Entering Saturday night’s showdown of the North Division’s best, that is how the Montreal Canadiens lamented their limited offensive chances against this defensively conscious edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Leaving Scotiabank Arena, however, it was the Maple Leafs who could blame one-and-done for their 2-1 loss at home and a fizzling conclusion to an 8-0-1 cross-country rip that had vaulted them to the top of league standings.
As in one goal and… silence.
Things started so promising for the hometown heroes that coach Sheldon Keefe thought it was “bizarre” how their rhythm and momentum dissipated so quick and so long.
Auston Matthews picked Phillip Danault’s pocket behind the net on an early forecheck and fed Mitch Marner in the slot to give Toronto the lead at the 3:36 mark, and the Leafs dominated play for the bulk of the first frame.
Then Carey Price happened.
The Canadiens goaltender — whose numbers have slipped below those of backup Jake Allen through the quarter mark of the season — was flawless for the next 56-plus minutes. Price denied Marner thrice, John Tavares four times, and Auston Matthews five times, once racing out of his crease to nullify a Matthews breakaway attempt.
Frustration switched sweaters.
“He’s just like a third defenceman back there,” said Matthews, who did extend his point streak to 12 games. “On our dumps and rims, we just couldn’t keep it away from Price. That’s what really puts him above everybody else in this league.
“It’s difficult to create offence when we’re not keeping the puck away from him and they’re just breaking out smoothly every time.”
Keefe lamented the first period’s missed opportunities to put the match away, figuring the score could’ve been 2-0 or 3-0 after 20 minutes.
“We had more than enough offence there in the first to blow the game wide open and didn’t capitalize or didn’t go our way. Our game was a mess from there,” Keefe said.
“I’m not sure whether that discouraged us or maybe made us think it was going to be a little bit easier night.”
Nothing was easy at either end, as the officials tucked their whistles and both squads did an admirable job of limiting odd-man rushes and keeping threats to the outside.
The Maple Leafs threw themselves in front of pucks, blocking an uncharacteristically high 21 shots. Montreal threw the body, outhitting Toronto 46-16.
“That was a factor in the game, for sure,” Keefe said. “They were probably a little frustrated with the way the game started, and they just started to focus on physicality. I do think that’s part of what just made us tired and had us playing on the back half of our shift tired. We had real long shift lengths and stuff like that where we just couldn’t get off the ice, couldn’t string together passes.”
After the first, Toronto was unable to build momentum through positive shifts, and Marner admitted the Leafs extended shifts in hopes of offensive chances.
“As the game went on, we got too cute with it,” Marner said. “We got away from what made us successful. We weren’t hard on the forecheck.
“We had shifts where we were getting hemmed in our D-zone.”
It was a tight, greasy, bruisy affair.
In other words: a brand of hockey built for Brendan Gallagher.
Gallagher helped spark a passing sequence that led to Tyler Toffoli’s tying goal early in the third. Then he knocked down a Jeff Petry point shot and whacked home the winner with less than four minutes left in regulation.
“You just want to reward your goaltender when he makes that many big saves to keep you in it.” Gallagher said.
The side that wanted this one more and needed this one more was rewarded.
“You’re going to see a different team tonight,” Montreal defenceman Joel Edmundson had promised after the morning skate.
Boy, was he correct.
For one, Habs coach Claude Julien scratched 2019-20’s leading scorer Tomas Tatar. Price delivered a vintage performance. And there was a leave-it-all-out-there effort befitting of a club that had lost three of four and was staring at a rare six-day break.
“They came in with a sense of urgency with the way the last few games have gone for them,” Tavares said.
The Maple Leafs will be granted a prime opportunity to wash out the “sour taste” (Matthews’ phrase) of this loss next week as they host the basement-dwelling Ottawa Senators for a three-game set Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
One and done could well describe Toronto’s losing skid.
“A lot of things have been going our way here for a long while,” Keefe said. “Today it didn’t, and we didn’t help our own cause.”
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ONE-TIMERS: A healthy Nick Robertson, Rasmus Sandin and Adam Books will join the Toronto Marlies on their trip to Winnipeg next week in order to get some game action…. If Joe Thornton (rib) responds well to Sunday’s practice, he could be available as early as Monday…. Tavares responded to Elliotte Friedman’s report that he and friend Sam Gagner are in the process of taking over operations for the GTHL’s Toronto Marlboros. “It’s still kind of in the process, so I don’t want to get too much into it,” Tavares said. “Sam approached me when the opportunity presented itself to him in the off-season. When the time’s right and the process plays out, we’ll have more of a formal update on it. But obviously, the organization means a lot to us.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
