Tip of the Tower
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Toronto Rock vs Buffalo Bandits Preview

By Austin Owens

BUFFALO, NY - OCTOBER 5: A general view of the outside of the KeyBank Center before the game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens at the KeyBank Center on October 5, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - OCTOBER 5: A general view of the outside of the KeyBank Center before the game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens at the KeyBank Center on October 5, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Rock and Buffalo Bandits renew pleasantries, as they meet up to open the 2017-18 National Lacrosse League season.

The Toronto Rock and Buffalo Bandits are no strangers to each other. Every game the rivals play against each other is filled with drama and, of course, physical play.

Friday night is sure to be no different as the “Battle of the QEW” gets its next chapter. The two teams will collide at the Keybank Center, to open up the 2017-18 National Lacrosse League Season.

The Rock and Bandits split the season series in 2017, with each team taking a game at home. They did not meet in the playoffs as Buffalo missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013, while the Rock made it after staying home the previous year.

The Bandits went through a makeover during the offseason. The team shipped star Ryan Benesch in a blockbuster with the Colorado Mammoth. In return, the Bandits received another star in Callum Crawford, as well as up-and-coming goaltender Alexis Buque.

The Bandits will feel the biggest loss in net, as longtime starter Anthony Cosmo announced his retirement during the offseason. They have a very promising tandem in Buque and Davide DiRuscio to fill the void left by Cosmo.

The Bandits also added to their offence by selecting Josh Byrne first-overall in the 2017 NLL Draft. The New Westminster, B.C. native will bring a heap of talent to the Bandits’ offence to play alongside Crawford and Dhane Smith.

Byrne also loves professional debuts. In the summer, he made his Major League Lacrosse debut with the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He went out and had a measly seven-goal performance.

The Toronto Rock will have a debut of their own, with Adam Jones playing in his first regular season game for the team. Alongside Rob Hellyer and Tom Schreiber, the Rock offence should be flying against a Bandits defence that is now without Brad Self and Billy Dee Smith.

Banditland will be out in full force to support their team against one of its biggest rivals. Expect the score to be tight and both teams to come out of the gates flying.

Key Players – Buffalo

Dhane Smith (F) – After a 2016 season where Smith set a league record with 137 points, he finished last year with only 81 points. Don’t expect him to be held to that this season. Smith is one of the best forwards the NLL has to offer and will command the Rock’s top defenders.

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Callum Crawford (F) – It will be Crawford’s first game in Buffalo, so expect him to be ready to go. He led Colorado last season with 98 points in 18 games.

Mark Steenhuis (T) – Steenhuis has continued to be a constant contributor to the Bandits’ offence despite being in a transition role for the last few seasons. Steenhuis gets time on the power-play still, which helped with his 67 points last year.

Josh Byrne (F) – Byrne is a player that almost every member of the Rock has never gone up against in person. You can’t miss the 6 foot 4 forward, however. He’ll be one of the most intriguing match ups to watch.

Key Players – Toronto

Rob Hellyer (F) – He returns to the Rock lineup after a season away due to a torn ACL. Hellyer should be able to recreate the same success as his 113 point 2016 season. He’s also got more weapons this season to work with.

Tom Schreiber (F) – The reigning NLL Rookie of the Year will be looking to build on a solid start to his career on Friday night. He should see a bit more relief in terms of matchups, because of the return of Hellyer, which should bear well on both his stats at the end of the season.

Adam Jones (F) – As mentioned, this will be his first game for the Rock. Jones immediately makes the left handed side of the floor more dangerous. Look for him to put up big numbers against a younger Bandits defence.

Brett Hickey (F) – The third member of the Rock’s right-handed attack featured here. With Hellyer and Schreiber on the floor, Hickey can do what he does best, find the open spots on the floor and fire the ball.

Next: Toronto Rock 2017-18 Season Preview

The Rock and Bandits get going from Keybank Center at 7:30. The NLL will be streaming the game on Twitter, so tune in to catch some high octane action.

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