BREAKING NEWS: 5 Things We Learned, NLL Semifinals
Here are five takeaways from the four games played over the weekend as the National Lacrosse League semifinals concluded on Sunday.
The I90 Finals Will Be Played May 17,18 and 24 (if necessary)
The NLL Cup will kick off at Albany’s MVP Arena on Friday, May 17th, starting at 7 PM ET. The FireWolves and Bandits will then head to Buffalo for the next match the following night at 7:30 PM ET at the KeyBank Center, after a four-hour drive. Should a third game be necessary to determine the winner of the best-of-three series, it will return to Albany on Friday, May 24th, at 7 PM ET.
The NLL Cup Goes Through Albany
As anticipated since the season’s outset, the FireWolves’ journey has been a compelling narrative. Despite their initial 3-13 finish, they now find themselves in the finals with the advantage of playing on their home turf. Their remarkable turnaround, highlighted by a crucial Week 21 victory against the New York Riptide, not only set a franchise record for wins but also secured them third place in the unified standings, edging out Buffalo. Despite their stronger away record during the regular season (6-3 compared to 5-4 at home), avoiding a potential Game 3 in hostile territory provides a significant advantage.
The Bandits Can Drop a Half Dozen on You Anytime
Buffalo dominated Toronto in Game 1 of their semifinal showdown, storming to a commanding 6-0 lead before securing a comfortable 12-4 victory. Game 2 presented a different narrative in many aspects, but one notable similarity was Buffalo’s ability to excel.
While it took them just over 20 minutes to establish their six-goal advantage in the first game, this time around, they had to work faster. When the Rock narrowed the margin to 8-4 with goals from Chris Weier and Mark Matthews, there was only 13 minutes and 28 seconds remaining. Josh Byrne and Chase Fraser emerged as the driving forces for the Bandits in the decisive game. Byrne played a pivotal role in all six goals as Buffalo sealed the series against Toronto, contributing two goals and four primary assists, while Fraser netted all three of his goals during the crucial run.
John Wagner Was a Bargain
Wagner appeared to be a valuable acquisition for the FireWolves when they obtained him from Las Vegas on March 12th, exchanging Albany’s first-round entry draft pick for this year in the process (Las Vegas also acquired Cam Badour, a fourth-round pick in 2021, from Albany, while the FireWolves received a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft as part of the trade). At the time of the trade, there was speculation that Wagner might have been Las Vegas’ most effective defender of the season thus far, and his exceptional performance for Albany during the latter part of the season and into the playoffs has validated his worth.
When the trade occurred, Albany held a record of 10-3 and was positioned in second place in the standings. It seemed probable that the pick they were trading away would fall within the latter portion of the first round. However, with Wagner playing a pivotal role in the FireWolves’ journey to the finals, that pick will now be either the 14th or 15th overall, as the two finalist teams are placed at the end of the draft order.
Albany didn’t make the trade for their first-round pick without careful consideration. They were aware that this year’s draft class isn’t particularly strong. The only defense/transition players available in the draft (barring any changes before the draft) who might be considered preferable to Wagner are Mike Grace, Jacob Power, and Luca Antongiovanni; however, it’s unlikely that any of them will still be available when Las Vegas makes their selection with the pick they acquired for Wagner.
Austin Staats Will Have an Unwanted Holiday to Start the 2025 Season
Staats’ actions in the closing moments of San Diego’s recent defeat against Albany were not unexpected, and they will result in him serving a suspension at the outset of the upcoming season. He was penalized with a match penalty for deliberately cross-checking Anthony Joaquim in the face. According to NLL Rule 41.2, a match penalty incurs an automatic suspension of one or two games, with the league having the discretion to extend it if deemed necessary. Since this incident occurred in San Diego’s final game of the season, an additional one-game suspension was added as per Rule 41.3.
In total, Staats will serve a suspension of two or three games at the start of the 2025 season, with the possibility of further penalties based on his conduct in the semi-final’s second game. His illegal body checking major in the third quarter, marking his third major of the season, results in a game misconduct per Rule 40.1. This will likely translate to a one-game suspension, pending confirmation from the league.
Considering Staats’ history of infractions, it wouldn’t be surprising if additional games are added to his suspension. He has a documented pattern of similar behavior, including receiving a game misconduct on April 29 and accumulating major penalties in past games.
Brian Lemon, the NLL’s EVP of Lacrosse Operations, will weigh Staats’ history when determining further discipline. Staats is somewhat fortunate that the automatic suspension isn’t more severe; initial rulings included two match penalties plus a major, but upon review, one match penalty was rescinded. If upheld, this would have resulted in an additional one or two-game suspension for the second match penalty, plus two games for accumulating two match penalties, totaling at least three more games for next season.