It was a quiet weekend in the NLL with just three games, but that didn’t stop a few Grinders from putting their abilities on tape.
Let’s get right into it.
Adam Poitras, Las Vegas Desert Dogs
Adam Poitras, the rookie out of Whitby, stands out because of his versatility. In Saturday’s matchup against the Albany Firewolves, the inaugural game of the Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup, Poitras was force to be reckoned with by making crucial plays all over the floor for the Desert Dogs.
His performance in their overtime win earned him the NLL’s Rookie of the Week award, but that shouldn’t overshadow the little plays he made to secure the Desert Dogs their first victory of the season.
Your Week 6 Player and Rookie of the Week are in!
— NLL (@NLL) January 7, 2025
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Outside of filling the net, Potiras made his mark in the ride. His athleticism was on full display as he forced multiple turnovers for the Desert Dogs to create extra possessions against a tired Firewolves defence.
Late in the first quarter, after Poitras missed a chance on the doorstep, he chased down a Vegas defender and forced a turnover. His effort to secure the ball back from a missed opportunity led to a prime scoring chance on the crease that was turned away by Doug Jamieson.
In the second quarter, Poitras was back at it again. Off of a missed Desert Dogs shot, an Albany defender picked up the loose ball, but Poitras chased him down and made a slick over the head check to dislodge the ball and regain possession.
He had a knack for disrupting Albany in the ride all night, tipping a pass effortlessly on his way back to the Vegas bench in the third quarter. The ball deflected to the feet of an Albany defender, but nonetheless he was disruptive every chance he could.
Poitras’ goal in overtime to seal the game for Vegas was the cherry on top of a great performance. He came off the bench with speed and found a lane in the middle of an Albany D that was pressuring out too far off-ball. His give-and-go with fellow rookie Jackson Webster, took advantage of just that.
A savvy play.
He finished the night with 3 goals, 2 loose balls, and 3 CTOs.
Nick Chaykowsky, Albany Firewolves
After making his debut for Canada this summer at the World Championships, it should come as no surprise to anyone how crucial Nick Chaykowsky is to Albany’s defence.
His NLL profile lists him as 190 lbs, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s correct. It looks like he drank a gallon of milk everyday this summer and might be closer to 225 than 190.
In years past, Chaykowsky stood out for his speed between the lines. This season, with that huge frame of his, he’s become more of a presence in the back end by shutting down opponents with physicality.
In that tough overtime loss to the Vegas, Chaykowsky made some key hustle plays and used his sized to become a vacuum for defensive zone loose balls, scooping up 10 in the process.
His best defensive zone loose ball occurred early on in the second quarter.
A rebound trickled out to the doorstep where Chaykowsky and two Vegas players were. Chaykowsky picked up the loose ball and made an acrobatic spinning jump to evade the two defenders and crease. Following that effort to free himself from pressure, Chaykowsky threw a one-handed btb to his teammate.
Later on in the game, Vegas created a 3v2 odd-man advantage in transition. Chaykowsky thwarted the opportunity by sprinting from the bench to get his stick in front of the shot. When your top players set the tone like that, it permeates throughout the lineup.
Colton Waltkinson went down during the game with an injury that did not look good, Chaykowsky’s effort will be that much more important to keep this team afloat during Watkinson’s absence.
Sitting at 1-4, two games back of a playoff spot, and back-to-back games against the Colorado Mammoth (who hold 8th place with a 3-2 record) the squeeze is on for Chaykowsky’s Firewolves.
Rochester Knighthawks Defence
This is a first.
Never in my three seasons writing this article have I written about an entire unit. However, given what the Rochester Knighthawks defence did to beat the previously undefeated Georgia Swarm, it was a must.
In their 16-9 victory over Georgia, the Knighthawks defence collectively blocked 17 shots. Reminiscent of a playoff hockey game, all but two members of their defence recorded a blocked shot.
Not even five minutes into the game, they were setting the tone.
Ian Llord was standing next to the crease covering his man as he noticed Lyle Thompson sweeping over the top. As Thompson made his way across, Llord crept his way towards the goal. Once Thompson let the shot go, Llord was ready with his stick between his legs to block it.
That same possession, not even ten seconds after Llord’s block, Shane Jackson stepped over top of the pick and let one go. Unfortunately for him, Chad Tutton, the off ball defender in the two-man game, jumped up in front of the shot to block it.
That possession started the party.
A few minutes later, an Ethan O’Connor blocked shot bounced off his leg and out to the middle of the floor where Brad Gillies scooped it up and took it the length of the floor for a breakaway goal.
Similar to how the Buffalo Bandits run their penalty kill, when the ball was up top or at either shooter, Rochester placed their bottom defenders on top of the crease to create a great wall in front of the cage. Or as you could call it– a mega goalie. This created multiple chances for their defenders to eat shots.
One possession after another, the Knighthawks defenders were selflessly putting their body on the line without any concern for their wellbeing.
With both sides of the ball humming like they were Friday night, the Rochester Knighthawks are a dark horse that fans should keep their eyes on. Their defence is already playing playoff lacrosse, and with the margin between winning and losing in the NLL being so small, that effort will help them sustain success all season.Â