Mammoth Visit Roughnecks Saturday During Regular Season Finale

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NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Visit Roughnecks Saturday During Regular Season Finale

April 16, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


EDITOR'S NOTE: This week's initial preview will be a bit different than most, as the Calgary Roughnecks are scheduled to compete against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs Friday night ahead of Saturday's clash with Colorado. Mammoth fans can check back for an updated game preview on Saturday morning and tune into the Roughnecks' first matchup of the weekend Friday, April 18 via ESPN+ and NLL+ livestreams!

DENVER - If you came for drama, you came to the right spot, as the (8-9) Colorado Mammoth are set to visit the (8-8) Calgary Roughnecks Saturday night during each squad's regular season finale needing both a win and a little bit of help from teams around the league.

Just six days after dropping an 11-6 loss to the visiting and No. 2-ranked (12-5) Saskatchewan Rush inside the LOUD HOUSE Sunday afternoon, the Burgundy Boys won't have much time to prepare for their next battle. And with the Roughnecks primed to duke it out with the (4-13) Las Vegas Desert Dogs Friday, April 18 during the first session of their back-to-back weekend, there couldn't be more outliers factoring into the quickly approaching 60-minute matchup.

Falling to a mere 4-5 at Ball Arena this season in Week 20, the Mammoth matched its home record from the previous 2023-24 campaign as they exited the Denver-based arena with a sour taste in their mouths. Potentially sour enough to remember when they suit up north of the border. Held scoreless for a 40-minute session while hosting the Rush, Colorado was blanked throughout the entire second and third quarters before finally breaking the rut early in the final frame. Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward may have stopped 50-of-61 overall but it wouldn't be enough to quell the red-hot rush.

Riding a four-game losing streak into Scotiabank Saddledome Saturday night, math suggests Colorado is due for a rebound game, as the team, and squads around the league, don't typically drop four games in a row very often, let alone five.

Throw in the idea that Calgary will be playing its second game within 24 hours and the fact that the Roughnecks are just 2-6 this season at home and picking up a win against the veteran-savvy team seems rather doable. Add in a flashback of Colorado's 11-8 victory over said squad back on March 1 and the odds are almost starting to lean in favor of the Mammoth.

Sporting a flashy 6-2 record on the road this season, Colorado handed Calgary one of its two losses away from Scotiabank Saddledome earlier this year inside Ball Arena. With the Mammoth netting each of the contest's opening five conversions, momentum was heavily favoring the home contingent in this one. Holding a 7-2 lead over the Roughnecks at the break, Colorado felt good about its opening 30 minutes just one week after dropping a decision to the last-place Desert Dogs.

Calgary may have outscored Colorado 6-4 in the second half, which included just one fourth-quarter tally from the Mammoth, but the team's productive first two quarters were enough to propel the team to its seventh win of the season. Ryan Lee (2g, 5a) and Eli McLaughlin (4g, 1a) paced Mammoth scoring efforts, while netminder Dillon Ward stopped 49-for-57 in net.

And for as great as the win was in regard to Colorado's potential return to the postseason, it seems Calgary may have done their best Space Jam "Monstars" impersonation, seemingly sapping some talent and luck from the Burgundy Boys during their matchup, as the Mammoth are sporting a 1-4 record since last clashing with their one of its noted rivals.

At the same time, the Roughnecks are just 2-2 since said meeting. And with another contest looming against the Desert Dogs Friday night, they could very well be 3-2 come Saturday morning. Not that Las Vegas has too much to play or relax for, as Toronto owns the team's 2025 NLL Entry Draft selection. Whatever happens between Calgary and Las Vegas April 18 doesn't have direct correlations for Colorado's game but will be a great way for Mammoth fans to get a temperature check.

When we consider the scoreboard read 11-8 last time the teams met alongside the idea they are averaging 11.18 (Colorado) and 12.25 (Calgary) goals per-game, it'll be hard for the sportsbooks not to set the over/under line somewhere around the standard 22.5 or 23-goal mark. So, the race to 12 will likely be on once more, a mark neither team has been able to surpass lately during the second half of their respective seasons.

With Colorado averaging 11.82 goals-against per contest and Calgary sitting nearby at the 12.19 mark, the league quite literally couldn't have handpicked a closer set of foes to battle it out as one of the final games of the regular season slate. Set to share the 7 p.m. MT spotlight with the (8-9) Ottawa Black Bears and Saskatchewan Rush, both Colorado and Calgary will understand where they fit, or if they fit, in the postseason puzzle by the time the Week 21 matchup has concluded.

While the biggest key to the Mammoth's clinching scenario involves securing a win over the Roughnecks, which is 100% necessary in order for Colorado to qualify, there are a set of matchups the team's fans should be keeping an eye on throughout the weekend. With each of the (13-4) Buffalo Bandits, Saskatchewan Rush, (10-7) Halifax Thunderbirds, (10-7) Vancouver Warriors and (10-7) Rochester Knighthawks already clinched, just three spots remain up for grabs. And with seven teams still having a potential path to claim on of the last three spots, we're preparing to witness one of the most action-packed and dramatic weekends of lacrosse this league has ever seen.

Securing a win over the Roughnecks would all but assure the Mammoth a spot in the postseason. But the team also needs one of the following results to come to life in order to officially claim a spot:

A Calgary win vs. Las Vegas, OR

A Georgia loss vs. Buffalo, OR

A San Diego loss vs. Albany, OR

An Ottawa loss vs. Saskatchewan.

Math suggests one of these four scenarios will occur, so it ultimately comes down to Colorado being able to take care of business Saturday night. An opening round visit to Ball Arena may be out of the question at this point, but the team would essentially secure a return to the LOUD HOUSE if Colorado is able to defeat its quarterfinal opponent and thus enter into a best-of-three semi-final series. One game at a time, though!

With Calgary and Las Vegas set to battle Friday night, as well as the (8-9) San Diego Seals and (7-10 Albany FireWolves), Mammoth fans will have two different opportunities to see their team's extracurricular box become checked, pending the results of those two games.

Regardless of the awaiting postseason gauntlet, endless number of team possibilities factoring into this weekend's slate and anything else atop the mind of Colorado supporters, things will be up to the 19 men chosen to don the Mammoth crest come Saturday night. Colorado's offense has been a bit hit or miss throughout the back half of the season, no doubt. Eli McLaughlin and Zed Williams aren't going to be walking back through that door anytime soon, so it'll be up to the likes of Ryan Lee, Will Malcom and company to light the lamp early and often if the Burgundy Boys are to complete their roller coaster of a qualification.

Prior to registering just six goals last weekend against the Rush, Colorado had managed consecutive 12-goal performances. Before that pair of quality offensive showings, however, it had been since early February when the team had met or been above the 12-goal mark, so the boys need to take advantage of some early looks or potential power-play allowances, if afforded. Ward has been holding his own and the defense just limited the No. 2-ranked Rush to just 11 conversions. But, again, having allowed 14, 17 and 15 goals against in the three games prior suggests the back-end unit needs to shore up efforts if they're to keep Curtis Dickson, Dane Dobbie and company from a scoring spree.

Saddledome Savants

Regardless of what Friday's showdown with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs suggests, the Calgary Roughnecks will be bringing their A-game to Saturday's showdown inside Scotiabank Saddledome as they look to even its regular season series with the visiting Colorado Mammoth. And anytime you've got two guys above the 90-point mark on the scoresheet, you know you've got a chance or two to fill some nets. That conversation starts with a veteran known as "Superman" in Curtis Dickson. Bringing a team-high 98 points (43g, 55a) into his team's finale session of the season, he may be battling Father Time, but he's still winning the fight. Entering the Week 21 slate ranked No. 9 overall in scoring, despite playing in just 16 games so far, it's easy to see why he's still revered as one of the game's best finishers. Tied with the Bandits' Josh Byrne with 43 goals ahead of this weekend's matchups, he's sitting No. 5 in the NLL with 43 goals to his name. And with the No. 10 and 15-ranked teams on deck during his final two challenges, we have a feeling he's going to elevate those totals. Just like Jesse King is likely to, who's bringing 93 points (27g, 66a) into Friday's showdown with Las Vegas. Leading the team with 66 helpers as a dual-threat talent, King remains tied with Vancouver's Keegan Bal for the seventh-highest total in the league. If King serves as the 1-2 opener, Dickson has been the knockout punch this season and will 100% be atop Colorado's scouting reports. Tanner Cook has amassed 61 points (25g, 36a) of his own as the current No. 3 option, with fellow veteran Dane Dobbie just one point behind at 60 square (36g, 24a) despite only drawing into 14 games so far this year. Tyler Pace represents the team's final scorer over the 50-point mark, with 56 points (15g, 41a) on the record.

When it comes to defensive efforts, the team has a healthy mix of established veterans and some younger guys hungry to prove themselves. Ultimately, Saturday's contest may come down to the performance of Nick Rose, whom the Roughnecks acquired from the Toronto Rock during a midseason trade. With 632 saves to his name, he's bringing a .789 save percentage and 10.92 goals-against average into Friday's showdown against Las Vegas. What he and Ward are able to accomplish, or diminish, in their respective ends Saturday night will likely play the biggest factor into the Week 21 outcome. So buckle up and get ready to TUSK UP as the Burgundy Boys put the finishing touches on their 2024-25 campaign!

Get in the Game

Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude TV and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Saturday's April 19 showdown against the Calgary Roughnecks can be viewed locally via Altitude TV and streamed live on ESPN+ and NLL+. Mammoth fans can keep an eye on the team's social media channels and coloradomammoth.com for the latest news, transactions and organizational updates throughout the 2024-25 NLL season.

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics



National Lacrosse League Stories from April 16, 2025


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