey Powell is certainly talented, he has a bit of a reputation and the Blazers will have issues if players can’t come together and play as a team.  I think the Blazers are going to struggle this season, but still expect them to make the playoffs.  They’re not the first team to struggle with first round knockout issues, but I don’t think this will be their year to break the streak.

Buffalo Bandits
The Bandits made some interesting acquisitions in the off season.  They now have former Roughneck captain Tracey Kelusky, and from the Mammoth Chad Culp. In addition to veteran John Tavares and Mark Steenhuis this has the potential to be a very dangerous offense. Tavares may not have many more seasons left in him, but only a fool would underestimate the impact he still holds on offense.  Don’t be surprised if the Bandits are batteling for that final cup spot come April.

Philadelphia Wings
To say the Philadelphia Wings were active in the offseason is an understatement. They have really overhauled their roster!  Probably most notable is the loss of long time Wing, Geoff Snider, but they’ve also lost Jason Crosbie and Dan Teat.  Athan Iannucci is expected to return to the line-up after being sidelined last season with a knee injury.  With the addition of Brendan Mundorf and Ryan Boyle on offense and Ryan McFadyen on defense, the Wings could surprise everyone this season.  With this much change, most people would expect them to have a rebuilding season and finish in last place.  I don’t think that will be the case though.  I think they will probably struggle in the first half of the season, but see them finishing strong and taking the number four spot.

Rochester Knighthawks
The Knighthawks have been making headlines of their own this off season.  Hall of Famer Gary Gait is coming back for another year.  In a league where 1-year contracts are the norm, they signed rookie Cody Jamieson to an unprecedented 10-year contract. Veteran goaltender Pat O’Toole retired and they traded John Grant Jr to Colorado for goalie Matt Vinc.  Like John Tavares, Gait doesn’t have many more seasons left, but with the loss of Grant on offense, his veteran leadership will certainly be an asset.  Like the Wings, the Knighthawks had a lot of change on their roster, so it will be a matter of when the team comes together.  However, while Gait is an asset, he also can be a hinderance as players will often second guess themselves and pass the ball to him rather than take a shot.  I think this season, they’ll miss the playoffs, but expect a very competitive team in 2012.

Toronto Rock
It was rumored during the off season starting goal tender Bob Watson might not be able to return this season due to complications with his job.  Watson was able to get it worked out and will be returning in net with Pat Campbell and Gee Nash backing him up.  As a Gee Nash fan, I can’t deny my bias, but that doesn’t change the fact that Watson has not one but two pretty solid goalies backing him up which will definitely be good for the Rock defense.  With Colin Doyle, Stephan Leblanc, Garrett Billings and Pat Maddalena on offense and a solid defense, the Rock will definitely be fighting for the Cup this year.

So basically, to sum it up:

West
1st – Mammoth
2nd – Stealth
3rd – Rush
4th – Swarm
5th – Roughnecks

East
1st – Rock
2nd – Bandits
3rd – Wings
4th – Blazers
5th – Knighthawks

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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.

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The Colorado Mammoth announced this week that Bob Hamley was returning to the organization as assistant coach. Hamley was previously assistant coach under Bob McMahon before leaving mid-season to accept the head coaching position with the Edmonton Rush.  Many fans were excited by the news.

Under Hamley and McMahon, the Mammoth went 5-1 but struggled after Hamley’s departure. Whether or not there was a correlation is the subject of much speculation. However, Hamley is a well-respected coach who has had success in the past.

Unfortunately, adding Hamley wasn’t enough for the Mammoth as they headed to Minnesota to face the Swarm who were hot off handing the division-rival Washington Stealth their first loss of the season last weekend.  The Mammoth struggled against the Orlando Titans last weekend, but have typically played well against the Minnesota Swarm, even beating them in overtime earlier this season.

Obviously, there’s an elephant in the room. I can’t deny it and don’t want to skirt it, so let’s just get him out of the way.

The Mammoth are not playing well.  They’re not playing anywhere near their potential.  This is a team stacked from top to bottom with talent and yet they have been bulldozed completely in three of their seven games.  Maybe that’s the issue though – there is too much talent causing players to not feel a need to prove themselves. Maybe there are too many egos. Maybe just not enough team mentality. Yes, there was a lot of changeover in the team which is going to mess with team dynamics, but the Mammoth aren’t the only ones who went through that this season.

One thing is for certain – the Mammoth are having serious issues. Captain John Gallant told me that fans need to stay calm and not panic because the team isn’t panicking. He also said “We want to be playing our best lacrosse at the end of the season. Not now.  Not in the middle, but at the end.”  Anyone who has followed this league has seen plenty of teams start off extremely strong, winning the majority of the first half of the season only to lose the majority of the second half. However, we’re at the midpoint of the season, and as fans, it’s extremely difficult to have patience.

It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that they seem to give up whenever their opponent starts developing a strong lead.  Instead of getting fired up and working harder, they let their opponents get under their skin. Instead of shutting them up by playing more aggressively, they resort to fist-fighting instead. I remember previous Mammoth teams over the years that played consistently through thick and thin. It didn’t seem to matter if they were down by one goal or nine; they played as hard as they could with a ton of heart until the final buzzer. In many instances, they were able to come from behind huge deficits to win.  For whatever reason, this team has not found its heart.

Now that I have that off my chest…

In the 1st Quarter, the Mammoth looked strong. After some back-and-forth, Alex Gajic was the first to score, assisted by his brother Nenad Gajic & by Nick Carlson. Ilija Gajic quickly followed up with the Mammoth’s second goal, also assisted by brother Nenad and by Brian Langtry.  Langtry notched his own goal a few minutes later, shooting from the retention line, and was assisted by Nenad and Jed Prossner. Chris Levis looked strong in net, keeping the Swarm scoreless until about three minutes left in the quarter when Richard Morgan scored a shorthanded, but contested goal. Upon review, the goal stood and the quarter ended with the Mammoth up 3-1.

2006 Rookie of the Year, Ryan Benesch quickly started off a flurry of 2^nd Quarter goals. In just under 6 minutes, the Mammoth scored once and the Swarm three times to tie the game 4-4. The Swarm finished the 2^nd strong, notching two more goals to take the lead 6-4.

Jamie Shewshuck started off the 3^rd Quarter by scoring a quick goal for the Mammoth after a minute of play.  Unfortunately, that was the last time the Mammoth would find the back of the net. It seemed like the Mammoth defense was on the floor for the majority of the second half, and by the 4^th Quarter, instead of dictating whatsoever where the Swarm were taking their shots from, it seemed like the Swarm were easily picking their shots – many right from the crease. Andrew Leyshon relieved Chris Levis midway through the 4^th, but it didn’t stop the bleeding and the Swarm scored three more times. Coming into this game, the Mammoth led the league in shots on goal. This time the Swarm were able to keep them to only 30 shots, while Minnesota had 42.

Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 5, Minnesota Swarm 15.

Attendance: 9,223

Around the league:

Calgary Roughnecks 13, Washington Stealth 9

Boston Blazers 12, Orlando Titans 11 Dbl OT

Rochester Knighthawks 12, Philadelphia Wings 6

Toronto Rock 13,  Edmonton Rush 14

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After losing their home opener and dropping to 0-2, Mammoth fans were rife with frustration.  It became apparent that the Mammoth were frustrated as well when President and General Manager, Steve Govett, shocked everyone by firing Coach Bob McMahon.

Many fans have been clamoring for McMahon’s dismissal since the end of his first season, especially so after his second season last year when the Mammoth went 7-9.  But Govett stood behind McMahon, fiercely defending him… until now.  According to the Mammoth website, Govett was quoted as saying, “I have a standard and a vision for this team, and sometimes it’s hard to have others buy into that vision and carry it out if they’re not 100% in sync with what I’m looking for. I think our fans deserve better than what we’ve shown on the field so far.”

The coaching change came as quite a surprise, especially since Govett, who has no coaching experience, will be filling in as interim coach.  While Govett doesn’t claim to be the best choice, he also says he won’t be afraid of firing himself from the position if it seems that is what’s needed.  In response to fans’ speculations he responded, “No one says it will be easy and I may end up firing myself and hiring someone that better suits the job, but I will put the effort and work in to turn our ship in the short term. I won’t hand over the reins of an 0-2 team that has fallen short of expectations to someone that has little knowledge of the players and landscape of the situation or organization. That wouldn’t be fair to the team, the players, the coaches or the management and especially the new coach.”

Following closely on the heels of the coaching announcement, the NLL announced Ilija Gajic earned “Rookie of the Week” honors, despite the Mammoth losing their first two games.

With a new coach at the helm, the Mammoth went uncertainly into the weekend facing back-to-back games against two different teams.  They emerged victorious.

First up, they faced the Minnesota Swarm, a team they had both beaten and lost to in the preseason.  Because the Swarm is also in the Western division, the game was very important.  If the Mammoth lost, not only were they 0-3, they were 0-3 in their division.

The first half of the game was very high scoring with 17 goals, and the result that all four goalies had seen playing time in the game.  Andrew Leyshon was briefly replaced in the first quarter by rookie Neil Tyacke but returned at the beginning of the second quarter.  Swarm Goalie Nick Patterson was replaced in the second quarter by Kevin Croswell after the Mammoth scored four goals in a minute and a half.  Going into half time, the Mammoth had 8 goals on 22 shots to the Swarm’s 9 goals on 21 shots.

The second half was much more defensive and lower-scoring with only 11 goals on 53 shots.  The Mammoth were able to score 3 shots to the Swarm’s 2 in the third quarter, tying the game.  Both teams scored 3 goals a piece in the fourth quarter, forcing the game into overtime where Mammoth Defenseman Tom Ethington scored the game winner.

Brian Langtry, Jamie Shewchuk and Cory Conway led the team with 3 goals each, 2 assists for Langtry, 3 for Shewchuck and Conway.  Ilija Gajic had 2 goals and 2 assists and Cliff Smith 2 goals as well.  Although Chad Culp only had 1 goal, he had a huge impact on the game, notching 6 assists.  The game ended with the Mammoth at 15, the Swarm 14.

Back-to-back games are always hard on a team, especially when they’re playing different teams each night.  Following their win in Minnesota, the Mammoth headed to Philadelphia to take on the 1-1 Wings.  On an ordinary night, the Wings would be a strong opponent.  Would the Mammoth be up to the task after a tough game against the Swarm?

Compared to the previous night, Saturday’s game was low-scoring with a total of 23 goals compared to Friday’s 29.  Although many fans speculated that the games might be split between Leyshon and Tyacke, Leyshon started in goal both nights.  The Mammoth led at the half with 6 goals to the Wing’s 5.  The second half was a battle with the Wings scoring 6 goals to the Mammoth’s 5, sending the game in-to overtime tied at 11.

Although the Wings won the faceoff, Leyshon successfully blocked the shot on goal.  Much to the Wing’s fans dismay, Bill McGlone received a two minute goalie interference penalty immediately after that first shot for colliding with Andrew Leyshon.  After a little bit of back-and-forth, the Mammoth were able to capitalize on the power play with the winning goal scored by Alex Gajic, assisted by his brother Ilija.

Final score, Mammoth 12, Wings 11.

Around the League:

Buffalo Bandits 11, Washington Stealth 13

Rochester Knighthawks 3, Toronto Rock 17

Buffalo Bandits 7, Edmonton Rush 11

Orlando Titans 9, Boston Blazers 13

Washington Stealth 16, Calgary 15

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