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Toronto Rock vs New England Black Wolves Preview

By Austin Owens

391776 02: (FILE PHOTO) The CN Tower and the Skydome highlight the Toronto skyline in his undated file photo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets in Moscow July 13, 2001 to decide between front runners Beijing, Paris and Toronto for the site of the 2008 summer Olympics. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
391776 02: (FILE PHOTO) The CN Tower and the Skydome highlight the Toronto skyline in his undated file photo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets in Moscow July 13, 2001 to decide between front runners Beijing, Paris and Toronto for the site of the 2008 summer Olympics. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images) /
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It’s a battle for first in the East at the Air Canada Centre, as the Toronto Rock and New England Black Wolves meet up for the first time this season.

It’s been a good couple of weeks for the Toronto Rock, specifically their offence. After only managing nine goals in each of their first two games of the season, they’ve exploded for 61 over the past three contests.

The latest win coming two weeks ago against the Rochester Knighthawks on home floor. The Rock will be hoping for more success at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday night, as they host the New England Black Wolves in a battle for first place in the East Division.

Last season was not kind to the Rock in this matchup, as New England took both contests. The game played in Toronto last year came down to overtime, with then Black Wolves defender Sheldon Burns walking the visitors off with a transition marker.

Luckily for the Rock, they don’t have to worry about Burns sinking them this year, as they acquired the defender from New England right before starting on their three-game winning streak.

Stephan Leblanc went the other way in the deal. This will be the first time the Rock will ever have to play against the lefty forward, whom they took in the first round of the 2009 NLL Entry Draft.

Key Players

Toronto

Adam Jones (F) – Jones held the top spot in the NLL scoring race until Dhane Smith and Mark Matthews caught up this past weekend. He has found his groove with the Rock offence and will be huge to Toronto’s success in this game.

Tom Schreiber (F) – Schreiber has been the peanut butter to Jones’ jelly this year. They both factor into almost every goal for the Rock. Look for the American to follow up on his eight-point night against Rochester with another big performance.

Kieran McArdle (F) – McArdle has only played in three games but sits fifth in scoring with 13 points. Head Coach Matt Sawyer gave him partial credit for the team’s offensive turnaround over the last three contests.

Dan Craig (F) –  With Turner Evans out, and Reid Reinholdt having a slow start to the season, the Rock has found a gem in Craig. The 2017 sixth-rounder has six goals and 10 points in three games this season.

New England

Shawn Evans (F) – Evans has always been a thorn in the side of the Toronto Rock. The former NLL MVP sits fourth in league scoring and first on the Black Wolves with 32 points. Never afraid to mix it up, Evans will make it as tough as possible for the Rock defence to keep him down.

Kevin Crowley (F) – Crowley is one of the best right-handed forward in the NLL. He was a member of the Rock for a short stint in 2015. He’s had a slow start to the season, with only 17 points in five games. At 6 foot 4, Crowley is a tough matchup for defenders. He’ll be a major factor in the outcome of the game.

Stephan Leblanc (F) – This will be the first time Leblanc dons a different jersey at the Air Canada Centre. Expect a fiery performance from the veteran lefty. He sits second on the team in scoring with 19 points in six games.

Kevin Buchanan (F) – The Black Wolves have a solid American player of their own in Buchanan. The sharpshooting lefty is always a threat to score on the right side of the floor for New England. He had 12 points against the Rock last season alone.

Next: 2018 NHL Draft Player Rankings

The action is set to begin at 7:00 pm at the ACC on Saturday night. If you are unable to get to the game, you can watch it on Twitter or online at NLL Live.

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