You had to think something was up when the NLL trade deadline came and went Tuesday afternoon, with nary a peep out of the Roughnecks’ office….and nobody answering their cel phones. Indeed, something big was in the works, I just had to wait until just before 7 o’clock for the call from GM Kurt Silcott.

“We needed a shakeup,” sez he, “And this is certainly a shakeup.” Indeed.

What else can you say about a deal that sends all-time leading scorer Lewis Ratcliff to Toronto along with a conditional pick for assist king Josh Sanderson and a first rounder? While losing a superstar like Ratcliff is hard to swallow, the fact is this team was going nowhere fast and needed to be rocked at at its core. As I said after Saturday’s loss in San Jose the goaltending is solid, the defense rounding into form, the faceoff game brilliant, and the offense….well…

The lack of scoring in general and timely scoring in particular has been the most perplexing of problems with this club this year. How can a team sporting a gunner like Ratcliff, legends like Toth and Kelusky, and up and comers like Ranger and Shattler not be geting it done up front? I asked Silcott that same question.

“Lewis is a pure goal scorer,” said Silcott. “Maybe there was a tendency to rely a little too much on him. Sanderson is a different kind of player, a tremendous feeder who moves the ball around. We need all 7 guys on offense producing.”

I have to agree. All too often this year, the offense seemed content to sit back at the perimeter and fire the ball around, looking for Ratcliff to get it done with one big shot. When that happened, nothing happened. The Riggers have had their best success when players are willing to crash the net and create dirty chances, or when transition players like Andrew McBride and Chris Sellers are turned loose to create fast breaks.

There’s an implicit message in this for players like Scott Ranger and Jeff Shattler. This is now their team. They are the go to guys, and the guy going to them will be one of the best set up guys in the NLL.

Make no mistake. This is a huge gamble for Silcott, the kind of move that can either define you as a brilliant team builder, or will hang around your neck like a boat anchor at your next job interview. While I’m sorry to see a player the calibre of Ratcliff go, the fact is something had to happen and tinkering around the edges wasn’t going to get it done. At 4-8, the season is going nowhere fast. The playoffs are achievable, but all doing nothing or making a minor move would have accomplished is another guaranteed one-and-done.

The season just got fun again. Lewis, good luck, and thanks for all the great memories.

The Numbers: (Regular Season)

Sanderson:

2008
23 goals 27 assists 61 loose balls
Career

114 goals 221 assists 343 loose balls

Ratcliff:

2008
29 goals 35 assists 65 loose balls
Career

181 goals 216 assists 367 loose balls

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory has become something of an art form for this year’s edition of the Roughnecks, but just when you thought you’d seen every way to give a game away, they surprise you with something new.

Saturday, stupid penalites effectively killed any hope this team had left of a home playoff game, with bonehead retaliation after bonehead retaliation taking away power plays, and running mouths and after the fact hits giving the lethal Stealth power play opportunity after opportunity to put it away.

The penalty parade ruined what should have a great afternoon for the Roughnecks. After a horrendous first 20 minutes of the game that saw a pair of power play and a pair of shorthanded goals that paced the home team to a 6-1 lead, the Riggers rallied around Pat Campbell who found his A game after a shaky start, and helped trigger an 11-3 run that lasted into the 4th quarter.

There was so much to like. Campbell stoning the Stealth time after time. An aggressive transition game that ignited the offense. A sudden willingness to get dirty and go to the net, helped along by a gritty performance from Shawn Cable.

And then it all stopped.

The attacking game that built a 12-9 lead with fewer than 8 minutes to go went away in seconds. Blame Nolan Heavenor for taking a holding a stick penalty in the offensive zone. Blame Andrew McBride for whatever he said to the referee that triggered an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on that call, and a 2 minute 5 on 3 advantage that turned into two powerplay goals in 54 seconds, woops, make that 3 goals in 73 seconds as Luke Wiles connects 13 seconds after McBride slinks out of the box. Blame Scott Carnegie for a pointless cross check from behind AFTER San jose had failed to score on a breakaway that set the stage for the game winner off the stick of Colin Doyle with 5 seconds to go.

The Roughnecks had to come out nasty and play with an edge. I get that. But playing on the edge and giving an obviously whistle-happy crew excuse after excuse to send you away invites disaster, and disaster RSVP’ed with a big ‘yes’.

What now? The NLL trade deadlne comes up Tuesday. Is it time to blow up the offensive core and do something big? I don’t know. The goaltending’s fine. Campbell was strong again, and lucky when he needed to be. His 2-5 record as a starter is an insult to what he’s done since signing on board. The defense has come around and seems to have gotten Troy Cordingley’s system. The transition game, although underutilized before today, has been a weapon. As for the offense, all too often they’ve seemed content to work around the perimeter and shoot from the outside. Saturday, that changed thanks to Cable’s willingness to take a few whacks to inspire the others. Special teams were horrendous Saturday. 3 for 6 on the powerplay negated by 2 shorthanded goals, and a PK that was a miserable 2 for 8. Does that call for a shake-up? I wish I could answer that.

A look at the roster of this team shows a mix of league legends, all stars, and up and coming talent. Everything that needs to be here is here, and yet, something’s keeping it all from coming together, and that something seems to be a moving target from week to week.

Any semblance of control the Roughnecks had over their own destiny has been thrown away. The rubber matches in two crucial season series have been lost. the one season series that went the Rigger’s way doesn’t mean much right now, as Portland has taken third place for the moment with 4 wins in one less game. Yeah, there’s still three games with the Rush to go, but basing your hopes for success on having to sweep the league patsies isn’t a winner’s way of doing things. It’s going to be a long couple of days until deadline day, and a long couple of weeks until the Roughnecks get a shot at redemption at Rexall Place.

You want your best players to be your best players in big games. You don’t want the other guy’s best players to be the best players in your barn. But that’s the way it was Friday night, as Gavin Prout and Gee Nash put on a lacrosse clinic in front of the Roughnecks, ending any flickering hopes of a first place finish.

It was a helluva first half. The Roughnecks came out firing, both defences were tenacious, big plays at one end were answered at the other, and the Rigger’s big guns seemed poised for a big night. Mix in a little bad blood between the two teams, and it was 30 minutes of big fun.

Cue the second half.

Calgary answered Coldorado’s go ahead goal scored with a two man advantage late in the first half with an early strike from Kaleb Toth to knot things at 5, but after that, the Calgary offense went into the witness protection program. Actually, that’s not entirely fair. Credit has to given where credit is due, and it has to be given to the Mammoth for a great effort at both ends of the floor.

Coldorado took over the dead-even defensive battle that had been the first half at both ends. Prout seemed to find more time and space as the Roughnecks D backed off him, while the Mammoth defense set up a wall in front of Nash, forcing Calgary to play from the outside, jamming passing lanes to prevent any kind of offensive setup, making desparate attackers play as individuals instead of as a team. Behind it all was Nash, cooly turning aside what shots the Roughnecks did manage to get thrugh. Make the final 11-6 after yet another late fold, with the locals outscored 6-2 over the final 30 minutes.

What had been a nasty game boiled over late, with cheap shots on both sides, and sluggers Andrew McBride and Ryan McNish going 0 for 2 in a pair of scraps. Ryan Avery got in late in relief of Pat Campbell (Who in no way can be blamed for the loss as he was superb once again) and proceeded to jack Bruce Murray of the Mammoth in the skull with an elbow. He may have to answer for that if the NLL decides to take a second look. ‘Sending a message’ for a future meeting? I think not. More like the frustrations of the now just blowing up.

The loss gives the season series to the Mammoth, and leaves the Roughnecks 2 games back of their bitter rivals. Calgary now has to turn its attention to San Jose next week, hoping to take the rubber game in that series or give up pretty much any hope of a home playoff game.

Speaking of home, I have to say I’m disappointed in the crowd. A week after Brad Bannister’s bold and seemingly successful plan to give away free tickets to attract new fans, the house was back to the same old size. Don’t get me wrong, the fans that show up are great, there just needs to be more of them. The showcase of what NLL lacrosse is like last week should have translated into at least a boost of two or three thousand. It didn’t. I don’t know why. Now Bannister has to wonder if he gave away 250 G’s of income for nothing.

All in all, the kind of night that leaves a bit of a bad taste in your mouth.

Remember that time in shop class where there was that one brutal project you couldn’t get right? You tried and tried, worked and worked, and when the damn spot-welded book stand finally came together, all the shop teacher did was look at it and toss it back on the bench with a mumbled, “Good. Now do it again.”

Substitue shop class for the 2008 NLL season, you for the Calgary Roughnecks, and the coaching staff and the fans for the shop teacher and you have this weekend.

Three times this year, the ‘Necks have looked like they have that project from hell figured out. First, with a two game run against San Jose and Portland. Second, with a dominating home win over the feared and hated Mammoth. Third, another great night against the LumberJax. Twice, they’ve failed to repeat the performance. Time number three, the jury remains out until Friday night.

It’s been well documented here and elsewhere about how Brad Bannister gambled and won on the ticket giveaway last week. All well and good, but let’s see you do it again. A season that hung in the balance a week ago can now turn around completely, but only if the often maddening ‘08 Riggers can get a consistent groove going.

I’ve asked many players about the lack of consistency this year. I came away with the conclusion that no one really knows why there’s no flow week to week. Now, There are no excuses. Tracey Kelusky was back and contributing on and off the floor last weekend. Pat Campbell has been a godsend in goal, and the players seem finally to be returning an A-class effort on the goaltending he’s provided. Now comes yet another test against Coldorado.

This is truly an outstanding sports rivalry. The two teams, and even the two front offices do not like each other. The record stands at 7 wins and 8 losses for the Roughnecks. The season series stands at one each. With a win Friday, the team can kill two big ugly birds with one stone. Bird number one would be the fourth quarter collapse, which beat them in Denver in game one, and which they managed to avoid with 3 goals in a minute to thwart a late Portland comeback last weekend. Bird number two is the failure to build on a good thing, which, as I mentioned, has already happened twice this year.

Factor three Friday is the ability to build on the goodwill of the freebie game. A near full house saw everything good about about going to a Roughnecks game last weekend for pennies on the dollar. The question is how many will jump at a two-fer deal this weekend, and how many more will come back at full pop.

The Roughnecks delivered on providing outstanding entertainment for the fans to take in. Now, they have to prove to the fans that last week wasn`t a fluke. The fans have to prove that this city will support first class entertainment, even if it doesn`t come with hundred dollar tickets that provide ten cent performances.

Brad Bannister doubled down on an 11 with the dealer showing ten….and hit a winner. Okay, maybe I’m flashing back to my weekend in Vegas just a bit, but the short version is the Roughneck’s owner gambled..and won big time Saturday night.

In sports, if you’re going to do something rash like comp your whole building for a night, you want to plan it, promote it, and generally put some time into it and make it a labour of love. You don’t go a Flames game Tuesday, come away frustrated that they’re filling the Dome and you aren’t, and announce to your beleaguered staff on Wednesday morning that you’re doing an ‘everyone gets in free’ night in three days time.

But, that’s what Bannister did, and on a night when the franchise had a lot to lose, everything came up 7’s for the man rolling the dice. Last Vegas reference. I promise.

Comping your building to kick-start a new fan base is an idea as old as minor pro sports, but as I explained earlier this week, it carries significant risks, not the least of which is laying a giant egg in front of a bunch of people who’ve never seen your product, and aren’t about to come back as paying customers is you stink the joint out. With that on the table, Bannister needed some luck. And he got it Saturday morning when Tracey Kelusky woke up without a headache.

It’s hard to overstate the impact Kelusky has on the team. He’s a leader, a motivator, and at the end of the day, a pretty damn good lacrosse player. All three aspects of his game were on display Saturday night.

It’s not just the fact Kelusky hasn’t seen game action since he was concussed in the first game of the season. There’s also the little matter of no conditioning for over two months. Given that built in excuse, all Kelusky did was go out and pound out a 6 point night on 2 goals and 4 assists. There was an obvious difference in the way the team played with their leader in the lineup. There’s the extra time and space created for guys like Kaleb Toth, Lewis Ratcliff and Scott Ranger with another offensive threat to account for.

A happy mob of 18,737 saw everything good that the game of lacrosse and the Roughnecks as a team have to offer. In addition to Kelusky’s heroics, Lewis Ratcliff had yet another hat trick, Ranger had a personal best 6 point night, Toth scored career goal number 200, and Ryan McNish and Brodie Merrill squared off and pounded the crap out of each other.

It wasn’t all pretty. A couple of the bad-change-breakaways that have plagued this team this season happened early. A Roughnecks power play resulted in two shorthanded Portland goals. There was a looooooooong stretch between goals between the third and fourth quarter that had me wondering if the final 15 minutes of doom that have killed this team too often this year were making another appearance. The difference was, this time the snowball was stopped at the top of the hill before it could really get rolling.

The two breakaways early were the only ones. The shorthanded goals were answered on a third quarter 5 minute power play that saw the Riggers cash in twice in 30 seconds. The 12 and a half minute drought ended with an exclamation point midway through the final frame with three goals in a minute.

Some other kudos to hand out. Tip the hat to rookie Mike Carnegie who picked off a pass, went the length of the floor and scored his first NLL goal on a great individual effort. Applause to Devan Wray, back in the lineup for the first time in three games for a tenacious effort in his own end and the faceoff circle. Wray and Nolan Heavenor won 21 of 31 draws on the night, giving the Riggers possession time after time. Standing O for Pat Campbell, for another great game in net, helped by at least 5 timely posts. Good luck to Troy Cordingley decideing what to do next week if Steve Dietrich’s healthy enough to return to the lineup. Talking to him after the game, I get the feeling he’s going to keep riding the hot hand. And last but certainly not least, an approving nod to Cordingley and his coaching staff for second half adjustments that focussed on penetrating a tough Lumberjax D that shut down the shooting lanes in the first 30.

As bad as things have been this season, suddenly everthing’s turned on its ear. The win gives the Roughnecks the season series with Portland, and a key tiebreaker. San Jose upsetting the Mammoth in Coldorado tightens the Western race, with the season series against both clubs still in the balance for the Roughnecks. Fate, it seems, has taken a turn in the home team’s favour.

Can’t wait to see how many fans who took advantage of the freebies are willing to plunk down real money and show up next Friday for the rubber match with Coldorado. Brad Bannister took the chance of showcasing his product in front of a bunch of people with no financial stake on a cheap night out, with an eye to taking attendance to the next level. His team more than held up their end.

Free tickets for a pro sporting event????? Are you insane????

Then again…a lot of people said the same thing about Brad Bannister when he brought pro lacrosse to our city. It was a gamble then, and it’s a gamble now.

Hard to refute the idea that lacrosse has been a hit. Crowds of more than ten thousand regularly hit the ‘Dome on game nights, and a whole minor lacrosse culture that didn’t exist P.R. (Pre-Roughnecks) has taken root. But the numbers at the games have stalled, and Bannister’s prepared to roll the dice to see if he can kick-start a new cluster of Roughnecks fans.

Make no mistake. It’s a chance and a big one. Remember the days when anyone who wanted Flames tickets could get them? Large clusters of corporate tickets meant freebies for everyone, and created a mindset where the tickets had little value because you never had to shell out of your own pocket to go to a game.

Problem two is the people who have been shelling their hard-earned bucks through the years. Bannister says he has received a few grumbles since this idea went public Wednesday, but he hopes an offer of half price playoff tickets will ease the pain for season ticket holders, and for single game purchasers, a two-fer for next Friday’s game against the Mammoth will hopefully take care of any hurt feelings, in addition to boosting the crowd for another key Western matchup.

Of course, to say any game is anything less than vital from here on in is just plain silly. There is still hope, remembering back to the earlier post where I pointed out the season series with Portland and San Jose are still up for grabs (as is the series with Coldorado, but whatever hapens with that, I’m conceding first place to the Mammoth) and the season series with Edmonton won’t start until April.

The Roughnecks handled Portland easily back in week 4 of the season, and should have been able to make it 2-0 on the ‘Jax two weeks ago, but for our old friend the fourth quarter collapse. Ask any two Roughnecks players why this keeps happening and you’ll get any combination of answers involving offense, defense, penalities, and bewildered shrugs. One week it’s a penalty parade. Next time it’s a defensive collapse. Last week against Toronto, it was offensive power outage. Hold the other team to 8 goals (plus an empty-netter) in their own barn and more often than not, you’ll win. Not so last week.

The team will need something to hang its emotional hat on to provide a spark, as Kaleb Toth provided in that first meeting when he knocked a wandering Portland goaltender senseless with a hard but clean hit, that prompted no response from the ‘Jax. Toth is still scratching his head over the lack of a subsequent beating.

Time for our weekly game of will they or won’t they, as in will concussed regulars Steve Dietrich and Tracey Kelusky suit up. Chugger’s a definite no go until after the all star break, but Kelusky is optimistic this will be the week, as he has been every week for the past three, but this time…..well…we’ll see.

Freebie tickets for Saturday night can be had through ticketmaster, with the 2.50 service charge that goes along with that. If you already bought single game seats before the offer was announced, you can collect on 2 for ones for the Mammoth game at the Roughneck office.