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2022-'23 Buffalo Bandits


Taro T
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  • 3 weeks later...

Bandits don't believe in doing anything the easy way.

 

Hosted Halifax tonight. Got Byrne back after missing 3 games and Cloutier back for the 1st time since the 2nd game of the year.

 

In the 1st they were getting dominated by Halifax, but Vinc was a wall.  If not for being down 2 men, Vinc likely would've gotten through the 1st with a shutout like the Thunderbird's Keeper Hill did.  1-0 bad guys after 1.  Bandits woke up in the 2nd with both Byrne and Cloutier picking up a pair and came out of the 1st half with a 5-3 lead.

They added another 18 seconds into the 3rd and it looked like a rout might be on.  But the Bandits can't do anything easily.  They let Halifax go on a 6-0 run and found themselves down 9-6 into the 4th.

But then the Bandits decided they dug a big enough hole and took over in the 4th.  Both Byrne and Cloutier got their hatties and Buchanan tied it late at 9.  It appeared the Bandits had tied it at 9 earlier in the quarter as Cloutier dove from behind the net and beat Hill over the shoulder but it was just after the shot clock expired.

In OT, both teams had 2 possessions and after a timeout they got the ball to Cloutier and this time he got the shot off with 2 ticks left on the shot clock and the Bandits won 10-9.  Bandits are now 10-2 and will stay at least a game ahead of both Toronto and Rochester who sit at 8-3.

 

 

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Bandits playing a rematch of last year's championship vs the Mammoth tonight.

Looking to stay a 1/2 game ahead of Toronto and a full game ahead of the Kin-ig-hit Hawks.

Hopefully Nanticoke is back this week.  Byrne and Cloutier came back last week.

Last game at home before a short road stint.

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4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Bandits playing a rematch of last year's championship vs the Mammoth tonight.

Looking to stay a 1/2 game ahead of Toronto and a full game ahead of the Kin-ig-hit Hawks.

Hopefully Nanticoke is back this week.  Byrne and Cloutier came back last week.

Last game at home before a short road stint.

They must figure out how to beat Colorado's defencive set-up.  They had all sorts of trouble getting clean shots off in last year's final.

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15 minutes ago, Marvin said:

They must figure out how to beat Colorado's defencive set-up.  They had all sorts of trouble getting clean shots off in last year's final.

Colorado is having a tough year.  They're 5-6 and could miss the dance unless they pick it up.

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24 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Colorado is having a tough year.  They're 5-6 and could miss the dance unless they pick it up.

True, but teams will get that video and run that defence.

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2 minutes ago, Marvin said:

True, but teams will get that video and run that defence.

Maybe.  Bandits have dealt with a lot of injuies and haven't been blowing people out.  But they still have only lost 2 games all year.  1 opening night against Albany who've only won once since and in Ra-cha-cha early in the year.

They're still the team to beat in the east until somebody knocks them off.

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Bandits converted a 4-1 lead at the end of the 1st into a 13-8 loss.

Colorado had Lee back for the 1st time since their opener. He had 5 helpers early in the 3rd. Williams and Robinson both had multiple goal games. Bandits couldn't solve Ward after the 1st. His coming out to the top of the crease caused the Bandits to send a lot of shots wide.

They play in San Diego next week in a battle of division leaders.

At least the Rock lost tonight too.

Bandits had Frazier back for his 1st game of the season.  (He'd been on their protected list before the season but didn't sign until late February.  Not sure why.)  He played well.  Getting Nanticoke and Brendan Robinson back will help the cause.  (No word on when they will be back.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Priolo with the unassisted winner in OT. 7-6. Both goalies were incredible.

Buffalo held San Diego scoreless in the 1st and 4th; and SD held the Bandits scoreless in the 2nd.

Byrne had the Bandits 1st 3 goals including the only goal of the 1st; then Smith; McCollum; and Cloutier had the only goal of the 4th.

At 11-3 with a 1/2 game lead over the Rock who sit at 11-4.  Kin-ig-hit Hawks were losing at the half in Vegas.  Would be nice to see them lose out there to the expansion team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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15 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Bandits seem to be playing a lot of close games this year and some lower scoring ones too...seem to be less explosive offensively than in years past.

Well Conner Fields wasn't protected in the expansion draft and the Kin-ig-hit Hawks traded for him and they are now a game back of the Bandits.  Also, Frazier has only played 1 game.  Byrne missed about 6.  Nanticoke missed the past 3 and Brandon Robinson has been out the past 3 as well.  Plus Cloutier was hurt the 1st game and has only been back the past 3  games.  That's a LOT of offensive firepower to be missing.

They also tend to go run and gun even more than last season so they have a lot of 10 second or less possessions that end with a single shot as there is nobody around to pick up the loose ball after the shot.

They are not the juggernaut they were during the regular season last year.  That team ranked up there with the mid-90's squads.  Too bad Vinc ran out of gas and they couldn't figure out Colorado's D.  The way they have to battle for these wins rather than run away from anybody will hopefully serve them well when they get to the playoffs.  Hoping they find a way to stay in 1st because the 2nd and 3rd seeds are going to beat the snot out of each other before facing the conference winner that will get to play a much weaker Halifax or Filly.

Vinc looked spent the 1st 2 games but has been his normal self since.

If they can get the penalties under control - they take a LOT of penalties and not just the physical ones like they usually get; they also have a ridiculously large quantity of illegal substitutions; they should be in good shape as well.  How you have illegal substitution more than 3 times a year is boggling.  They do that twice a game.

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