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Pressure on Marner to be a ‘driver’ for Maple Leafs with series in doubt – Sportsnet.ca

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4 years ago

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TORONTO – Don’t check your mentions.

If your name is Mitchell Marner, that advice came in handy last August when he was engaged in some tense contract negotiations — and it would be best to heed it again.

With great paycheques come great responsibility. And, possibly, even greater scrutiny.

Leafs Nation loves a whipping boy.

So, in losing 2-0 to the stingy Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday — a game played tighter than the security around the Royal York, and one that could’ve gone either way — Toronto’s fans, forever frustrated, scanned for scapegoats.

Auston Matthews was the busiest and most dangerous Leaf on the ice, so he was in the clear.

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Some picked Frederik Andersen, who made every save but one and is again on pace to be the second-best goaltender in an elimination set. Others piled on an easy punching bag like Cody Ceci, whose pairing with Morgan Rielly got caved in to the tune of a 28 CF% in 14 minutes of even-strength action.

But many of the most vicious voices turned on the ineffective Marner, who failed to register a shot on net or create any of the magic that earned him a league-best $16 million this season.

Toronto’s newly formed second line of Ilya Mikheyev–John Tavares–Marner was the buzz of reset camp and, in this series, has the perceived benefit of avoiding Columbus’s dreaded Zach Werenski–Seth Jones combo, arguably the top defensive pairing in the sport.

Yet despite 20-plus minutes of ice and some positive offensive-zone shifts early in Game 1, Marner and Tavares never built on that jump and each finished minus-2 with hardly a high-grade scoring chance to lose sleep over.

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“They’ve got a tough matchup there, too, right? (Vladislav) Gavrikov and (David) Savard are tough defenders just the same,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, shielding his big guns from criticism.

“It’s a tough matchup for them. We need to get a little bit more from them, but we need more from everybody.”

The Jackets’ M.O. is to clutter middle ice and take away lanes like traffic cones. They’ve been instructed not to fall prey to Marner’s knack for luring defenders toward him, then creating opportunity within that vacated space.

Thus, the onus falls on Marner and Tavares to either dismantle John Tortorella’s system or fight right through it. That’s the expensive bet GM Kyle Dubas has made here.

To be clear, one invisible game does not mean Marner is a player who Houdinis when the going gets tough.

In fact, since Marner jumped to the show, no member of the Maple Leafs has more points (17), even-strength points (10) or game-winning goals (two) in the post-season.

But this week’s runway is shorter than Nathan Gerbe in street shoes.

Way back when the NHL held best-of-five playoff series, the team that won Game 1 would go on to eliminate their opponent 82 per cent of the time.

Marner and the Leafs must draw more penalties, create more paths to strike, and bring the sweet sounds of Hall & Oates back to Scotiabank Arena.

“We’ll look closer at it, and we’ll find ways that we can capitalize a little bit more on our opportunities,” Keefe said.

Marner needs to be a central figure in those efforts.

“Just trying to get the rhythm of it as quick as we can,” Marner said.

Whether it was last autumn’s contractual tussle, November’s fluke ankle injury, or a rotating set of linemates, the consistency of Marner’s performance did not reach 2018-19’s high bar.

“Despite that, Mitch had an excellent year,” Dubas said from the bubble. “What I’ve seen from Mitch has been — especially in the last number of months since the lockdown started — just the great ability for him to continue to take more and more ownership of his career.

“He’s always got that gregarious and infectious way about him that brings great energy to the rink. And now you’re starting to see that go from a boyish sort of energy and enthusiasm to really mature, and he’s still the same in terms of the spirit that he brings to the rink every day.”

Absolutely, Columbus’s diligence is a major reason for Marner’s ineffectiveness through 60 minutes. Scrimmage time is over.

As is the case with Andersen or Tavares, Nylander or Rielly, a single Leaf shouldn’t absorb all blame.

And yet, for this core, this is playoff attempt number four.

Toronto must now win three of four. To do so, Marner must be among those who rises to the challenge, no matter how tough the matchup.

“He’s at the end of his fourth year in the league and [there’s] just a greater sense of urgency in the fact that realizing this is a very good team,” Dubas said.

“And if we’re going to go from being very good to great, he’s going to have to be one of the drivers of it.”

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PWHL MVP Spooner set to miss start of season for Toronto Sceptres due to knee injury

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November 12, 2024

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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.

The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.

She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.

Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.

Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.

The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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4 days ago

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November 8, 2024

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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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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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.

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