The Edmonton Oilers gutted out a few 4-2 win over division rival Los Angeles.
Stuart Skinner came up big in net, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman were explosive on offence and Evan Bouchard made a few brilliant attacking plays to lead Edmonton.
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In total, Edmonton had 13 Grade A shots, eight for the Kings, with the subset of 5-alarm shots seven for the Oilers, four for Los Angeles.
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Connor McDavid, 7. Two assists. He continued his brilliant run of assists, slicing over the puck to Zach Hyman late in the first for a one-timer goal. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strenth: +3/-2; Special Teams +0/-0.
Leon Draisaitl, 8. His best game in some time. One goal, one assist. He got the game’s first Grade A, tipping a slap pass from Bouchard. He got Edmonton’s second goal in similar fashion on the power play, tipping in Bouchard’s outside wrister. Two great plays leading up to Bouchard’s early third period goal, first winning a board battle to key a rush, then setting up Bouch’s harpoon. He barged in for a couple third period Grade As. GAS: +7/-1; ST +1/-0.
Zach Hyman, 9. Edmonton’s difference maker in this one. In the middle of most good moments. In one of Edmonton’s first bursts of life, he puck protected into the slot and slammed a backhander off the post. A moment later he harpooned in Edmonton’s first goal. He almost jammed in McD’s wrap-around rebound in the second. His hustle drew a penalty late in the second and the Oil cashed in on the PP. Excellent screen on Bouchard’s early third period goal. A moment later he dug out the puck for a wicked Drai slot shot. GAS: +5/-1; ST +0/-0.
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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 6. For much of the game, until’s RNH’s brilliant rush and insurance goal, his line sawed it off in a quiet fashion, getting little done on the attack but giving up nothing much in its own zone. RNH won a key faceoff leading to a zone clearance on the 5-on-3, but then he and Ceci were too aggressive, allowing Kempe in for a 5-alarm rip a moment later, then allowed a dangerous pass and slot shot, typical of Edmonton’s over-aggression on the PK of late. GAS: +1/-0; ST +0/-3.
Evander Kane, 5. Had a good hit but not much else. GAS: +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
Mattias Janmark, 7. He had earned a promotion to the second line by standing up for McDavid against the Flames and played his usual solid defence. Nice kicked pass on the RNH goal. GAS: +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Ryan McLeod, 6. Some fine moments but no cigar. He failed to drain a deep slot shot in the second, as well as a wide-open breakaway shot early in the third. GAS: +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Warren Foegele, 7. Strong work. His hustle on the forecheck led to a McLeod’s 5-alarm shot in the second, then he made a sweet pass to set up McLeod’s breakaway early in the third. GAS: +2/-0; ST +0/-0.
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Corey Perry, 5. Won his share of battles, drawing a penalty in the third. GAS: +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Derek Ryan, 4. He was late to the rebound off the end boards on the first goal against, but was otherwise fine. GAS: +0/-1; ST +0/-0.
Dylan Holloway, 5. Looked good in a limited role. He got bumped up to the RNH line for a shift in the second and brought some needed skill and speed. GAS: +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
Connor Brown, 6. Quiet game, save for one brilliant pass to set up RNH. GAS: +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Darnell Nurse, 4. Started out with some iffy hockey, got stronger. He and his partner Cody Ceci have struggled mightily for more than a month and that continued early on, as both allowed the pass through the low slot on L.A.’s first goal, neither player taking the shooter. GAS: +0/-2; ST +0/-0.
Cody Ceci, 4. As weak as Nurse on the first goal against. He was also caught out on Kempe’s second period PP 5-alarmer. But helped shut down Kings down the stretch. He played just 17:55. GAS: +0/-2; ST +0/-2.
Mattias Ekholm, 7. Another big game from Edmonton’s best d-man. He made a great move sliding into the slot and almost scored late in the second. GAS: +1/-1; ST +0/-0.
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Evan Bouchard, 7. Excellent game except for one hideous blemish. One goal, one assist. He moved the puck well early on and made a key pinch, kicking off the Virtuous Cycle on Edmonton’s first goal. But he made perhaps the lamest defensive mistake on the season, getting beat cleanly at the Oilers blueline with a weird fly-by that took him right out of the play. He redeemed himself a bit with an outside wrister on the power play that Drai tipped in net. He ripped a slot shot off a McD pass early in the third, then a moment later scored on his fearsome bomb of a shot. GAS: +4/-1; ST +1/-0.
Vincent Desharnais, 7. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against. He made a solid attacking play early on, moving down the boards and throwing the puck into the slot. GAS: +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
Brett Kulak, 7. Good game, smart on the puck, smart without it. GAS: +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Stuart Skinner, 8. Not much chance on the first goal against, a defensive SNAFU, or on the second, which was FUBAR. He made a massive save off of Kemp on the second period 5-on-3. Was solid otherwise and made a few huge stops. He faced 40 shots, just eight Grade As but made no major mistakes.
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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:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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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