Sheldon Keefe on Calle Jarnkrok’s two-goal performance in the Maple Leafs’ shootout win over Ottawa: "Auston felt strongly about continuing with him on his line as well… [Jarnkrok] has been terrific"
Sheldon Keefe addressed the media after his team’s 5-4 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators which improved the Leafs’ record to 42-18-9.
On his feeling on the bench during the long shootout:
I don’t know. I was just ready to go home.
On whether there is a plan for the order of the shooters:
When you get that deep, not really. It is more just based on feel.
On the team finding a way to win despite a slow start through 25 minutes:
In the first five minutes of the second period, they came really hard at us. I thought our guys did a good job of staying with it. The pace was really high tonight.
Credit to Ottawa. They came out really hard. They shot the puck from everywhere. They had us on our heels.
At about the five-minute mark of the second period, I thought our guys really found their game and kind of settled in. Obviously, we built ourselves a lead and put ourselves in a good spot.
I liked a lot about our third period — a lot about it. I thought we defended well. Just one slot shot against at even-strength, but it was a big one that we gave up and it allowed them to get that 4-3 goal.
We took penalties that put us in a bad spot. It was a back-to-back against a desperate team on the other side on the road. To get four points out of four here is good for our team.
On whether it is a confidence-building win for Matt Murray:
I am sure it is going to do a lot for his confidence. He was busy. We had been talking about how he hasn’t been busy enough in terms of the workload. Even in the games he has played of late, I think he has done a good job.
He hasn’t gotten enough of the perimeter type of shots to really get engaged in a game with a proper workload and to inflate his numbers at the same time. It was probably good for that.
Somebody in the building here… He must have been nice to someone because he got about 10 bonus saves out of this one tonight. No question, they threw a lot at him. There was a lot of traffic at the same time. He handled it very well.
On whether he was aware in real-time of the offside on the initial 4-4 tying goal:
In real-time, I wasn’t, but the guys in the back — Jordan Bean — were all over it. It was communicated to Manny that we wanted to buy a second to be sure. It didn’t take long before we were certain.
On Calle Jarnkrok’s performance:
Just outstanding. To me, he has been great all season, but it seems like it has gone to another level.
He has moved around and played with different people throughout the season in different positions. He hasn’t spent a lot of time with Auston. It is something we wanted to get a look at.
He has been terrific both in his own play and in what he has generated but also in how he has facilitated for his linemates — Auston, in particular. It was something we wanted to continue with today.
Auston felt strongly about continuing with it as well. Both of those guys were terrific and were rewarded for it.
On whether it is difficult managing the rotation with so many defensemen healthy and available:
To be honest, we have had discussions with all of our defense leading into this weekend and just going down the stretch. There are going to be times when guys are going to get time off whether it is bumps and bruises and rest or workload.
Guys are going to be coming out to give them some time. While we are healthy here, we want to keep everybody involved.
The work was done in advance of that. The guys took it really well. Gustafsson, to me, was coming off of his best game last night. The plan going in was to have him come out today. We decided to stay with it. It was tough because he played well.
We have had the conversation with all of our D that situations like this will come up.
On the performances of Bobby McMann and Wayne Simmonds in very limited ice time:
Wayne gave us a ton of energy. He was very physical. I thought he did a good job. He hadn’t played in a long time. This game was flying at 100 miles an hour. He did a good job.
Bobby — same thing. Not a lot of ice, but I thought he skated. He had a couple of good contacts and got into a couple of good spots. He had one grade-A scoring chance. Will did a really good job to set him up. It didn’t go in for him, but the fact that he is putting himself in that spot is good.
To that end, I liked what we got from those guys.
On Noel Acciari’s status after the injury on Friday night:
I was told he had a good day today. We will see exactly what that means when we get back. We have a day off tomorrow. We will be back in on Monday to see where he is at.
I was told that it was a positive today. He was working out and exercising. He hasn’t been diagnosed with a concussion or anything like that. Positive news there.
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.
Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.
New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.
Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.
Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.
He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.
Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.
The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.
The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.
As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.
Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.
The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.
“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.
“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.
With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.
The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.
But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.
Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.
Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.
