Sports

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are the talk of the NHL – The Globe and Mail

Published

3 years ago

November 8, 2021

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers celebrate victory against the New York Rangers during overtime at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Nov. 5.Codie McLachlan/Getty Images

By now, everyone in the hockey universe has seen Connor McDavid’s otherworldly goal from Friday multiple times. It is just not possible to watch it only once.

With the Oilers trailing 5-4 late in the third period, Edmonton’s superstar centre danced around and through four New York Rangers before tucking the puck past goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

The Oilers, who at one point trailed 4-1, won in overtime on a shot by – who else – Leon Draisaitl. Between the two of them, McDavid and Draisaitl are on a pace to score 350 points this season.

Of course, that is impossible. Maybe.

Over his career, McDavid has scored too many highlight-reel goals to count. But this one – “To heck with it, I am just going to do this myself” – might be the best. Social media went bananas.

Barstool Sports called it “the most impressive hockey goal ever.”

The NHL Network said, “Are you kidding?”

Said The Sporting News, “We are not worthy.”

“Please” one fan Tweeted of the four victimized Rangers’ players. “They have families.”

McDavid has points in each of Edmonton’s 10 games. The Oilers are 9-1 for the first time in history. They have never previously won nine of their first 10, not even in the Wayne Gretzky era.

McDavid has 22 points already, which is second-best in the NHL, one behind Draisaitl. Clearly, at a combined salary of US$20.5-million a year, they are grossly underpaid.

For the most part, 2021-22 has been kind to Canada’s teams. The Maple Leafs dispatched the Bruins on Saturday and have now won five in a row. They sit comfortably behind the Florida Panthers in second place in the Atlantic Division.

Their past two victories have been very impressive – a last-minute great escape to beat Tampa Bay followed by a dismantling of old-nemesis Boston.

Mitch Marner had a goal and three assists on Saturday and has factored in 10 of Toronto’s past 12 scores, including the past six.

John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs at 12:21 of the first period and posted his second goal of the game at 2:53 of the third. He also posted the primary assist on Marner’s third-period goal. Tavares has nine points over the past five games.

Auston Matthews scored on two power plays and has multipoint outings in three consecutive games.

“The big dogs are starting to hunt,” said Jack Campbell, the Toronto goalie.

He had 42 saves against the Bruins and has stopped 119 of the past 124 shots. In nine starts he has only allowed more than three goals once.

The Maple Leafs are 7-4-1 and will try to extend their winning streak to a half-dozen on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena against the Los Angeles Kings. They are rising after a lukewarm start.

“I think the highs can get real high here and the lows can get real low and I think sometimes you’ve just got to take a step back and take a breath,” Matthews said. “A couple weeks ago we weren’t playing at a level we were happy with and I think it’s kind of come full circle.”

Calgary, meanwhile, is cruising along at 7-1-3. The Flames’ only loss in regulation time came in their opening game against the Oilers. The Battle of Alberta should provide plenty of thrills from here on in.

The Winnipeg Jets started the season badly with three losses but are 6-1-1 since then. They are well positioned at third in the Central Division.

The other three Canadian teams have had a difficult time. The Ottawa Senators are seventh in the eight-team Atlantic at 3-7-1. The Montreal Canadiens are last – a hot mess at 3-10 – but they will have Carey Price back in net in the near future. He is to rejoin the team on Monday after spending four weeks in the league’s player-assistance program.

The Canucks are a Rubik’s cube seemingly impossible to figure out. They entered Sunday with four wins – same as the first-year Seattle Kraken.

For the time being at least, McDavid and his remarkable goal – and the Oilers – will be the talk of the NHL, at least in Canada.

“I don’t know if you were watching the bench, but the bench went crazy [when McDavid scored],” Zach Hyman said late Friday. The former Maple Leaf has seven goals in his first 10 games with Edmonton. “Only he can make a play like that. It’s just Connor being Connor.”

McDavid, who generally loathes to talk about himself, appraised the goal afterward. As he spoke, fans in the streets outside in Edmonton chanted “MVP.”

“I kind of just tried to pick my way through, and thankfully I did,” he said. “I’m paid to score big goals, and I’m paid to do that type of stuff. I’m just doing my job. It’s probably not the best idea to take four guys on every night, but I thought the situation was kind of weird. Everyone was kind of coming up, I was coming down the pipe, and I just tried to make a play.”

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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.

___

AP cricket:

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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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