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Horror-filled finish to road trip puts pressure on mistake-prone Maple Leafs heading home – Toronto Sun

Published

2 years ago

October 31, 2022

Harry Miller

Publishing date:

Oct 31, 2022 • 1 hour ago • 4 minute read • 58 Comments

Maple Leafs’ William Nylander (88) and Nicholas Robertson (89) collide in front of Anaheim Ducks’ Max Comtois (44) during the first period at Honda Center on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. Photo by JASON PARKHURST /USA TODAY SPORTS

ANAHEIM – Those boos ringing in the ears of the Maple Leafs have nothing to do with Halloween.

But all the bats in their belfry during this continuous sluggish start could haunt coach Sheldon Keefe and general manager Kyle Dubas as the team limps home on a four-game losing streak.

It was capped in monstrous fashion on Sunday, a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Anaheim Ducks, who‘d not won in seven straight, a match Toronto led all night, including 3-1 at one stage with a penalty-shot chance to extend it.

Add that collapse to earlier defeats against lesser lights Arizona, Montreal and, on this trip, San Jose and Los Angeles and there is further doubt cast on this new-look roster that Dubas constructed and Keefe is trying to tame.

Dubas was requested for interviews after the game by various Toronto media outlets, but declined.

After 10 days away, the Leafs will have time off, a Tuesday practice and an improved Philadelphia Flyers club visiting Wednesday.

Outside Scotiabank Arena, expect little support or sympathy for the GM and coach, who needed a good start this month to cleanse memories of another spring playoff defeat.

“We’re used to dealing with noises,” Keefe said with a shrug of the rough reception that awaits.

On his own fate if the losses mount, he added: “I just want to focus on what I can do here. I have a job to do with the group and the group has responded in the past.”

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But the Leafs appear to be pinning too much on simply repeating what occurred a year ago when they won just two of their first seven, then took off to 115 points. Sunday’s setback dropped them to 4-4-2 and this is a new crew that might — or might not — consolidate.

“I still think (confidence) is very high,” alternate captain Mitch Marner said, while taking the blame for a couple of puck decisions that the Ducks capitalized on. “We started off a lot worse last year and everyone tried to put shambles in our brains. It’s outside noise, it’s big in Toronto. It’s not going to happen with us.”

Trevor Zegras’ second goal of the game beat Erik Kallgren at 2:15 of the extra period after Marner was stopped just short while left alone on John Gibson’s doorstep and tried to deke the Ducks netminder.

What would’ve been Anaheim’s go-ahead goal in the final minutes of regulation was waved off for goaltender interference, but the Leafs had plenty of chances to clinch in regulation, as well as Marner and Auston Matthews in OT.

Standards for Toronto have certainly slipped when playing a 1-6-1 team can be labelled ‘must-win’, but the result failed to take heat off Keefe and Dubas.

The Leafs are still having trouble generating goals and integrating new cast members, though two of those, Denis Malgin and Calle Jarnkrok, scored Sunday.

The Leafs just couldn’t let good, sustained effort elapse without some kind of self-inflicted wound. One was committed by Filip Kral, in his second NHL game and looking good until he tried to put a pass through Derek Grant at centre just as the middle period ended. It required Kallgren to make a breakaway save and Matthews to take a slashing call.

Toronto did turn that into its first short-handed strike of the year, a TJ Brodie stretch pass that Alex Kerfoot and Jarnkrok converted early in the third period.

Shortly thereafter, Kerfoot had a breakaway hampered enough to warrant a penalty shot, but found no room on Gibson as he came in too tight and shot wide.

Moments later, Zegras capitalized on a Marner turnover at the Anaheim blue line after being sent in for a breakaway backhand deke against Kallgren. The Leafs went with their No. 2 goalie, who, like Ilya Samsonov in Los Angeles the afternoon before, endured errors by his mates at key junctures.

Anaheim tied it 3-3 when defenceman Dmitry Kulikov poked the puck past John Tavares, circled the net and beat Kallgren on the wraparound.

The Leafs have tallied just nine goals in the past four losses.

“All losses suck,” Keefe said of the manner they frittered away Sunday’s lead. “In the second period, we looked a lot more like we can be. We’ve struggled in our own end, then you have a lot of tired people on the ice who can’t get off and it snowballs. A huge shorthanded goal to start the third, then you give them life back.”

William Nylander and Marner set up Matthews for a quick flick at 4:23, giving him two goals on the trip.

The revamped second line of Kerfoot, Tavares and Jarnkrok thought it had scored soon after, Kerfoot half-raising his stick, but the puck skittered wide of an empty net. As Kerfoot looked skyward, Jakob Silfverberg cashed in at the other end.

Toronto regained the lead before the period ended, thanks to another ad hoc line, Nick Robertson and Nylander setting up Malgin, who moved across to the right side with Nylander shifted to centre.

“We didn’t get off to a great start last year, it’s not what we’re looking for this year,” Tavares said between the L.A. and Anaheim matches. “Every game we’ve had a chance to win. Have we played to our capabilities yet? I don’t believe so.”

lhornby@postmedia.com

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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.

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Sports

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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Sports

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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