Buffalo Bandits Smash Vancouver On Marvel Night, Clinch Playoff Spot

Buffalo Bandits Smash Vancouver On Marvel Night, Clinch Playoff Spot

The Buffalo Bandits put on a show Saturday night at KeyBank Center, rolling past the first-place Vancouver Warriors 15-5 and locking up their sixth straight NLL playoff berth.

It was Marvel Night in Banditland, with the Bandits wearing Thanos-inspired jerseys and fans showing up dressed as Marvel characters wearing Bandits superhero capes. Spider-Man and a baby Thanos drew some of the biggest reactions from the crowd, which only added to the atmosphere.

Buffalo has now won six straight games and is heading to the postseason again for the sixth straight time after already winning three championships in a row.

Byrne leads another Bandits statement win

Josh Byrne led the way with 10 points, while Dhane Smith added nine points with two goals and seven assists. Joe Resetarits scored a hat trick, Ian MacKay finished with six points, and Kyle Buchanan added a multi-goal game.

The game was tied 4-4 early in the second quarter, but Buffalo took over from there. The Bandits outscored Vancouver 11-1 the rest of the way and turned a close game into a blowout.

Buffalo also went 3-for-5 on the power play and matched its single-game season high in goals.

Defense shuts down Vancouver

The Bandits were just as dominant on the other end. They held Vancouver to its lowest goal total of the season and didn’t allow a goal over the final 26:28.

Matt Vinc made 22 saves as Buffalo gave up only one goal in the second half.

The Bandits also clamped down on Vancouver’s top scorers. Keegan Bal was held to one goal and one assist, Curtis Dickson was kept scoreless, and Jesse King finished without a point.

buffalo bandits thanos marvel jerseys
Dhane Smith via Bandits FB

Marvel night gets a fitting beatdown

The Marvel theme carried over to the floor as the game got more physical in the second half. There were multiple post-whistle scrums and fights, and each one sent the crowd into a frenzy.

For a night built around superheroes and villains, the game delivered exactly that kind of chaos. Between the Thanos jerseys, the costumes in the stands, and the Bandits beating up on the top team in the standings, it felt like a full-on superhero beatdown.

Up next

The Bandits return to KeyBank Center for Fan Appreciation Night against the Rochester Knighthawks on Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m.

About Matt McGloin

Matt McGloin is the editor-in-chief and publisher of Cosmic Book News, the independent entertainment news site he founded in 2008. He covers movies, comics, TV, video games and pop culture and has reported major industry scoops over the years, including revealing the Avengers: Endgame title ahead of its official announcement. Through Cosmic Book News, he helped Marvel Comics promote Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova through exclusive previews, artwork, and interviews, with the site also quoted in solicitations and on comic covers. He also reported on Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again retooling before it was later confirmed by the trades.

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