CALGARY, AB — The Calgary Roughnecks are coming off of a disappointing game one and are looking to turn things around in game two.
The team will travel to Langley, BC, and look to get revenge on the Vancouver Stealth this weekend. For those following along online or watching the game live, we compiled a short list of things to watch for in the game.
1) Mr. 300
This is a big one. Long-time Roughnecks forward Dane Dobbie is encroaching on 300 goals in his NLL career. The diminutive lefty has spent his entire career in the red and black and will become the first-ever Calgary player to reach the 300-goal plateau solely with the Roughnecks franchise. Currently, Dobbie sits just two goals shy of 300 and will become the 25th player in NLL history to reach the mark.
But it won’t mean as much for Dobbie if the team doesn’t get a win.
“If it’s a game winner, yeah. I know I’m going to reach that number. Hopefully I get it this weekend but if we don’t win …
“It sounds like a cliche but anybody would tell you that. And if they don’t, there’s probably something wrong with them.
“If I get two and we lose, it’ll feel hollow.
“If I get one and we win, good on us.
“If I get two and we win, that’ll be sweet.”
2) Aggressive Start
The biggest issue for the Roughnecks in their home opener was that they fell behind very early and spent the entire game trying to fight out of a deep hole. Calgary was down 7-2 early in the second quarter and had a difficult time trying to complete the comeback. Heading into the new week, the Roughnecks will need to bring energy right out of the gate to avoid falling behind the Stealth. With the additions to the line-up this week, there will be some fresh legs and an aggressive mentality.
3) Returning to the Roster
Tying into point number 2, Calgary will be welcoming back a few important pieces of their roster this week. First off, starting goaltender Frank Scigliano will be back between that pipes, which should help stabilize the defence and make things more difficult for the opposing offence. Alternate captain Greg Harnett will slide into the starting lineup alongside his brother Jon. He will be a welcome addition on the back-end, unless you’re a Stealth forward. Last but not least, Garrett Macintosh will return to the lineup and will bring a physical, aggressive style of play. All three return after serving a one-game suspension for their participation in an altercation during the pre-season.
4) Strong Special Teams
This is an area that could be extremely crucial to the outcome of the contest. Last weekend, the Stealth only gave the Roughnecks two power play opportunities, while they drew five extra-man opportunities. If that remains constant, Calgary will need to be very good in special teams situations. Given that the Stealth have been very good on the power play (66.67%) this season, it is imperative to keep them playing at even strength.
5) On The Draw
How can the Roughnecks stop the Stealth’s momentum or keep their momentum going? By winning most face-offs and keeping possession in their sticks. It’s a double-whammy, really. And with the combination of Tyler Burton and Bob Snider taking the draws, Calgary is set to win a majority of them. In game one, the two draw men combined to win 17 of 28 face-offs. For Vancouver, their face-off men have won just 25 of 57 in their two games. It would seem that the advantage is with the Roughnecks, and they’ll need every advantage they can get to beat the Stealth in Vancouver.