What to watch for vs. Buffalo Bandits – Game Two

NLL Semifinals Game Two is a must win for the Rock

Buffalo, NY – The Toronto Rock will be fighting to keep their season alive on Sunday evening when they face the Buffalo Bandits at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.  The Rock trail the Bandits 1-0 in their best-of-three NLL Semifinals matchup.

The game one story revolved around both the Rock’s offence that was held without a goal for the first 39 minutes of the game and the stingy play of Buffalo goalie Matt Vinc.

In the other NLL Semifinals series, the Albany FireWolves bested the San Diego Seals on Friday night and will return home to MVP Arena this afternoon at 3pm to play game two of their series.

Fans can watch the game vs. Buffalo at 5:30pm ET on TSN and TSN’s digital platform TSN+ via TSN.ca and the TSN App as well as ESPNU and ESPN+.  To stream the game, you need a TSN+ subscription.

Here’s what to watch for in Sunday’s matchup.

• Nick Rose gave the Rock the consistent goaltending they expected him to deliver in game one. The Rock will require a similar performance from him again in game two to send the series back to Rock City for game three. Rose made 37 saves on 45 shots for an .822 save percentage.  While that kind of a night would usually get you a win in this league, his Bandits counterpart Matt Vinc made 53 saves and had a .930 save percentage.
• One crazy game one stat jumps out for the Rock, and that’s Tom Schreiber’s 16 loose balls. He also had an epic caused turnover that provided a small sample of just how hard the Rock are willing to work for the ball. Forwards picking up loose balls is usually accompanied by extended offensive possessions, it’s something the Rock will hope to capitalize on more often in game two.
• Speaking of Schreiber, the Rock great can hit the 50-point plateau in the postseason with a single point tonight and a second point will move him past Jim Veltman into 5^th place in all-time Rock playoff scoring.
• Look for Dan Craig to have a bounce back performance in game two. The reliable Rock scorer had an uncharacteristic stat line in game one, being held without a point and he took just two shots on goal.  The Iceman cometh.
• The Rock were 1-for-8 on the power play in game one. A better conversion rate on the man advantage is a must in game two.
• INJURY REPORT: Brandon Slade is on the IR with a lower body injury. Zack Kearney is listed as doubtful with an upper body injury. Latrell Harris and Chase Schiavon remain on the PUP List.
• A Rock win tonight will force a Game 3 back in Rock City on Sat., May 11 at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now!

Fans should also check out the latest episode of Rock City Unplugged, streaming now on the Rock’s YouTube Channel and on TSN+.

For more information on Toronto Rock tickets, please contact a Toronto Rock account executive by phone at 416-596-3075, by email at tickets@torontorock.com or visit torontorock.com.