TSN SportsCentre Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who practised at Ford Performance Centre on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh.
Jake Muzzin is out indefinitely with a cervical spine injury. He will be re-evaluated in late February. It’s unclear if the veteran defenceman will be able to return to the Leafs lineup.
“It is not something you want to really mess around with,” general manager Kyle Dubas said. “Unless he is 100 per cent sure that this recovery time is going to allow it to settle and not be an issue, we have to do what is right for his long-term health. He is a father of two young children and a husband. We have to make sure we are doing right by him. As important as he is to us as a player, his health is paramount.”
“I heard about it a lot earlier than you guys, obviously,” said winger Mitch Marner, who considers Muzzin among his closest friends on the team. “When you get news like that it’s pretty emotional. It was just me and him in the room when he told me and it’s a sad thing.”
Muzzin, who will turn 34 in February, has been sidelined since colliding with Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller in Toronto’s fourth game of the season on Oct. 17.
Dubas pointed out this isn’t the first injury like this for Muzzin, who was stretchered off the ice following an awkward collision near the end of Game 2 of the 2020 bubble best-of-five playoff qualifying series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Muzzin will continue to be around the group. He’s working out in the gym and providing teammates with advice and encouragement.
“We think, because of his experience not just as a member of our team here but his experience previously winning in L.A., he can still bring a lot to our team,” said Dubas. “We are fortunate to have him and have him around.”
“He’s been awesome around the rink still,” said Marner. “He’s still bringing that positivity regardless of the news that he’s getting.”
Muzzin will go back to Los Angeles to meet with a specialist in February. It’s only at that time that the Leafs will know for sure if Muzzin is able to return.
“If we had any experience with this thing, I would stand up and give some semblance of a clear answer,” said Dubas. “Because of the nature of the injury and because we really don’t have a lot of experience with this type of injury — we are more relying on other sports that don’t replicate hockey exactly — it is hard to predict.”
In the mean time, Dubas is looking to see whether young defencemen Rasmus Sandin, 22, and Timothy Liljegren, 23, can handle more.
“Step two will be identifying — even if they elevate themselves — if it is going to be enough to help us really accomplish what we want to accomplish, and then we will evaluate the trade market and go from there,” Dubas continued. “We are not in any real hurry. We want to see what these guys bring.”
Dubas points out that Mark Giordano will help fill the leadership void. Head coach Sheldon Keefe recently revealed the team is urging the 39-year-old, who was acquired at the trade deadline last year, to speak up more.
“We now have Gio, who adds that kind of veteran stability,” Dubas said.
The trade deadline is March 3.
“As we go through the year, we will be really closely evaluating how it goes,” Dubas promised.
ContentId(1.1877933): Leafs D Muzzin out until at least February; Brodie also on IR
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T.J. Brodie will be out at least two weeks with an oblique injury. Where will the Leafs miss the defenceman most?
“It is the stability that he brings not just in how he plays but also in how he makes others better around him,” said Keefe, who dubbed the 32-year-old “Mr. Consistent” last year. “That is the biggest piece for sure.”
Brodie leads the Leafs in even-strength minutes (18:11 per game) and is tied with Justin Holl for the most short-handed minutes (3:07 per game).
“You can always depend on him defensively,” Marner noted. “He’s always in the right spot. He’s always making the right plays. He’s definitely a big piece.”
On Saturday, Brodie missed his first game since signing with the Leafs.
“I was really happy with how we managed it the other night,” Keefe said. “Jordie Benn came in and played his first game for us, we were on a back-to-back, and we had to kill some penalties late in the game with the game on the line. It was really encouraging to see how the guys responded to that. We are obviously going to need more of it.”
Benn moved up to play with Morgan Rielly while Giordano ended up with Holl, who had been playing with Brodie. Sandin and Liljegren linked up on the third pair.
ContentId(1.1878108): Leafs’ Brodie expected to miss a couple weeks with oblique injury
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Benn actually scored the winning goal against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
“That was awesome,” said Auston Matthews with a big smile. “I wasn’t expecting a d-man to be in the paint there.”
“The puck just started coming up the wall,” Benn explained. “I saw Mo start sliding so I wanted to slide in and just so happened I ended up in front of the net and popped’er in.”
It was Benn’s first goal since Jan. 24 and led to an exuberant celebration.
“It doesn’t happen too often so I didn’t really know what to do,” the ex-Canuck admitted. “But, thank God Matty came and I was like, all right, here’s a hug.”
It was a sweet moment for the 35-year-old from Victoria.
“I was a Canucks fan so it’s definitely nice to stick it to them a little bit,” he said with a grin.
Benn was getting a look with Rielly early in the pre-season when he sustained a groin injury.
“It’s frustrating, but s–t happens,” he said succinctly.
Now, Benn appears eager to make up for lost time. He landed four hits and made a key block on the penalty kill while logging more than 17 minutes against the Canucks.
“He was really good,” said Keefe. “He was really competitive. All of the things we know about him: a competitive, intelligent defender. He made some plays with the puck and moved it really well. He scored us a huge goal. Particularly when you take out a presence like Brodie, it is good to have someone like that come into our group.”
Jordie Benn on this warm-up moment with his family:
“It means everything. It’s hard to talk about just because they’re the rock of the household. Mama Bear and my kids are everything.” https://t.co/8CFsIK2nNd
Matt Murray appears ready to return from an adductor injury and is scheduled to get the start on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. It will be his first time playing at PPG Paints Arena since being traded by the Penguins to the Ottawa Senators in October of 2020.
“I always enjoy going back to Pittsburgh and seeing people that I haven’t seen in quite some time so I’ll be looking forward to that,” Murray said. “Even some of the security guys in the building and people like that. You know, guys that took care of me when I was there. Just really cool to see those kinds of people.”
Murray, who backstopped the Penguins to two Stanley Cups, received a video tribute when the Senators played in Pittsburgh in January, but the goalie was sidelined at that time. The 28-year-old did play the Penguins in February, stopping 42 of 43 shots in a Senators loss.
“They’re just a dangerous group so being on the other side of it for the first time was definitely strange,” he recalled.
Murray tore his groin during a morning skate on Oct. 15 before he was set to make his second start with the Leafs.
The Thunder Bay, Ont., native has now gone through three full practices since the injury.
“To have him back healthy and to give him an opportunity to get back in the net and get rolling is important for us,” said Keefe. “It is really good to see that he has come back on the early side of his timeline. It was kind of a four-to-six week type of deal. He put in a lot of hard work. The medical team took care of him and pushed him hard. He looks very much ready. We have given him a few extra days here and the addition of this practice to add to his workload so that he is all the more prepared. We are making sure that he is 100 per cent. When I say 100 per cent, there is the physical part of it with the injury, and then there is getting in the net, stopping pucks, getting into your routine, and feeling confident that you can go and perform at your best.”
Murray allowed four goals on 23 shots in a season-opening loss in Montreal.
ContentId(1.1878109): Murray poised to play in Pittsburgh for first time since trade
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Ilya Samsonov took part in his first practice since hurting his knee on Nov. 5.
“I haven’t had an update since we left the practice, but the amount of work he did today tells me he is feeling really good,” said Keefe. “I know they were going to start off the day feeling it out and making sure they’re not progressing too quickly, but we expected him to take a step today from what he has been doing on the ice. He looked like he did that and then some. It is very encouraging and great to see both guys [Murray and Samsonov] out on the ice working together.”
Erik Kallgren and Keith Petruzzelli, who was signed to an entry-level contract after Samsonov got hurt, also took part in practice.
“The goaltending depth and defence depth have both been tested here,” acknowledged Dubas. “The goaltending one severely with Matt, Ilya, and Joseph Woll all out.”
Woll has been sidelined since undergoing off-season shoulder surgery.
“He had a bit of a setback with the shoulder,” Dubas revealed. “In his recovery, he sustained a bit of an ankle injury. He is slated to participate tomorrow with the Marlies in full practice. To me, that is a positive sign. With what he is coming back from, we just need to continue to be patient. We are hopeful that in the next two or three weeks, he can be back up to full practices, get cleared, and get rolling again as well.”
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For the first time this season, Matthews and Marner started Saturday’s game on separate lines. Matthews played between Michael Bunting and William Nylander while Marner joined Alex Kerfoot and John Tavares. And that’s how Toronto’s top six will look when Tuesday’s game starts.
“We think it makes sense to continue with it for a little bit here,” Keefe said.
“I’m really comfortable with Willy,” said Matthews, who has only scored two goals in 5-on-5 play this season. “We have really good chemistry. Even though we don’t play a whole lot together other than the power play nowadays I think we still kind of understand each other’s game and know where we want to be out there and how we want to play. We really utilized each other and generated some good chances.”
The reviews were more mixed for Tavares and Marner.
“I still think we can generate a little more, make it a little tougher on the opponent,” Tavares said. “But, certainly, two guys I’m very familiar with and played with a lot in my time here. I thought Kerf found me a few times for some nice looks so keep building on that.”
Tavares scored a career-high 47 goals while playing alongside Marner during his first season in Toronto.
“Our games do mesh well,” said Tavares. “Obviously, we played that whole year together and had a lot of success and have had periods here and there since then and still play a good amount of time on the power play. Obviously, have a really good feel for his game. I think he has a good feel for my game. So, don’t need to go out there and force the issue and do too much.”
How does Marner’s outlook change?
“For me, it’s trying to find my way through the neutral zone with the puck a little more maybe and trying to find speed off the rush and try to find him in spots where he’s coming in later or going back side and stuff like that,” he said.
Keefe split up Matthews and Marner for a 10-game stretch early last season following a slow start by the team. Tavares also played with Marner when Matthews missed nine games due to injury.
The Leafs sat in a tie for 23rd in 5-on-5 goals this season entering Monday’s games.
ContentId(1.1878110): Leafs Ice Chips: Matthews, Marner remain split up
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The Leafs have yet to live up to their own lofty expectations so far, but Dubas isn’t worried.
“It may come off as strange, but in my role with the team, I personally think going through these types of things — whether it is injury or poor play that results in some consternation about where we are at — is a very positive thing,” he said. “You learn a lot about the people you are with day in and day out. You learn who can handle it and who may not be able to.”
The noise in the market got ratcheted up after the team went winless over four games in Las Vegas and California at the end of October.
“Coming back off of that Western road trip where we did not play well, I thought our guys did an excellent job here the whole week at home in getting ready to roll and putting together a really good week,” Dubas noted. “Last week, on the [Sunday in Carolina] going into the second period, we are down again. Rather than let that start to snowball, they dug in and found their way. That, to me, is very encouraging. If you look around the league, it is so close right now. There are maybe three or four teams that would be really happy with the way they have started unequivocally. The others have been a bit up and down.”
The Leafs still sit second in the Atlantic Division, but are only two points up on Tampa Bay, Florida, Detroit and Montreal.
Dubas credits Keefe for navigating the team through this early-season turbulence.
“Everything is done with a purpose,” Dubas stressed. “There is never anything about him that isn’t purposeful. In my time knowing him and working with him, when things are not necessarily perfect, he finds a way to be at his best and get the most out of the group. The thing for me about Sheldon that has been most encouraging in working with him, even as we have gone through this season where we have had stretches where we haven’t played as well: The group responds to him.”
On Friday night, Keefe coached his 200th game behind the Leafs bench. On Nov. 20, he will mark his third anniversary in the job.
“He is always adapting and trying to change the way he does things to make sure he is always getting through to the group,” Dubas said.
ContentId(1.1878121): Dubas gives vote of confidence to Keefe and team
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.
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.
