May’s Grinders: Armstrong and Kri Getting it Done!

This weekend provided more clarity to the playoff picture. There’s still a lot of the line with four spots still up for grab.

This week’s edition of May’s Grinders is dominated by the defence. Defence wins championships, and also regular season games.

And a duo of leaders on the O-end helped Vegas capture their first win in over a month.

Colton Armstrong, Halifax Thunderbirds

At the end of January, the Halifax Thunderbirds found themselves facing Groundhog Day. Sitting at 3-4 and without a conference finals appearance since their move to Halifax, it was looking like time for the Thunderbirds to shake up their core.

What did they do? The Thunderbirds proceeded to go undefeated in March and roll out a 9-2 record since February. This past weekend, they clinched a birth to the playoffs and currently hold home-floor advantage in the first round. 

Everyone played a big part in the 13-10 victory over the San Diego Seals, but Colton Armstrong, in particular, put on a game to remember.

He was involved in every facet of the game, from fighting on the draw for faceoffs, bringing an edge to the back end, and helping push the pace in transition. Particularly, he was a force on defence, forcing 4 turnovers that came in a myriad of ways: on ball, picking off passes, and stripping players on the faceoff. 

Credit to Halifax; they have loaded their back end with horses who love to push the floor. With a mix of speed and freight trains, the Thunderbirds possess a group that is dangerous at any moment. 

Armstrong showed his worth tonight in the middle of the floor by pushing the pace and making outlets that went the other way for chances. That effort paid off, contributing to Randy Staats’s hatrick goal that spark a 6-goal second quarter. 

Armstrong has been a consistent force for Halifax and is finally getting his flowers. He finished the night with 1 assist, 5 loose balls, 1 blocked shot, and 4 CTOs

Brad Kri, Toronto Rock

Nobody’s name was safe when the Toronto Rock had their fire sale prior to the NLL trade deadline. Luckily for the Rock, they held onto their star defender, Brad Kri.  

Kri, a two-time finalist for NLL Defender of the Year, is the backbone of this Rock defence. The team is counting on him more than ever now after shippuing his running mate—Mitch De Snoo— to Philadelphia. 

Kri shut down his matchups in their 14-13 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. His size and strength were at the forefront, making it nearly impossible for Vegas’s offence to get around him. As a result, Kri led the game with 3 caused turnovers. 

It wasn’t just in the defensive end where Kri was a menace on the ball. He caused a turnover off the faceoff in the fourth quarter that went the other way for a goal that he assisted on. 

Nick Preston, Las Vegas Desert Dogs

 The Las Vegas Desert Dogs came away with the overtime victory over the Rock to capture their first win since February 21st.

It was a complete effort across the bench; the offence found the back of the net, the ball team secured possessions, and down the stretch, the defence shut the door. 

One player who quietly stood out was Nick Preston. The Providence Friar alum was a fiend for defensive zone loose balls. The Desert Dogs defence did their best to keep the Rock on the perimeter, and Preston’s tenacity on the ground took away any second-chance opportunities off rebounds. 

Preston came away with a notable loose ball in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that sparked the run to close the two-goal gap and send the game into overtime. 

Vegas sprang a 3v2 chance that the Rock took the other way for a 2v1  reverse transition chance. The Rock took a shot that led to a rebound, and Preston, who sprang off the bench, secured the loosie while being tripped in the process. 

Vegas scored on the ensuing powerplay and won the game in overtime while on the PK.

That play was a catalyst in the final minutes of the game but was just a snapshot of Preston’s overall impact.

Winning games in the NLL is tough, but Vegas put together a complete effort that could serve as a blueprint for success next season. 

Preston finished the game with 1 assist and 7 loose balls. 

Jonathan Donville and Adam Poitras, Las Vegas Desert Dogs.

As mentioned earlier, Vegas put together a complete effort to come away with the victory. The final sequence that led to the game-winning goal was nothing short of spectacular. 

Off the faceoff, the Rock came away with the ball and forced Jonathon Donville to stay on with the PK. The defence buckled down, and Donville stepped in front of a shot, leading to a shot clock violation. 

Donville ran the ball down the floor and fought off three players on the Rock to maintain possession in the offensive end. He moved the ball to Adam Poitras, who sprinted off the bench for a shot, to then secure his own contested rebound. 

You can guess what happened next. Jackson Webster blows up a Rock defender on a pick, which Jack Hannah swept over top of to the score the game-winner. 

Sequences like these not only win you games but are also beloved by the fans. Something is brewing in Vegas with their strong nucleus, so stay tuned for what the 2025-2026 season has in store for them.