The Buffalo Bandits Drop Back-to-Back Games

The Buffalo Bandits dropped their second straight game this time to the Ottawa Black Bears by a score of 10-9. The Bandits had a late flurry of goals pulling the goalie three times at the end of the game scoring on two of the three chances, but it wasn’t enough. Jeff Teat (5g, 2a) scored half of Ottawa’s goals as he and Zach Higgins (44s, 83%) almost single-handedly defeated the Bandits.  

The offense has now been held to 9 or less goals in two straight games and 3 of their 6 games this season. The Bandits were held to under 10 goals just twice in the last two regular seasons combined, once each season. This is uncharted territory for the Bandits. The scoring around the league has been down a bit, and goaltending has been on the rise. Maybe the Bandits are a symptom of this as Higgins stood on his head to keep the offense at bay. On the other hand, the offense continues to look off. The secondary scoring has not been consistent enough. It does not need to come from the same player every night, but the combination of everyone not named Dhane Smith (3g, 4a) and Josh Byrne (1g, 1a) needs to account for more offense. Ian MacKay (1g, 1a), Ryan Benesch (0g, 4a), Clay Scanlan (0g, 1a), and Kyle Buchanan (1g, 3a) all combined for only two goals. Tehoka Nanticoke (2g, 0a) got a pass this game as he was able to score twice. He was second on the team in shots on goal with 9. It is obvious that he is listening to the podcast and his shooting has gone up because of it (I kid). His second goal was a great outside shot. The Bandits are going to need him to use this game as a template and continue this momentum. Josh Byrne continues to struggle to start the season. Last article I talked about how long it had been since he had been held to 4 points or less, well it’s been even longer since he’s been held to 2 points or less (January 28, 2023). He is still on pace for over 100 points and over 30 goals. However, in a season in which the Bandits lost a combined 43 goals from Chase Fraser and Chris Cloutier, Byrne is needed more than ever. I still fully believe this offense can get it together, find their rhythm, and score 10+ goals more often than not. It is taking this team some time to figure out how to play without Chase and Chris. The lack of a consistent lineup due to injuries and consistent games due to bye weeks isn’t helping either.  

The defense played a great game. The Black Bears were averaging just over 12 goals per game headed into this game. The Bandits could not limit Jeff Teat who willed his team to victory with 5 goals and 2 assists. Outside of him, Rob Hellyer had a good game as well with 2 goals and 5 assists. The Bandits were able to limit the rest of the secondary scoring from Ottawa. The caused turnovers and blocked shots both looked good with 7 and 9 respectively. Mike McCannell joined the team during the week in a trade with the Philadelphia Wings. Due to the weather, he did not get a chance to practice with his new teammates until the morning shootaround. I thought he played a great game. It is a tough situation to be thrown into. As a defender, you don’t want to be noticed. If you are noticed, it is often times not for a good reason. However, when watching from the stands, the few times I did notice McCannell it was for a physical play, a blocked pass, or a loose ball scoop, nothing but good play for his first game as a Bandit. Buffalo especially had a great game considering the injuries they continue to go through on the back end with Zach Belter and Mitch de Snoo still out of the lineup. This season may come down to the defense and Matt Vinc holding teams under 10 goals and hoping they get enough support from the offense to win games. Matt Vinc had a great game himself saving 37 of 47 shots with only one or two goals he may want back. 

The power play for the Bandits was electric going 0-for-0 for the second time this season. I never want a referee calling random penalties just to get on the score sheet, but I refuse to believe that any team in the NLL can play a perfectly flawless game. After starting the season at elite levels, the penalty kill has slipped up a bit the last two games. The Rochester Knighthawks and Black Bears combined to go 4-for-6 in the last six penalty kill opportunities for the Bandits. They are still playing well for the most part and like the offense, I expect them to right the ship and get back on track.  

The Buffalo Bandits only lost back-to-back games one-time last season. Hopefully that trend continues after the bye week. The Bandits do not need to panic. The difference between the Bandits and second place is one win and one loss. Even though 1/3rd of the season is complete, it is still early. The Bandits need to get healthy, figure plenty out on offense, and play a bit more consistent defense. Buffalo has the talent to beat any team in the league when they are playing their best. They need to figure out what their best means this year with the different pieces on the team, but I have no doubt they will figure it out. 

Goaltender Breakdown         

In this segment, I will breakdown how the goalies, offense and defense all performed on the goals in the game. How many were impressive goals, breakdowns in the defense or on the goalie.          

Zach Higgins 

Inside – 4 

Mid-Range - 2 

Outside – 3 

Transition - 2 

*0 goals were on the penalty kill      

*0 empty net goals  

Matt Vinc           

Inside – 3 

Mid-Range - 4 

Outside – 3 

Transition - 1 

*2 of the goals were on the penalty kill        

Goal 1 – 4-on-4 – A quick catch and release shot just sneaks through Vinc’s arm as he slides over. This is one he would save more often than not (V)  

Goal 2 – The Ottawa offense was circling, and O’Connor finds a streaking Dunbar who just beats Ron Jon to the ball and quick sticks one past Vinc 

Goal 3 – Ottawa uses their patented player behind the net to set up Firth who beats Matisz to the net and quick sticks a goal past Vinc again 

Goal 4 – PP goal – The Bandits were close to killing off the 5-on-3 penalty, but Teat fires a low to high missile over Vinc’s shoulder and under the bar 

Goal 5 – A goal in transition as Callum Jones outruns Dhane Smith to get an inside look at Vinc 

Goal 6 – Outside quick shot by Hellyer. There was a bit of a screen by McCannell as he stepped out to defend Hellyer, who shot around him 

Goal 7 – Bad defense by Dawson who allows Teat to walk in and pick his spot (D) 

Goal 8 – PP goal – Teat steps up at the top of the power play, winds and fire a perfectly placed shot 

Goal 9 – Another outside shot by Hellyer this time a bouncer that skips over Vinc’s pads and in. I thought Vinc dropped a bit early and was a smidge out of place on this shot. (V) 

Goal 10 – Teat was feeling it tonight as he rips a hard shot off the pipe and in 

2/10 on Vinc      

1/10 on the defense    

Challenges by the Bandits – None 

The Bandits attempted to challenge the Callum Jones goal scored by Ottawa. However, Tavares did not get the challenge thrown within the 30-second time limit.  

Referee Corner          

Like many of the fans out there, I find myself often questioning what the refs are doing on the field. From no goals and players being ejected, to calls that simply do not make sense. In this segment, I will attempt to use the rulebook and my best judgement to understand some hot topics from the previous game.             

Bandits – 0-0 on the PP         

Black Bears – 2-4 on the PP              

P. Dawson – Illegal Cross Checking – Dawson came over and cross-checked Teat right in front of the referee when Teat did not have the ball – good call 

D. Robinson – Holding the Stick – You can’t grab another player’s stick and steal it from him – good call   

R. Benesch – Roughing - I thought the referees could have called both players on this and went 4-on-3. However, they only took the second man in which was Benesch, don’t love it but we see it often - goodish 

N. Weiss – Checking from Behind – Instead of a penalty, I feel this should have been called a push and given Ottawa a fresh 30 second shot clock. At the same time, Weiss should know better. There were 5 seconds left on the shot clock, and he was defending a player who is running to half away from the net. I understand why the referee made the call, but I don’t like it. – goodish call  

3.5/4 – good calls     

I thought the referees did a good enough job during this game. Most of the calls against the Bandits were correct. However, as I said earlier, I don’t believe any team in the NLL can play a game without being called for something. The referees didn’t decide this game, but it is curious that the Bandits have twice now had no power play opportunities.