The Boston Cannons and Maryland Whipsnakes will meet in the regular-season finale on Saturday Night Lacrosse this week in Boston (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+). Here are four things to watch in the final PLL game before playoffs:
Can Boston’s goalie stay hot when it matters most?
Fresh off a 20-save performance in Denver, Colin Kirst is locked in – and he’ll need to be again against a Whipsnakes offense that nearly completed a comeback the last time these two teams met. TJ Malone and Matt Brandau combined for 11 points in that game and will be looking to spoil Boston’s playoff push.
With playoff seeding on the line, every seed counts. The Cannons are the only team playing two games this weekend, giving them an opportunity to leapfrog the first-place Atlas in the standings if New York falters. To do so, the Boom Squad needs to be firing on all cylinders – and that begins with Kirst. – Sarah Griffin
Can the home-field energy sway the playoff pressure?
That being said, Boston enters the weekend at 4-4 with a -3 score differential. The Atlas sit at 6-3 with a +16 differential with one game left to play. The Cannons are the only team that will be playing two games at Harvard Stadium, giving them a unique advantage and opportunity right at the finish line: If the Cannons win both games and the Atlas lose to the Philadelphia Waterdogs, Boston would finish 6-4 and could potentially surpass New York in score differential and nab the No. 1 seed. It’s a long shot, and yes, very much a pipe dream, but it is mathematically possible!
The good news is, if the Cannons win only one of their two games and the Atlas do win, Boston would have a strong chance of surpassing the Waterdogs for second place in the East.
Why does that matter? While second or third place in the Eastern Conference won’t change the first-round playoff matchup (those teams will face each other either way), the stakes are still high. Boston currently sits fifth in the overall league standings, and only the top four teams qualify for the 2026 Lexus Championship Series this winter. A strong finish this weekend could vault the Cannons into that top tier.
And if Boston loses Friday night to the Redwoods? Then Saturday’s game against the Whipsnakes becomes a de facto play-in: win and you’re in, lose and your season ends.
The Cannons won’t be alone in the fight, though – they’ll have the home crowd behind them at Harvard Stadium. Players like Marcus Holman and Asher Nolting have said it time and time again: the energy from the fans makes a difference. After months of grinding through the regular season, this weekend is the moment they’ve been waiting for. Expect Boston to show up with urgency, grit and a desire to show up and show out for the hometown faithful. – Sarah Griffin
Will TJ Malone step up in a must-win game?
The last time Whipsnakes faced the Cannons, Malone led the game in scoring with a season-high seven points (4G, 1T, 2A) to help fuel a fourth-quarter comeback that fell short.
The second-year attackman has 31 points on the year, joining Matt Rambo as the only two players in Whipsnakes history to record multiple 30-plus point seasons.
Yet, while Malone started the season on a high, tallying 20 points over his first four games, he has slowed down over the past few weeks, notching just 11 points in his last five games, including three one-point outings.
The reigning Rookie of the Year shot 38.7% through his first four games this season, but his shooting percentage has dropped to 17.5 over the past five games.
Luckily for Malone, his fellow youngsters – Brandau and Aidan Carroll – have picked up the slack, combining for 31 points over the last five games and helping the Whips pick up victories over the Carolina Chaos and Waterdogs.
But for Maryland’s offense to be at its best, that means that Malone needs to be playing at the top of his game, especially in a must-win playoff clinching scenario against Boston. – Miles Jordan
How will Emmet Carroll fare against the Cannons’ offense?
Emmet Carroll is a prime example of the success that Whipsnakes head coach and general manager Jim Stagnitta has had in the draft.
After struggling in his first pro start, the rookie has posted a 59.9% save percentage over his last five games, including a career-high 73.9% against the Chaos.
“He’s been very good over this stretch,” Stagnitta said. “He’s saving well above 50% which is something that we haven’t been able to do consistently over the last couple of years. So we’re really happy with what he’s done.”
Carroll is averaging 14.6 saves per game in his last five starts and has Stagnitta’s stamp of approval.
“He’s made most of the saves he’s supposed to, and he’s stolen a few that he’s not supposed to. And that’s all you can ask for a guy at this level,” Stagnitta said.
He has yet to face the Cannons this season, since his counterpart, Brendan Krebs, was awarded the start against Boston in Baltimore, but it has been made pretty clear who the threats are on Boston’s offense.
Ryan Drenner leads the team in goals (15), and Holman has proven himself dangerous from deep with four two-pointers this season. Nolting paces the Cannons in points (27) and assists (20), and has been the facilitator on offense with eyes in the back of his head.
Matt Campbell (15G, 2T) and Coulter Macksey (11G) have also found the back of the cage consistently to complete a well-rounded Cannons offense.
Nolting had five assists in his last outing against the Whipsnakes and will once again be the trigger man on Saturday night, so Carroll will need to make sure to keep his eyes peeled if the Whipsnakes want to spoil the Cannons’ Homecoming Weekend. – Miles Jordan
