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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After last night’s game at the Pepsi Center against the Toronto Rock, the Mammoth coaching staff have some very hard decisions to make.  Unfortunately, regardless of the score, I don’t think the players made it any easier for them.

Mammoth offensive veteran standouts Brian Langtry and Jamie Shewchuck each scored three of the Mammoth’s seven goals.  But as for the rest of the offense… it’s going to be tough.  There were a lot of dropped passes and missed loose ball opportunities.

Granted, some of it may have been nerves.  Some of these guys have never played in the Pepsi Center, nor in front of a crowd that despite only being 6,507 strong was quite loud.  Some of it may have been chemistry.  I’m sure the coaches were changing lines up a lot trying to find who pairs well together.

The defense wasn’t much better.

They gave up entirely too many one-on-one situations with the goalie.  At least some of that was due to the phenomenal outlet passes former Mammoth goalie Gee Nash employs, but not all of it.  There was a lot of blown coverage and, again, issues with loosies.

The fight for who will tend goal is still very much on.

In this game it was Chris Levis and Rob Blasdell.  Levis looked pretty solid stopping 22 of 27 shots whereas Blasdell looked a bit rusty only stopping 15 of 20.  In comparison, in the two quarters Gee Nash played, he stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced.  I fully expect he will be backing up veteran goaltender Bob Watson for the Rock this season.  I can’t deny I’m very jealous of that pairing, but we look to have a much stronger goaltending situation in Denver this season compared to last.

Many expect former Calgary Roughneck goalie Matt King will be the Mammoth starting goalie.  The Mammoth will be playing a scrimmage against the Stealth next week in Everett, where one of the players mentioned Curtis Palidwor would be competing for the spot against the presumed standout from tonight’s match up for the back up spot.

While tonight was a rather lackluster performance, these Mammoth are extremely deep with talent. Once they get the kinks worked out, we’re going to see an amazing team.

Colorado Mammoth 7, Toronto Rock 10

Attendance: 6,705

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Going into Friday night’s game against the Orlando Titans, there was a lot of excitement despite losing to the Washington Stealth last week. Steve Govett made some key changes, reacquiring goalie Chris Levis and veteran forward Chris Gill. Both were key players in the Mammoth’s 2006 Championship season.

Unfortunately, that excitement didn’t last long.

With the loss of Captain John Gallant from defense with a broken thumb for an estimated 6 weeks, and Curtis Palidwor still out on injured reserve, goaltending has proven to be an issue. Despite a strong season last year that resulted in being named to the Western Division All Star team, Andrew Leyshon has struggled this year, recording the worst save percentage in the league. Neil Tyacke breifly replaced Leyshon in the 1^st quarter against the Stealth, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact. Leyshon’s struggles have proven to be anything but temporary.

To say the Mammoth got off to a slow start against the Titans is an understatement. Within the first six minutes of the 1^st quarter, Leyshon only blocked 2 of 6 shots, although one of the the Titan goals was called back due to a crease violation. Unfortunately for Leyshon, he was replaced by Levis to the sounds of tumultuous applause. Ryan Boyle was able to score a power play goal, bringing the score to Mammoth 0, Titans 4 at the end of the 1^st quarter.

Ilija Gajic finally got the Mammoth on the scoreboard, netting a short-handed goal 6 minutes into the second. Chris Gill scored the Mammoth’s second goal 6 minutes later, but the Titans were able to score two power play goals bringing the score to Mammoth 2, Titans 6. Levis successfully got the crowd fired up as the half wound down when he came out of the net and checked Pat Merrill to the ground, stopping the Titan forward’s breakaway.

It was announced at the start of the third quarter that Jamie Shewchuck had received a game misconduct (which results in ejection from the game) after a brief altercation in the end of the 2nd quarter with a Titan player who was holding on to his face mask.  The Titan player, Rory Smith,  received two face mask penalties for 4 minutes in the penalty box.

The Titans kept the Mammoth scoreless through the 3^rd quarter and most of the 4^th until under 5 minutes remained. Jed Prossner was finally able to find the back of the net. Pulling the goalie and utilizing extra attackers, both Cory Conway & Prossner were able to score but it was nowhere near enough. The Mammoth looked defeated early in the third quarter and a crowd known league-wide for their loudness was silenced.

The Mammoth didn’t lack for shots on goal. Matt Vinc, the number two goalie in the league, faced 52 of them while Levis only faced 35. Vinc did a good job blocking almost every shot, but the Mammoth helped him by shooting many of them at his chest and 5-hole. When the Mammoth were in front of the net, it looked more like a practice session than a game with frequent passes back and forth and little headway toward the net. The Titans defense did a good job keeping the Mammoth from getting close to the crease to take a shot, whereas the Mammoth defense found it much harder to prevent the Titan offense from doing the same. Final score Mammoth 5, Titans 12.

The Mammoth have a lot to think about over the upcoming break. They don’t play again until February 20th when they will head to Minnesota to face the Swarm.

Attendance: 13,953

Around the league:

Edmonton Rush 8, Calgary Roughnecks 13

Philadelphia Wings 11, Toronto Rock 19

Minnesota Swarm 9, Washington Stealth 12

Toronto Rock 14, Buffalo Bandits 10

Rochester Knighthawks 8, Boston Blazers 14

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Some Mammoth fans will be in for quite a surprise Saturday when the Edmonton Rush visit the Pepsi Center for Colorado’s home opener. As part of their off season overhaul, the Mammoth traded Captain Gavin Prout to the Rochester Knighthawks. The same trade that brought Ilija Gajic to Colorado. Rochester later traded Prout to the Edmonton Rush.

As would be expected, the Mammoth hate to lose. They especially hate to lose at home. After last week’s devastating loss to the Washington Stealth, the Mammoth have a lot to prove. What better place to do it than one of the loudest houses in the NLL?

The Edmonton Rush, playing the second game of a back-to-back series, also have a lot to prove.

In four seasons, the Rush have yet to make it to the playoffs, but after making numerous changes in the off season as well, they are hoping to change that this year. Ironically enough, two of their biggest acquisitions were former Mammoth players, although Prout was the only one who wore a Mammoth jersey. The second acquisition, Ryan Powell, was not a Mammoth player for long. Powell was originally acquired during the off season by the New York Titans in the dispersal draft after the Portland Lumberjax disbanded. He was then traded to the Mammoth who later traded him to the Rush.

The Rush will be opening their season against the Stealth, who will be playing their second home game of the season. In the NLL it’s not uncommon for teams to play what’s referred to as a “barn to barn” where the same teams play back to back games, one in each “barn”. However, once in awhile a team gets the short end of the stick and plays two different teams back to back.

This could either be good or bad for the Mammoth.

Because the Rush have not played yet this season, their game against the Stealth will provide them an opportunity to work out any kinks before coming to Denver. However, playing back-to-back games against two strong opponents can also make for an exhausted team. Because of that, it’s not uncommon for a team to split a few of their key players, only having them play in one game or the other.

Curtis Palidwor, who started last week against the Stealth was put on injured reserve after taking a ball to the face mask that damaged its cage and broke the bone surrounding his left eye. This leaves the Mammoth with last year’s starting goalie Andrew Leyshon and 3rd-string rookie Neil Tyacke. Although a rookie, many Mammoth fans are curious to see how Tyacke will do in net after recording a 78% save percentage with a Canadian team, the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

With one of the highest average attendances in the league, the Mammoth expect a packed house. Tickets may still be available and start at just $5 per seat. Game time is at 7 pm MST, and will also be aired on Altitude.

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Mammoth goalie Andrew Leyshon did not start at Washington, but was forced into action after an injury to Curtis Palidwor

It was expected that Andrew Leyshon would be starting in goal, however, for reasons unknown, Curtis Palidwor was in net. Jeff Zywicki scored the Stealth’s first goal of many, but Palidwor and the Mammoth defense were able to keep the Stealth to three goals in the first quarter.  Zywicki’s second goal stirred some controversy as it appeared the shot clock sounded before he scored, but the ref called it good and Colorado Coach Bob McMahon chose not to challenge.

Unfortunately, the Mammoth’s offense was unable to produce and the first quarter ended Stealth 3, Mammoth 0.

By the end of the second quarter, with the help of two goals by Jamie Shewchuk (one of them on a power play) and one by Ilija Gajic, it appeared the Mammoth might be finding their stride and were going to make it a game.  Yet the Stealth were able to match every Mammoth goal.  Zywicki scored two more goals and Tom Johnson netted one, ending the half at Stealth 6, Mammoth 3.

Adding to the frustration going into halftime, Palidwor took a shot that got through his face mask and was taken to a local hospital. While nothing has been made official, rumor is that after having surgery he will be out for at least six weeks.

The Stealth really opened it up in the 3^rd quarter with six goals scored by six different players. The Mammoth got two goals from Ilija Gajic and Jamie Shewchuck.  The 4^th quarter was much of the same with five more Stealth players notching goals while the Mammoth were only able to notch three.  The Mammoth defense seemed to have a hard time stopping the Stealth, but Leyshon also seemed to be off his game.  Although there has been no official word, many fans are speculating he was under the weather, which would explain Palidwor getting the start.

When these two teams play, it’s not uncommon to have a chippy game. For whatever reason, the refs seemed to have their own excessive agenda for dealing with the issue. Mammoth player Brad Richardson and Stealth player Eric Martin had a skirmish in the 2^nd quarter that resulted in matching 5 minute penalties.  It certainly didn’t help the Mammoth that by the end of the 2^nd half they had lost Alex and Ilija Gajic, Cory Conway, and David Morgan to game misconducts resulting in ejection from the contest, while the Stealth only lost Travis Gillespie and Matt Beers.

With a final score of Stealth 17, Mammoth 8, Colorado has a lot of things to examine before their home-opener Saturday, January 16 against the Edmonton Rush.  This game may prove to simply be a bump in the road to the championship, or it may be a reflection of a team overhauled in the off season.  Regardless, with 15 more games left in the season, it’s entirely too soon to tell.

Around the League:

Philadelphia Wings – 8, Orlando Titans – 13

Buffalo Bandits – 5, Rochester Knighthawks – 10

Toronto Rock – 17, Boston Blazers – 7

Minnesota Swarm – 7, Calgary Roughnecks – 12

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After a tumultuous off season, the Mammoth open their 2010 season Saturday night (January 9) in Washington against the Stealth.  The Mammoth and Stealth have a rather cantankerous rivalry, which certainly wasn’t helped when the Stealth knocked the Mammoth out of the 2007 playoffs with a controversial overtime goal by Jeff Zywicki.

Both teams have a lot to prove after finishing 7-9 last season.  The Mammoth were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, but the Stealth may have wished they had been as well after being crushed in the second round by the Calgary Roughnecks 17-5.

The Stealth, who finished third-best in goals in the NLL last season, will provide a good test for the Mammoth…who finished third worst in goals in the NLL last season.  The Mammoth intend to keep 2009 All-Star Goalie Andrew Leyshon starting in net with former Roughneck Goalie Curtis Palidwor backing him up.

Last year, the big question in fans’ minds was whether or not Leyshon could successfully fill the shoes of the popular long-time All-Star Goalie Gee Nash.  This year the big question in fans’ minds is whether or not the major changes made in the off season were good ones.  A lot of fan favorites, including Captain Gavin Prout, were let go in an attempt to make the team bigger, faster and younger.

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Alex Gajic, one of three Gajic brothers now playing for the Mammoth

Although only a pre-season game, the Mammoth still opened strong against the Minnesota Swarm, cheered on by their raucous faithful.  Last season, the Mammoth didn’t finish as strong as they would have liked, posting a record of 7-9 and a first-round playoff loss.

The Mammoth have had a very busy offseason resulting in only twelve players from last year returning to the team.  The remaining eleven are made up of seven rookies and four players from other clubs.  A lot of fan favorites, including former captain Gavin Prout, were either cut or traded.

The many changes were definitely evident in their first outing as the New Mammoth.

Colorado was led by longtime Mammoth player and new captain John Gallant.  The first quarter was a little rough at first, with the Mammoth not looking quite as cohesive as the Swarm, but it didn’t take long for the team to hit its stride.  Colorado came out on top, winning the game 10-7.

The newest Gajic brothers, Ilija and Alex (the topic of much offseason speculation,) put in good showings, with Alex scoring three goals and Ilija scoring one.  Cory Conway, an acquisition from the defunct Portland Lumberjax, had an immediate impact netting four goals.  Both goaltenders, Curtis Palidwor and Andrew Leyshon played well.  I’m sure this will make the decision on who will be the starter a difficult one for Coach McMahon.

A lot of questions remain in fans’ minds about how this year’s Mammoth will fare, but expectations are definitely hopeful.

The Mammoth start off their regular season in Everett, Washington on January 9^th where they will take on the Stealth.

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