Clutch Kings: Zach Manns is today’s most consistently clutch player, period
Zach Manns, Saskatchewan Rush
The Lax Mag’s Clutch Kings tracks an individual player’s game-tying, go-ahead and game-winning goals, then weighs them based on when they’re scored (first, second, third or fourth quarter, plus OT), but also in what on-floor situation they’re finished (even-strength, power-play or short-handed goals). The Clutch Kings countdown calculates the league’s most money goal scorer all season long, crowning the king at the conclusion of the current NLL campaign. Click here for a more detailed breakdown of Clutch Kings scoring.
Jeff Teat, Ottawa Black Bears (Photo: Caroline Sherman)
When NLL action ended on Friday night, after some quick calculations, it seemed for almost certain that Ottawa’s Jeff Teat would top our Clutch Kings leaderboard after the Black Bears went into Banditland and beat Buffalo 10-9 courtesy of one of this season’s most dramatic endings.
What did Teat do?
With five goals in the game, Teat dropped three of them in the fourth quarter; tying the game, putting Ottawa ahead, and even scoring the game winner.
Here’s his first in the fourth that not only knotted the score at seven, it simmered down a Buffalo run of momentum that ignited in the third quarter and into the fourth…
Just under sixty seconds later, Teat put the boys in red and black ahead again while on the powerplay…
And then his fifth finish was the backbreaker that Buffalo never, well, came back from…
Teat, who ranked 11th in the Clutch Kings last week, went straight to #1 after Friday night, but not for long.
Saskatchewan’s Zach Manns, who has been the most consistently clutch player in our analysis over the past two season, scored one of the rarest winners someone can sink this past Saturday in Saskatoon.
While most are still talking about Manns’ flying finish in the second quarter…
It was actually this one that meant a whole helluva lot more to the final score and the Rush claiming their league-leading sixth win of the season…
So why did that one matter more?
Well, like Teat’s early fourth-frame goal, Manns interrupted an Oshawa FireWolves run of momentum that started midway through the third quarter and into the fourth, where they quickly found themselves on a five-minute powerplay after the Rush’s Holden Garlent was punished with a major for an illegal body check.
The shorty Manns netted happened in the fourth AND was the game winner. The only goal worth more in our Clutch Kings calculation (scroll to bottom of the page for our money math) is a short-handed winner in OT. It’s about as rare a goal as there is in the NLL.
Zach Manns, Saskatchewan Rush
Of Saskatchewan’s 19 regular season wins since the start of last season, their clutch combo of Manns and Austin Shanks have scored a combined 11 of the game-winning goals in those results. This year, they’ve scored ALL of the first place Rush’s winners, both with three GWGs apiece.
Even before being traded to Saskatchewan by Toronto during 2023’s offseason, we had Manns ranked as the Rock’s top clutch scorer. During the 2022 season, Tom Schreiber (47), Dan Craig (34) and Challen Rogers (21) all had more goals than Manns that year (22), yet nearly half of Mann’s goals that season either tied, put Toronto ahead, or won the Rock the game. Manns made our season-ending leaderboard that year with ease, yet tied for 59th in straight goals scored.
Over the past two seasons, no one has registered more goals in our CK analysis (game tying, go ahead or game winners) than Manns. This year, 44% of Manns’ goals are CK worthy, that percentage significantly higher than most of the league’s top straight goal scorers. Saskatchewan teammate and Rush captain Ryan Keenan is having his most statistically productive season to date, and while he has one additional goal than Manns has right now, only 21% have tied, put his team ahead or won them the game.
Right now Manns sits second in game-tying goals (4) and co-leads the league in game winners (3), two of which he’s dropped in the fourth and (usually) final frame. The only other player this year with the same amount of winners that late (actually a bit later even) is Vancouver’s Curtis Dickson, who won games for the Warriors in the fourth quarter and OT.
Speaking of late-game goal scoring, Rock rookie Owen Hiltz continued to come up consistently for Toronto in the final frame this past weekend. In a wild last quarter, Hiltz scored both a go-ahead and extremely important game-tying goal late, setting up Mark Matthews for the team’s eventual game winner against the highly regarded Rochester Knighthawks.
Hiltz has nine goals so far this season, ranking him both second on the Rock roster and amongst all rookies, Toronto teammate CJ Kirst ahead of him in both instances. Here’s a rundown of all nine goals Hiltz has garnered after five games.
Owen Hiltz, Rochester Knighthawks (Photo: Jonathan Tenca)
at Oshawa (Nov. 28)
2 goals total
4th qtr. GAG
4th qtr. GTG
vs. Calgary (Dec. 13)
2 goals total
3rd qtr. to pull Toronto within one
4th qtr. GAG
vs. Las Vegas (Dec. 27)
4th qtr. to pull Toronto within six
at San Diego (Jan. 9)
1 goal
3rd qtr. GWG
at Rochester (Jan. 17)
3 goals
3rd qtr. to pull Toronto within two (PPG)
4th qtr. GAG
4th qtr. GTG
Two-thirds of Hiltz’s goals have happened in the fourth quarter, another a game winner later in the third period. While he’s likely behind the likes of Sam English, Michael Grace, and the previously mentioned Kirst in the Rookie of the Year race, no rookie comes close to Hiltz’s early clutch touch so far this season.
NLL Clutch Kings: Week 9
CKs Rank. Player (NLL Gs Rank) Team, CKs Points (GTG/GAG/GWG)
1. Zach Manns (T4) Saskatchewan, 17.75 (4/1/3)
2. Jeff Teat (T2) Ottawa, 15.25 (3/4/1)
3. Owen Hiltz (T36) Toronto, 15.00 (2/3/1)
4. Curtis Dickson (T23) Vancouver, 12.25 (2/1/2)
5. Connor Fields (1) Rochester, 12.00 (2/2/2)
6. Will Malcom (T6) Colorado, 9.25 (1/3/2)
T7. Cody Jamieson (T18) Halifax, 9.00 (3/1/1)
T7. Austin Shanks (T13) Saskatchewan, 9.00 (1/0/3)
T9. Tanner Cook (T6) Calgary, 8.50 (2/1/1)
T9. Chris Boushy (T52) Toronto, 8.50 (2/1/1)
11. Ethan Walker (T31) Oshawa, 8.00 (2/0/2)
12. Alex Simmons (T4) Oshawa, 7.50 (5/1/0)
13. Phil Caputo (T73) Philadelphia, 6.50 (1/1/1)
T14. Dhane Smith (T6) Buffalo, 6.00 (1/2/1)
T14. Shayne Jackson (T13) Georgia, 6.00 (1/2/1)
T14. Clarke Petterson (T13) Halifax, 6.00 (0/0/1)
T14. Tye Kurtz (T11) Oshawa, 6.00 (0/3/0)
T14. Larson Sundown (T36) Ottawa, 6.00 (2/0/1)
T14. Tre Leclaire (T13) San Diego, 6.00 (2/0/1)
Scoring System
First 3 Quarters (GTG/GAG/GWG)
Even-Strength Goal: 1.00/1.50/2.00
Power-Play Goal: 0.50/0.75/1.00
Short-Handed Goal: 2.00/3.00/4.00
Fourth Quarter (GTG/GAG/GWG)
Even-Strength Goal: 2.00/3.00/4.00
Power-Play Goal: 1.00/1.50/2.00
Short-Handed Goal: 4.00/6.00/8.00
Overtime (GWG)
Even-Strength Goal: 6.00
Power-Play Goal: 3.00
Short-Handed Goal: 12.00