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Adversity is the biggest test you can face.
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Canucks 3, Bruins 2 (OT): Big-character win in a big-character test – The Province
The Canucks dug deep and put together one of their best periods of the season, tallying two goals in the third’s final 10 minutes to force overtime.
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The Vancouver Canucks got over a massive mountain on Saturday night; not only did the put an end to an ugly four-game (regulation) losing streak, they mounted a massive comeback against one of the league’s great teams.
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The Canucks wanted more than just a moral victory, but with 20 minutes to play, they were facing that reality. They’d outplayed the Boston Bruins for much of the night, but found themselves trailing 2-0 after two periods.
But they dug deep and put together one of their best periods of the season, tallying two goals in the third’s final 10 minutes to force overtime.
That alone was enough of a story, no matter the final result.
But what a result! The Canucks won 3-2 in overtime as their much-maligned power play finally struck, Brock Boeser tipping home a point shot.
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It was a massive game for Boeser, who scored the Canucks’s first goal and the winner and he set the screen on the tying goal.
Hockey is a game of fine margins and the Bruins just had a smidgen more through two periods. The Canucks had all the margins in the final 23 minutes.
Both Bruins goals were opportunistic strikes by their depth forwards, while the Canucks struggled to grind out open chances for much of the night despite holding the puck for long stretches.
The third saw the Canucks push hard and they scored twice for the efforts.
Tyler Myers, who has seen a lot of ups and downs as a Canuck admitted the game was possibly the most satisfying of his career.
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“It’s up there,” he said. “That was a good hockey game. I thought our mindset the whole game, even when we got down, is exactly the way we want to play.”
The four-game losing streak had been frustrating. The Canucks had been so successful this year but they’d lost their way.
“We hadn’t gone through adversity this year,” he said. “We slipped a little with our mindset of how to handle it. But you know, those are the times that you need to address it. You need to talk about it in the room. We did and we responded the way we needed to — just got to carry that learning process going forward,” he said.
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Miller man
On a night where the Canucks needed someone to take the bull by the horns, J.T. Miller was the man.
“Millsy willed the game, his third period was incredible,” Rick Tocchet said.
Miller was hard on the forecheck. He threw lots of hits. He set up both the tying and winning goal.
“I just thought it was a hell of a hockey game and showed a lot of balls for our group today,” Miller said.
Tips and rebounds
The Canucks controlled so much possession of the game, but Boston did great work in front of the net.
The Canucks had so much success early in the year creating rebound opportunities and getting their sticks on point shots and through two periods that was still a struggle.
But the Canucks rediscovered their ability to create traffic in front of the opposing crease and Filip Hronek’s tying goal was a perfect example: it was Boeser who was screening Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman as Hronek’s point shot sailed unchallenged into the net.
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Elias Pettersson highlighted Boeser’s effort as an example of what he and his teammates dialed in on in the third period.
“It’s a cliché get the bodies to the net. That’s why we tied it. It wasn’t a hard shot but Brock made great screen so the goalie couldn’t see it. It’s the small plays but they play a big role,” he said.
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Big game, Skipper
Quinn Hughes skated 24:07 at even strength.
He was +26 in shot attempts. Just a massive performance from the Canucks’ best defenceman.
Talk about a star performance in a game where his team needed it.
Where Hughes goes, the Canucks go. He’s a workhorse who is hard to handle.
Pushing the pace
Nikita Zadorov is hard to miss.
And on this night he was notable for all the right reasons.
Rarely was he caught up in his own zone.
He was feeling confident with the puck on his stick, leading numerous rushes up the ice.
“I’m a good player when I move my feet, so I’m going to keep going,” he said with a smile.
And he made the great pass to open up a chance for Boeser.
Zadorov said that ahead of the faceoff Miller pointed out the way the Bruins defence sets up, with both defencemen away from the middle of hte ice, gives a bit of time for a winger to find a gap to set up in.
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Boeser was left unchecked for just enough time as a result.
“Yeah we drew that play,” he said.
Good to see you
It hasn’t been an easy run for Boeser since the All-Star game.
But in a game where the Canucks really needed a big goal, they got two from him.
So much of his success this season has been because he’s found little moments around the net.
And on his third-period goal, he found an inch of space and wired a classic wrist shot.
And then there was the winner in over time, a perfect pass from Miller, who is adept at perfect passes.
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Lindholm’s fine first
Given his own line to work with, it was evident how smooth Elias Lindholm’s game is.
He made numerous excellent defensive reads in the early going, guiding Bruins attackers into spaces they didn’t want to go.
It was a little reminiscent of Dan Hamhuis’ strength as a defender, so cerebral, with a fabulous understanding of space.
Lindholm also created an early scoring chance by jumping on a loose puck in his own end, making some hard strides to get himself clear of the Boston back check and create a 2-on-1.
Boston’s zone exits are so clean
For all the pressure the Bruins were absorbing, they kept finding safe ways out of the zone once they won possession of the puck.
Once the puck landed on their stick, they got out of the zone.
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Their reads and lines off the puck are so smart and clean.
Stick penalties
Tocchet has been clear this week about one thing that’s vexing him and is easy to fix: don’t take stick penalties.
Myers’ minor for slashing late in the first period surely drove him nuts: you can understand Myers confronting Charlie McAvoy over a hard, hard hit on Sam Lafferty, but do it without the stick, man.
The Leafs’ production line
You’d probably never heard of Justin Brazeau before Saturday.
He set up Boston’s first goal, using his giant reach to slide the puck around Quinn Hughes and on to Jesper Boqvist’s stick, who finished the play perfectly.
Brazeau is in just his third NHL game. He’s likely to play many more, given what we saw on this night.
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And he came through the Toronto Maple Leafs’ farm system as a project player.
He’s huge. He could score in junior.
What he couldn’t do was skate.
The Leafs took a flyer on him, built a proper skating program, sent Brazeau to the ECHL and went to work.
The Leafs surely should have held on to him. He looks like he’s going to be a solid depth player for the Bruins from here on.
But where were the stars?
The Canucks’ comeback takes the headline, but underneath that was another vital thing: the Canucks’ defensive play in front was marvellous. They didn’t give much away to Boston.
David Pastrnak had nine shot attempts somehow, but you struggle to identify any of quality.
Brad Marchand played more than 20 minutes and had no shots. He just had a chorus of boos following him around all night.
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The Bruins’ stars are in a slump.
“All due respect, we didn’t have to defend much,” Miller said.
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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere
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:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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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