TSN reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on Team Canada. The team skated at the practice rink at the Ostravar Arena on Friday.
With Canada down 2-0 in the first period on Boxing Day, Alexis Lafreniere looked to spark a comeback. But before he exploded for three assists and an incredible game-winning goal, the 18-year-old landed a couple big checks on the American top defensive pair of Mattias Samuelsson and Jordan Harris.
“I didn’t really realize it,” said smiling Ottawa defenceman Kevin Bahl. “I thought he was all skill, but he loves to throw around the body and I absolutely love that. I saw him just going full speed after that guy, dummied him and thought I better get a hit and I saw that guy coming down the wall.”
Moments later the 6-foot-7 Bahl delivered a bone-crushing blow on American forward Bobby Brink and it was game on in Ostrava.
“Early in the game the U.S. had a lot of the momentum,” said Flint centre Ty Dellandrea, “and we had a couple big hits all on the same shift and that turned the tide.”
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“I always try to bring some physicality in my game,” said Lafreniere, who stands 6-foot-1, 194 pounds. “It’s something I want to improve. Getting involved physically is always good. A couple good hits and it helped me just start to be in the game a little bit more.”
Lafreniere got himself going and the team going and then the Rimouski left winger, the consensus top pick in the next NHL entry draft, saved the day, striking back seven seconds after the Americans had tied things.
“Something else,” said captain Barrett Hayton of the game-winning goal. “I mean, you see his speed off the faceoff, he jumps through and bats that puck down. Not many guys are going to do that. That was a pretty flat pass by the American guy (K’Andre Miller). Just unbelievable hand-eye.”
But Lafreniere wasn’t done. He finished what he started by setting up Dellandrea for the empty-net goal.
“It’s incredible,” Dellandrea gushed. “Everything about him, it’s fun to watch. He’s skilled, but he’s also all over the puck, hunting and I think he showed last night that he can play an all-around game. He was on in the last minute and made that pass for the empty-netter and shutting down to finish the game. I think he can do everything.”
“He’s a gamer,” said assistant coach Andre Tourigny. “He’s a money player. He’s a competitor. He wants to win every battle and he’s the same in practice. He has a long stick and he’s always in it and stays on puck, that’s what I like about him and last year at U18 it was the same. He never quits. He’s relentless. He’s a great player for us.”
‘He can do everything’: Lafrenière sets the tone with physical play
Touted as the projected No. 1 pick at the 2020 NHL draft for some time, Alexis Lafrenière showed up and absolutely dominated on the ice against the Americans on Boxing Day. ‘I thought he was just all skill, but he loves to throw around the body’ remarked teammate Kevin Bahl, ‘I absolutely love that’.
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Quinton Byfield, the consensus No. 2 pick behind Lafreniere, had a relatively quiet debut at the World Juniors, failing to register a shot in 11:40 of ice time while also picking up a penalty.
“Those first couple shifts you’re a bit nervous,” he admitted. “I tried to play my best, play my hardest, didn’t have too much of a big impact on the game, but my team played exceptional. Laffy played really well. I’m just a guy hoping for the wins here and any way they come I’m good with that.”
But Team Canada may need the 17-year-old, who’s playing in the top six on a line with Hayton and Dylan Cozens, to be a factor down the road. And, with that in mind, Byfield is hoping to take a page out of his draft rival’s playbook.
“I’m still probably looking for more from myself,” Byfield said. “I definitely could be more physical, hitting a lot more people with my big body. Yeah, I definitely could have a lot more on the table.”
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Byfield is Canada’s heaviest forward and wants to use that to his advantage.
“It definitely adds another level to your game,” he said of physical play, “creates separation, people might not want to come as close to you because they know your physical and stuff like that.”
After picking up a point in 27 of 30 OHL games this season, Byfield has now been held pointless in three straight outings with Team Canada, including the two pre-tournament games.
Byfield on quiet WJC debut: ‘I’m still looking for more from myself’
Quinton Byfield got his first taste of World Juniors action on Boxing Day against USA, however he feels like he has much more to offer the team. Teammate Alexis Lafrenière gave his advice to Byfield telling him to ‘just enjoy it and have fun, it goes by pretty fast’.
—- After allowing three power-play goals on Thursday, Team Canada dedicated a good chunk of practice to special teams work. Tourigny, who oversees that unit, struck an urgent tone on and off the ice.
“The way the Russians play, they play really low on their power play. They have four guys really low, so we want to make sure we cut seams and stuff like that,” Tourigny said.
The penalty kill looked fine in the pre-tournament games, but didn’t get a lot of work with Canada only shorthanded twice.
“Maybe we were just thinking too much,” said Dellandrea. “We have a lot of stuff we want to hit on when we’re on the PK and sometimes it gets confusing just running around thinking about a bunch of things at once. (Tourigny) talked a lot about practising it today so we don’t have to think so much when we’re out there tomorrow. So he wants to keep it simple and cover all the spots we need.”
TSN senior hockey reporter Frank Seravalli has more on Canada’s penalty kill here: —-
The Boxing Day showdown with the Americans wasn’t just the World Juniors debut for Nico Daws, but also his first ever game for Canada at an international competition.
“Definitely special,” the Guelph goalie said. “Putting on that jersey, hearing the fans cheer for you, it’s something I’ll never forget.”
Daws stopped 28 of 32 shots and settled down nicely after Canada fell behind in the first period.
“A little bit shaky, obviously, first game, a lot of nerves,” the 19-year-old said, “especially against a good team like that, that scored some good goals and probably one or two I’d like back. But, overall, I’m pretty happy with the way I played.”
In the immediate aftermath of Thursday’s win, Dale Hunter wouldn’t commit to starting Daws against Russia, but the coach spoke positively about the Burlington, Ont. native.
“He was solid,” Hunter said. “Remember, these are the elite shooters of this age group, so it’s a little different than your club team where you have a couple elite shooters. Everyone on that team can score and they’re a good offensive team.”
The only even-strength goal allowed by Daws came off the stick of Leafs prospect Nick Robertson, who used defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker as a screen.
“Coming over, pulling it through and around and through the legs and it’s just a great shot,” said Hunter, “and that makes it tough on goalies.”
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.
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.
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.
