Malawsky has Warriors poised for championship run

After a fifth-straight win in Toronto in Week 20, the Vancouver Warriors became the fifth team in the National Lacrosse League to punch their ticket to the playoffs this season. Week 20’s win over the Rock secured Vancouver’s first appearance in the postseason since 2017, when they were still competing as the short-lived Vancouver Stealth in Langley, BC. But where smarter men have cut their losses, the Warriors doubled down, picking up a sixth-straight win against the Wings to clinch a home quarterfinal game against the #5 Rochester Knighthawks.

This season’s clinch marks not only the first playoff appearance in downtown Vancouver, but also the first postseason with head coach Curt Malawsky holding the reins.

“You start with a goal to get to the playoffs, and then the next goal is to try to get a home playdate,” said Malawsky. “We were able to do that, but by no means does that give us a major advantage.” During Malawsky’s 10-year tenure as Calgary’s head coach, he led the Roughnecks to the playoffs nine times but only hosted a first-round game twice.

“It’s just nice being at our home rink and we’re excited to be in front of our own fans and family and friends,” Malawsky said, explaining that despite their rough-and-tumble demeanor, the Warriors are through the roof with excitement. “That doesn’t translate on the floor as much as you think it does, but we will be prepared to play.”

As the Warriors steel themselves for the postseason, some of the responsibility of getting the younger bucks mentally prepared has fallen to the veteran players, taking on a new leadership role in acclimating the rookies to the playoff format, especially in the single-elimination quarterfinal round.

“When we put the team together, we wanted guys that had been to the NLL playoffs, and more importantly, that had won NLL championships,” Malawsky explained. “We got a lot of those guys on our back end, they know what it takes.” Malawsky’s hope and expectation for his veteran players is that they impart the importance and magnitude of the one-off playoff game, especially emphasizing how big an impact the little things can have on the outcome.

“Our young guys will gravitate to the older guys, [from whom they’ve] learned a lot of lessons throughout the season that we’ll take forward into the playoffs,” said Malawsky. “Our coaching staff has been there before, so we know what to expect, but those one-off games are never easy.”

Malawsky, a Coquitlam, BC native, while excited, sees his first home playoff game as Vancouver head coach as an opportunity to continue to prepare and give his players the resources they need. Most importantly, Malawsky wants to give his players a familiar routine, including set practice times, film breakdowns, meal plans, even booking the same hotel to give his Warriors a feeling of regularity in the postseason.

“There’s a lot of things that happen when you fly across the country, so for the guys to just be at home in their own bed, that helps,” said Malawasky. “I think it helps us control the controllables a little bit better. We’ll be playing against a very, very good lacrosse team, but I’d rather play them here than out there.”

Vancouver is slated to host the Knighthawks for their quarterfinal matchup at Rogers Arena this Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Warriors previously hosted the Knighthawks during Week 3, taking down Rochester 10-7 for their first win of the year.

Despite their previous meeting, both teams have made considerable lineup changes since their last bout, especially between the pipes. Since his return from the IR list in Week 10, Rochester goalkeeper Rylan Hartley has stopped 294 shots in just nine games played, averaging 10.79 goals against per game and a 77% save percentage. Malawsky praised Hartley for his dynamic, flashy playstyle and athleticism in net, noting him as the top goalie in the League and a force in net that they’re excited to test their mettle against.

Rochester has also found success at the faceoff dot this season with the addition of Mike Sisselberger. Since his addition to the Knighthawks roster in Week 10, Sisselberger has won 183 of 350 faceoffs taken (52%) in his 12 games played, as well as 60 loose ball pickups.

“Sisselberger, very similar to our guy, [Alec] Stathakis, [they’re] a couple of young guys who are going to battle hard in the faceoff circle and compete low to the ground,” Malawsky said. “They’re both very competitive and I’ve yet to see them quit on a ball; two very like-minded guys.”

Malawsky noted that line play and quick reactions to loose balls on and off the faceoffs would be a big focus for the Warriors during this weekend’s quarterfinal match. Heading into Saturday, Stathakis has won 261 of his 440 faceoffs taken (59%) for 137 loose balls.

Additionally, Rochester’s offensive presence has increased and remained consistent through the second half of the regular season, thanks to standout performances by forwards Ryan Lanchbury and Ryan Smith, as well as Connor Fields, currently a headliner in the MVP debate across the lacrosse community.

“They have an unbelievable offensive potential MVP in Connor Fields. We had Ryan Smith with us for Team Canada.” Malawsky helped lead Canada to a gold-medal finish in 2024 as an assistant coach at the Worlds. “It’s a huge task for us, it’s probably the best offense we’ve played in the last couple of games, so we’ll have to really prepare for that.

“I know the coaching staff very well, [Mike Hasen] is a phenomenal coach and they made a really good catch with Pat O’Toole on the bench,” Malawsky also gave Rochester assistant coach Kyle Kallay a shout, endearingly dubbing him ‘Cheese.’ “They’re going to be very well prepared, and it’s going to be a very difficult matchup for us, but that’s just why we play the game.”

But the flowers don’t stop in Rochester. During this past Saturday’s post-game interview, Malawsky gave immense credit to the Warriors organization and staff, emphasizing that a team like the current Vancouver Warriors is built on “hard work, passion, dedication and commitment.” However, as many lacrosse and sports fans alike would agree, a team this hot needs an X-Factor; a Space Jam-esque secret sauce. Malawsky’s Warriors have found their secret sauce by way of goalkeeper Christian Del Bianco.

“Those are our driving forces, our goaltending and back end,” said Malawasky. Before Del Bianco was put in charge of the pipes, Aden Walsh stood tall in the Vancouver net, averaging 9.95 goals against a game in Week 16 at the time of Del Bianco’s acquisition (116 goals against, 428 saves), second in the League for keepers at the time. “[Walsh] was very, very good, but there’s only one [Del Bianco].”

The 2023 MVP has brought his championship pedigree to the Vancouver defense, quickly becoming a crucial keystone to the Warriors’ six-game hot streak since his re-introduction to the NLL. “Having him starting our transition, getting those balls around the crease, and just having him involved in that physical defense that we’ve had in place is [our] backbone.”

Having depth on the defensive line end and in net, Malawsky explained, has given his offense the freedom and ability to grind down the clock, removing some of the pressure from his forwards and transition players to get the ball up the turf. “You have to score goals in the playoffs, you have to hit your special teams,” he said. “I don’t think we have to change anything based on the magnitude of the game.

“We’re playing in the moment, playing where our feet are and just grinding out those five-minute segments,” said Malawsky. “The highs and lows in the playoffs are magnified, but if [we] can stay grounded and have that discipline, that mental fortitude, I think that that’s really conducive to [our] success.”

The Vancouver Warriors take on the Rochester Knighthawks in the first round of the NLL Playoffs this Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+, TSN+, & NLL+.