The Canucks showed plenty of guts on Thursday in defeating the Arizona Coyotes in a tight-checking contest at Rogers Arena.
The Canucks were a little unfortunate to lose 4-0 on Tuesday in Winnipeg to the Jets. They fired 41 shots at the opposing net, hit countless posts and came away with no goals.
On Thursday, they got themselves some bounces and won a tight contest 3-1 over their divisional rivals, the Arizona Coyotes, at Rogers Arena.
Over the course of the game, the Coyotes slightly out-chanced the Canucks, but there was no case to be made that the visitors were robbed of a win.
The Canucks, quite simply, did what they had to do. There are still 34 games left to play in the regular season but with the Canucks now having playoff ambitions, this is the kind of game they’ll tell you they need to win.
They checked hard. They created chances when they could. And they, again, got solid goaltending from Jacob Markstrom, who made 34 saves on the night.
“It was tight. At times there wasn’t a lot of space. You had to make the right plays … and I think we did a good job of that tonight,” Quinn Hughes said.
The Canucks, who are now just one point behind the Coyotes while also holding two games in hand, got goals from Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen and Tanner Pearson into an empty net, while the Coyotes’ goal was scored by Christian Dvorak.
Here’s what we learned…
Arizona Coyotes defenceman Jakob Chychrun (6) fights for control of the puck with Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers (57) during first period NHL action in Vancouver, Thursday, January 16, 2020.
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Mixing it up
Virtanen got the bump to the top line, swapping spots on right wing with Brock Boeser. Virtanen’s speed is an obvious difference between the two players, though Boeser has been a point-per-game player this season skating alongside Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
The two wingers have been swapped for each other before this season; the most recent instance was Tuesday’s loss to the Jets.
“Felt it was good to switch it up the other night. We’ve been thinking about it lately. I’ve talked to both players about it. Not a big deal to them. And I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point you see it go back the other way as well,” Travis Green said.
This was the 12th straight game we’ve seen Pearson, Horvat and Eriksson together as a line. They’ve scored 6 empty netters in that time, 2 for each of them.
Boeser struggled to mesh with Adam Gaudette and Antoine Roussel but Virtanen picked up his 14th goal of the season by banking a shot from behind the net off Coyotes goalie Adin Hill, who was scrambling across to cover what initially looked like Virtanen building towards a wraparound attempt.
It was a smart bit of play by the winger.
Though it looked like perhaps it was a bit of luck for Virtanen, who did seem to be mostly just putting the puck towards the top of the crease in the hopes one of his linemates would find it, he insisted post game it was intentional.
“I just saw the goalie kind of over-commit a little bit about when I took a quick glance up and and in junior I used to do that wraparound move so I thought I’d try it out and it worked,” he said.
Arizona Coyotes forward Derek Stepan (21) defends Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat (53) in the first period.
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Third time’s the charm
Horvat’s power play goal came after the Canucks had already hit the post twice.
Patience makes perfect.
It was a Quinn Hughes shot that rang off the post and then bounced back into the slot, landing on the stick of the Canucks’ captain, who made no mistake in firing the puck back into the net past Hill.
The first power play unit hasn’t been able to find a goal of late, so Horvat’s exultation after firing the puck in the net was a reflection of relief as much as anything.
He also tried a between-the-legs shot in the second period after Loui Eriksson forced a turnover and slid the puck over to Horvat, who was alone in the slot, up against Hill.
“Thought I might have caught him a little off-guard,” Horvat said with a grin.
Arizona Coyotes left wing Taylor Hall (91) fights for control of the puck with Vancouver Canucks defenceman Christopher Tanev (8) during the first period.
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Quick hands
The Coyotes are known for being very hard-edged on defence. Finding scoring chances against them is a tough proposition.
Adding Taylor Hall was with a clear purpose: they wanted to give their offence a jet boost. Adding a former league MVP was an obvious move.
Hall showed off his talents on the game’s first goal, as he led a Coyotes rush into the zone, then, after losing the puck for a moment on the sideboards, was able to swat it down to his feet and then quickly dished to Dvorak, who fired the puck past Markstrom.
It was, however, a rare moment for him on the night as Horvat’s line checked Hall’s tightly.
Michael Grabner trips over Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom.
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Haulin’ oats
For a moment, it looked like Tyler Motte had made a great play at the blue-line, which led to a perfect Jay Beagle deflection of the puck into the Coyotes’ net.
But after Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet challenged the play for offside, the officials overturned the goal, acknowledging that the puck had left the zone despite Motte’s efforts.
While the officials consulted with the video officials upstairs in Rogers Arena and at the league office in Toronto, the Canucks’ production team played a video featuring clips from TV and movie history, with characters like Capt. Picard from Star Trek, CSI’s Gil Grissom, … all looking at screens and asking for other characters to freeze frames and zoom in on images.
It was a good laugh.
Then when the referees announced their decision against the Canucks, the arena DJ played Hall and Oates’ Out of Touch to serenade the men in stripes.
“I didn’t know what was going on, I’d just finished my check and I looked up and Motter had the puck,” Jay Beagle said about his goal that wasn’t.
“That was three feet offside,” his linemate Brandon Sutter said with a laugh. “I couldn’t figure out what was going on.”
Vancouver Canucks centre Elias Pettersson (40) fights for control of the puck with Arizona Coyotes right wing Vinnie Hinostroza (13) during the first period.
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Playoff watch
While the Canucks pulled themselves closer to the Coyotes, the Calgary Flames seized first place in the Pacific Division, pushing Arizona down to second place, by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in a shootout.
The Vegas Golden Knights also won, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in newly-minted head coach Peter DeBoer’s first game behind the bench of his new team. VGK are tied with the Canucks in points, but sit behind them in games played.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins will bring in another quarterback while starter Tua Tagovailoa deals with his latest concussion, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.
For now, Skylar Thompson will be considered the Dolphins’ starter while Tagovailoa is sidelined. Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo in the third quarter with the third known concussion of his NFL career, all of them coming in the last 24 months.
“The team and the organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the team has not made any decision about whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Tagovailoa was expected at the team facility on Friday to start the process of being evaluated in earnest.
“We just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared for every situation,” McDaniel said, noting that the only opinions that will matter to the team will be the ones from Tagovailoa and the medical staff.
McDaniel added that he doesn’t see Tagovailoa playing in Miami’s next game at Seattle on Sept. 22.
“I have no idea and I’m not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of,” McDaniel added. “All I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad and be a dad this weekend. And then we’ll move from there. There won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard … none of that will happen without doctors’ expertise and the actual player.”
Tagovailoa was 17 for 25 passing for 145 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions — one of which was returned for a Buffalo score — when he got hurt. Thompson completed eight of 14 passes for 80 yards.
Thompson said he feels “fully equipped” to run the Dolphins’ offense.
“What’s going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I’m confident, though,” Thompson said after Thursday’s game. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever’s to come. I’m going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.
“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”
Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.
“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.
When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.
McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”
TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson were among the soccer dignitaries who attended the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday in the Swedish manager’s small hometown of Torsby.
Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the 600-seat Fryksande church.
“It is a day of grief but also a day of thankfulness,” the priest, Ingela Älvskog, told those in attendance.
Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Eriksson’s 95-year-old father Sven and other family members with hugs inside the church before the funeral started.
Eriksson became England’s first foreign-born coach when he led the national team from 2001-06, and made Beckham his captain.
Eriksson, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.
Some 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church from 1898 were reserved for his family, friends and players from his career in the football world, according to his agent. The remaining seats were open for the public, according to Eriksson’s wish, with a big screen set up outside the church where hundreds more gathered to watch the ceremony. The funeral was also broadcast live on some Swedish media websites.
The wooden coffin was wheeled in by pallbearers at the church Friday morning as fog wrapped Torsby — a town of about 4,000 people located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm. Next to the casket was a photo of Eriksson on a small table. The floral wreaths included ones sent by FIFA and Lazio, the Italian team that Eriksson led to the Serie A title in 2000.
The ceremony began with somber piano and organ music, but later took on a more upbeat note with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson performing Elton John’s song “Candle In The Wind” and then “My Way” in a duet with Johan Birgersson, who later intoned the popular Italian song “Volare” after the family had gathered around the casket to lay flowers.
Beckham also visited Eriksson in Sweden in June to say goodbye. Others attending the funeral included the Swedish coach’s longtime partner Nancy Dell’Olio. Eriksson’s agent had said that guests from England, Italy and Spain were expected.
After the funeral, the casket was carried out of the church by eight men to the hearse. The guests then walked in a procession accompanying the coffin to a nearby museum where speeches and eulogies to the coach fondly known as “Svennis” were planned on an outdoor stage. A brass band played during the procession through Torsby, including the tune “You never walk alone” from the musical “Carousel” which has become the anthem of Liverpool, the club Eriksson supported since childhood.
The local soccer club Torsby IF, where Eriksson started his career in the 1960s, wrote on its webpage that “you also showed your greatness by always being yourself, the caring Svennis who talked to everyone and took the time, for big and small, asking how things were and how the football was going. We will miss you.”
