SAN JOSE — A day before the Leafs faced the Sharks, practice was nearly done when a frustrated Sheldon Keefe put a stop to things.
“Everybody in here please,” he said.
The Leafs coach was not happy with what he was seeing. The execution wasn’t there. He voiced his displeasure, urgently. Then, he ran the drill back again. This time it was executed properly. And that was it. Practice was over.
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A day later, his team failed to execute against a Sharks team that’s sitting near the league basement. This, after losses already this season to the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens, two teams that finished at the bottom of last season’s standings.
The Leafs have yet to really look like the Leafs this season. Nothing like the team that stacked up a franchise-record 115 points last season. Instead, they’ve looked lost, disjointed, uninspired. Not much is going right at the moment.
“Obviously we want to build traction,” Auston Matthews said after the loss to the Sharks, which came three nights after a dispiriting loss in Vegas. “I just don’t think we’ve really put together a full 60-minute game. I think that consistency within the game and momentum shifts and stuff are kinda hurting us right now.”
The Leafs fell behind 26 seconds into the game in San Jose, and then slipped into a 3-1 hole.
“I think there was just too many ups and downs, not a whole lot of consistency throughout the game,” Matthews went on. “There was times we did some good things obviously, and had some good possession and some good plays offensively. There was also times where we were just a little bit stagnant and couldn’t really get much going.”
Alex Kerfoot’s addition to the top line helped spur two goals — one from David Kampf, the team’s unlikely five-on-five goal leader, another from Mitch Marner. It was hardly a dominant outing, though.
As Matthews noted, the Leafs struggled to turn one good shift into another.
More concerning was how things went for the one line that remained intact: the trio of John Tavares, William Nylander and Nick Robertson.
They were pinned in their own end for most of the night, to the point that Keefe had to remove both Nylander and Robertson from the line in the third period and replace them — with Kerfoot and Calle Jarnkrok — for defensive zone draws.
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The Tavares line was having to shoulder an unusual share of defensive zone faceoffs because of the lineup restructuring. The coaching staff wasn’t going to send the tough stuff to the line that featured Michael Bunting and Denis Malgin. And they most certainly aimed to get the Matthews’ group on offence as often as possible.
So Tavares and company were tasked with more of that load (38 percent offensive zone faceoff percentage). Shot attempts were 13-4 for San Jose when Tavares, Nylander, and Robertson were on the ice.
Nylander, notably, was held without a shot or attempt. Tavares is still looking for his first five-on-five goal of the season.
“I thought that San Jose’s best players gave us a real hard time today,” Keefe said. “Every time those guys got on the ice they tilted the ice.”
Keefe may have to go back to the drawing board, whether that’s dropping Michael Bunting back onto the top line or finding a different look for the Tavares group. It’s probably time to give Nicolas Aube-Kubel another look at the bottom of the lineup.
The only line that should definitely stick for now is the one that reunited Kampf with Pierre Engvall. That unit, with Zach Aston-Reese filling things out, was the most successful group in San Jose. Despite landing only one offensive zone faceoff, the line finished with an expected goals mark approaching 90 percent.
For the second game in a row, the Leafs gave up too much good stuff, too many high-quality opportunities (though two of the four San Jose goals came on one power play).
“We gotta figure out these turnovers,” Marner said. “We’re giving a lot of teams a lot of odd-man rushes, a lot of chances our way. We’re not helping our D a lot, especially forwards. We’re not coming back to pucks. They were way hungrier on the forecheck. That’s the thing that our team has been so good at the last couple years, getting pucks back and creating offence off that. The forward group, we need to get way hungrier on the puck. We need to create way more chances up ice and help our D out a little more.”
“We didn’t play our game the first two periods,” added an unusually outspoken Kampf. “I feel like in the third we came back a little bit and started playing a little bit harder. It wasn’t good all game.”
Keefe has not been happy with the way the puck is moving from the D to the forwards. In other words, how the team is initiating its attack. It’s what, in his estimation, has stalled the offence and led to his team spending more time playing defence.
The Leafs are sitting about 50 percent expected goals for the season. Not great. Last season that number was 56 percent.
“We gotta execute,” Keefe said. “You watch the game, you watch how many times we don’t execute on passes. We’ve got a lot of really good players, a lot of skill on our team, and we’re just not connecting on passes, like, tape-to-tape passes that we’re just either making the wrong decision and passing to the wrong guy, or we’re holding on too long and it gets disrupted. That’s a big problem for us.
“Our inability to move the puck up the ice efficiently is slowing down all of our game on offence and it’s really hurting our game defensively as well because we’re just getting stressed. The second period we couldn’t get our defence off the ice because we just couldn’t move the puck up.”
Though Marner pinned those problems on the forwards, Keefe said, “It starts with the D. Their first touch (with the puck) has to be better.”
The defence looks overexposed right now, with Jake Muzzin and Timothy Liljegren both absent with injuries. That’s two of the usual top six (or seven) out of the mix, including the second-best defender (T.J. Brodie is tops at this point) on the team.
The Leafs have no choice but to continue to lean on a struggling Justin Holl until Liljegren returns next month. They’ll have to find an external replacement for Muzzin if he doesn’t return this season.
(D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports)
Keefe didn’t think changing up the pairs would fix the issues the Leafs were having, but it’s something worth contemplating even if the options aren’t exactly obvious.
First, would be splitting up Morgan Rielly and Brodie in the name of balance.
Option 1: Hand Brodie, the most reliable defender the Leafs have, over to Holl.
But then who plays with Rielly? Rasmus Sandin on his off side?
Option 3: Keep Rielly and Brodie together, but swap Sandin for Giordano.
Is there enough mobility and puck-moving ability in a Giordano-Holl combo with Holl struggling like he is at the moment? Can the Leafs play Sandin and Mete together?
Option 4: Split up Rielly and Brodie, but go extreme in sliding Rielly over to the right side until Liljegren is ready to play. Rielly, remember, spent time on the right during training camp as well as the offseason.
Giordano – Rielly Brodie – Holl Sandin – Mete
Like we said, not a lot of great options there.
It’s evident the Leafs feel there’s only so much they can throw at Giordano. He was supposed to play more in Muzzin’s absence. He’s ended up playing less. That might need to change.
Another issue is that the Leafs’ power play has yet to get going, though Matthews’ one-time blast was encouraging.
About the most positive development of the early season has been the play of Ilya Samsonov. There aren’t a lot of players off to roaring starts. Keefe has felt the need to press hard from Day 1.
It’s been a checkered start, certainly.
It is still October, still 74 games to go, still early. And the Leafs started in similar fashion last season before turning things around.
“It’s not an excuse, right?” Kampf said. “The season started already, so we have to be ready from the start of the season.”
MONTREAL – Canadian National Railway Co. told employees this week it plans to relocate its operations in Jasper to near Hinton, Alta., about 100 kilometres away.
In a memo sent to employees in the fire-ravaged town, the company said it’s aiming to increase efficiency by minimizing train stops between Edmonton and Blue River, B.C., which sits across the Rockies.
CN plans to close its Jasper bunkhouse and build a crew change facility east of Hinton, with workers slated to clock in at the new site starting in September 2025, according to the document obtained by The Canadian Press.
“CN has made the decision to implement operational changes to improve network fluidity,” regional vice-president Nicole James said in the memo.
The union representing rail workers criticized the relocation, which affects about 200 employees, though no layoffs are expected.
“This is another devastating blow to the town of Jasper, after this year’s catastrophic wildfires. Rail is one of the largest industries in Jasper, after tourism, and CN’s move will cripple this community even further,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
“And for the workers who’ve already lost so much — some even their homes — this is a truly cruel blow.”
Union spokesman Christopher Monette noted that most residents or their spouses must work in town to qualify to live there under Jasper National Park’s residency rules. The company has told the union it will apply for an exception for the workers, he said.
CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski says the railway is committed to supporting employees through the transition and keeping them updated.
“These types of changes take time to fully plan out and implement. That’s why one of our initial steps was to have this discussion with our employees as well as advising the town of Jasper,” she said in an email.
A wildfire ripped through Jasper in July, destroying a third of the mountain town and displacing many of its 4,800 residents.
The blaze also caused smoke damage to the CN bunkhouse, which the company says it has worked to restore since it was allowed to re-enter the community with contractors on Aug. 16.
Engineers and conductors have been reporting for work in Hinton, roughly an hour away, since the wildfire.
With roots as a fur trade outpost, Jasper launched as a railway town in the early 20th century after tracks built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway — CN’s predecessor — paved the way for the municipality.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.
WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.
“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.
Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.
Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.
Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.
The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.
Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad
Forwards
Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
