The opening act of the 2025 NLL playoffs raised the curtain in none other than downtown Buffalo, where the two-time defending champion Bandits hosted the San Diego Seals. Friday’s single-elimination encounter stood as the initial obstacle in the Western New Yorker’s quest to become the first team to go back-to-back-to-back since the 2012-2014 version of the original Rochester Knighthawks, who would later become the Halifax Thunderbirds. The 13-5 Bandits took the field as the league’s top seed, with the 9-9 Southern Californians owning the eighth and final postseason invitation. In what would serve as a surprise to absolutely no one, the rabid inhabitants of Banditland packed the cushioned blue seats of KeyBank Center, as a grand total of 17,703 fans were on hand for the festivities.
Buffalo jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, before a pair of Seals’ second-quarter scores (38 seconds apart) handed San Diego a 2-1 advantage. The reigning champions of the world quickly put pedal to the metal, scoring the stanza’s final four lamp lighters, including a Kyle Buchanan effort with under a second showing on the clock. The Bandits trekked to the locker room possessing a 5-2 lead.
In an unbelievable twist of fate, a mere one week prior, Wes Berg found the back of the net with the numerals 0:01 glowing brightly on the scoreboard. Seven days later, it was the Seals who fell prey to this devastating turn of events. The NLL is one cruel world!
KYLE BUCHANAN ARE YOU SERIOUS??
With .1 second remaining in the first half, Bucky beats Origlieri with a behind-the-net DUNK.
Bandits (5)
Seals (2) pic.twitter.com/9L9NyQX3w6— NLL (@NLL) April 26, 2025
Remarkably, the Bandits would score zero goals in the entire second half, with the Seals sinking one in the third and a Zach Currier last second fourth quarter offering, finally resulting in the Bandits 5-4 win. The combined nine goals marked the lowest scoring playoff game in NLL history, with the previous record standing a full three scores higher than this defensive grind.
The goalies we’re quite obviously the stars of the matchup with 42-year-old Matt Vinc barricading 48 of 52 shots, while 22-year-old Christopher Origlieri obstructed 39 of 44 blasters.
Matt Vinc makes 48 saves to lead the Bandits to a 5-4 win over San Diego, the lowest-scoring playoff game in NLL history.
👀 Vinc Highlights pic.twitter.com/2UvaYirPt8
— NLL (@NLL) April 26, 2025
Ian MacKay scored twice for the victors, with Dhane Smith notching one goal and two assists, while Josh Byrne helped on two of his club’s tallies.
Zach Currier had a pair for the dejected Seals, as Wes Berg scored a solitary goal.
The @NLLBandits are moving on to the Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/PU9LNc5eRP
— NLL (@NLL) April 26, 2025
The Bandits now await the winner of Rochester and Vancouver to find out who they will face in the semi-finals in Banditland, as the Seals turn their attention to next season.
