2016 NLL Picks and Power Rankings: Week 11

This was the moment, the game's best player was at the center of attention for the second-to-last time with the Hall of Fame looming. After there was Ruth, and Brown, and Gretzky, and Jordan in their respective sports - there was Tavares. A beautiful tribute was made pre-game in Buffalo on Friday night (glad to be in attendance) to honor Buffalo's other great number 11 of the NHL's Sabres on the opposite end of the First Niagara center rafters. In the wonderment of all, unlike when Rich Kilgour's number 16 went up (against the now defunct Boston Blazers II), the Bandits won 13-10 in-front of a near sellout crowd. Although teams usually find it difficult to win on a "banner night," you felt differently when Buffalo jumped out to a quick two goal opening lead. Had the two Rochester goals that followed not been on the power play, we might have been talking a different story. But Rochester's official twitter handle as well as the Saskatchewan Rush tweeted at the Bandits to congratulate JT. I'm sure the Bandits will remember that (though long departed from Rochester) when it's John Grant Jr.'s time to be raised to the Blue Cross Arena rafters.

As for the rest of the evening, the first competitive Canadian teams in the league to play each other in Calgary's formative years met in Toronto concurrent to JT night down the QEW. With the exception of the late first to early second quarters, it was relatively back and forth. when on teams scored the other answered. If two goals were scored, those were gotten back by the trailing team. Calgary won every quarter except a drawn third quarter. Back to TO in a jiffy.

Week 11:

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Weekly Total: 4/5

Season Total: 30/45 (.667%)
*Away team is above the home team; underline below arrow indicates correct pick.

Week 12:

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Week 11:
1. (2) BUFFALO -  They just had to win it for number 11 - Johnny WHO?!
2. (1) COLORADO - Nobody I don't think expected the Thieves to pull it out Friday night, but doesn't hurt though.
3. (3) SASKATCHEWAN - Exacting revenge for loss in SakTel opener is a likely possibility.
4. (7) CALGARY -  Good rebound on the road in a Canadian classic against a surging Toronto team.
5. (6) TORONTO - Vancouver was good pick-me-up after loss to Riggers.
6. (4) GEORGIA - Have the first of a month's worth of home games in a row to look forward to...
7. (5) NEW ENGLAND - Starting to look unstable, a week off to empty their minds of distractions.
8. (8) ROCHESTER - Why they lost Friday: "B-O-X, B-O-X, to the box, to the box, to the boX-bOX-BOX, WOOooOOoo!" Why they won Saturday: New England's in a funk.
9. (9) VANCOUVER - Wondering where Toronto went before Sunday... probably still wondering.

View Brian Shanahan's picks on IL Indoor.

-Ricky