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The Calgary Roughnecks are keeping it simple, and the approach is paying off.

The Roughnecks are atop the National Lacrosse League's West Division with a 6-2 record going into a game in Edmonton against the Rush on Friday night.

"We've done a lot of things that are simple," says forward Kaleb Toth. "Last year we were overcomplicating stuff, especially on offence. This year we've kept it simple and we've buried the majority of our opportunities."

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Calgary has a 12.6 goals-a-game average that is surpassed by only East Division leader Buffalo in the 12-team league.

"We've got a solid offence with veteran leadership and natural goal scorers and young guys like Dane Dobbie who have stepped up," says Toth. "We don't care who scores as long as we wind up with more goals than the other team."

Toth, Dobbie and Josh Sanderson have 17 goals each in sprearheading the attack. Toth is on pace to have his most productive NLL season since potting 38 goals in 2005.

"I've got a little more confidence in myself this season," he explains. "The coaches want me to shoot as much as I can. Before, I'd be passing or trying to take an extra step. This year I've been throwing it at the net and they've been going in. I've been getting the luck."

Calgary's goals-against average of 10.4 is topped only by Portland. Andrew McBride is a back end kingpin and Jeff Moleski is having a great season. Throw in good goaltending by Pat Campbell and Matt King, and it all adds up to a winning combination.

It is the second full season with Troy Cordingley as head coach. With assistants Terry Sanderson, who is responsible for the defence, and Dave Pym, who directs the offence, it's a top-flight coaching staff, and Cordingley co-ordinates it all with an highly energized approach.

"Troy is a great guy and a great lacrosse mind, and he's really intense," says Toth. "He demands the most from his players. As long as you outwork the opponent, he's happy.

"Troy, Terry and Dave hate to lose. They're so competitive, and that competitive edge we have on the floor comes from the coaching staff."

Having captain Tracey Kelusky healthy for the full season has been of immense importance.

"Trace is a natural-born leader," says Toth. "Besides that, he's a great ballplayer. He gives us confidence when he's on the floor that we can win every game. The whole confidence and morale of the team goes up when's he's on the floor."

Sanderson's role has been huge, too. The Roughnecks are 9-3 in the regular season since acquiring him from Toronto for Lewis Ratcliff last March 25.

Meanwhile, Toth is among a select circle of NLL veterans who have won championships with two different teams - Calgary in 2004 and Toronto in 2000. His last-second goal in the final nine years ago will never be forgotten.

"It's one of those things that will stick with me forever, but that's in the past," he says. "There's a lot more championships I want to win.

"If that was my last game and I retired after that game I'd be thinking about it all the time, but I've played a lot since. You've got to live in the now and that's what i'm trying to do."

The way the Roughnecks are playing, he could be hoisting the Champions Cup again in May.

"So far, luck has been going our way," says Toth. "If we continue to play as well as we are, we have a chance to be in that final game."

First things first. The Rush, 3-6, are in desperate need of a win so might be a tough nut to crack Friday night.

"We believe we've improved," says Rush coach Bob Hamley. "Our record doesn't show it, unfortunately."

The Roughnecks edged Edmonton 10-9 early in the season and Hamley hopes to see as determined an effort this time - with a different result, he hopes. Keeping Calgary's potent offence from running wild is his biggest concern.

"Their offence is best in the West and probably in the league," says Hamley. "Josh Sanderson has meant so much to that team.

"There are a lot of guys in consideration for MVP at the halfway point and I think he has to be right up there with what he's done for their offence."

Four other games this weekend are on Saturday: Toronto (2-7) at Boston (7-3), Buffalo (7-2) at Rochester (3-5), Minnesota (4-5) at Philadelphia (4-6), and Colorado (4-4) at San Jose (3-6). Getting byes are New York and Portland.

Boston has won five in a row.

"Our biggest challenge right off the bat was getting guys to believe we could beat teams that have a bit of history and a veteran group," says coach Tom Ryan.

Mission accomplished.

"Offensively, we've had different guys step up on various nights and now we're looking for consistency across the board," says Ryan.

Toronto has lost four in a row, and coach Jamie Batley says there'll be no major lineup revisions in Boston.

"As far as changes, we really haven't made any since our last game," says Batley.

He continues to hammer at upping the work ethic.

"First and foremost, our team has to work for 60 minutes," says Batley. "We've had occasions where we've looked really good and can compete with any team in the league, and we've had instances where we looked like a Jr. A. team.

"If we don't get a 60-minute effort out of all our guys it's up in the air whether we can win."

The Colorado-at-San Jose game is a confrontation between clubs that have each lost their last two games.

"Going into that building has always been a challenge to us," says Mammoth GM Steve Govett.

Dan Carey, one of the Mammoth's top attackers, has missed four straight games with a neck injury and concussion-like symptoms since last playing on Jan. 31 and his availability remains uncertain.

"Dan has the ongoing issue with concussions," says Govett. "We're excited about the fact he saw a neurosurgeon a couple of days ago and we identified something that isn't concussion related.

"He has been working out. He is travelling with the team to San Jose and will be practising. We're excited about that. We'll just have to play it be ear in seeing if he can play. He's getting closer though."

Rochester has won its last two and will be eager to prove there have been vast improvements since Buffalo easily won the first meeting over a then injury-depleted lineup.

"I know they're a talented team, everybody knows that," says Bandits coach Darris Kilgour. "We're expecting a very tough game."

Mark Steenhuis of the Bandits leads the NLL in goals with 35 and in points with 70 in just eight games.

Minnesota is coming off wins in Toronto and in Buffalo the weekend before the all-star break so Philadelphia will have to dig deep to duplicate the effort that lifted it over the Swarm earlier this season. A windpipe injury has stripped all-star starter Geoff Snider from the Wings' lineup and he'll be missed.

"We had a tough game against them last time and I suspect this one's not going to be any easier," says Wings coach Dave Huntley.

Swarm coach Duane Jacobs hopes the break won't kill the momentum his team has built.

"We've had some time to take stock in where we're at," says Jacobs. "I've been working with Nick Patterson because I don't think we have been getting the goaltending we've had in the past."