The Buffalo Bandits won their seventh straight game, doubling up the Rochester Knighthawks 12-6 on Saturday night at Key Bank Center. The win puts the Bandits (11-6) within one game of league-leaders Colorado and Vancouver (both 12-5) with one week of games left in the regular season. In splitting the season season series with the Knighthawks, the Bandits also moved up into a Top 4 seed, which would give them a home game in the first round of the playoffs, depending on how the games in Week 21 play out.
Rochester drops to 6-10 with the loss, falling to 11th place in the standings following San Diego’s win over Georgia on Sunday. The Knighthawks are still not eliminated from playoff contention, but they do not hold head-to-head tiebreakers against Halifax, Ottawa, or Las Vegas, all of whom are ahead of them in the standings (they do hold a tiebreaker against San Diego). Rochester finishes their season with a home-and-home doubleheader against Georgia in Week 21.
Bandits strike early and often in first half
In typical Bandits fashion, quick goals from Dhane Smith (2:19) and Josh Byrne (3:23) put them up 2-0. Zed Williams scored for the Knighthawks 11 seconds later, but Kyle Buchanan would net a pair (6:02 power play; 13:02) to give Buffalo a 4-1 lead after the first quarter. Steve Priolo started the second quarter just as quickly for the Bandits scoring in transition 41 seconds in for a 5-1 lead. Rochester cut the lead in half on goals from Ryan Lanchbury (2:08) and Blaze Riorden (4:08 power play). Byrne’s second goal (7:16) and Ian MacKay (9:28) pushed the Bandits lead back to four before Jake Piseno (10:37) broke the run. However, Rochester still trailed 7-4 at halftime.
Bandits run away in second half for seventh straight win
The Bandits seized the momentum once again to open the second half. Byrne’s hat trick goal (3:37) and Joe Resetarits (8:04) extended the lead to 9-4. Ryan Smith (9:53) replied for Rochester, but MacKay tacked on his second (11:56) for a 10-5 lead going into the fourth quarter. Riorden cut the deficit to four with his second goal (1:40 fourth quarter), but the Bandits kept the Knighthawks off the board the rest of the way. Dhane Smith added his second goal (9:05) and Mitch de Snoo (12:01) closed the scoring on Buffalo’s seventh straight win.
Other Stats Of Note
Knighthawks: Riorden (2g); Lanchbury (1g, 4a); Smith (1g, 1a); Williams (1g); Piseno (1g); Connor Fields (4a)
Bandits: Byrne (3g, 4a); Smith (2g, 5a); Buchanan (2g, 4a); MacKay (2g, 2a); Resetarits (1g, 2a); deSnoo (1g, 1a); Priolo (1g)
Power Play: ROC 1 for 5; BUF 1 for 1
Rylan Hartley (ROC): 42 saves; Matt Vinc (BUF): 43 saves
