Buffalo Bandits clobber Toronto Rock in NLL playoff action

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HAMILTON – Toronto Rock fans are going to be in disbelief over this one for a very long time. But the team itself needs to forget about it in a hurry.

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The Rock turned in one of the worst offensive performances in its history on Friday, in game one of the semi-finals against its arch-rival Buffalo Bandits no less.  

With a large contingent of their orange-jerseyed fans making their way to FirstOntario Centre, the Bandits thoroughly dismantled the Rock 12-4. The Bandits now have a chance to earn their ticket to a fourth consecutive final in search of a second straight championship for the title-starved city when they host Game Two on Sunday while the Rock need a miracle turnaround or its 15-3 regular season will be rendered totally meaningless.

“Every decision we made here was incorrect tonight,” Rock head coach Matt Sawyer said. “We need to be better. We don’t have any choice.”

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“We’ve got belief in our group and we’re much better than we showed. But we have to figure out how to show our best in those big moments.”

Just as was the case in the past five playoff games between the two teams over the past four seasons, the Bandits were quicker on both ends of the floor, finding shooting lanes on offense and giving Toronto’s offence a really hard time when it had the ball.

When Toronto did get a scoring opportunities, it was denied time and time again by Matt Vinc, who may still be in his prime at 41 years of age. The Rock actually outshot Buffalo 53-49 so the effort was there in lieu of the ability to finish. Rock goaltender Nick Rose had a decent outing but got absolutely no help from the rest of his team.

Midway through the opening period, Ian MacKay beat Rose with a mid-range shot to open the scoring for the Bandits. A couple of minutes later, Chase Fraser finished a two-on-one transition opportunity to double Buffalo’s lead. Before the period ended, Josh Byrne cut to the front of the net and trickled one by Rose to give the visitors a 3-0 lead after one.

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Early in the second quarter came the sequence that defined Toronto’s night. A perfectly-placed shot by Tom Schreiber looked to give the Rock life but immediately, a teammate was called for an in-the-crease violation. The Bandits immediately pushed the ball down the floor and Chris Cloutier slammed a shot past Rose. Kyle Buchanan then scored a couple of minutes later. The Rock had two power-play opportunities late in the period but Vinc stayed solid including robbing Schreiber from close range. The Rock was shut out in the first half for the first time in its history.

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Minutes after Justin Martin nearly scored Toronto’s first goal, hitting the post on a breakaway, Dhane Smith scored Buffalo’s sixth. Martin would make amends when he finally slipped a shot past Vinc. That was 36 minutes before a Toronto goal for anyone who was counting. Brandon Robinson restored a six-goal Bandit lead and scored again late in the quarter.

The Rock got two goals from Corey Small and one from Schreiber to ensure it would not enter the NLL record books for fewest goals in a game. Buchanan scored twice more, Fraser scored his second, and Cam Wyers finished the scoring. Rose was replaced midway through the period by Troy Holowchuk.

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