Veteran Carnegie knows playoff pressure is on
Roughnecks are into post-season if they can prevail over lowly Stealth on the road
After nine seasons in the National Lacrosse League, Calgary Roughnecks star Mike Carnegie experienced a first last year, no playoffs.
Like an undercooked bit of meat, that did not sit well with the veteran defender.
“It was upsetting, obviously,” said Carnegie who, along with forward Dane Dobbie, is the longest-serving Roughnecks player now in his 11th NLL campaign. “It makes you appreciate being in the playoffs that much more, just questioning what happened here and how can we get back to where we should be as an organization and as a team. There’s evolution with every team. We went through ours, and hopefully we’re on the upswing.”
“The dynamics of the NLL is so wild that one year someone wins and the next year they miss the playoffs,” said Roughnecks head coach Curt Malawsky. “It’s not a surprise. Drafting makes a difference. I don’t think the guys were really spoiled over the years. It was one of those years where we fought right down to the very end. It just wasn’t our year.”
The ’Necks, 5-8, get their opportunity to erase that bitter memory and earn a spot into the post-season on Saturday night, when they visit the Vancouver Stealth, 2-12, in Langley (8 p.m.).
One look at the standings would imply it shouldn’t be difficult, but the Stealth’s record is deceiving. Last weekend, they beat a tough Colorado Mammoth squad in Denver, so nothing is really a given in this league.
“I think it’s just important when you have a game that’sa chance to move on, to approach that game with a sense of urgency and a willingness to win,” Carnegie offered.
“When the chips are down and you’re all in, here’s a game that can punch your ticket, you want to win that game. That same intensity and mindset is then transferred over when you’re playing a real playoff game.”
Carnegie provides a muchneeded veteran presence on this team’s defence, one that has some young gems being buffed. Playing alongside these individuals has been a rejuvenating factor for the 33-year-old.
“Watching guys like Zach Currier, he had a couple of shifts last week where you just sit back on the bench and watch him dangle the ball around like it’s a yo-yo,” Carnegie said. “You take a step back and say that’s pretty cool. Seeing Mitch Wilde have another transition year, guys like Tyson Bell coming into their own as really, really good players.
“You’re getting to watch the early stages of that. You appreciate how the game is getting better. How good the young kids are coming out of college. I’m enjoying playing alongside some of these guys, realizing that you’ll never be able to do that again. It’s a bit of a shot in the arm in my own growth as a player.”
On the flip side, the mentorship provided by players like Carnegie is invaluable.
“Skill and speed can only take you so far,” Carnegie pointed out. “And then it’s the experience and positionally, the game within the game, that puts you over the edge. When you get down a couple, (you’re) managing the emotions of the game. (You’re) training guys to know that anything can happen, stick with it and understand when key moments are coming and when you can be a difference maker. One thing I’ve noticed a lot of young kids don’t think they need to be leaned on as much as a veteran guy, but that’s not true. You can actually be that guy.”
As they so blatantly found out last year, it’ll take everyone, young and older, to get this team back in the playoff hunt. It all begins with the chance to eliminate a team they’ve beaten twice this season.
“First off, Vancouver is not a bad team,” said Malawsky. “Their record does not show the type of team they are. They’ve been inconsistent in certain areas, just as we have in our losses. The respect for our opponent is there. We’re not miles apart. The importance of the gameisbig.
“We’re a different team from last year. We have a different mentality. We have different players. We’re proud guys, and it’s the first time we missed (playoffs) since our inception. That sat in the back of your mind for a bit. But history changes all the time. Where we came from and where we are today are two different things.
“This is the 2018 version.”