VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks have suddenly won four times in five games with two coaches and one goalie.
Yes, there was a smidge of a distraction in the middle of this run when the National Hockey League team fired head coach Travis Green and general manager Jim Benning. The last two wins, including Wednesday’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins, have an entirely different feeling than the final two wins of the previous regime.
Brock Boeser, who failed to score in his final 13 games under Green, has two goals in two games for new coach Bruce Boudreau and scored Wednesday on a power-play redirect.
Boudreau has also pushed the right buttons on struggling star Elias Pettersson, who looks more engaged by the game, and top defenceman Quinn Hughes. And goalie Thatcher Demko has simply continued being the Canucks’ most valuable player, allowing one goal in 69 shots since Sunday’s coaching change.
The new boss’s first three days could scarcely have gone better.
“When you’re trying to sell something and if it doesn’t go right, that message goes out the window pretty quickly,” Boudreau said about the value of starting 2-0. “And who knows, we’ve had a really tough schedule. But every game (you win) and you feel a little bit better yourself.”
The Canucks looked ebullient — just like their re-energized fans — when Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller beat Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman in the shootout to give the home team both points after Boston tied the game on a five-on-three power play in the third period amid a cluster of three Vancouver penalties.
“That was fun out there to get the win, and you can see the excitement after Bo scored there,” Hughes said. “It just feels good. Everyone’s really happy and excited about that, and I think there’s a sense of belief that we’re just going to keep going here.”
Boeser added: “Our group has really come together these last few games, and I think it’s big for our group, and I think it’s big for hockey teams to win hockey games and be close. I think tonight was another great step for us, and we’ve got to continue to play hard and play together.”
Despite yielding the tying goal to Patrice Bergeron at 4:51 of the third period, the Canucks’ historically-bad penalty killing survived three other disadvantages. And Vancouver won despite playing without No. 2 defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is out with what Boudreau hopes is a day-to-day injury, and losing second-pairing blue-liner Travis Hamonic in the second period when he was hit away from the puck by Brad Marchand.
When Bergeron’s tying goal left Boston on the power play for another 1:51, and Tanner Pearson took a delay-of-game penalty at 7:22, it felt like Vancouver might blow another game to the Bruins in the third period — just like they did 10 days earlier in Boston when the Canucks surrendered two late power-play goals to lose 3-2.
But in their brave new world, the Canucks did not crumble.
“You get the five-on-three goal and they get a little bit of momentum,” Boudreau said. “(But) you stand tall. Just perseverance. You lose the defenceman and we’re basically down to three lines after a while, and we have three penalties in the third period. Just determination and the will to win, I think, is a great attribute. And hopefully they’re starting to get it.”
Boudreau said he couldn’t commend enough his five-man defence, which included four righties and saw Tyler Myers log a season-high 28:08 of ice time. But he was still second to Hughes, whose 28:32 of TOI included 1:21 of short-handed time.
Just like Pettersson, Hughes has asked the new coach for an audition on the penalty kill.
“For him to put me out on the PK. . . it means a lot,” Hughes said after a game when five-on-five scoring chances were 14-7 for the Canucks when he was on the ice. “I feel like I’m trying to round out my game. I’m tired of hearing that I’m just an offensive defenceman or whatever. The knock has always been that I’m not very good defensively. And yeah, I’m not going to be as good as some guys defensively — that’s the reality. (But) I think that it’s something I can build into my game.
“I’ve got to earn my ice time on the penalty kill, and if I do a good job, I’m sure they’ll keep putting me out there. It’s up to me, but I think I did a good job out there. And it means a lot to me, for sure.”
Given more responsibility, Hughes probably feels like a different player than he was last week. It looks like he’s playing for a different team, too.
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.
