Major League Lacrosse Playoff Preview: Chesapeake Bayhawks

The  Bayhawks will face off against the Cannons for a chance to play in the MLL championship game. Last season the underdog Bayhawks were able to defeat Boston to move on to the finals, and they look to do so again. The Bayhawks finished with the fourth seed for the second season in a row after they fell to the Denver Outlaws last week. Now they will try to repeat history next weekend, and this is how.

Key Player: It has to be Ben Hunt, who killed the Cannons last season and has won big games all year for Chesapeake. Hunt is third on the Bayhawks with 25 points, but he had a game winning overtime goal against the Outlaws and is one of the most clutch players in the game. The Cannons will have to stop Danny Glading, and while they focus on the top scorer they could forget about the dangerous Hunt.

Key Stat: The Bayhawks are 2-4 at home, and playing in Annapolis the Hawks are closer to home than any MLL team. They are 4-2 on the road but like I said in the Cannons preview, throw all those stats out the window. I wouldn't be all that worried about the Bayhawks because of this but it is worth thinking about.

Advantage: The Bayhawks have only allowed two two point goals this season, by far the least in MLL. The second lowest is the Cannons' nine. Paul Rabil, Kevin Buchanan and Brad Ross won't be able to get their shots as deep as they want to and will have to play closer to the net.

Disadvantage: When it comes down to it, the Cannons are the better team. They have a better record and they beat Chesapeake twice. Boston scores more, allows less goals and just plays an all around better game. I said this last year though, so watch the Bayhawks win again.

Prediction: As I said before, Cannons win.