Boston Cannons: 2024 PLL Playoff Preview
Quietly, the Boston Cannons have strung along one of their best seasons since joining the Premier Lacrosse League. With a 7-3 record entering the 2024 playoffs, they put themselves in high standing at par with the Eastern Conference Champions, the New York Atlas. On the one hand, the Cannons had big wins during their regular season, but on the other, tough losses proved areas that needed highly demanded improvement.
Better yet, the Cannons played with almost anyone in the league for much of the season. Their three losses came to the Atlas, Redwoods, and Whipsnakes; however, there were offsetting quality wins against both the Archers and Atlas themselves. This duality in how they played out the rest of the season makes them a team you shouldn’t sleep on moving into the playoffs.
Offensively, the Cannons have been a solid force but not the most explosive in the league. They averaged 12.6 scores per game, which positions them fourth in the league, with their shots on target at about 41.8 shots per game to place them fifth. Their shooting efficiency was at 26.3%, respectable and also ranking them fourth. What really sets them apart, however, is the ability to strike from long range—they currently lead the league with 16 two-point goals this season. There’s what makes them so strong, and most importantly, when games go down to the wire and every extra point counts. Moreover, the Cannons are not at all a selfish offense, ranking third in the league with 58 assists. Their offensive production may not be flashy most of the time, but it sure is efficient and can deliver when needed.
They are strong in their defense, however—only allowing 11.5 scores per game, second-best in the league for the Cannons. They rank fourth in save percentage at 53.4% and rank second in caused turnovers with 76, indicative of an aggressive and disruptive brand of defensive play. This unit has formed the backbone of the team, able to pick up where their offense has fallen short on some days and consistently putting the Cannons in contention throughout the season. Come playoff time, a stout defense such as this becomes incredibly reliable.
This effort by the Cannons has been spearheaded by some standout players. Asher Nolting has had an outstanding performance this season, accumulating 39 points through 11 goals and 28 assists. He heads into the playoffs with his knack for orchestrating offense, making him one of the most underrated players in the league. Another key contributor is Marcus Holman, who notched 32 points on a shooting percentage of 32.5%. An especially encouraging body for these Cannons making a run in the playoffs has been Holman’s late-season surge, as they are definitely going to need his scoring touch. On defense, Garrett Epple should be noted with 20 caused turnovers and 20 ground balls. When on the field, his presence was pretty substantial in terms of how strong that Cannons defense could be.
The Cannons have a long road to the championship ahead of them if all goes according to plan. Their playoff journey tips off in the quarterfinals against the Chaos, a team they only just managed to win against a few days prior on a last-second goal. With both teams’ strengths and familiarity with one another, most of this game will go down as an ultimate defense battle. Assuming that the Cannons win against the Chaos, they’ll move on to face the Archers in the semifinals. Though the Archers will be missing their vertex leader in Tom Schreiber, the Archers are always a very tough nut to crack. On the other side, the Cannons have already beaten the Archers this season, so there’s certainly precedent for them doing it again.
With the playoffs nearing, the Boston Cannons are very much in a great place to be serious contenders for the PLL Championship. It’s through the three-legged stool of their well-rounded offense, rock-solid defense, and key players coming into form at the right time that this team becomes one that really can go the whole way. The road ahead is going to be brutish, but if the Boston Cannons stay true to their identity and keep on playing to those strengths, they may end up being the ones hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
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