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IWTG: Canucks come through in Minnesota with a burst of second-period scoring – Vancouver Courier

Published

5 years ago

January 13, 2020

“Duke will see Brock play again.”

That was Laurie Boeser during the summer to The Athletic, proclaiming her belief that Duke Boeser would see his son, Brock, play hockey again this season. On Sunday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minnesota, just a short drive up I-35E from Burnsville where Brock grew up, Duke got to see Brock play again.

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It was far from certain that would be the case during the summer, when Duke wound up in critical care after a massive heart attack at the end of July. He was in the ICU for four weeks. When Boeser finally joined the Canucks in mid-September, Duke had just started eating again on his own the previous week.

For Brock, his father and mother are his inspiration. He describes his father as a warrior, battling with a series of ailments: Parkinson’s Disease, lung cancer, a traumatic brain injury caused by a car accident, then the recurrence of his cancer, which led to the heart attack. That’s not to mention all the complications that have come up along the way: pneumonia, infections, and other illnesses.

Duke must be a warrior to face all of that and still make it out to see his son play against the Wild on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Laurie is incredible. Brock has said he wouldn’t be able to handle any of this without her and everything she’s done for the family. She worked multiple jobs while Brock was growing up and still works full-time while taking care of Duke. She holds everything together through all of the trials and tribulations, encouraging her son to focus on the positive and all the good things in the world. And she was the one performing CPR after Duke’s heart attack before paramedics arrived.

In a way, the result of this game didn’t matter in the slightest. Just the fact that Duke could be there to watch Brock was enough. On the other hand, the result couldn’t have mattered more: surely Brock wanted to win one for his dad.

Some father/son time for Duke & Brock post-game. pic.twitter.com/VbqBMVXuIj

— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks)
January 13, 2020

Like Duke, the Canucks pulled through.

On its own, hockey is meaningless. All sports are. There’s no inherent meaning to them; the only meaning that sports have is the meaning you bring to them. On Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota, the game between the Canucks and Wild meant everything. And I watched this game.

The Canucks have had some issues defensively of late. The technical term for the way they’ve been playing is “loosey-goosey,” but I don’t want to bog you down with a detailed systems breakdown. Against the Minnesota Wild, however, the Canucks clamped down hard for most of the game, allowing just three shots on goal in the first period and just 24 total. They got shelled late in the third period as the Wild pushed for the comeback, but overall they were much improved.

The two teams couldn’t stay out of the penalty box in this game, kicked off by Antoine Roussel crashing into Devan Dubnyk for a goaltender interference penalty. Seven seconds later, Mikko Koivu tripped Chris Tanev, taking the Wild off the power play, then Jordan Greenway elbowed Alex Edler just over a minute later to give the Canucks a power play. Just as the Wild killed off that penalty, Jonas Brodin launched the puck over the glass to put them shorthanded again. And that was just the first period.

All told, the Wild took eight minor penalties and the Canucks took five, but the power plays barely affected the result of the game. The Wild went 0-for-5 on the power play, partly because they kept taking penalties to end their power plays. The Canucks wasted a long 5-on-3 and were themselves 0-for-5 before finally getting a goal on their sixth power play. They went 1-for-8 in total.

That goal came seconds after a 4-on-4. Tim Schaller came out of the penalty box to put the Canucks on the power play and booked it to the bench to bring on Antoine Roussel. Chris Tanev tried to get the bench too to bring on someone for the power play, but couldn’t even make it in time. Tanev was still on the ice when Quinn Hughes’s point shot was tipped in by Elias Pettersson in front.

Pettersson doesn’t play net front much on the power play for obvious reasons, but his nifty tip-in suggests maybe that’s not the worst idea. He was only there because of the awkwardness of the line change from 4-on-4 to the power play, but looked at home like he was Tomas Holmstrom.

That goal sparked four minutes of unbridled offence: the Wild responded with a goal of their own when Jacob Markstrom gave up an uncharacteristically big rebound off his chest and Marcus Foligno was first to the puck to bang it in. You could tell it was uncharacteristic because pretty much every Canucks skater just stopped playing after the initial shot, assuming Markstrom would swallow it up.

13 seconds later, the Canucks retook the lead. Tanner Pearson threw a puck towards the net from the boards and it went off Matt Dumba’s stick and snuck into the crease behind Dubnyk. Bo Horvat popped up from behind the net like the Duck Hunt Dog and poked the puck over the goal line.

One minute after that, Troy Stecher made it 3-1. Boeser and Pettersson freed up the puck on the forecheck and then J.T. Miller went to work along the boards, shaking free from Ryan Suter with a quick cutback, then sending a fantastic pass diagonally back to Stecher, who had so much room for activities, such as stepping up to the top of the faceoff circle to beat Dubnyk inside the near post.

There was a scary moment early in the third period. On a delayed Canucks penalty (seriously, so many penalties), Quinn Hughes moved to check Joel Eriksson Ek as he cut behind the net, but he tripped on Markstrom’s goalie stick and went crashing head first into Eriksson Ek and then the boards. Fortunately, he popped right up and appeared to be okay.

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Markstrom was magnificent to finish off the game. He didn’t have to make many saves throughout the rest of the game, but then the Wild piled on seven shots in the final five minutes, seemingly all of them great scoring chances. Markstrom was kicking out his feet like a Ukrainian Hopak dancer, turning aside chance after chance to maintain the two-goal lead.

It was a full game’s worth of highlights in the span of just a few minutes, capped off by a big glove save on Mats Zuccarello to really hammer it home: the Wild weren’t going to score again.

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Horvat added some punctuation to the game at the very end. It wasn’t an exclamation point, as that’s a little too exciting for a long-distance empty netter. Maybe it was a simple period or a relaxed set of ellipses. Horvat lofted the puck out on the backhand and Carson Soucy, likely hoping he could milk it for an icing, skated casually back, only to see the puck curve on its side and go into the empty net. With that curve, maybe it was a comma.

With the win, the Canucks have successfully rescued the road trip. Even if they lose on Tuesday in Winnipeg, it’s hard to be too upset with a 2-3-0 road trip after a 7-game winning streak. It’s a lot easier to forget two ugly losses in Florida when you can say that you’ve won 9 of your last 11 games.

Another neat trick: the win leapfrogged the Canucks over the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights into third in the Pacific Division, which could be a complete gong show right up until the playoffs. Who’s going to make the playoffs out of the Pacific? Who knows? I sure don’t. Like Zoidberg, why not the Canucks?

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Sports

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

Published

2 days 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.

___

AP cricket:

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Sports

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

Published

2 days 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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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

2 days 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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