COLORADO MAMMOTH (8-9) VS. CALGARY ROUGHNECKS (8-8)
SAT. APRIL 19 | 7 P.M. MT | SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME
ALT TV 2 | ESPN+ | NLL+
DENVER – If you came for drama, you came to the right spot, as the (8-9) Colorado Mammoth are set to visit the (9-8) Calgary Roughnecks Saturday night during each squad’s regular season finale. And given they’re set to play in the final window of games Saturday night alongside the (8-9) Ottawa Black Bears and (12-5) Saskatchewan Rush as the league’s final two playoff spots are claimed, the NLL couldn’t have set up a spicier sprint to the finish line if they wanted to!
Just six days after dropping an 11-6 loss to the visiting and No. 2-ranked (12-5) Saskatchewan Rush inside the LOUD HOUSE Sunday afternoon, the Burgundy Boys didn’t have much time to prepare for their next battle. And with the Roughnecks having claimed a 12-9 decision over the (4-14) Las Vegas Desert Dogs Friday night as the squad opened its’ back-to-back in Henderson, Nevada, there couldn’t be more outliers factoring into the quickly approaching 60-minute matchup.
Sure, Calgary got the win to start their jam-packed weekend with some good vibes. But unless both the Ottawa Black Bears and (8-9) Georgia Swarm each lose their respective matchups Saturday night, the Roughnecks still need a win over the Mammoth if they want to assure themselves a spot in the approaching NLL Cup Playoffs.
Meanwhile for the good guys, Colorado simply needs to defeat Calgary during the Week 21 showdown, as the Roughnecks actually did them a favor Friday evening in checking one of the four extracurricular boxes which would set the Mammoth up for tonight’s “win and in” scenario.
Falling to a mere 4-5 at Ball Arena this season in Week 20, the Mammoth matched its home record from the previous 2023-24 campaign as they exited the Denver-based arena with a sour taste in their mouths. Potentially sour enough to remember when they suit up north of the border. Held scoreless for a 40-minute session while hosting the Rush, Colorado was blanked throughout the entire second and third quarters before finally breaking the rut early in the final frame. Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward may have stopped 50-of-61 overall but it wouldn’t be enough to quell the red-hot rush.
RELATED: Colorado Surrenders 11-6 Final to Saskatchewan During LOUD HOUSE Finale
Riding a four-game losing streak into Scotiabank Saddledome Saturday night, math suggests Colorado is due for a rebound game, as the team, and squads around the league, don’t typically drop four games in a row very often, let alone five.
Throw in the idea that Calgary will be playing its second game within 24 hours and the fact that the Roughnecks are just 2-6 this season at home and picking up a win against the veteran-savvy team seems rather doable. Add in a flashback of Colorado’s 11-8 victory over said squad back on March 1 and the odds are almost starting to lean in favor of the Mammoth.
The idea that veteran forward Dane Dobbie was deemed a healthy scratch Friday night against Las Vegas makes folks around the league wonder if he’ll be available for the Roughnecks when the team hits the turf against Colorado.
Despite sporting a flashy 7-2 record on the road this season, Calgary surrendered one of its two losses away from Scotiabank Saddledome earlier this year inside Ball Arena. With the Mammoth netting each of the contest’s opening five conversions, momentum was heavily favoring the home contingent in this one. Holding a 7-2 lead over the Roughnecks at the break, Colorado felt good about its opening 30 minutes just one week after dropping a decision to the last-place Desert Dogs.
Calgary may have outscored Colorado 6-4 in the second half, which included just one fourth-quarter tally from the Mammoth, but the team’s productive first two quarters were enough to propel the team to its seventh win of the season. Ryan Lee (2g, 5a) and Eli McLaughlin (4g, 1a) paced Mammoth scoring efforts, while netminder Dillon Ward stopped 49-for-57 in net.
And for as great as the win was in regard to Colorado’s potential return to the postseason, it seems Calgary may have done their best Space Jam “Monstars” impersonation, seemingly sapping some talent and luck from the Burgundy Boys during their matchup, as the Mammoth are sporting a 1-4 record since last clashing with their one of its noted rivals. At the same time, the Roughnecks are just 3-2 since said meeting, so if MJ and the guy with the backwards hat show up with alongside the Toon Squad, this could be setting up just fine for Colorado.
When we consider the scoreboard read 11-8 last time the teams met alongside the idea they are averaging 11.18 (Colorado) and 12.24 (Calgary) goals per-game, it’ll be hard for the sportsbooks not to set the over/under line somewhere around the standard 22.5 or 23-goal mark. So, the race to 12 will likely be on once more, a mark neither team has been able to surpass lately during the second half of their respective seasons. Again, Calgary literally put 12 on the board Friday night against the Desert Dogs, without Dobbie, so we have to believe they’ll be shooting for a similar effort Saturday.
With Colorado averaging 11.82 goals-against per contest and Calgary sitting nearby at the even 12 mark, the league quite literally couldn’t have handpicked a closer set of foes to battle it out as one of the final games of the regular season slate. Set to share the 7 p.m. MT spotlight with the Ottawa Black Bears and Saskatchewan Rush, both Colorado and Calgary will understand where they fit, or if they fit, in the postseason puzzle by the time the Week 21 matchup has concluded.
Each of the (13-4) Buffalo Bandits, Saskatchewan Rush, (11-7) Halifax Thunderbirds, (10-7) Vancouver Warriors, (10-7) Rochester Knighthawks and (9-9) San Diego Seals have already clinched their respective berths, meaning just two spots remain up for grabs. And with four teams still having a potential path to claim on of the last two spots, we’re preparing to witness one of the most action-packed and dramatic weekends of lacrosse this league has ever seen.
Securing a win over the Roughnecks would officially assure the Mammoth a spot in the postseason. An opening round visit to Ball Arena may be out of the question at this point, but the team would essentially secure a return to the LOUD HOUSE if Colorado is able to defeat its Quarterfinals opponent and thus enter into a best-of-three semi-final series. One game at a time, though!
Regardless of the awaiting postseason gauntlet, endless number of team possibilities factoring into this weekend’s slate and anything else atop the mind of Colorado supporters, things will be up to the 19 men chosen to don the Mammoth crest come Saturday night. Colorado’s offense has been a bit hit or miss throughout the back half of the season, no doubt. Eli McLaughlin and Zed Williams aren’t going to be walking back through that door anytime soon, so it’ll be up to the likes of Ryan Lee, Will Malcom and company to light the lamp early and often if the Burgundy Boys are to complete their roller coaster of a qualification.
Prior to registering just six goals last weekend against the Rush, Colorado had managed consecutive 12-goal performances. Before that pair of quality offensive showings, however, it had been since early February when the team had met or been above the 12-goal mark, so the boys need to take advantage of some early looks or potential power-play allowances, if afforded. Ward has been holding his own and the defense just limited the No. 2-ranked Rush to just 11 conversions. But, again, having allowed 14, 17 and 15 goals against in the three games prior suggests the back-end unit needs to shore up efforts if they’re to keep Curtis Dickson, Dane Dobbie and company from a scoring spree.
Saddledome Savants
With a direct win over Colorado representing their last controllable path to the postseason, the Calgary Roughnecks will be bringing their A-game to Saturday’s showdown inside Scotiabank Saddledome as they look to even its regular season series with the visiting Colorado Mammoth. And anytime you’ve got two guys above the 100-point mark on the scoresheet, you know you’ve got a chance or two to fill some nets. That conversation starts with a veteran known as “Superman” Curtis Dickson. Bringing a team-high 44 conversions amongst his 101 points (44g, 57a) into his team’s finale session of the season, he may be battling Father Time, but he’s still winning the fight. Entering the Week 21 slate ranked No. 11 overall in scoring, it’s easy to see why he’s still revered as one of the game’s best finishers. Tied with the Knighthawks’ Connor Fields with 44 goals ahead of Saturday’s matchup, he’s ranked No. 4 in the NLL when it comes to finding twine. And with a home date looming, we have a feeling he’s going to elevate those totals. Just like Jesse King is likely to, who’s bringing a team-high 103 points (30g, 73a) into Saturday’s showcase after producing a whopping 10 points (3g, 7a) during the team’s win over Las Vegas. Leading the team with 73 helpers as quite the dual-threat talent, King is ranked No. 9 in overall league scoring and No. 7 in assists amongst all players. If King serves as the 1-2 opener, Dickson has been the knockout punch this season and will 100% be atop Colorado’s scouting reports. Fresh off a six-point (3g, 3a) outing in Las Vegas, forward Tanner Cook has amassed 67 points (28g, 39a) of his own as the current No. 3 option, with fellow veteran Dane Dobbie just a few points behind at 60 square (36g, 24a) despite only drawing into 14 games so far this year. Tyler Pace represents the team’s final scorer over the 50-point mark, with 56 points (15g, 41a) on the record, but remains on the team’s Injured Reserve List.
When it comes to defensive efforts, the team has a healthy mix of established veterans and some younger guys hungry to prove themselves. Ultimately, Saturday’s contest may come down to the performance of Nick Rose, whom the Roughnecks acquired from the Toronto Rock during a midseason trade. With 676 saves to his name, he’s bringing a .792 save percentage and 10.81 goals-against average into Saturday’s showdown against Colorado. Rose may be a little tired from playing the night before – and there’s even a chance Cam McLeod assumes netminding duties. But we have a feeling Rosey will be back at it after stopping 43-of-52 Friday en route to earning his sixth win of the season. What he and Ward are able to accomplish, or diminish, in their respective ends Saturday night will likely play the biggest factor in the Week 21 outcome. So, buckle up and get ready to TUSK UP as the Burgundy Boys put the finishing touches on their 2024-25 campaign!
Get in the Game
Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude TV and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Saturday’s April 19 showdown against the Calgary Roughnecks can be viewed locally via Altitude TV and streamed live on ESPN+ and NLL+. Mammoth fans can keep an eye on the team’s social media channels and coloradomammoth.com for the latest news, transactions and organizational updates throughout the 2024-25 NLL season.
