Sports

Canadiens vs. Red Wings recap: Mathieu Perreault ends the losing streak – Habs Eyes on the Prize

Published

3 years ago

October 24, 2021

It’s not often that the sixth game of the season is considered a must-win, but for the Montreal Canadiens who are mired in the worst franchise start in almost three decades, that is exactly the situation they were in. Five straight losses, with just four goals total to their name, had left them as the only NHL team without a point in the early season.

Dominique Ducharme threw the line blender on for last night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, with Mathieu Perreault taking the third-line centre role between Tyler Toffoli and Cole Caufield. Jake Evans played between Finns Joel Armia and Artturi Lehkonen on the fourth line, while Mike Hoffman moved up to the top trio.

On defence, Sami Niku made his debut next to Brett Kulak after missing almost all of the pre-season with a concussion. Ben Chiarot took a spot next to Jeff Petry, while Alexander Romanov and David Savard formed a new-look third pair.

It was a bright start for the Canadiens who managed a ton of zone time and puck control while the Red Wings tried their best to keep the Habs to the outside. However, as has been the case all season, a penalty call shifted control of the game back into the opponent’s hands early on. Detroit did not need much time at all on its power play. Just seven seconds into Ben Chiarot’s tripping minor, Dylan Larkin snapped a shot off the post and in to make it a 1-0 game.

The Canadiens followed that up with a shift on which they failed to clear their lines on multiple occasions, giving the Wings another huge chance to add to their lead, but some strong stops from Jake Allen kept the deficit at just one.

Then Jonathan Drouin’s quick feet drew a tripping call, giving the Habs a chance to tie the game up on the power play. The power play unsurprisingly looked disjointed and failed to record a shot on goal. However, Chiarot was able to atone for his earlier penalty, thanks in part to a brilliant seam pass from Drouin. The Habs winger had a pair of options, to either dump the puck around or to feed a pass back toward the point. Drouin opted for the latter, hitting Chiarot in stride and the big defender wired his shot past Thomas Greiss to tie the game at one goal apiece.

After a disastrous first power play attempt, the Canadiens’ second one went much better. Hoffman missed the net with his first try, but was able to corral the rebound along the boards. He then circled outside the faceoff circle and uncorked a laser beam that Greiss never saw to put Montreal in the lead with their first two-goal game of the season.

They also earned a third straight power play afterward, but some fancy stickhandling from both Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki failed to find another goal on the advantage. Nevertheless, Montreal entered the first intermission with a one-goal lead.

The Habs came out firing on all cylinders to start the second period, with Hoffman leading a three-on-one rush and testing Greiss with another heavy wrist shot. It hinted at the offence that was about to come.

The goals started flying fast and furious, thanks to a bit of luck and Marc Staal’s skate. The second line rocketed into the zone after Kulak bumped the puck ahead to Drouin. He fed it back to Christian Dvorak, who dropped it off for Niku. The puck was returned to Dvorak, who tried one more pass, but it deflected off Staal’s heel and past Greiss.

The relentless neutral-zone pressure then resulted in a turnover by Carter Rowney, which Perreault picked up. The newly minted third-line centre had all kinds of space in the Detroit zone, and opted to call his own number as he snapped his first of the year past Greiss to make it a three-goal lead.

It wasn’t long before Perreault found the back of the net again, this time thanks to more pressure from the forwards. Caufield corralled a loose puck, walked into the slot, and fired a shot off Greiss’s glove. The rebound dropped right at Tyler Toffoli’s feet, and he slid a blind pass across the crease to Perreault, who easily chipped it home to push the Montreal lead to four.

The Habs did have to end the period killing another penalty, with Allen having to come up big to close out the second period and keep that four-goal lead intact.

Following the remaining Detroit power play time to open the third, the game became rather sloppy as both teams seemed content to just turn the puck over back and forth and run out the clock. However, after Givani Smith shoved Tyler Toffoli back into the Habs bench, Montreal went back to the power play.

With the obvious intention of getting him a hat trick, most of the man advantage was spent filtering pucks in to Perreault. Despite some solid looks from range, the Canadiens did not add to their lead.

The Wings decided an aggressive goalie pull was their best chance to get into the game with well over six minutes remaining. Chiarot collected a loose puck, launching it ahead but missing the net. Perreault was there to pick it up and deposit it into the empty net to complete his natural hat trick.

Jake Allen made a few big saves as the Red Wings pushed to try to find any kind of silver lining in the loss, but the Montreal goalie stood tall to finally earn the Habs their first win of the season.

Final Score: Montreal 6, Detroit 1

Next up for the team, is its annual trip to the American West Coast, starting with a trip to Seattle for the first ever meeting with the Kraken at 10 PM ET on Tuesday night.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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

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