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Canadiens hit new levels of dejection as loss to Oilers extends skid – Sportsnet.ca

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5 years ago

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MONTREAL— Phillip Danault tried to conceal it. In his post-game scrum, he said all the right things players typically say of a team battling for its season but failing to emerge victorious for an eighth straight game, and he did about as well as he could to not let on about how he was feeling deep within.

And then the Montreal Canadiens’ dressing room all but cleared and we prodded further, because his face told us he wasn’t just frustrated.

It seemed painfully obvious, Danault was completely dejected.

We’ve rarely (if ever) seen Danault that way since he came to this team in 2016 in what might be considered the best trade general manager Marc Bergevin has made over his seven-and-a-half years in charge. He is generally a beacon of positive energy; a smiling, accommodating, upbeat gentleman who almost always leans towards the bright side—even in dark times.

But this is a blackout. After scoring a goal and helping the Canadiens earn a 2-0 lead against the Edmonton Oilers, after watching it crumble in what would’ve been an NHL-leading 18th one-goal loss had it not been for an empty-net goal scored by Josh Archibald with 35 seconds to go. Then, after answering 10 minutes worth of questions about where it all goes from here and what makes this different than the eight-game skid suffered from Nov. 16-Dec. 2 and how he and his teammates can find a way to conjure up the confidence to win, Danault thought about what it will take to miraculously turn this around and came up empty.

“What is it, 26 wins?” he then asked.

Actually, we responded, it would take the Canadiens 27 wins and an extra point earned in an overtime or shootout loss to get the 98 points it took to make last year’s playoffs in the Eastern Conference. We didn’t have to tell him that means they’d have to have a points percentage of 74.3 over their final 37 games.

We didn’t have to tell him that the Canadiens have earned 47.8 per cent of the points available to them thus far, and not even the league-leading Washington Capitals have managed to earn 74.3 per cent of theirs.

And whether or not the undeniable reality of the situation hit Danault in real-time or it’s been haunting him for the better part of two weeks, it all came out of him in a very humane way following Thursday’s 4-2 loss to Connor McDavid and co.

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The 26-year-old Victoriaville, Que., native sighed and said, “It’s tough to explain how I feel.”

“I’m miserable at home right now,” he added. “It’s a good thing my wife is there for me at home, and I’m trying to stay positive at the rink. I don’t think the fun’s gone away, but obviously we’re not smiling all over the place. It’s not the same fun we had at the beginning of the year.

“But I think the chemistry’s always going to be there as a team. We’re going through that all together…”

It would be one thing if the Canadiens weren’t trying.

“We haven’t quit,” insisted coach Claude Julien, and the fact that the Canadiens ritualistically out-shoot and out-play their opponents—like they did safe for roughly 10 minutes on this night—is proof positive of that.

“Obviously, we’re not winning,” Julien said, “But we’re not a team that comes into games and gets completely dominated. We’re still doing our job to keep guys going and keep them motivated…”

But it’s getting harder and harder.

“We’re running out of answers, as you can see,” the coach said.

Canadiens captain Shea Weber stood in the middle of his post-game scrum and said that he didn’t have answers for what was happening.

“If we had answers, we would turn this around quickly,” he added.

A good bounce or two would help.

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it.

Like, if Nate Thompson had put the puck off the post and in instead of out after he broke in all alone on Oilers goaltender Mike Smith and deked him onto his stomach in the 18th minute of the second period, the Canadiens would have taken a 3-1 lead to the second intermission.

Sure, maybe Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Alex Chiasson would have still scored the two goals that actually put the Canadiens down 3-2 because Thompson missed, but they’d have still had a chance to win the game.

But that’s not the way it has gone of late.

“We have chances to score and we’re missing chances to score,” said Julien, “And it eventually comes back and bites us.”

The Canadiens had 37 shots on Thursday. The game report at www.natturalstattrick.com says they had 20 scoring chances in total—seven from the high-danger zone—but it marked the fifth time in their last six games that they couldn’t manage to score at least three goals.

Brendan Gallagher’s return from a concussion that kept him out of the last four games didn’t change much, and the Canadiens will approach Saturday’s game in Ottawa without hope that any of Jonathan Drouin, Joel Armia or Paul Byron — all of them mending long-term injuries — will be available.

We won’t see any of them play in the five games the Canadiens have left before breaking from Jan.19-26 for the NHL’s bye-week.

“We can’t let our guard down,” said Danault. “We’ve gotta keep going, grinding again and again, until we get out of this.”

“We don’t have the right to give up, and we don’t have the right to pity ourselves” said Julien. “We’re paid to do a job, and we have to continue to try to find a solution.”

We asked him how he’s dealing with all the losses, and how he’s finding a way to come back with the right outlook day after day.

But Julien just repeated himself.

When we asked Weber, he said, “You focus on the game, you focus on the shift, (and) I don’t think you focus on the end result of the season.”

When we asked Danault, he just said what he was feeling:

“It’s really hard right now.”

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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November 8, 2024

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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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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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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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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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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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