Sports

Canadiens must ignore optics of Niskanen ruling

Published

4 years ago

August 20, 2020

TORONTO — The optics don’t look good.

Brendan Gallagher will be getting his jaw wired shut after Matt Niskanen broke it with a cross-check in the dying minutes of Game 5 of Montreal’s series with Philadelphia, and we don’t know when he’ll be able to return. We do know it won’t be for Game 6 — or 7, if the Canadiens win on Friday — but Niskanen will be available to the Flyers come Sunday.

In a just world, that wouldn’t be the case. But justice appears to be a rather complex principle in the NHL.

Only in this league can a boarding minor — trumped up to a major and a game-misconduct because the victim of the hit suffered a small cut — equate to a crosscheck that causes someone a trip to the dentist, and one to the doctor for a procedure that ensures they’ll be drinking their food through a straw for the foreseeable future.

Granted, Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s punishment for the hit that sliced Travis Sanheim was 21 minutes and 45 seconds shorter than Niskanen’s will be. But we digress.

The NHL’s department of player safety put out a two-minute-and-24-second video to explain how they arrived at their conclusion following Niskanen’s 3 p.m. Eastern hearing on Thursday. There were 618 words spoken in there, but the only ones that resonated were the ones in the very first sentence.

“Wednesday night in Toronto, Flyers defenceman Matt Niskanen recklessly delivered a crosscheck to the face of Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher, knocking him to the ice and causing an injury.”

And yada, yada, yada, that amounts to a one-game suspension.

For a league that wants to curb concussions and eliminate head-shots, it’s a bad look.

And this ain’t pretty, either: The Canadiens were 4-7-1 sans Gallagher this season, and now, following a win with their backs against the wall in Game 5, they have to go runner, runner against a Flyers team that hasn’t lost consecutive games since early January, which was well before the world as we knew it stopped turning and COVID-19 paused the NHL season.

And then there’s the fact that the one thing the Canadiens proved, as they plummeted to 24th in the standings from October to March, was that they weren’t able to overcome injuries to Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron, never mind one to the player who has led them in goals in each of the past three seasons. You know, the guy who interim head coach Kirk Muller referred to on Thursday as “our heartbeat.”

But here’s the thing: The Montreal team we’ve seen in this unprecedented summer tournament for the Stanley Cup bears little resemblance to the one that needed to be gifted the opportunity to play these games in Toronto. Against all odds, the Canadiens handled a championship-calibre Pittsburgh Penguins team in less than the maximum number of games it required to advance beyond the qualifying round, and they’ve been every bit as good as the top-seeded Flyers so far in this first-round series.

Their coach, Claude Julien, suffered a cardiac event, was hospitalized, operated on and sent home to Montreal after a hard-fought Game 1 loss to Philadelphia, and they responded to that adversity with a resounding 5-0 win in Game 2. They were shut out in Games 3 and 4 and did everything they could (and succeeded) to chase Carter Hart from his net in Game 5 — even if Flyers coach Alain Vigneault was going to pull the young goaltender but suddenly decided against it after a bad goal allowed was overturned due to a missed offside call.

Speaking of missed calls, there was Gallagher, pinned up along the boards, clutching at his mouth to keep his teeth from falling out, bleeding profusely before he got up from Niskanen’s “reckless cross-check” and berated the officials on his way off the ice.

It was wasted breath, and he knew it.

Just like these Canadiens know it would be a waste of energy to get bogged down in L’Affaire Niskanen. They can’t do anything about the fact that one of their best players will be unavailable to them for the rest of this series, nor can they change the fact that Philadelphia will have one of theirs back if it gets to Game 7.

Not that all recent history is irrelevant.

The Canadiens shouldn’t forget what they did to win Game 5. They overcame the early departure of their leading goal scorer in these playoffs (Kotkaniemi), and they battled back after blowing two leads. They should also remind themselves that they managed to get this far with just one goal in eight games from Gallagher, and, in his absence, they should play in his image — with reckless abandon and caution thrown to the wind.

We know there’s at least one person who believes they can do it. He’s the guy who wasn’t supposed to make it to the NHL — especially not just two-and-a-half years after being drafted 147th overall. The guy who no one thought would last in this league but is now eight years into his career. You know, the guy who’s made his living turning the optics upside down.

Source: – Sportsnet.ca

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Sports

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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Sports

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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