Wolves look to end four-game skid in order to make playoff run

The National Lacrosse League Western Division playoffs are set, while only a game and a half separates all five teams in the Eastern Division.

With only four games remaining in the season, however, there’s only one thing the New England Black Wolves must do to keep themselves alive in the playoff race: win.

New England (6-8) will try to break a four-game losing streak as it meets Calgary (6-8) beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Wolves are a game and a half behind Rochester and Buffalo, who are tied for first place at 8-7, and are a game behind Georgia and Toronto, who are tied for the final playoff spot at 7-7.

“We realize what we’re up against in terms of making the playoffs. We’re on the outside looking in right now,” Black Wolves coach Glenn Clark said on his weekly conference call. “We’re down to four games left in the season. We need to correct the tailspin we’re in. That’s the focus.”

In their previous game, March 31 at Buffalo, the Black Wolves trailed just 8-7 at halftime and 12-11 halfway through the third quarter before falling 14-11.

Calgary, which has already clinched a playoff spot as the third seed in the West, is coming off a 13-8 win over Vancouver, also on March 31.

“Everybody’s human. You get frustrated,” Clark said, asked of the frustration level. “You get discouraged in results. But you don’t have that luxury. You have to change your perspective. We’re pushing the boulder up the hill a little bit right now. Certainly, when you’re in these little slumps, everything gets magnified.

“But you can’t have a position where you’re scared, nervous, feeling sorry for yourself. You have to be energized. You have to be positive.”

Kevin Crowley, with five straight hat tricks and a scoring streak of 33 games overall, leads the Black Wolves in goals (41) and points (57), while Stephan Leblanc leads the way in assists (36) and is second in goals (19) and points (55).

Curtis Dickson leads Calgary with 62 points in 36 goals and 26 assists. Goalie Christian Del Bianco is first in the NLL in save percentage (.803) and goals-against average (10.3).