TORONTO — The smashed stick over the crossbar was a dead giveaway his hero status had been erased.
Late in a game in which his brilliant goal looked like it might just stand up as the winner, the Oliver Kylington of old showed up.
Fanning on an attempted clearing pass from his zone that went straight to Alex Kerfoot at the point, the puck was in the net seconds later, thanks to a William Nylander one-timer off Ondřej Kaše that tied the game with seven minutes remaining.
Kylington immediately broke his stick over the net in obvious frustration as it was the type of mistake that kept him from being an NHL regular until this year.
“I’m pissed off right now. I think you guys understand why,” the Calgary Flames defenceman said after helping turn a 1-0 lead into a 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
“I just tried to flip it out. It was an unlucky play. Not much you can do about it right now. If I could change something I would take it back.”
During the ensuing TV timeout, he had an exchange with goalie Dan Vladar, during which he apologized to the rookie netminder.
“I just told him he was having a heck of a game and I told him I was sorry,” Kylington said. “He said, ‘Don’t say you’re sorry. Just score for us.’ I just want us to win. I thought he played unbelievable tonight. He was saving us on a lot of chances, so I just wanted him to hear it from me.”
Kylington was almost able to atone for the gaffe in overtime, using his speed to create one great scoring chance and get stopped on an attempt of his own by Jack Campbell.
The evening was a perfect example of what Kylington’s game has long been about — high risk, high reward. Offensively gifted, defensively prone.
This year the coach has put enough belief in the 24-year-old that has stepped admirably into the top four that desperately needed a fourth.
At both ends, he’s been the team’s most pleasant surprise. Leading all blue-liners with two goals and nine points, he’s used his speed to test his offensive creativity, while focusing on the one or two big blunders defensively that made him eighth, ninth or 10th on the organization’s defensive depth chart in years’ past.
His breakthrough is certainly one to be celebrated and admired this season, which was certainly the case five minutes into the third when he won a puck battle in his end and used his wheels to create a two-on-one with Johnny Gaudreau he finished with a slick backhand move to beat Campbell.
The stage was set for the Flames to snap their two-game losing skid and steal a win against Toronto with Jarome Iginla looking on as part of the Hockey Hall of Fame game.
Alas, one or two mistakes is all it takes these days to derail a Flames team struggling to find the net.
“It was a nice goal, but at the end we didn’t win,” said Kylington, wearing the loss on his face. “I don’t care if I score or get points, I just want to win games and we didn’t do it today.”
Vladar was, indeed, outstanding, keeping the Flames in a game in which the high-powered Leafs tested him steadily throughout his third start of the season. It wasn’t until Auston Matthews beat Vladar midway through overtime that the netminder was bumped from being the game’s first star.
“I don’t expect him to apologize for anything, he was trying to make a play,” said Vladar, who took an extremely measured and mature approach after making 35 saves in his eighth NHL start. “It happened. I could have apologized after the second goal from Matthews too. I was trying to make a save and I didn’t. That’s part of hockey and we are a family and a team.
“Today just wasn’t our day. Obviously, I’d like to make that save and give us one more chance.”
Coach Darryl Sutter was blunt with his assessment of Kylington.
“He turned the puck over for them and scored one,” he said. “I’m sure he’s aware, we talk about turnovers all the time. Every team does. It’s about a puck possession game. When it’s unforced, guys have to take responsibility.”
He sure did.
Matthews’ winner came after he waltzed in over the blue line, cut to the middle and unleashed a wrister under Rasmus Andersson’s stick and through Vladar’s legs.
Moments earlier, Vladar stopped Matthews on a breakaway and stoned Mitch Marner with an outstretched glove.
“I think it says a lot about him, he’s sticking with it,” Kylington said of the soft-spoken Czech star who is now 2-0-1 with a respectable .913 save percentage. “Every time he’s played he’s been unreal and made key saves. I wanted him to get this win tonight because he deserved it.”
Neither Vladar nor Kylington should be discouraged by the loss as they were a big part of the Flames nabbing a point before heading to Ottawa Sunday for Game 3 of a seven-game roadie.
“I Just try to stick with it and believe in myself and stay with the process,” Kylington said of his intriguing journey, which has made him one of the most talked about developments of the young season. “It’s just hard tonight, after a game when a thing like that happens. I believe in myself and the plays I make. Tonight that bounce wasn’t with me.”
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
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.”
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.
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.
