Sports

First-day teams take goalie decisions for Qualifiers down to wire

Published

4 years ago

August 1, 2020

“As far as the goaltender … there’s an old hockey movie called ‘Slap Shot,’ where somebody walks up to Paul Newman and asks him how his power play is,” Edmonton Oilers coach Dave Tippett said Friday. “And all he said was, ‘We’re working on it.’

“That’s my answer for the goaltenders: We’re working on it.”

New York Rangers coach David Quinn is among those still working on it, saying he would wait until game time to announce which of his three goalies would start Game 1 of the best-of-5 series against the Carolina Hurricanes at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (Noon ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV, SN, TVAS, FS-CR, MSG).

Igor Shesterkin allowed one goal on seven shots playing the first half of the Rangers’ 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders in an exhibition game Wednesday. Henrik Lundqvist played the second half and made 14 saves on 15 shots. Alexandar Georgiev was scratched.

Shesterkin is a 24-year-old rookie with 12 games of NHL experience who had a .932 save percentage this season. Lundqvist is second to Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights among active NHL goalies in playoff starts (140-128) and wins (78-61). The 38-year-old also helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. Georgiev had a .910 save percentage in 34 games this season but has never played in the NHL postseason.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour was unwilling to announce whether Petr Mrazek or James Reimer would start Saturday, in part because he hadn’t told the goalies prior to his media session Friday.

“I definitely have a plan but I don’t want to say it now when I haven’t told them,” Brind’Amour said. “I envision that both guys will probably get action here with the amount of games and how short a time frame there is between games. I think we’ll probably get both guys in there. I’m glad both guys look really good and feel good about their game, so we’re good either way.”

Mrazek allowed three goals on 16 shots playing the first half of the Hurricanes’ 3-2 exhibition loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, and Reimer made nine saves. Mrazek had a 2.69 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage in 40 games (38 starts) this season; Reimer had a 2.66 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 25 games (24 starts).

Calgary Flames coach Geoff Ward said he knows who their Game 1 starter will be against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place in Edmonton (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV, CBC, SN), but also did not reveal it. The Jets are expected to start Connor Hellebuyck.

Cam Talbot allowed two goals on 21 shots playing the first half of the Flames’ 4-1 exhibition loss to the Oilers on Wednesday, and David Rittich allowed two goals on nine shots.

Rittich had most of the work early in the season, starting 32 of the Flames’ first 42 games, but after the break for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, Rittich made 12 starts to Talbot’s eight.

“I’m not willing to divulge mostly because I haven’t told the guys yet,” Ward said. “We have a practice coming up shortly. I’ll be meeting with them after practice at some point, but we have made a decision.”

Islanders coach Barry Trotz would go as far as confirming that his team would have someone standing in the net when the puck drops for Game 1 against the Florida Panthers in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city (4 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV, SN1, TVAS, MSG+, FS-F). Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start for the Panthers.

“We will have a goaltender, correct,” Trotz said.

Semyon Varlamov made 19 saves in two periods against the Rangers on Wednesday. Thomas Greiss allowed one goal on eight shots in the third.

Varlamov and Greiss alternated starts for the first 33 games of the regular season. Varlamov had a 2.62 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 45 games (39 starts) and Greiss had a 2.74 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 31 games (29 starts).

Greiss had a .944 save percentage in six games against the Panthers during the 2016 Eastern Conference First Round then an .890 save percentage in the second round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Varlamov hasn’t played in the NHL postseason since 2014 with the Colorado Avalanche.

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan also was waiting one more day to announce whether Matt Murray or Tristan Jarry would start Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens in Toronto (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS). It’s expected Montreal will start Carey Price.

Murray allowed two goals on 12 shots playing the first half of a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. Jarry allowed one goal on 10 shots.

Jarry said the unknown hasn’t affected his approach, with the series winners advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“It’s just taking it day by day, making sure our practice habits are staying where they need to be,” he said. “For Matt and I, I think it’s just preparing like we both would be playing, and whoever gets the call on Saturday, we’ll be ready.”

Murray has more experience, helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, but he had an .899 save percentage and a 2.87 GAA in 38 games (38 starts) this season. Jarry had a 2.43 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 33 games (31 starts).

“We’re fortunate to have both of these guys,” Sullivan said. “They’re both capable of being real good goaltenders and helping us win.”

The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t announced if their two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie, Corey Crawford, will start Game 1 against the Oilers in Edmonton, the Western Conference hub city (3 p.m. ET; NBC, SN), but Crawford said he felt good after making 11 saves playing the first half of a 4-0 exhibition win against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Malcolm Subban made 10 saves.

Crawford practiced once during training camp after testing positive for COVID-19.

“I should be ready to go, unless something crazy happens last minute,” he said Thursday. “I should be all right.”

Tippett and his staff still are working on if Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen would start Game 1 for Edmonton. Koskinen made 17 saves playing the first half of the 4-1 exhibition win against the Flames. Smith allowed one goal on 20 shots.

They split play during the season; Smith had a .902 save percentage in 39 games (37 starts), and Koskinen had a .917 save percentage in 38 games (34 starts).

Skaters around the NHL said that whoever their coach chose, they would be behind that goalie.

“The thing with our two goalies is, no matter who goes in there, we have so much confidence in them,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “At this point we’ve played over 70 games, so when either guy goes in there you know what to expect. They’re both really, really good goaltenders that we’re fortunate to have.”

Source: nhl-com

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Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

Published

7 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

7 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

7 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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