Power Rankings | Week 12

On the Bubble:

Vancouver Warriors (4-5) – Last Week: 7

8) Philadelphia Wings (5-4)

Week 11 Results: Lost to Halifax 14-10
Week 12 Opponent: at Halifax (4-4)
Previous Ranking: 7th

After a 5-1 start, the Wings have dropped consecutive games for the first time this season, but remain in this week’s Power Rankings. Their effort to rally and tie the score 8-8 after falling into an early-game deficit was impressive and encouraging, but Philly’s defense continues to be a major source for concern. While Nick Damude was excellent in what may have been his best game of the season, the Wings still surrendered 14 goals. At the season’s halfway point, defensive lapses are becoming a sticky pattern for Philadelphia. The Wings have allowed 13 or more goals in each of their last four games—going 1-3 in the process—and have held opponents under 13 only four times in nine games. It likely is not a coincidence that the Wings are 5-0 when they’ve limited their foes to 13 goals or fewer. Just a little bit of improvement and added consistency out the back door could make the Wings a real contender once again. Up next is an opportunity to correct course and steal a little bit of revenge when the Wings travel to Halifax for a rematch with the Thunderbirds this week. 

7) Halifax Thunderbirds (4-4)

Week 11 Results: Beat Philadelphia 14-10
Week 12 Opponent: vs Philadelphia (5-4)
Previous Ranking: Unranked

For the first time this season, the under-the-radar Thunderbirds enter the Power Rankings, fresh off their best effort of the season. Ryan Terefenko is playing at an other-worldly level for Halifax, netting back-to-back hat tricks in the T-Birds’ last two wins. After a miserable 0-3 start, Halifax has ripped off four wins in the team’s last five games. Jake Withers was instrumental in the dominant effort on Saturday afternoon, winning 25 of 28 faceoffs, while Graeme Hossack piled up six caused turnovers. The Thunderbirds jumped on the Wings early, surging to a 5-1 lead and rallying for a 5-0 run late after an extended Philadelphia run tied the game at eight. Halifax will have a chance to prove that their win this past weekend wasn’t fool’s gold when they welcome the Wings to the nest on Saturday. 

6) Toronto Rock (3-6)

Week 11 Results: Lost to San Diego 11-10
Week 12 Opponent: vs Buffalo (6-0)
Previous Ranking: 3rd 

Evaluating the Rock at the halfway point is no easy task. On one hand, an injury-ravished version of the group lost five straight to open the season, while a healthier unit has won three of four. Still, the Rock are 3-6 overall and on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. We’re taking a “what have you done for me lately” approach to making sense of the Rock. Their loss to San Diego served as a microcosm of the Rock’s season so far. After falling into a big hole, Toronto rallied to take a lead late in the second half, only to watch the desperate Seals net the game winner with 49 seconds on the clock. Nick Rose was superb between the pipes, which is excellent news for Rock fans. Toronto’s leash is much shorter than it was a week ago, but the Rock’s ceiling remains one of the highest in the league. Consider this week’s visit from the Bandits as close to a must-win as any team can face nine games into a season. The Rock have beaten three teams ranked ahead of them in the Power Rankings, but need to make a major statement against the NLL’s top team.

Photo: Victoria Adkins

 5) Georgia Swarm (5-4)

Week 11 Results: Lost to Colorado 13-12
Week 12 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 4th 

Friday’s loss to Colorado offered Swarm fans a classic “good news-bad news” scenario. On one hand, the offense (led by rookie Toron Eccleston’s four goals) was reminiscent of its early-season firepower. Despite falling short against the Mammoth, Georgia has now scored 12 or more goals in consecutive games for the first time this season. Even during their 4-0 start, the Swarm failed to net a dozen goals or more in back-to-back games. The bad news is twofold. Most obviously, the Swarm have lost four of their last five games. Secondly, Brett Dobson’s struggles continued against the Mammoth. The former Rookie of the Year finalist stopped just 71.1% of the shots that he faced and has managed to stop 75% or better in just one of his last six games after doing so in each of his first three. At this stage in the season, the Swarm might be the most enigmatic team in the NLL, but thanks to a handful of teams behind them losing and their relatively high ceiling—as illustrated by their 4-0 start—the Swarm hold steady in the top five of the Power Rankings. Georgia fans better buckle up, as the next three games for the Swarm are absolutely of the “prove it” variety. After a week off, the Swarm head to Toronto and Ottawa in consecutive weeks before returning home to play the Rush.

Photo: Jaclyn McKee

4) Calgary Roughnecks (5-3)

Week 11 Results: Beat Vancouver 15-12
Week 12 Opponent: vs Saskatchewan (6-2), vs Las Vegas (2-6)
Previous Ranking: 5th

Josh Sanderson has a mighty strong case for Coach of the Year at the season’s halfway point. His group put together its most impressive effort of the season on the road at Vancouver on Friday, building a six-goal lead in the first half before watching the Warriors rip off seven of eight goals to tie the game at 10. In crunch time, the Roughnecks were as even-keeled as fans in Calgary could hope, scoring five of the game’s final seven goals to throw cold water on the Warriors’ comeback hopes. While the offense pumped in 15 goals, the most impressive aspect of Calgary’s win was the team’s defensive effort down the stretch. The Roughnecks pitched a shutout for the game’s final 17:56, and were buoyed by Cam MacLeod’s second 40-save performance of the season. MacLeod’s biggest moment came when he denied Riley Loewen on the doorstep with 1:58 to play, clinching the win for Calgary. With three wins in their last four games, the Roughnecks now return to the Saddledome for a massive battle with the Rush on Friday night. That one has “Game of the Week” written all over it and fittingly will be part of an NLL Friday Night on TSN double-header.

3) Colorado Mammoth (6-4)

Week 11 Results: Beat Georgia 13-12
Week 12 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 6th

Don’t look now, but the Mammoth have won back-to-back road games for the first time since 2022. One could reasonably make the case that Friday’s win over Georgia was Colorado’s most complete and most compelling performance of the season. Dillon Ward was excellent between the pipes, but more importantly, Colorado’s star-laden offense finally found a balance with each weapon contributing on the same night. For the first time this season, Will Malcom, Ryan Lee, Zed Williams, Connor Kelly, Eli McLaughlin and Connor Robinson all netted multiple goals. If Williams can build upon his hat trick against the Swarm—his first since December 6th—the Mammoth offense will be far likelier to reach their ceiling in the long term. Colorado has won back-to-back games only once this season, but has a chance to do so again when they return to the loud house in two weeks to play the Desert Dogs, who they routed in Las Vegas back in early December.

Saskatchewan Rush @ San Diego Seals, 2/1/2025 (Photo Credit: Alexis Goeller)

2) Saskatchewan Rush (6-2)

Week 11 Results: Idle
Week 12 Opponent: at Calgary (5-3), vs Rochester (4-6)
Previous Ranking: 2nd

The Rush were able to revel in their win on the road in San Diego during a bye week as they prep for a trip to Calgary this coming Friday. With wins in nine of their last 12 games dating back to last season, the Rush are the clear number two team behind the Bandits. Frank Scigliano is likely to return to the net against the team that drafted him when the Battle of the Prairies is renewed on Valentine’s Day. Since acquiring Zach Manns before last season, Saskatchewan has been nearly unbeatable when the rising star nets multiple goals. Additionally, Robert Church is healthy and playing as well as ever with seven goals and 18 points in his last two games—both Rush wins. Saskatchewan failed to win three straight games at any point during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but has a chance to rip off a third straight win for the second time in nine games to open 2025.

1)  Buffalo Bandits (6-0)

Week 11 Results: Idle
Week 12 Opponent: at Toronto (3-6), vs San Diego (4-5)
Previous Ranking: 1st

Yet again the Bandits sit unchallenged at the top of the Power Rankings. Buffalo is off to a 6-0 start for the second time in the last four seasons and the team has a chance to start 7-0 for the first time in three decades when it opened the 1996 season with seven straight wins. This year’s edition of the Bandits is in position to threaten the franchise record for best start when they went 8-0 on their way to an NLL Championship in 1993. An intriguing three-game stretch is next on the schedule for Buffalo, as the Bandits will visit Toronto on Valentine’s Day as part of a TSN double-header in a must-win scenario for the Rock, who lost a heartbreaker to San Diego on Saturday. If Buffalo can get to 7-0, their next three will involve a home-and-home with San Diego and a trip to Saskatchewan to play the surging Rush. They’ve passed every test to this point, but exam season is about to get a lot tougher for the Bandits.

Catch the Special Valentine’s Day NLL Friday Night on TSN doubleheader featuring Buffalo-Toronto & Saskatchewan-Calgary. Faceoff begins at 7pm ET.