Sports

A Magical Night in Ottawa: Senators’ Norris scores twice in return

Published

1 year ago

October 19, 2023

After months of painful shoulder rehab and 270 days between games, Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris didn’t mind admitting he leaned on his religious faith to get him through the tough days.

“I think God is pretty amazing,” Norris said, after a comeback night that would make an inspiring storyline for a children’s book.

The hockey gods weren’t bad either, deeming that Norris should be rewarded with two goals scored and a game of health and vigour in Wednesday’s 6-1 romp over the Washington Capitals.

Senators’ Norris dazzles in season debut with two-goal performance vs. Capitals

Fans at the Canadian Tire Centre cheered Norris the moment they spotted No. 9 on his first shift, less than two minutes into the game. They cheered louder at a closeup of him on the scoreboard monitor.

“It was a pretty long road and some hard days and we’re finally here now,” Norris said, notably reserved in a dressing room scrum postgame.

“It’s just a great night and I’m happy we won this game,” Norris said.

Norris scored his first goal on the power play at 12:29 of the first period, to give the Senators a 2-0 lead. Standing near the goal crease, Norris accepted a blind backhand feed from Drake Batherson and he had nothing but net, as they say in basketball.

Senators’ Norris scores to finish off beauty passing play in first game back from injury

Batherson said he had practiced the play so often with Norris he didn’t even look to see if he was present.

“I figured he was there, I didn’t know he was there,” Batherson said. “I got lucky.”

Norris’ second goal, early in the second period, came off a pass to the slot from Batherson, as Norris wired a snap shot past the glove side of Darcy Kuemper.

With primary assists on both Norris goals, Batherson had an eventful reunion with a linemate he has known in Ottawa and AHL Belleville and was more animated than Norris about the young centre’s night of triumph. Norris seemed humbled by it. Perhaps shocked.

“I was excited and I didn’t even score the goals,” Batherson said. “I can’t imagine what he was feeling.”

Despite the anticipation of getting their No. 2 centre back in the lineup – Batherson said his teammates were “pumping his tires all day” – Norris was determined to remain calm. Treat it like any other game, he said, which was no small feat, given that he played just ten games last season while undergoing a second shoulder surgery.

“I did hear the fans kind of give me a nice little ovation,” Norris said. “So, I thought that was really cool.”

Though he didn’t specify exactly when he knew his shoulder was ready for the first test of game action, Norris said he was told recently by the team’s medical staff that he was physically set to go. Some rather intense practice sessions, including aggressive faceoff work with assistant coach Ben Sexton, helped Norris find the confidence he needed in his own body.

“After talking to some docs and making sure everything was OK, I think most importantly, I just had to feel comfortable in my own brain,” Norris said. “Just trust yourself.”

There wasn’t much doubt about Norris’s comfort level with Batherson, who finally had the centre he needed to form an effective line with newcomer Dominik Kubalik.

“He’s such a good player,” Norris said of Batherson, “I like having him on my line.”

There’s an understatement.

Such was head coach D.J. Smith’s belief that Norris was ready, he let him take 11 faceoffs in the game, winning five of them. It was on a faceoff, remember, that Norris hurt his shoulder, almost one year ago to the day. He returned for three games in January, before shutting it down and getting surgery.

“Clearly, he’s in shape and give the development guys credit, they had him ready,” Smith said.

“I don’t know how many faceoffs he took leading up to this.”

Inference? A lot.

While Smith said he could hardly have expected a two-goal night in the 24-year-old’s first game back, he was not really surprised.

“You can see the difference (he makes),” Smith said. “He only needs one look and it goes away . . . one look, bang! It’s in the back of the net and now you’ve got the game under control. If he’s not there, do you win? You don’t know. If it’s a night where it’s not going in for us.”

‘Hard to say you’d see that’: Smith thrilled with way Norris looked in first game back

The Sens have not had any of those nights at home this season, where the puck is not going in. They have scored 16 goals in three home games while outscoring three Eastern opponents 16-5.

Despite what appears on paper to have been an easy game, Ottawa was not sharp in the first period against Washington and turned a lot of pucks over. Washington didn’t ‘Cap-italize’ and Sens goalie Anton Forsberg was a large part of the reason. He stopped 23 of 24 shots, including an early flurry in close from T.J. Oshie and Connor McMichael when the score was 1-0 for Ottawa.

This was the third straight game in which the Sens have allowed the visiting team fewer than 25 shots on goal as they improved their overall record to 3-1, tied with the Detroit Red Wings for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Wings visit Ottawa on Saturday.

The fact the Sens weren’t sharp early and still put a six-spot on the board is yet another sign of the team’s progression. Even on nights they aren’t at their best they have the firepower to win games.

Nice team win, but a spectacular individual show by Norris, who played 16:34 and had three of Ottawa’s 29 shots in front of 15,021 fans.

“He did what he gets paid for, put it right in the back of the net,” Batherson said. “Super pumped for him and his family. For him to get back out there tonight, I know how excited he was. He was just happy to play, let alone get two.”

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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.

___

AP cricket:

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Sports

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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Sports

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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