TORONTO — For anyone wondering what it means to be a championship-calibre team, what it is to march into city after city having never lost back-to-back games on the way to winning back-to-back Cups, this is what it looks like.
After the Toronto Maple Leafs served up a thumping in Game 1 of their first-round series against the defending champions, everyone on both sides of the ice expected an entirely different affair in the sequel, the Tampa Bay Lightning just too good, too seasoned, to not come back with an answer.
But Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena, the Bolts showed Toronto what exactly veteran savvy looks like, baiting the Maple Leafs into a game that played perfectly into their hands, coaxing the quick-footed series leaders away from the style of play that’s made them one of the best clubs in the league this season, and into one that hung two banners at Amalie Arena.
Early on, you’d have had a tough time seeing it coming.
Sheldon Keefe’s squad started Game 2 much the same way they finished Game 1, putting together the fourth straight period that saw them out-skate and out-chance the Lightning. They were rolling, the power play getting good looks, the penalty kill firing pucks down the ice, Jack Campbell holding down the fort in net.
From the opening puck-drop, it was clear both teams were intent on carrying over the “borderline violence” that highlighted the first meeting, bodies draped in both jerseys flying against boards and against each other, all across the sheet. The crowd swelling and roaring in approval as Colin Blackwell, Wayne Simmonds and half the Maple Leafs blue line got licks in during that early 20 minutes, while the blue-and-white high-flyers got their looks on net.
It was in the second period that it all went sideways.
The Maple Leafs headed into the middle frame down a goal, a lucky bounce breaking Tampa Bay’s way in the final seconds of the opening period. Right off the hop, Toronto looked focused on establishing that heightened physical presence, Ilya Mikheyev veering off course to pop Alex Killorn soon after the opening faceoff. A couple minutes later, it was Michael Bunting, swatting at Corey Perry en route to the bench as the veteran winger skated by him in the Lightning zone — only to see Perry then zip up to the Leafs’ blue line, collect a wicked heads-up pass from Victor Hedman, and beat Jack Campbell to lift the visitors’ lead to 2-0.
Still, down 2-0 with the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner sitting on Toronto’s bench, flanked by a bevy of dynamic playmakers, it was an inconvenience rather than an insurmountable climb.
The rough stuff continued — a body crashing into Simmonds, Lyubushkin throwing his own around, another Bolt taking on Kase. Auston Matthews channelled that energy into an avenue that could’ve led Toronto to a better night, No. 34 throwing all 205 of his pounds into Ryan McDonagh down by the Lightning net, separating the Tampa defender from the puck, and getting it over to linemates Mitch Marner and Bunting for a crucial goal.
The score 2-1, the tides potentially turning.
But what seemed a turn on the path, leading Toronto back towards the type of relentless attacking that had them coming out on top through four of the series’ first five periods, was instead a fork in the road. And the Leafs, it seems, chose wrong.
Instead of leaning into that high-octane offence, they continued picking bodies off along the wall at every chance. Instead of trying to stir up the type of dizzying playmaking that had clubs spinning all year, they kept looking for opportunities to prove they could throw weight around with the best of them — a game after they’d proven all they needed to.
It started going off the rails midway through that second period, when Simmonds was marched to the box, having dumped Pierre-Edouard Bellemare beside Toronto’s net well after the whistle blew. Within 30 seconds, the puck was in the Maple Leafs’ net, courtesy of a bit of signature trickery from Nikita Kucherov — the first goal of the post-season for the Lightning’s most dangerous scorer, now awake.
And yet, moments after being burned by one, the Maple Leafs found themselves in another post-whistle scrum, this one featuring Bunting in the melee.
Five minutes into the next period, it was a familiar scene: the Maple Leafs a touch desperate after an early goal again, Simmonds marched to the box for a post-whistle fracas again, and a surgical power-play goal from the defending champs again — this one a tic-tac-toe tally from Hedman, Kucherov and Brayden Point.
Staring down a trip to Florida for Game 3 with the series knotted up at 1-1 following a night that saw the Lightning put away three power-play goals, Keefe had little trouble diagnosing this one.
“The refs set the standard early — they took one after the whistle, which made it pretty clear that they were going to call it like that after the whistle. We didn’t do a good job of reading that and responding to that,” he said. “We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to be more responsible with that. But we will be.”
On the other side of the ledger, the Lightning’s leaders assessed the key that unlocked a return to level ground in this first-round series, pointing to the precise element that wound up as Toronto’s biggest gap — that ability to play physical, but focused.
“They’re calling it tight,” Brayden Point said post-game. “I think it’s just playing hard, but playing between the whistles is a focus for us. I thought tonight we finished checks and played physical, but walked the line a little bit. We know how dangerous that team is on the power play, so staying out of the box is crucial.”
Added his coach, who made clear what the gameplan was going in:
“We’re aware of what we’re doing. We can only control ourselves — we can’t control the other team. And you’ve got to play the game between the whistles,” said Jon Cooper.
“It’s playoff hockey. Guys are going to step up and back their team. … It’s teams that want to win. It’s guys that are battling hard. But you’ve just got to be smart about it.”
The Maple Leafs weren’t, and they relinquished a series lead because of it.
Instead, they played right into their veteran opponents’ hands. A team built on speed, dynamic offence, and skilful creativity has been pulled into a competition to see who can crush the boards hardest.
And Toronto’s captain knows that path isn’t the one that offers a chance at redemption when the teams return to the ice for Game 3. It’s the one they’ve followed all season that will get them there.
“When we play fast, and we’ve been able to come together, get on the forecheck, get to the middle of the ice and make it difficult for their goalie to see the puck and be as confident as he can be… it obviously challenges them,” John Tavares said Wednesday night, taking stock of his team’s approach.
“If we can generate the momentum, play on the terms that we want to play on, it allows us to be on the front foot. And just controlling emotion, I think. It’s such a fine line.”
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
