The story turned out to be a young goaltender after all.
Sports
Auston Matthews saves day in OT after no-name goalie vexes Maple Leafs
“It was a little bit (shocking),” Matthews told the media in Anaheim of Dostal’s dominance. “You try and think ‘next one’s going in, next one’s going in’, but he played a hell of a game and you have to tip your hat to him.
“I’m proud of everyone not getting discouraged.”
The Leafs almost saw their three-year streak of not being shut out come to an ignominious end, salvaged by John Tavares’s power-play goal with 5:47 to go in regulation. That was their 50th shot on Dostal and their fifth power play, a Morgan Rielly drive off the post to Tavares’s stick.
Martin Jones, the right choice to start after blanking Los Angeles, held his team in again with 27 saves and has stopped 58 of 59, counting the Kings, while 22-year-old rookie Hildeby watched a second game from the bench as Ilya Samsonov remains at home.
With the Leafs’ record below .500 against the bottom seven NHL clubs, few could argue with the call to trot out Jones again instead of letting Hildeby see live fire in The Show.
Jones is no stranger to a heavy workload or the nuances of Honda from his Pacific Division days in L.A. and San Jose, the latter where he likely plays the trip’s conclusion Saturday. These points are too vital with the standings much closer for Toronto than the past few seasons when they pulled away from the pack in the second half.
“Auston was bound to get one. We’ve been playing a much better team game of late, but within that you need difference makers to step up.”
Matthews had no goals or points the previous three games after a hot December. Ditto luck for linemate Mitch Marner, held to just four points his past eight until a nice helper on Wednesday’s winner. William Nylander also assisted on the Tavares goal, improving his team-best points to 51.
“It’s the way it goes over 82 games, you see a hot goaltender,” Tavares said of the result. “(But) Auston is due every night with the amount of looks he gets. “That’s his 30th (the most in 35 games by a Leaf since Frank Mahovlich in 1960-61) an incredible start to the season.”
Dostal, 1-7 in his past eight decisions, had to face one of the NHL’s top offences. Yet the Leafs couldn’t produce a first-period goal despite a 6-1 advantage in high-danger chances including the first of five power plays.
Dostal, in his 39th NHL game for the often-overwhelmed Ducks, stopped the first 33 through 40 minutes.
The three-minute power play that ensued for Anaheim was weathered by Jones and ended prematurely when Alex Killorn took and extra poke at Jake McCabe in a scrum. But Frank Vatrano scored right after, shorthanded off of a botched Toronto breakout.
Keefe made one lineup change up front, sitting Nick Robertson despite him breaking a goal slump last week. Pontus Holmberg was inserted and wound up playing more than expected when McMann was tossed.
It was defenceman Simon Benoit’s first game back in Orange County since the Ducks didn’t re-sign him and Toronto turned him into a regular.
“A mistake on their part and a win for Toronto,” Benoit had earlier declared.
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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.
Sports
Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere
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:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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