Game Preview - Halifax @ Las Vegas
Feb 28, 2025
The Halifax Thunderbirds are in search of a fifth straight victory when they head West for a road showdown with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Lee’s Family Forum on Saturday night. Opening face-off is at 11:00 p.m. AT.
Head to Head
The Thunderbirds and Desert Dogs met up for the first time last season after the NLL moved to a schedule that saw each team play each other at least once a year – meaning these teams will get to know one another a little better over the coming years.
Last year’s meeting took place in The Nest, with the Thunderbirds coming out on top with a 12-10 victory. Clarke Petterson had a three-goal, six-point game, while Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson had a four-point outing. Dawson Theede and Bo Bowhunter also finished with two points apiece while turning away 45 Vegas shots for the win.
Halifax comes into the game winners of four straight and five of their last six outings. They’ll look to beat a young and hungry Las Vegas squad that came off a decisive victory against Colorado in their previous game.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds’ offence, once again, had a big night in their victory in Ottawa last weekend. But the transition game made a big statement on the night.
Ryan Terefenko (13G, 12A) has been on an absolute tear during this win streak, posting 11 goals and 18 points over the previous four games. He’s already surpassed his previous career high in points (20) and has firmly cemented himself in the Transition Player of the Year conversation come year’s end. Halifax also got transition markers from the returning Nonkon Thompson and Colton Armstrong in Ottawa.
Randy Staats’ (17G, 46A) four goals helped sway the final score for the Thunderbirds, while Clarke Petterson (17G, 32A) also chipped in with two tallies and an assist of his own.
Warren Hill has been a calming presence in the pipes for the Thunderbirds this season, helping them take home four straight wins. He hasn’t given up more than 10 goals during this current streak and has held teams to single-digits twice over that stretch.
If Halifax hopes to continue its success down the back stretch of the regular season, Hill will be a big piece of the puzzle.
Scouting the Desert Dogs
The Desert Dogs still boast one of the youngest offences in the NLL, but the third-year team has some solid punch up front.
They were able to add former first-overall pick Jonathan Donville (12G, 38A) to help bolster their right side, which also features standout Jack Hannah (27G, 33A). The 25-year-old American leads the Desert Dogs in scoring and is currently on pace to beat his previous career-high of 76 points.
Veterans Casey Jackson (19G, 16A) and Kyle Killen (12G, 16A) also provide secondary scoring for Las Vegas. The team has had a pair of breakout this year in draftees Adam Poitras (14G, 12A) and Jackson Webster (11G, 11A). Poitras – the second overall pick in the 2024 NLL Draft – can play both ways and is a Swiss-Army knife for this squad. Webster played his way into the lineup a few weeks into the regular season and hasn’t looked back.
Webster’s standout play allowed Vegas to move Dylan Watson to San Diego to help bolster their back-end, as they brought in veteran Drew Belgrave to a group that features Connor Kirst and a pair of former Thunderbirds in James Barclay and David Brock, among others.
The Desert Dogs also made a splash prior to this game, acquiring lefty Holden Cattoni (21G, 38A) from Philadelphia in exchange for defender Shane Simpson. Cattoni will bring scoring punch and veteran leadership to this offensive unit.
Las Vegas has been searching for a man at the stripe all season – they’ve had 10 players take draws this year. They recently signed Tyrell Hamer-Jackson, who last played for Vancouver. He’ll look to go head-to-head with Jake Withers to give his team some extra possessions.
Landon Kells has occupied the Vegas net this season. The 24-year-old sits with a 13.69 goals-against average and a .739 save percentage in 11 games this season.
Milestone Watch
- Jake Withers needs 20 face-off wins to reach 2,000 for his career (Would become the fifth player in NLL history to reach the milestone)
- Thomas Hoggarth needs three assists to reach 100 for his career
- Cody Jamieson needs two goals to reach 350 for his career
- Cody Jamieson needs 27 points to become the 17th player in NLL History to reach 1,000 career points
Broadcast Info
Thunderbirds fans can catch all of Saturday’s action on TSN+ and NLL+ in Canada as well as ESPN+ in the United States.