For a few brief moments, the Zen of Jack Campbell was disrupted.
It was not easy for the man challenging to take control of the Toronto Maple Leafs crease to brush aside the fact that both pucks that got behind him Thursday were on the blade of his Warrior goalie stick immediately before they went in.
Campbell’s learned to cut himself some slack during a career that’s picking up momentum, but personal development has its limits.
“I mean I still beat myself over those,” he said. “You know they just can’t go in. I’m still a competitor and I’m human, so when that happens, I’m not happy with myself.”
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That he didn’t unravel entirely is stabilizing in itself. Two wobbly puck touches quickly became something to chuckle about on the charter flight home when Justin Holl finished off a 3-2 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators.
Holl was standing closest to Campbell when Alex Formenton tied the game on a sequence where the defenceman got crossed-up by a waved-off icing call and his goaltender turned over the puck. But he made amends at 4:42 of overtime after jumping over the boards and cruising into the middle of the offensive zone to finish off a nice sequence from Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.
“That’s what I was joking about with the guys in the locker-room, I was like ‘that’s why you give up a goal with six minutes left, you know?”’ said Holl.
It was a victory that nudged the Leafs two points up on Winnipeg and Edmonton in the North Division and improved Campbell’s record to 5-0-0 on the season. The 29-year-old is finally healthy after two prolonged absences with the same leg injury and feels like he’s starting to find a rhythm.
The timing couldn’t be better with Frederik Andersen now sidelined — he’s officially listed as day-to-day, but hasn’t been on the ice with his teammates all week — and the Leafs entering another busy stretch of schedule.
While it’s been described by some locally as a goaltending controversy, the truth is there is no controversy to be found. Toronto has yet to have both of its top options healthy and performing well at the same time this season so there haven’t been any tough decisions for Sheldon Keefe to make.
Campbell has a chance to create a tough decision to come. He’s been dialled in with a .958 save percentage on 138 shots so far and finished with 29 stops Thursday despite seeing his teammates tilt the ice pretty significantly in Ottawa.
They kept on after Campbell was pressured by Chris Tierney while handling the puck behind his net and saw it bounce out to Connor Brown for a short-handed marker late in the first period. John Tavares skated immediately to his goaltender to calm the waters.
“Yeah he just said ‘keep going, we got ya.’ And they did have me all night,” said Campbell. “That’s why I feel bad about those two goals. I don’t want to kill the momentum and we played so well and I know those types of goals just can’t go in. Those are 100 per cent on me, of course, and I’ll know I’ll be a lot better on those goalie handles.”
That view wasn’t shared unanimously throughout a dressing room where Campbell is known for being nice to a fault. Keefe said that he had no choice but to play the puck in both instances and lamented the fact that teammates skated towards him, rather than providing outlet options, on the first goal against.
Holl and the other Leafs players on the ice didn’t sort out the defensive assignments properly on the second one.
“I told him after the game — like I thought both decisions were the right decisions [for him to go out], it’s just the plays didn’t work,” said Holl. “You kind of stick with the same process and I have confidence in him.
“I think he’s a great puck-handler and I expect him to keep handling the puck and being aggressive.”
What shouldn’t be lost is the second-period stops he made on Tim Stützle and Josh Norris, or the right pad he extended to deny Brady Tkachuk.
Campbell buttoned things down and helped ensure the Leafs didn’t squander another opportunity against the last-place Senators. The frustration he felt was only temporary. The win was sweet.
“Instead of thinking about how bad I feel for myself or something, it’s about the team,” said Campbell. “They need the next save and they just need better plays from me. When they’re playing that strong, all I could think about was shutting the door.
“I know I had a couple bad giveaways tonight so I’ll clean that up. But they can count on that, for sure.”
The belief in him is growing with each passing game.
Vancouver Canucks winger Dakota Joshua is set to make his season debut Thursday after missing time for cancer treatment.
Head coach Rick Tocchet says Joshua will slot into the lineup Thursday when Vancouver (8-3-3) hosts the New York Islanders.
The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and underwent surgery in early September.
He spoke earlier this month about his recovery, saying it had been “very hard to go through” and that he was thankful for support from his friends, family, teammates and fans.
“That was a scary time but I am very thankful and just happy to be in this position still and be able to go out there and play,,” Joshua said following Thursday’s morning skate.
The cancer diagnosis followed a career season where Joshua contributed 18 goals and 14 assists across 63 regular-season games, then added four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
Now, he’s ready to focus on contributing again.
“I expect to be good, I don’t expect a grace period. I’ve been putting the work in so I expect to come out there and make an impact as soon as possible,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be perfect right from the get-go, but it’s about putting your best foot forward and working your way to a point of perfection.”
The six-foot-three, 206-pound Joshua signed a four-year, US$13-million contract extension at the end of June.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
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.
