Sports

Canadiens Notebook: Lightning have chance to win Cup on Montreal ice – Montreal Gazette

Published

3 years ago

July 5, 2021

Harry Miller

The Calgary Flames are the only visiting team to ever beat the Canadiens on Forum ice to win the Stanley Cup in 1989.

Author of the article:

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:

Jul 04, 2021 • 10 hours ago • 6 minute read • 20 Comments

A Canadiens fan crosses her fingers while watching Game 6 of Stanley Cup final at Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the game 6-3 to take 1 3-0 lead in best-of-seven series. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette

There is only one visiting team that has ever beat the Canadiens on home ice at the Forum to win the Stanley Cup.

That was the Calgary Flames in 1989 when they won the best-of-seven series in six games, winning Game 6 by a 4-2 score.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to become the first visiting team to win the Stanley Cup on Montreal ice since then when they play the Canadiens in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at the Bell Centre (8 p.m., CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). The Lightning have a chance to become the first team to sweep a Stanley Cup Final since 1998 when the Detroit Red Wings won four straight against the Washington Capitals.

“We don’t want to see the Lightning with the Stanley Cup at all,” Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry said Sunday when asked about the possibility of the Lightning winning the Cup at the Bell Centre. “You’re not going to win four games by winning one tomorrow. Our goal is to win tomorrow’s game and deal with flying out and preparing for a game in Tampa when that time comes. Our focus is to make sure that we play the right way, a strong, hard game and win one game tomorrow.”

If the Canadiens win Monday night, Game 5 would be Wednesday night in Tampa.

After losing Game 3 by a 6-3 score on Friday night at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens had an off-ice training session Saturday at the Bell Centre and were on the ice for a practice on Sunday.

“I think it helps give us a day yesterday to kind of reset and refresh and then today we were working on a few specialty teams and getting on the ice and had a meeting this morning,” Petry said. “I think it was a good day yesterday to kind of reset, refresh and make sure that we’re ready to take this challenge head on.”

Petry added that the Canadiens are trying to keep the mood light and have a positive attitude heading into Game 4.

“Still have fun coming into this rink every day and not hang our heads,” he said. “We have a big challenge ahead of us. We’ve had a challenging year all year. So just to come in and enjoy it every day has been the message. I think everyone is in good spirits today.”

The New York Rangers also won the Stanley Cup on Forum ice in 1928, beating the Montreal Maroons to win the best-of-five series 3-2 with a 2-1 victory in Game 5.

A ‘special group’

This Canadiens team has been through a lot this season, including head coach Claude Julien, associate coach Kirk Muller and goalie coach Stéphane Waite all getting fired.

Joel Armia tested positive for COVID-19 in March, shutting the Canadiens down for more than a week because of NHL protocol. When the Canadiens returned to action, they had to play their final 25 games in 44 days and then they fell behind the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in their first-round playoff series before winning in seven games. They head coach Dominique Ducharme tested positive for COVID-19 and had to spend 14 days in isolation at his Montreal home with assistant coach Luke Richardson taking over the head-coaching duties.

“I’ve been saying it for a while now, even before the playoffs,” Ducharme said. “During the regular season we faced a lot of adversity and we said — I said — that we have a great group and that group has grown stronger together throughout those moments and adversity and facing those situations. We show it every day and sometimes we lose a game or it doesn’t go exactly like you wanted, but there’s one thing that’s for sure: it’s not a lack of trying, it’s not a lack of will. And our guys are dedicated to the group and they showed that yesterday again, today, and they’re going to put it on the ice tomorrow.”

Josh Anderson said the Canadiens are a “pretty special” group.

“All the guys in this locker room, the management, the staff, the players, it’s a family,” he said. “It’s a bond that the guys have been through a lot during this year and we’ve been through it together, but we’ve stuck together and we’ve made it this far. So we got one more job to do and that’s all to come together and just take it one game at a time and keep chipping away and hopefully we’ll have success and the bounces are going to start going our way.

“We got nothing to lose at this point so everyone’s going to be ready for tomorrow night, I can tell you that,” Anderson added. “We’re not finished yet, so take it one game at a time and come in tomorrow night ready to play.”

Working on the power play

The Canadiens spent most of the time at practice Sunday working on the power play and Petry took Erik Gustafsson’s spot on the first unit.

That suggests that Gustafsson might not be in the lineup for Game 4, since the defenceman is considered to be a power-play specialist.

“We’ll see tomorrow,” Ducharme said when asked if Gustafsson would play Monday night. “You guys saw some power-play work today and we’ll see tomorrow about the rest.”

Petry is believed to be playing with two disclocated fingers on his right hand, which has made it difficult for him to shoot the puck.

“I think my injury has gotten better, so it’s given me the ability to shoot the puck better, harder,” he said. “Whether that has to do with it or is it just putting out a (power-play) unit that had worked previously together, that’s something that the coaching staff decided and we got some good reps in this morning. You might get one power play, you might get four. We have to be ready to go on the first one and be sharp and even if we don’t score bring momentum. So I think that was why we worked on it this morning.”

The Canadiens are 1-for-6 on the power play in this series.

Here’s how the two power-play units looked at Sunday’s practice:

FIRST UNIT

Perry
Caufield – Toffoli – Suzuki
Petry

SECOND UNIT

Staal
Armia – Gallagher – Anderson
Weber

First goal is huge

The Lightning have scored the first goal in the first three games of this series.

The Canadiens hope to change that in Game 4.

“I think it’s huge against any team,” Ducharme said about scoring first. “Especially it would be something important. But, at the same time, we cannot stop playing if you don’t score the first goal. We want to have a good start. I thought last game it’s not that we had a bad start it’s just they made us pay right away on an icing and a power play — a puck that we threw in the stands. So we need to manage the start the right way, come out dynamic, active, playing our game and getting that first goal for sure would be important.”

The Lightning had a 2-0 lead only 3:27 into Game 3.

Ducharme wants the Canadiens to get back to playing the same way they did in Game 2 when they outshot the Lightning 43-23 but lost 3-1.

“It’s just that that game we made three or four mistakes and they capitalized on two of them and that made the difference,” he said. “But we’re going to push that to another level. So the adjustment is not major. We know what we need to do and we know it’s about executing. It’s about executing under pressure. It’s about making those plays at the right time and we know how to do it and we’ll do it.”

Sign up for HI/O newsletter

For all the latest on the Canadiens’ quest for their 25th Stanley Cup, sign up for our special time-limited newsletter, HI/O: Montreal’s Road to the Cup, at https://montrealgazette.com/newsletters.

The schedule

Here’s the rest of the schedule for the Stanley Cup final:

Monday, July 5 (Game 4): at Montreal, 8 p.m.
x-Wednesday, July 7: at Tampa, 8 p.m.
x-Friday, July 9: at Montreal, 8 p.m.
x-Sunday, July 11: at Tampa, 7 p.m.
x-if necessary

scowan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/StuCowan1

Adblock test (Why?)

Source link

Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

Source link

Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link

Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link