Bandits' Margin of Result by Year

I received a note on X.com from a fan who said all of the close games in 2023-24 were killing him. 

I went to work. And he's on to something. 

Here's a list of the average margin of victory in a Bandits' regular-season game by year. We're not done with 2023-24 yet, but I can see his point. The team was on a record pace through 14 games, but a one-sided win over Philadelphia put this season behind 1999's pace. We'll see what happens through the end of the regular season. 

By the way, the Bandits set a record last season for most overtime games in a season at four. Better yet, they won all four. Flip those results and the team would have gone 10-8 instead of its 14-4.

Year - Total/Games - Avg. Margin - Top Blowout - OT Games

2023-24 - 37/16 - 2.31 - 6 goals - 2 OTG

2022-23 - 64/18 - 3.55 - 11 goals - 4 OTG

2021-22 - 80/18 - 4.44 - 12 goals - 2 OTG

2019-20 - 36/11 - 3.27 - 7 goals - 2 OTG

2018-19 - 90/18 - 5.00 - 11 goals - 3 OTG

2017-18 - 92/18 - 5.11 - 13 goals - 2 OTG

2016-17 - 71/18 - 3.94 - 13 goals - 2 OTG

2016 - 67/18 - 3.72 - 7 goals - 2 OTG

2014-15 - 68/18 - 3.77 - 9 goals - 3 OTG

2013-14 - 60/18 - 3.33 - 11 goals- 2 OTG

2013 -  68/16 - 4.25 - 14 goals - 1 OTG

2012 - 72/16 - 4.50 - 11 goals - 2 OTG

2011 - 48/16 - 3.00 - 9 goals - 2 OTG

2010 - 47/16 - 2.94 - 7 goals - 3 OTG

2009 - 73/16 - 4.56 - 17 goals - 3 OTG

2008 - 63/16 - 3.94 - 9 goals - 2 OTG

2007 - 61/16 - 3.81 - 10 goals - 2 OTG

2006 - 46/16 - 2.88 - 10 goals - 2 OTG

2005 - 66/16 - 4.13 - 11 goals - 1 OTG

2004 - 45/16 - 2.81 - 8 goals - 3 OTG

2003 - 79/16 - 4.94 - 14 goals - 0 OTG

2002 - 46/16 - 2.88 - 11 goals - 2 OTG

2001 - 76/14 - 5.43 - 13 goals - 1 OTG

2000 - 48/12 - 4.00 - 11 goals - 1 OTG

1999 - 27/12 - 2.25 - 7 goals - 2 OTG

1998 - 47/12 - 3.91 - 9 goals - 1 OTG

1997 - 31/10 - 3.10 - 8 goals - 1 OTG

1996 - 55/10 - 5.50 - 22 goals - 0 OTG

1995 - 35/8 - 4.38 - 11 goals - 1 OTG

1994 - 38/8 - 4.75 - 8 goals- 0 OTG

1993 - 35/8 - 4.38 - 10 goals - 1 OTG

1992 - 62/8 - 7.75 - 13 goals - 0 OTG

Updated on April 11, 2024

Bandits' Blown Leads and Comebacks (2017-18 to 2023-24)

The Bandits had an 8-2 lead in Halifax on February 16, 2024, but still lost by a score of 14-12.

Ouch.

This begs the question ... have the Bandits ever had a six-goal lead and lost the game before? It's going to take a little research to go back to the start of records, but at least I've started it. In case of multiple leads of the same margin, I've taken the last one.

Lead - Opponent - Date - Final

6 (8-2) - @Halifax - 12/16/24 - 14-12

4 (5-1) - Toronto - 4/30/22 - 10-7 

4 (5-1) - Toronto - 12/21/18 - 17-12

3 (8-5) - @Rochester - 1/20/23 - 15-12

3 (4-1) - Colorado - 3/18/23 - 13-8 

3 (6-3) - @Colorado - 6/11/22 - 11-9

3 (3-0) - Vancouver - 1/13/18 - 11-10o

2 (7-5) - Georgia - 12/29/23 - 9-8

2 (3-1) - @Colorado - 5/29/23 (Playoffs)

2 (3-1) - Colorado - 5/18/22 (Playoffs)

2 (2-0) - Halifax - 12/28/19 - 15-10 

2 (4-2) - @Calgary - 5/25/19 - 14-13o

2 (2-0) - Toronto - 4/21/18 - 16-11

2 (2-0) - Rochester - 4/28/18 - 15-13

Looking at the team's best comebacks might be more gratifying for its fans:

Lead - Opponent - Date - Final

7 (12-5) - @Saskatchewan - 1/19/18 - 16-15o

4 (5-1) - Rochester - 2/4/23 - 13-10

4 (6-2) - @Philadelphia - 1/27/23 - 13-9

4 (8-4) - Philadelphia - 2/18/23 - 13-12o

4 (6-2) - @Philadelphia - 3/8/19 - 12-11o 

4 (4-0) - Toronto - 3/23/19 - 8-6

3 (8-5) - @Rochester - 1/13/24 - 15-13

3 (9-6) - Halifax - 3/10/23 - 10-9o 

3 (5-2) - @San Diego - 3/25/23 - 7-6o

3 (5-2) - Toronto - 4/22/23 - 11-10

3 (17-14) @New York - 1/30/22 - 18-17o 

3 (9-6) - Halifax - 3/26/22 - 16-11

3 (7-4) - Calgary - 2/18/19 - 12-10

o - Indicates overtime game

Updated through February 18, 2024

Biggest Difference in Goals Scored by Halves (2014 to 2023-24)

On January 13, 2024, the Bandits and Knighthawks piled up 20 goals in the first half. Then, in the second half, they only combined for eight. It was sort of like watching a different sport. 

Is that a big difference as these things go? I needed to find out. Let's go back a ways and see how it compares (overtime does not count in the second half), and it turns out you have to go back to 2016 to find a bigger difference:

No. (1st - 2nd) - Opponent - Date

13 (7-20) - Vancouver - 3/25/16

12 (20 - 8) - @Rochester - 1/13/24

11 (20-9) - @ New England - 4/26/15

10 (10 - 20) - Rochester - 1/31/20 

10 (10 - 20) - @New England - 2/19/17

9 (6 - 15) - Toronto - 4/22/23 

9 (5 - 14) - @Toronto - 5/21/22 (Playoff Game)

9 (9 - 18) - @New England - 3/23/18

9 (7 - 16) - New England - 4/4/15

9 (14- 5) - Minnesota - 4/12/14

9 (15 - 6) - @Rochester - 5/17/14 (Playoff Game)

Updated on January 18, 2024

Longest Wait for Bandits' First Goal (2009 to 2023-24)

When a team doesn't score in the first few minutes of a game, its fans can get anxious. After all, the average total of goals in an NLL game is probably around 22. Besides, no team wants to be the first to be shut out - as unlikely as that is. (The Bandits have only blanked an opponent for an entire half once.) The thought to check the history came up during the Colorado game on 1/6/24. Sure enough, it was an impressive time.

Let's see how long the wait for the first goal can be (more work to do on this one). Here is the Bandits' list; both include playoff games:

Time - Opponent - Date

38:39 - @Rochester - 2/8/14

24:19 - @Calgary - 4/18/17

23:59 - @New York - 5/9/09 (Playoff game)

22:17 - Toronto - 1/10/14

20:51 - @Rochester - 3/4/17

20:12 - Rochester - 2/24/18

19:52 - Albany - 2/18/22

18:56 - @Saskatchewan - 1/19/18 

18:21 - @Minnesota - 3/23/14

18:09 - Halifax - 3/10/23

 And here's how long opponents had to wait:

Time - Opponent - Date

24:41 - Colorado - 1/6/24

24:40 - Colorado - 3/15/14

23:16 - Rochester - 1/25/14 

23:00 - Calgary - 4/13/24

22:24 - Colorado - 3/9/13

21:37 - @Toronto - 5/5/17

20:52 - @San Diego - 3/25/23

20:43 - @Toronto - 5/1/10 (Playoff game)

20:27 - @Rochester - 4/19/14

20:22 - @Minnesota - 3/23/14 

(Updated on April 15, 2024)

Longest Wait for a Two-Goal Lead in a Bandits Game (from 2011)

Admittedly, this is a silly record. But, it was a slightly silly game in the mathematical sense.

On December 29, 2023, the Georgia Swarm scored a goal to take the lead. The Buffalo Bandits eventually answered. Buffalo took a 2-1 lead and lost it. Georgia had the lead at 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4.

No team in that Swarm-Bandits game had a two-goal lead until the fourth quarter. Is that very long? Let's check by time. I've gone back to 2011, and  was the record-holder ... for less than three months. The 3/8/24 game with Saskatchewan never did have a two-goal lead, including more than five minutes of overtime. Remarkable.

Time - Opponents - Date

65:22 - Saskatchewan at Buffalo - 3/8/24

47:50 - Georgia at Buffalo - 12/29/23

44:51 - Philadelphia at Buffalo - 1/27/12

44:50 - Calgary at Buffalo - 5/18/19 (playoffs)

31:32 - Albany at Buffalo - 5/7/22 (playoffs) 

29:43 - Buffalo at Toronto - 4/15/16 

29:24 - Buffalo at Rochester - 2/16/13

29:04 - Buffalo at Philadelphia - 2/12/12

28:15 - Boston at Buffalo - 4/16/11

27:59 - Rochester at Buffalo - 3/3/17

(Updated through March 18, 2024)