Wings' playoff chances on the line in Toronto
It's now or never for the Wings. With just three weeks left in the regular season, the Wings (5-10) are facing elimination from the National Lacrosse League playoffs Saturday when they visit the Toronto Rock (6-9) at the Air Canada Centre.
It's now or never for the Wings.
With just three weeks left in the regular season, the Wings (5-10) are facing elimination from the National Lacrosse League playoffs Saturday when they visit the Toronto Rock (6-9) at the Air Canada Centre.
"There is no question it is a playoff game," Wings coach Blane Harrison said. "We seem to have been in this situation since the last time we played Toronto in Philadelphia. If we play our game and stick to the things that we want to do, starting with an athletic defense, we can break some windows of our own."
The Rock have added incentive in that if they duplicate their win over the Wings from earlier this season - they routed them 20-10 at the Air Canada Centre on Feb. 7 - they can clinch a playoff berth.
However, this will be a different Toronto team than the one the Wings faced in December. Last weekend the Rock lost the services of Garrett Billings. The first player in National Lacrosse League history to score 100 points in three consecutive seasons, Billings is out indefinitely after suffering a torn ACL in the first half of the Rock's 17-9 win over Vancouver.
The Rock view this game in the same light as the Wings - it's all or nothing. And even without their top offensive weapon they sound confident.
"When Garrett went down a lot of guys stepped up, so that was a good sign going into this weekend," forward Josh Sanderson said. "So going into Philly we need for guys to pick their game up a little bit and try to find a way to grab this one. This is a playoff game and they're aware of it; we're aware of that so I expect it to be really good."
Losers of seven of their last nine games, the Wings have not looked the part of a playoff team for quite some time now.
In their most recent loss, a 13-9 setback against Calgary, the Wings entered the fourth quarter holding an 8-7 lead. However, the Wings collapsed defensively as Calgary scored four unanswered goals to begin the fourth period and, in total, outscored the Wings 6-1 in the quarter.
@JmitchInquirer