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Canadiens’ Max Domi has chance to prove himself in season’s final weeks – Sportsnet.ca

Published

5 years ago

February 26, 2020

MONTREAL — Max Domi flew out of the gate, stormed into the offensive zone, knocked Quinn Hughes over and generated the first scoring chance of a game his Montreal Canadiens eventually lost 4-3 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks.

It was Domi who set up the game’s first goal for Paul Byron, Domi who set up the goal for Jordan Weal to put the Canadiens up 3-2 in the first minute of the third period, and yes, it was Domi who spent the last minute and thirty-five seconds of his 18:14 of ice-time trying to defend against the goal Tyler Toffoli scored to win the game for the Canucks.

We’re not glossing over that last part. Both Domi and Byron, and defenceman Jeff Petry, had chances to get the puck out of Montreal’s end and get themselves off the ice, but they failed and it cost the Canadiens yet another point in the standings. But the point (no pun intend) is Domi was a factor in every part of this game just like he was in a 3-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and, to a slightly lesser degree, in a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals late last week, and that’s important in the big picture.

Why, you may ask? Because these final 18 games of the season are proving ground for everyone, and Domi has much incentive — outside of his drive to perform for a new contract — to show that he can be every bit the player that scored 28 goals and 72 points in his first season with the team, and less so the player who’s struggled to be consistent this year.

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He started with 10 points in his first 10 games, followed it up with just one goal and two assists over his next 10, and then he went point-less in 10 of his next 13 games before rattling off points in nine straight. And coming into this game, Domi had scored four points in his last four games after he went five games without a point for a second time this season.

Last season, after Domi was traded to the Canadiens from the Arizona Coyotes for Alex Galchenyuk, the Winnipeg native was the model of consistency — never going more than three games without a point.

But it wasn’t just his scoring that was consistent, it was his engagement. And even if it was expected he’d dip in both departments after never producing more than 18 goals and 52 points in his three other seasons that preceded last year’s breakout, it wasn’t expected he’d drop to the level he has at points this year.

Now it’s crucial for Domi to continue on the path he’s currently on, because as Byron put it, “In seasons like this, where they don’t always go as planned, you want to be part of the solution going forward. You want to show that you can be part of the team and build on something.”

There’s also this point Byron made that really resonates: “If we can get our young guys to keep raising their level, keep growing, I think our team has a bright future.”

That was after he labeled Domi a young player.

Byron was right to do so, because Domi is just 24 and still on the upswing of his career. He was also right with what he was saying in general, because this team isn’t going to get to where it wants to go without players like Domi taking their game up a level and keeping it there. And it’s the games played at this time of the year, games against teams who appear destined for the playoffs, which provide the best opportunities for players to prove they can do that.

“The league tightens, penalties are called less, checking’s a little harder, each goal’s so important,” Byron said. “So I think it’s valuable experience for young guys to learn from and I think they’ve been doing a great job this year and I think they’re just going to continue to get better.”

That process for Domi, who has 15 goals and 42 points in 65 games, is vital.

It will be just as vital to the Canadiens, whether Domi stays with them or is used to acquire a piece through trade that addresses other needs they have.

The fact that there’s a spot for Domi at centre right now, with Jesperi Kotkaniemi plying his trade in the American Hockey League and Nate Thompson traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, can only help. With his skating being his best asset, the moves to wing for portions of the season have left him stagnant, which is not uncommon for natural centremen. Even ones who have played wing at various points throughout their careers.

“You’re just not getting as many puck touches (on the wing), and as a centreman you’re coming from behind the play and you can kind of see everything whereas as a winger you’ve got guys behind you,” said Weal, a converted winger who played his entire minor-league career and 503 junior and AHL games combined as a centre before breaking through to the NHL five seasons ago. “You’ve got guys in front of you, so you have to worry about both. As a centre, you’re coming from so low that you can see everything in front of you.”

It’s as a centre that Domi has proven to be at his most effective with Montreal, but his future there with this team is in doubt with Kotkaniemi developing, Nick Suzuki moving above him in the lineup and Phillip Danault being the most versatile Canadien at the position.

Domi can’t control any of that, but he can control how he approaches each game from here to the end of the season. And it’ll be a considerable development for both him and the Canadiens if he brings what he did for most of this game against the Canucks.

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Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

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5 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

Published

5 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Stampeders return to Maier at QB eyeing chance to get on track against Alouettes

Published

5 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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