WINNIPEG — Andrew Copp may have found his calling playing centre.
Moving from the wing to the middle due to injuries, the Winnipeg forward has been a force for the Winnipeg Jets lately.
Copp scored the go-ahead goal as part of a four-goal third period, and the Jets came from behind to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on Sunday.
Copp, who also set up the first goal, gave Winnipeg a 3-2 lead when he beat Chicago netminder Corey Crawford up high from in close with 6:33 left in regulation after taking a perfect pass from forward Jack Roslovic.
“I just tried to make a quick move and go upstairs,” Copp said. “Great, great pass by Jack. That’s a play where guys stay in the slot and look for that one-timer a lot, but (Erik) Gustafsson came out and really took that way, so I just saw some space behind him. And that pass was just fantastic, just to be on the same page as that. Great play by Rosie.”
Copp has now scored three game winners in five outings.
“It’s getting better. Confidence is huge,” he said. “The role kind of changes sometimes, depending on matchup and obviously, linemates are all new. We’ve figured out a little bit of chemistry together between the three of us, every other game.”
Kyle Connor had a pair of goals while Blake Wheeler and Patrick Laine also scored for the Jets (29-23-5), who trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes.
Dominik Kubalik and Brandon Saad scored for the Blackhawks (25-21-8).
Connor, with his team-leading 28th goal of the year, and Laine scored empty-net goals to secure the win.
Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves for the Jets, who won their third straight game, while Crawford stopped 33 shots for Chicago.
Just 16 seconds after Chicago captain Jonathan Toews went off for hooking in the third, Wheeler took a pass from defenceman Neil Pionk and snapped the puck past Crawford to tie the score 2-2.
The Jets had pulled to within 2-1, scoring while shorthanded.
With defenceman Sami Niku off for tripping, Copp pounced on a loose puck inside his own blue line, skated the length of the ice, then backhanded a saucer pass to Connor, who shot the puck on the bounce past Crawford.
“I think Copper might be a centre, you know?” Wheeler said. “He seems to thrive in the middle … I think there’s a 200-foot element to his game. He makes a lot of really good plays, the little detailed plays that keep the puck moving in the right direction. Offensively, he’s getting more confidence with that puck and making some good plays.”
Kubalik scored just 15 seconds into the game when he converted a pass from behind the net from centre Drake Caggiula.
Toews assisted on that first goal to give him his 800th career point.
“That’s a nice stepping-stone, nice to get a big number like that here in my hometown of Winnipeg, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get the two points,” Toews said. “We were looking good the first shift of the game. I thought it was going to be one of those nights, but I think they bounced back and obviously played their best late in the game.”
The Blackhawks simply relaxed after taking the 2-0 lead.
“I think we just lost a lack of focus there,” said Saad. “We need to play all 60 minutes. We know how big the game is. Just because we started off well, we obviously took our foot off the gas. They scored a nice short-handed goal and kind of took it to us the rest of the game.”
It was the second of a six-game homestand for the Jets. They are now 14-12-3 at home this season.
NOTE: The Jets will induct Thomas Steen and Randy Carlyle into their Hall of Fame when they host the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
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.
