Historic Maple Leaf Gardens has played host to many memorable sporting events over the years, and tomorrow night’s National Lacrosse League game will surely be added to that list. The Toronto Rock and Baltimore Thunder face-off at 7 PM Friday night in a battle of the NLL’s top two teams. Like any one of those other great battles, this one has its subplots.

While both teams have clinched playoff spots at 7-3, it’s Toronto’s 5-0 mark at home which stands out, considering no other NLL team this year has gone unbeaten in their own building. But, the Thunder already own a decisive 21-10 win over the Rock from Week Three of this season in Baltimore. A win by Toronto, winners of their last three overall, guarantees a home playoff game in two weeks. The Thunder, meanwhile, want to guarantee the hold on first place that they’ve held exclusively or been tied for all season (with the exception of the league’s first weekend when just one game took place, not involving Baltimore).

Another team in the first place picture is the Rochester Knighthawks. They can stay within one game of the top spot -- tied with the loser of tomorrow night’s game -- by defeating Buffalo at home on Saturday night. More importantly, a Knighthawk victory would clinch a playoff spot. It won’t be easy though as the Bandits themselves are fighting to stay alive in the chase for the final two post-season berths. Buffalo however, has lost three in a row, including two weeks ago at home to Rochester. This is the first game for both teams since the two completed a blockbuster trade prior to this past Sunday’s trade deadline which saw each team’s second leading scorer dealt.

The other two teams battling with the Knighthawks and Bandits for the final two playoff spots get back together on Saturday night at the First Union Center. In last weekend’s game between the Wings and Saints, New York ended a three-game winning streak by Philadelphia on a penalty shot with 1.3 seconds left in the game for a 14-13 win which, coupled with another Saints’ victory the next night in Syracuse, put New York alone in fourth place, one game behind Rochester, but just one game ahead of the Wings (and Buffalo).

Saturday night’s other contest is a battle of the brothers. The Thunder wrap up their thirteenth season with their second game in as many nights, hosting the Syracuse Smash. The game pits Baltimore’s Gary Gait against twin brother Paul, and the Thunder’s John Fay against his older brother Ed. Though the Smash are 2-8 and Baltimore will enter the night either in first place or one-game out of first, Syracuse defeated the Thunder 15-14 on 5 February at the Onondaga County War Memorial. Unfortunately for the Smash, they are 0-11 lifetime in games played away from that building.

Capsule looks at the games: