*UPDATED ON APRIL 29*
With their 12th win of the 2018-19 regular season on April 5 and a Rock loss the day after, the Georgia Swarm clinched a home playoff game for the East Division Finals!
The 2018-19 NLL regular season concluded this past weekend, and the Swarm turn their attention towards the Toronto Rock in the East Division Semifinals presented by Reeves Young at Infinite Energy Arena on Monday, May 6. You can read the full scouting report on the Rock here.
Use the Swarm’s Playoff Tracker to help keep you up-to-date on what’s ahead for the Swarm and the other teams heading into the 2018-19 NLL Postseason!
PLAYOFF 101
- The playoffs changed from a six-team format to an eight-team format for this season.
- The top four teams in the East Division and the top four in the West Division advance.
- The Division Semifinals and Finals are single elimination, and the NLL Finals are a best-of-three series.
- The No. 1 seed in both divisions will face the No. 4 seed in the same division in the Division Semifinals. The No. 2 will take on the No. 3 seed. Both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will host.
- In the Division Finals, the team with the better regular season record that won in the Semifinals will host the other team that advanced.
- The Division Champions will meet in the best-of-three NLL Finals. Games 1 and 3 will be played in the arena of the team with the better regular season record, and Game 2 will be played in the other team’s home.
FINAL STANDINGS
| East Division |
| Team |
GP |
W |
L |
W% |
GB |
East Div W-L |
| Buffalo Bandits |
18 |
14 |
4 |
.778 |
– |
9-4 |
| Georgia Swarm |
18 |
12 |
6 |
.667 |
2 |
9-4 |
| Toronto Rock |
18 |
12 |
6 |
.667 |
2 |
8-5 |
| New England Black Wolves |
18 |
9 |
9 |
.500 |
5 |
5-8 |
The Bandits clinched first in the East and the best record in the NLL, guaranteeing home-floor advantage in every round of the playoffs they advance to.
The No. 1 seed Buffalo Bandits will take on the No. 4 seed New England Black Wolves on Saturday, May 4 at KeyBank Center. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
The No. 2 seed Georgia Swarm will take on the No. 3 seed Toronto Rock on Monday, May 6 at Infinite Energy Arena. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
| West Division |
| Team |
GP |
W |
L |
W% |
GB |
West Div W-L |
| Saskatchewan Rush |
18 |
11 |
7 |
.611 |
– |
9-3 |
| San Diego Seals |
18 |
10 |
8 |
.556 |
1 |
8-4 |
| Calgary Roughnecks |
18 |
10 |
8 |
.556 |
1 |
6-6 |
| Colorado Mammoth |
18 |
6 |
12 |
.333 |
5 |
4-8 |
The Rush clinched first in the West Division and will have home-floor advantage in the first two rounds of the postseason. If they advance to the NLL Finals, the only East team they would not have home-floor advantage against is the Bandits.
The No. 1 seed Saskatchewan Rush will take on the No. 4 seed Colorado Mammoth on Friday, May 3 at SaskTel Centre. Faceoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET.
The No. 2 seed San Diego Seals will take on the No. 3 seed Calgary Roughnecks on Monday, May 6 at Pechanga Arena. Faceoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET.
SWARM POSTSEASON HISTORY
Since moving to Georgia, the Swarm have played in every NLL Postseason and won the NLL Cup in 2017, sweeping the Toronto Rock in the East Division Finals and the Saskatchewan Rush in the NLL Finals. Lyle Thompson was named NLL Finals MVP.
In 2017-18, the Swarm rattled off six-straight regular season wins to emerge as the East Division Regular Season Champion. They faced the Rochester Knighthawks in the East Division Finals at Infinite Energy Arena, ultimately falling 9-8 and failing to advance to the NLL Finals.
In 2016, the Swarm faced the Black Wolves in the East Division Semifinals at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Swarm were unable to hold onto their third quarter lead and fell in overtime to the home team.
