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What we learned from the Flyers’ 5-3 Game 5 loss to the Canadiens – Broad Street Hockey

Published

4 years ago

August 20, 2020

Yesterday, we had a whole slate of elimination games on deck, including the Flyers, who had a chance to put this one away neatly and punch their ticket to the second round. But, of course, we know the Flyers, and we know that would have been much too easy, so they had to make things interesting. We saw the Flyers make some improvements in some areas, but what really killed them were some mental errors and lapses. It was a pretty deflating 5-3 loss for the Flyers, and now they’re looking to Game 6 on Friday to win one more and advance. We’ll try this again later.

All stats via Natural Stat Trick.

25—shot attempts on the power play

Probably the biggest story to come out of this one was that the power play finally did something! It looked a little dicey to begin with, as they gave up a shorthanded goal on their first attempt, but the Flyers were really able to bear down after that one, and they had more than an ample opportunity to do so. They had 9:54 on the man-advantage to work with, including a five minute continuous power play, and did they ever work with it. They picked up 25 shot attempts, 17 scoring chances, and seven high danger chances, as they looked really sharp in their ability to maintain possession and generate dangerous chances. The process was sound, and it really paid dividends, to the tune of two goals for Jake Voracek and one for Joel Farabee. In some ways, it felt like they were going zero to 60, after how positively brutal they’ve looked for just about the whole series, but this was an important step. Things are finally clicking for them, and even if we shouldn’t expect for them to put up three on the power play every night, at least we can feel better about their chances of producing something.

.875—save percentage for Carter Hart

One of the other big stories from this one is that it was something of an uncharacteristically shaky game for Hart. We’ve made note already that he’s been pretty stellar through the first four games of this series, and even when the skaters in front were struggling, he was playing well and giving them a chance to stay in the game. But last night we saw him looking more like he was fighting things—his rebound control wasn’t great, and he seemed to be a just a little off on his angles. He did have some defensive breakdowns in front of him making his job a little more difficult, and he did have a heavier workload relative to what he’s seen so far this series—he faced 32 shots, of which he stopped 28—but the fact remains that he just didn’t really seem to be himself in this one. Given his play before, this one, we can feel confident enough that he’ll be able to bounce back for his next start, but this certainly wasn’t his strongest showing.

2—scoring chances against on the penalty kill

The power play is understandably getting the most buzz after this game, but it’s worth noting that the Flyers, overall, also had a strong showing on the penalty kill. They had 9:35 of 4-on-5 time to kill off, and they did well with it. They limited the Canadiens to just seven shot attempts, two scoring chances, and one high danger chance, and also went and recorded four shot attempts, two scoring chances, and two high danger chances of their own, all while shorthanded. They played this one pretty aggressively, and overall, it paid off for them.

Of course, the Flyers did still give up a power play goal, and it was a pretty ugly defensive breakdown in front that left Brendan Gallagher open for that goal, but really outside of that, the Flyers’ penalty kill looked sharp. There was a lot to like about what they brought, even if it wasn’t perfect.

2—goals for Jake Voracek

There’s really no sense beating around the bush with this one—Voracek had a pretty stellar game last night. There was, of course, the fact of the two goals scored, as well as the feed he made to Farabee to set up his goal, and the jump he gave to what had been a struggling power play. But we didn’t just see his effects on the power play, he had a strong showing at 5-on-5, as well. His line continued to do well in their matchup, and Voracek on his own had an adjusted 53.29 CF% (second among skaters) and a 69.80 xGF% (first among skaters), as we saw the Flyers pretty comfortably getting the better of the shot attempt and high danger chance share when Voracek was on the ice. Overall, everything seemed to be clicking for him, and it was a really strong showing, and it’s one that the Flyers really needed.

6—high danger chances for the Flyers

One of the Flyers’ big weaknesses from Game 4 was that they hadn’t really found a way to get to the front of the net and really test Carey Price with any terribly difficult chances. They came out of that one with just one high danger chance at 5-on-5, but we did see them take a step forward in that department in this one. The Flyers totaled six high danger chances at 5-on-5, with none coming in the first period, one in the second, and five in the third, as we saw them making a push late in the game to tie things back up. Six isn’t a stellar total, and we’d still like to see them do even more with this, because as we saw in this one, it’s going to take even more to get to Price at 5-on-5, but this is at least a step in the right direction.

6.34—xGF% for the fourth line

We talked after Tuesday’s game about how bad the fourth line had been, but guess what, folks, it’s gotten even worse. Their underlying numbers in this one, to be blunt, are pretty brutal. On the night, they put up adjusted 24.75 CF%, 14.53 SF%, and 6.34 xGF% at 5-on-5, as we saw them pretty consistently getting caved in just about every time they were on the ice. It just wasn’t working.

And just as much as we don’t like the showing they put up, we have some questions about the decision making behind why we saw them so much and in what situations. The Flyers had just put up some good work to tie the game and pick up some momentum from the Farabee goal, and what do they do? Throw the fourth line and third pair out there, and they immediately get pinned in their own end, break down, and give up the game winner. It’s a situation that, frankly, shouldn’t have happened.

But maybe there is some optimism to be had here—this line clearly isn’t working, and after making the turnover to allow for that goal, we really didn’t see much from Nate Thompson after that. Could this suggest that Vigneault has seen the light, seen that he’s been a detriment to their offensive game all series and is considering a new look, pulling him out of the lineup on Friday? We can’t know for sure, but here’s hoping.

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Sports

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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:

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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