National Lacrosse League: 2019 Playoff Bracket, Schedule, How to Watch, Stream
The 2019 National Lacrosse League playoffs begin Friday, with four teams from each of the two divisions. The NLL made the jump from six playoff teams last season to eight this season.
There will be three rounds of the playoffs: the division semifinals, division finals and NLL finals. The first two rounds will be single-elimination, while the final series will be best-of-three.
Every game will be available to watch and stream live on B/R Live. The new NLL Playoffs Pre-Game LIVE, a 10-minute commercial-free preview show, will begin on B/R Live 30 minutes prior to the opening faceoff of every game.
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Below you can find the National Lacrosse League playoff bracket with all eight teams and seeds, the full playoff schedule, information on how to watch and stream every game live, and a preview of each playoff matchup, including top players and regular-season highlights.
2019 Playoff Bracket
The top four teams in the East and West Division qualified for the 2019 NLL playoffs. The eastern seeds are:
- Buffalo Bandits (14-4 regular-season record)
- Georgia Swarm (12-6)
- Toronto Rock (12-6)
- New England Black Wolves (9-9)
The western seeds are:
- Saskatchewan Rush (11-7)
- San Diego Seals (10-8)
- Calgary Roughnecks (10-8)
- Colorado Mammoth (6-12)
The higher seeds will host each game in the first two rounds.
East Division Semifinals
No. 4 New England Black Wolves at No. 1 Buffalo Bandits
No. 3 Toronto Rock at No. 2 Georgia Swarm
West Division Semifinals
No. 4 Colorado Mammoth at No. 1 Saskatchewan Rush
No. 3 Calgary Roughnecks at No. 2 San Diego Seals
Of the two teams that advance to the NLL finals, the one with the better regular-season record will host Games 1 and 3.
2019 Playoff Schedule
NLL playoff games will take place between Friday and Monday each weekend this month, beginning with the division semifinals this weekend (all times Eastern):
Friday, May 3
Colorado Mammoth vs. Saskatchewan Rush, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4
New England Black Wolves vs. Buffalo Bandits, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, May 6
Toronto Rock vs. Georgia Swarm, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary Roughnecks vs. San Diego Seals, 10:30 p.m.
East and West Division Finals: May 10-13
NLL Finals Game 1: May 17-20
NLL Finals Game 2: May 24-27
NLL Finals Game 3 (If necessary): May 31-June 3
Stay up to date with everything happening in the NLL postseason with this playoff tracker.
How to Watch and Stream Every 2019 Playoff Game
Stream National Lacrosse League games for the entire playoffs on B/R Live. Watching via a pay-per-view purchase, monthly pass or season pass gives you access to watch the game live as well as stream a full replay, available shortly after each game concludes. For more information on B/R Live purchase and subscription options for the NLL playoffs, click here.
For the first round, find direct links to watch every game below. Division finals and NLL finals will be available as the matchups are set.
East Division Semifinals
West Division Semifinals
2019 Playoff Preview, Team Matchups, Highlights
East Division Semifinals
No. 4 New England Black Wolves at No. 1 Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo won both regular-season meetings between the teams, outscoring New England 27-11. The Bandits led the league with 244 goals, 14 more than the next closest team. Dhane Smith and Corey Small spearhead the attack, with Smith leading the team in points with 102 and Small leading in goals with 36.
On the other bench, the Black Wolves will have to stay out the penalty box to have any chance of pulling off the upset. They collected the third-most penalty minutes in the league and by far the highest for any playoff team.
Callum Crawford, in his 15th year in the league, is still the star in New England, scoring the most goals in the league this season (48) and finishing second in points (109). The Black Wolves will have to make a concerted effort to get him as many quality chances in front of goal as possible.
No. 3 Toronto Rock at No. 2 Georgia Swarm
2017 NLL champions Georgia took two out of three from Toronto in the regular season, with the teams splitting two close games during the winter followed by a 14-5 Swarm win in March.
"We've kind of built a pretty solid rivalry with Toronto," Georgia captain Jordan MacIntosh said. "Really, really talented team, huge offensive guys. ... They're a great team. We've played them enough; I feel like both sides have a pretty good scout on each other. Usually when it comes down to them, it's just can we limit their big guns from scoring a bunch of goals on us, and that's what we'll be focusing on this week."
Tom Schreiber, Bob Hellyer and Adam Jones are the Rock's three top scorers, combining for 90 goals and 146 points.
Forwards Lyle Thompson and Randy Staats head up the Swarm attack that finished second in goals behind the Bandits this season.
The Swarm will have the advantage of extra preparation after a bye on their schedule last week. It's a setup that can be good to get more rest and preparation but dangerous to fall out of rhythm.
"It's great on bye weeks to do a little self-evaluation," MacIntosh said. "To go in and watch the game and really see where the defensive breakdowns are and how we can generate more scoring opportunities on offense. Some people will say it's not great to have a bye week going into the playoffs, but I think for us, based on the last two games [two losses] it's gonna be nice for us to watch ourselves, make those adjustments, and really dial them in."
West Division Semifinals
No. 4 Colorado Mammoth at No. 1 Saskatchewan Rush
The defending NLL champion Rush continue their quest for a repeat. Saskatchewan swept the three-game season series against the Mammoth, including a 13-8 win last weekend that featured 11 goals in the first half.
Colorado will have its hands full with the Rush offense, led by Mark Matthews, whose 105 points were 29 more than its top scorer this season. Given the Mammoth was the second-lowest scoring team in the league this season, look for them to try to slow down the pace and use the shot clock. If Colorado can do those things, the Mammoth will be in the game for four quarters and have a chance to win.
No. 3 Calgary Roughnecks at No. 2 San Diego Seals
The Seals have been the feel-good story and surprise in the National Lacrosse League this season. The expansion side spent most of the season at or near the top of the West Division before finishing second. It's a mix of both young and experienced players who have come together to form a legitimate contender. But they know there's still plenty of work to be done to achieve their goal.
"We know that consistency is what makes you a championship team," said Dan Dawson, the Seals captain who is in his 18th season in the NLL, "and we're not there yet. We got a lot to work on. We've put ourselves in a good position, but by no means are we satisfied. We got a lot that we need to clean up, and we're still learning as we go."
San Diego's April was not kind as the team lost Austin Staats, likely the NLL Rookie of the Year, to a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee. To add insult to injury, the Seals had a packed schedule of five games in 22 days, the majority coming after Staats went down, and went 1-4.
Dawson, who leads the team with 88 points, will have the task of helping the team pick up the goals and dynamic play that Staats produced every night.
In their way is the Roughnecks' high-scoring duo of Dane Dobbie and Curtis Dickson. Dobbie's 115 points (47 goals, 68 assists) were the most in the NLL this season, and Dickson poured in 35 goals. The Seals won two of three against Calgary during the regular season.
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