Bandits vs Thunderbirds: How to Watch, Lineup Notes, and Storylines
NLL Buffalo Bandits

Bandits vs Thunderbirds: How to Watch, Lineup Notes, and Storylines

Published on February 13, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Buffalo Bandits News Release


The Bandits look to snap four-game losing streak on the road against the Halifax Thunderbirds.

Head coach John Tavares stressed the importance of playing smarter and understanding in-game situations following the Bandits' 13-11 loss to the Philadelphia Wings on Saturday.

The Bandits - who led 11-9 with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter - gave up four consecutive goals to the Wings, who utilized a power play as the catalyst for their late-game surge.

Read a full recap from the Bandits' last game here

The Bandits will need to stay out of the penalty box when they meet the Halifax Thunderbirds 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at Scotiabank Centre. The Bandits and Thunderbirds are tied in the NLL standings at 3-5.

"We need to have a little bit more discipline, especially when we have the lead in the fourth quarter," Tavares said.

The Bandits have lost three games this season when leading in the fourth quarter, including a 9-8 overtime loss to the Thunderbirds in December. The Bandits led that game 7-4 in the final minutes of the third quarter.

Buffalo also dropped a one-goal game to the Ottawa Black Bears in January as a fourth-quarter penalty to Nick Weiss led to an Ottawa power-play goal and a stretch of four straight tallies.

The Thunderbirds have a league-high 179 penalty minutes, which is 34 higher than the next closest team. The Bandits scored three power-play goals against Halifax in their first meeting and Tavares said he'll be showing clips of the scoring chances Thunderbirds penalties can lead to.

Tavares also noted that avoiding the extracurricular battles that Halifax often creates to drag opposing teams into an undisciplined style will be critical to generating power-play opportunities.

"Be able to take a hit and not retaliate or be smart enough not to take a penalty unless it's a needed penalty," Tavares said following the loss to the Wings. "A good penalty isn't in a prime scoring area. We don't need to take a penalty in their crease or at center. It goes without saying."

The Bandits enter their matchup with the Thunderbirds on a four-game skid for the first time since 2018.

Key members of the Bandits' leadership group were on that team including Dhane Smith, Josh Byrne, Nick Weiss, Steve Priolo and Mitch de Snoo (who has been out with an injury was on the floor during Saturday shootaround prior to the matchup with Philadelphia).

Tavares said having a group who understands how to stay positive and spread that message with 10 games remaining is crucial.

"It's hard to keep your spirits up when you lose games as often as we've been losing and in the fashion we've been losing, but the guys still understand that we've proven over the years we have the roster to be very competitive and win a lot of games," Tavares said. "

"We're still continuing to stay positive and we're trying to make the playoffs. ... Guys understand that, it's just whether guys are going to commit to the little things like discipline and watching video, the game plan, and just committing to one game at a time. Having a leadership group understanding that, they know what it takes to win games. Even though right now we're not showing it, we're getting closer to winning form."

Check out the Buffalo Bandits Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from February 13, 2026


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