It was Paul Maurice who put forward the theory that you’re never more than two weeks away from turning euphoria into a bout of public panic in the North Division.
You’d have trouble believing this was the same team that recently waltzed out of Edmonton with a nine-point division lead after watching it lose 4-3 to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night — giving it a fifth loss in six games since reaching that high-water mark.
“We’ve lost more than we want in the past week,” said Zach Hyman. “We’ve had defensive breakdowns.”
They saw sloppy breakouts become goals against during back-to-back weekend losses but got goalie’d by Connor Hellebuyck earlier in the week and dropped two close games in Vancouver prior to that.
This is why Maurice’s theory holds water: Things don’t have to go all that bad for them to appear much worse in a schedule played entirely within the division, especially when sequences of nine games in 16 nights is considered normal.
That’s not to make excuses for the Leafs. It’s just the truth.
“I think that we’ve done enough to win, but in this league doing enough sometimes isn’t good enough,” said Hyman. “You have to go out there and you have to dominate and you have to win games because hockey is about bounces — sometimes you get ‘em, sometimes you don’t — but if you play really well like we did in that Edmonton series then you don’t have to worry about the bounces.”
The Leafs got exactly what they deserved at Canadian Tire Centre, where the rested Senators started stronger, took advantage of turnovers to build a 4-1 lead and survived a feverish final 10 minutes to get surprise starter Joey Daccord his first career NHL victory.
Toronto initially looked like it left its legs on the tarmac after taking the unusual step of flying to Ottawa on Sunday morning, rather than following Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Winnipeg at home. Sheldon Keefe indicated that it was a decision made in part because it gave players a break from the NHL’s stringent travel protocols while providing them another night in their own beds as the clocks changed for Daylight saving time.
You’d have to imagine the organization’s sports science department had some compelling data to support the plan as well.
But it was unique enough that T.J. Brodie said it was a first in his 694-game NHL career, and it didn’t meet unanimous approval inside the dressing room. Some time-worn routines were disrupted by the same-day travel.
“Felt fine. Felt really good actually,” said Mitch Marner, when asked for his thoughts. “I mean I think the group was kind of hot and cold about it.”
They were greeted by a cold shower when Brady Tkachuk turned a Travis Boyd back pass into a 1-0 lead and Ryan Dzingel made it 2-0 just seven seconds later. That spelled the end of Michael Hutchinson’s night as the backup was replaced by Frederik Andersen.
What stood out most when the Leafs swept the three games in Edmonton by a combined 13-1 score was how connected they played and how little quality they gave up. Some of the details have been dulled.
Drake Batherson’s goals 53 seconds apart were the product of some nice work from his linemates, especially a gorgeous Tim Stützle feed, but they also came after Jake Muzzin failed to clear the Leafs defensive zone on the penalty kill and Morgan Rielly couldn’t get it out at 5-on-5.
“The last couple games you noticed it,” said Brodie, referencing the sloppy exits. “It’s a matter of being patient. Sometimes when the frustration builds up you might try to do too much and that’s where it continues just to pile up.”
They still lead the North Division with 40 points, but the Winnipeg Jets are only four points back and are scheduled to play three times before Toronto’s next action against Calgary on Friday night.
The Leafs grip has slipped.
They were already framing this four-day break in the schedule as a positive because it comes with a rare opportunity to rest and practice. When last they had something like it at the beginning of February, they returned with a 7-1-1 stretch.
“We’ve been playing a lot of hockey lately,” said Auston Matthews. “I think it will just be nice to kind of reset and regroup as a team.”
“I think that we’re not worried about where we’re at,” added Hyman. “We know how good we can be and it’s just about regrouping this week and finding that again and pushing forward.”
They’ve certainly seen how quickly things can change.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
