Big Nine-Game NLL Slate Launches 'The March to May' and Playoff Push

PHILADELPHIA - Feb. 29, 2024 - PRLog -- The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, begins "The March to May," as teams vie for the eight spots in the NLL Playoffs. The new standings format, in which teams are ranked 1-15 based on record regardless of geography, has helped make the postseason races tighter and more interesting than ever.

Which brings us to Week 14, and an overstuffed slate of nine contests.

Here are 10 things to know about the NLL entering Week 14:

• Keeping it Close: While Albany and Toronto are off to commanding 8-2 marks, with San Diego one click behind at 7-3, just two losses separate fourth-place Halifax (7-4) and 14th-place Rochester (3-6), making "The March to May" even more intriguing.
• Metric Measurements: In this week's "LaxMetrics Powered by the NLL," NLL.com's Cooper Perkins argues that Friday's showdown between the Toronto Rock and San Diego Seals at Pechanga Arena (10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, ESPNU, TSN+) is the best game of the season (https://www.nll.com/news/laxmetrics-week-14-why-rock-seal...).
• Groovie Goalie Goals: February 23 is semi-officially "Goalie Goal" day in the NLL. Albany's Doug Jamieson (Ohsweken, Ont.) put one in net (https://www.instagram.com/nll/reel/C3wSFbCNmhv/) during the FireWolves' win at Buffalo last week, one year to the date that Panther City's Nick Damuee (Fonthill, Ont.) tallied a full-field marker (https://youtu.be/Zf6qEzxcq2E?si=mdLMXPu4KJUgJxf2) at Colorado.
• Teat Treats: New York's Jeff Teat (Brampton, Ont.) heads up our look at the league's offensive statistical leaders; with an NLL-best 35 goals through 11 games he's on a pace to eclipse the 56 he tallied last year.
• Hang Loose: The scoring races are tight, but the widest disparity between a stats leader and his closest competitor is in the loose ball recoveries category, where Halifax's Jake Withers (Peterborough, Ont.) has gobbled up 183.
• More than Wings: Mention Buffalo in the context of food and chicken wings are the usual response. Dhane Smith and his friends at Mr. Sizzle are out to change that (https://www.wkbw.com/sports/the-great-dhane-two-buffalo-staples-join-forces-to-create-a-buffalo-bandits-inspired-sandwich) with the introduction of "The Great Dhane," a fried hot-honey chicken breast sandwich with pepper jack cheese and other goodies.
• Rankings Stand Pat: NLL.com's Adam Levi usually has a change or two or five in his Power Rankings (https://www.nll.com/news/week-14-power-rankings-2/), but teams mostly solidified their positions over the weekend.
• Locally Shown: Eight of the nine scheduled games this weekend will have a local broadcast complementing the ESPN and TSN linear and digital options across the continent.
• http://www.nll.com