Sports

Erik Kallgren comes up big for the Maple Leafs against one of the NHL’s best teams

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2022

Goaltender Erik Kallgren #50 of the Toronto Maple Leafs stops a shot by Teuvo Teravainen #86 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., on Nov. 6.Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Well now, that was a surprise.

Pressed into the starter’s role by an injury to Ilya Samsonov, Erik Kallgren came up big for the Maple Leafs in an unexpected 3-1 road victory on Sunday in Raleigh, N.C., over the Hurricanes.

Kallgren, Toronto’s No. 3 goalie, had 29 saves against one of the NHL’s best teams in his first win in four starts. In the three previous three, he lost to three of the league’s worst outfits.

“He battled all the way through there,” said Mitch Marner, Toronto’s right wing. Marner had an assist on the winning goal by John Tavares in the third period and now has points in 11 of 13 games. “It was a great game by him and the rest of the team.

“It’s big.”

The triumph was the Maple Leafs’ third in a row after four successive losses on the road. They return to Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday to meet the Vegas Golden Knights, who at 10-2 have the NHL’s best record. Toronto improved to 7-4-2.

In the near term, Kallgren is likely to see more action than expected after Samsonov hurt his knee during the second period on Saturday night in a 2-1 victory over the visiting Boston Bruins. Samsonov did not return for the third period and Kallgren came in and made seven stops to get the save.

Samsonov was to undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the damage but will miss at least a week.

Samsonov had taken over the No. 1 job after Matt Murray strained an adductor on Oct. 15. He is expected to skate with teammates for the first time on Tuesday but is not yet ready to play.

Late Saturday, Toronto signed Keith Petruzzelli to a two-year entry-level contract to serve as Kallgren’s backup temporarily. Petruzzelli was 6-0 with the AHL Marlies with a .922 save percentage. He played for the Newfoundland Growlers of the East Coast League last year.

Petruzzelli would have probably been the No. 2 goalie for the Marlies if not for an injury to starter Joseph Woll. The latter, who won three of four starts for the Maple Leafs last year, had shoulder surgery and is yet to play this season.

“Not many teams in the league are going to have three goalies injured in their system and feel comfortable about it,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said after the win over the Bruins. “But that is the reality we have here right now.”

Since entering in the third period on Saturday, Kallgren has turned away 36 of 37 shots.

We’ve seen the Leafs have shaky starts before, but something this year feels different

He started badly against Carolina, allowing a shot by Stefan Noesen to squeeze past him on a power play with 11:49 to go in the first period. After that, he was rock solid.

“I’m obviously happy with the results these last two days,” Kallgren said. “You just have to keep working and days like this will come.”

Kallgren won a duel with Frederik Andersen, the Carolina netminder who tended goal for Toronto for five years. Anderson had 18 saves in 21 attempts against him. The Hurricanes, who had won four in a row, fell to 8-3-1.

Toronto had just four shots in the first period and again in the third. It started slowly in the second as well, putting only four pucks on the net over the first eight minutes but then poured it on.

Andersen, who won 149 of 268 starts with the Maple Leafs, turned away dangerous charges by Pierre Engvall and Alexander Kerfoot. The steady pressure was rewarded, though, when Calle Jarnkrok unleashed a hard wrist shot from the high slot and it beat Andersen to the corner of the net with 90 seconds left.

It was Jarnkrok’s third of the year.

As Kallgren frustrated the opponent, Toronto kept chipping away.

Tavares put the Maple Leafs ahead for good with 11:36 left off a pretty pass from Marner. It was the 399th goal of the captain’s career and his team-leading eight of the campaign. Then William Nylander scored an insurance goal on a brilliant rush with 3:35 to play.

The right winger chased down a loose puck, got it away from Carolina defenceman Jaccob Slavin and poked it by Andersen. It was Nylander’s fifth goal of the season.

Also notable was forward Denis Malgin, who took five shots and drew a slashing penalty in an energetic performance. Between them, Marner and Auston Matthews did not register a single shot and Tavares scored on the only shot he took.

After a topsy-turvy beginning, Toronto has righted itself but still has tough challenges ahead. After the game against Vegas, it plays Pittsburgh on Friday and Vancouver on Saturday, all on home ice.

Just a week ago the team returned from a 1-2-2 road trip and appeared to be on the verge of a crisis. A good win over Boston, and a victory over Carolina in a game that had “loss” written all over it, have changed that picture.

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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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AP cricket:

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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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