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Canada barely misses out on Arnold Clark Cup title after loss to Spain – Sportsnet.ca

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WOLVERHAMPTON, United Kingdom — While Canada leaves the Arnold Clark Cup on the back of a 1-0 loss to an impressive Spain side, coach Bev Priestman saw plenty of positives for the Olympic champions.

Despite having half of her roster in pre-season mode back home with their NWSL teams and missing talismanic captain Christine Sinclair and experienced forward Adriana Leon, the sixth-ranked Canadian women tied No. 8 England 1-1 and beat No. 3 Germany 1-0 before running into a stylish Spanish side that played well above its No. 9 ranking.

“I think we’ve taken a step forward,” Priestman said after Wednesday’s match at a near-empty Molineux Stadium. “I feel like we found ways to get (star fullback) Ashley Lawrence higher (up the pitch). We’ve got more combinations and more trusted players. I think we’ve widened the depth — I’ve tested more players.

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“I said coming into this we’d come away with more European experience. We’ve done that … I’m so glad we attended this tournament. I think we’ve got some massive learnings. And there are some players that really had to step up.”

A victory Wednesday and Canada (1-1-1) would have won the tournament.

Spain (1-0-2) appeared headed to hoist the trophy until goals by Millie Bright and Fran Kirby in the 84th and 94th minute, respectively, gave England (1-0-2) a 3-1 victory over Germany (0-2-1) in the late game at Molineux.

That left England and Spain tied on points. But the English women got the nod by virtue of a plus-two goal difference, compared to plus-one for Spain. Canada finished third and Germany fourth.

Attendance was announced at 13,463 during the England-Germany game.

Spain came as advertised, classy and confident, aggressive on defence and comfortable on the ball in attack.

Star midfielder Alexia Putellas, winner of the Ballon d’Or, Best FIFA Women’s Player and UEFA Player of the Year, pulled the strings for Spain as it extended its unbeaten streak to 19 games (17-0-2) since a 1-0 loss to the U.S. at the SheBelieves Cup in March 2020.

While Spain had more of the ball early on, Canada seemed up to the task and created several chances of its own to start.

But Spain went ahead in the 21st minute after Patri Guijarro stole the ball off Lawrence in midfield. Five passes later it was in the back of the net with a low shot from an unmarked Putellas, who made a stealthy run into the middle of the penalty box and beat Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

The 28-year-old Barcelona star almost scored a second in the 63rd minute, but her header off a corner hit the woodwork.

The game grew scrappier in the second half as substitutions were made. Canada came on late but was unable to break through, with two Canadian attackers unable to get to a dangerous Lawrence cross that flashed through the Spanish penalty box in the dying seconds.

As in the two previous matches, Priestman liked parts of the performance.

“For us it’s been three games of half-a-game, to be honest with you, across this tournament,” she said. “I can only walk away from this game very happy with the second half and a poor first half. But that’s credit to Spain.”

Spain finished with 60 per cent possession and outshot Canada 14-7 although the Canadians had a 3-1 edge in shots on target.

The defeat was only the fourth for Canada under Priestman, whose record is 10-4-6 including two shootout wins at the Tokyo Olympics. The other losses were to the U.S., Brazil and Mexico.

The Spanish women arrived in England on a 16-game winning streak during which they outscored their opposition 96-0. And despite playing to two ties, Spain looked dangerous against Germany and England, posing problems with its smothering press.

The Spanish starting 11 featured six players from Champions League winner Barcelona, including Putellas. The attacking midfielder scored 26 goals and added 19 assists as Barcelona won the Spanish League, Cup and Champions League last season. Barca teammate Jenni Hermoso, who tied for the Spanish league scoring lead with 31 goals, served as captain.

“It was a very competitive game. We battled hard,” Spain coach Jorge Vilda said through an interpreter. “We played well for certain periods of the game albeit without making the best start and that’s something that we’d like to improve on. We did then take control of the game, created chances.

“Alexia Putellas scored the goal and I feel we dominated from that point onwards.”

Priestman made four changes to the team that beat Germany, giving Marie-Yasmine Alidou her senior debut while also inserting Shelina Zadorsky, Deanne Rose and Jordyn Huitema.

Alidou, a 26-year-old midfielder from Saint-Hubert, Que., plays in Austria for SK Sturm Graz.

Eight of Canada’s 11 starters Wednesday were European-based and in-season.

Centre back Kadeisha Buchanan, earning her 116th cap, captained Canada in the absence of Sinclair, who stayed at home following the recent death of her mother. Jessie Fleming served as skipper against England while fellow midfielder Desiree Scott wore the captain’s armband against Germany.

Sheridan started in goal for the third straight game at the tournament, giving way to Sabrina D’Angelo at halftime. Buchanan, Fleming, Lawrence, Scott, Janine Beckie and Jayde Riviere also started all three contests.

Canada came close in the 28th minute when Huitema headed a Beckie free kick off the crossbar. The ball bounced back into play, just missing an onrushing Buchanan. Spain goalkeeper Lola Gallardo appeared to get a finger to the ball, sending it off the woodwork.

Putellas showed her pedigree on numerous occasions, including late in the half when she nutmegged Scott, who was making her 173rd senior appearance, before heading to the Canadian goal.

Riviere had to be helped off in the 53rd minute in obvious pain after having her wrist stepped on by a Spanish player after falling. There was no immediate update on her condition.

Canada was unable to threaten until later in the second half, with the final passing often missing its mark although forward Cloe Lacasse made her presence felt after coming on in the 77th minute.

The Canadian women had only played Spain twice before, drawing 0-0 in May 2019 in Logrones and losing 1-0 in March 2017 in Sao Joao da Venda.

The Canadian women are gearing up for the CONCACAF W Championship in July in Mexico, which will determine World Cup and Olympic qualification. Next up for Canada is a planned friendly in April.

The England tournament’s title sponsor, Arnold Clark, is a family-run car dealer.

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Allen on trade to Devils from Habs: 'Sometimes you've got to be a little bit selfish' – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Jake Allen loved being a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

The hockey-mad market, the crackling Bell Centre on a Saturday night, the Original Six franchise’s iconic logo.

The 33-year-old goaltender is also realistic.

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With the Canadiens still in full rebuild mode — and two young netminders in Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau ready for more playing time — Allen could see the writing on the wall.

Desperate for help in their own crease, the New Jersey Devils asked Montreal about the veteran’s availability. But the team, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told reporters earlier this month, was initially on Allen’s no-trade list.

There wasn’t anything the Fredericton product disliked about the organization or city. The Devils simply appeared to have their crease set for years to come.

But when the club that finished with 112 points and made the second round of the playoffs in 2022-23 was badly hampered by poor play from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws and Akira Schmid — each netminder owned save percentages below .900 — the Devils circled back.

And Allen had changed his tune.

“Loved my time as a Hab,” he said of pulling on Montreal’s red, white and blue threads. “I always will cherish that. Put on probably the most special jersey in hockey, in my books. But you realize in your career, it doesn’t last forever.

“You’ve got to make decisions sometimes.”

Allen, who is signed through next season, eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to New Jersey ahead of the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline for a conditional third-round pick at the 2025 draft.

Apart from playing meaningful hockey on a team trying to claw its way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, the swap gave him more runway to get his family settled in a new city instead of waiting to see what this summer’s crowded goalie market might bring.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit selfish,” said Allen, a Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. “Look yourself in the mirror and wonder what’s best for you and your family.”

He’s been really good for his new team.

Allen was lights out in Tuesday’s first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, making an eye-popping 25 saves in what would turn into New Jersey’s 6-3 victory.

So far he’s 4-2-0 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average in six starts for the Devils, who sit five points back of the East’s second wild-card spot.

“A real pro,” said interim head coach Travis Green.

Allen is a combined 10-14-3 in 2023-24 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.39 GAA. Across his 11 seasons with St. Louis, Montreal and now New Jersey, he’s 193-164-41 with a .908 save percentage and 2.75 GAA.

“Makes the saves we need to get some momentum back,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “If you have a solid goalie in the net, that makes your work easier.”

Allen is also 11-12 with a .924 and a 2.06 GAA all-time in the playoffs — a good sign for his new club should New Jersey manage to make the cut.

For now, though, he’s just enjoying being back in a post-season race.

“I thought this was a good opportunity to come in the rest of this year, play some games,” Allen said.

“It’s been a good start.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2024.

___

Follow @JClipperton_CP on X.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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Matthews game-time decision for Maple Leafs against Capitals with illness – NHL.com

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TORONTOAuston Matthews will be a game-time decision for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, MNMT) because of an illness.

“It’s going to be on how he feels throughout the day,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.

The forward did not participate in Toronto’s morning skate. Max Domi took his place as the center on a line between Tyler Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner, a right wing recovering from a high-ankle sprain sustained March 7 and will be out the next two games.

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Matthews leads the NHL with 59 goals, one from becoming the ninth player in NHL history with at least two 60-goal seasons. He scored 60 in 73 games in 2021-22, when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. He had one goal and nine shots in 23:44 of a 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, which extended his point streak to five games (four goals, seven assists).

He missed one game this season with illness, a 7-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 16.

“Of course, it’s an adjustment when your best player is out of the lineup,” Domi said, “when anybody is out of the lineup, but I think we’ve done a great job all year of guys stepping up when they have to, and we just have to continue to do that.”

Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

“He just remains day to day,” Keefe said. “We’re hopeful he’s going to bounce back here. The one thing that is good is once he gets through this day or two here, it’s not going to be a lingering situation. It’s not going to be an injury that’s ongoing. Once he’s past it, he’s past it so we just need to give him some time.”

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Canucks place goalie Thatcher Demko on long-term injured list

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The Vancouver Canucks have placed all-star goalie Thatcher Demko on the long-term injured reserve list retroactively.

“It’s just cap related,” coach Rick Tocchet said after practice Wednesday. “We get some cap relief, that’s all it is.”

The 28-year-old netminder has been considered week to week since being sidelined with a lower-body injury midway through Vancouver’s 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 9.

That injury designation hasn’t changed, Tocchet said.

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Demko boasts a 34-18-2 record this season, with a .917 save percentage, a 2.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.

Casey DeSmith has taken over the starting job for Vancouver, going 3-2-1 since Demko’s injury. He has a .899 save percentage on the season with a 2.73 goals-against average and one shutout.

The earliest Demko could be back in the Canucks’ lineup is April 6 against the Kings in Los Angeles.

He’s expected to be a key piece as Vancouver (45-19-8) prepares for its first playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also announced Wednesday that the club has called up forward Arshdeep Bains from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.

“I’d like to see where [Bains is] at,” Tocchet said, noting he isn’t sure whether the 23-year-old winger will slot into the lineup when the Canucks host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

WATCH | Bains makes NHL debut

 

Surrey, B.C.’s Arshdeep Bains makes Canucks debut

1 month ago

Duration 2:20

Arshdeep Bains from Surrey, B.C., has made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche. As CBC’s Joel Ballard reports, it’s been a hard-fought journey for the hometown kid to the big leagues.

Bains played five games for the NHL team in February before being sent back to Abbotsford.

“He went down, he’s done a couple of things that we like, and he’s got some speed,” Tocchet said.

Vancouver may get another forward back in the lineup Thursday.

Dakota Joshua practised in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in Vancouver’s 4-2 win over the Blackhawks in Chicago on Feb. 13.

The physical winger, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has a career-high 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) this season.

Sitting out injured “hasn’t been fun,” Joshua said.

“It feels like forever,” he said. “But at this point, that’s behind me and I’m moving forward.”

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