The idea seemed simple enough Sunday.
Sports
Canucks 4, Blackhawks 3: Hanging in, hanging on to subdue phenom Connor Bedard
It took the sluggish Vancouver Canucks a period to find their legs after giving up the first 10 shots. However, they eventually found their game to rally and then hang on for a 4-3 victory over the cellar-dwelling, injury plagued and inexperienced Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
On a day when North Vancouver rookie phenom Connor Bedard displayed ample skill, shooting and smarts to establish himself as the Calder Trophy favourite — two assists, five shots, seven attempts — it was a second-period explosion by the Canucks that proved pivotal and critical.
“It just came down to will and effort,” said Boeser, who struck for his 23rd goal of the season in the second-period barrage to move back into a tie for the NHL scoring lead. “We didn’t like our effort in the first period and we had a good response.
“We knew it was going to be hard to close it out. They made a push and we hung in there well. I’m just proud of the way we responded. We found a way and that’s all that matters.”
“In the first period, we were obviously sleepy and the second was a big response,” said Tocchet. “Getting three points out of these two games on a back-to-back, I’m happy about that, but we’ve got to clean up our game. Our third line dragged us into the fight.”
Here’s what we learned as Elias Pettersson, Dakota Joshua, Boeser and Ilya Mikheyev scored for the Canucks, while Nick Foligno had a pair of the Blackhawks:
Third line shines, Boeser’s shot fine
Tocchet tweaked his lineup Sunday.
He promoted the smart and shifty Pius Suter to align with Mikheyev and Pettersson, while Sam Lafferty was dropped to the fourth line with Nils Aman and Andrei Kuzmenko.
It was Garland who did the work on Joshua’s goal to draw the Canucks even at 2-2. He got on top of a bouncing puck inside the Blackhawks blue-line and then spun with a slap-pass that a positioned Joshua was able to deflect with a deft touch.
“On a back-to-back, you try to find your legs and it was good to be tied 1-1 after the first period — especially when you don’t feel at your best,” said Garland. “We got rolling. Our line just sticks to the system and we trust it and it’s going to work.
“We’re a good defensive line that can chip in from time to time. We just hung on and had a lot of chances. A couple of more could have gone in.”
Boeser took a Miller feed on the next shift and raced down the left side before ripping a wrist shot past goalie Petr Mrazek on the far glove side. Mikheyev then got in the slot to set a screen and pivoted to deflect a Tyler Myers point shot.
Boeser also had a rebound chance at the side of the net in the third period, but his effort went just high. He then had another chance and finished with four shots and six attempts.
Bedard’s skill, shot, smarts legit
They came to see the future because too much of the present is hard to watch.
At the United Center, where faithful followers find it hard to hype the Blackhawks, they’re embracing everything that will eventually be possible with Bedard, who has 26 points (12-14) through 30 games.
His early quick read and pass nearly set up Tyler Johnson for a goal on Thatcher Demko’s doorstep. He then found a piece of the post, and with his high hand position and rapid release, also put one off Demko’s mask. He was also able to nearly pick the high short side through a tiny opening.
Bedard then showed another dimension of his multi-faceted game by setting up Foligno in opening minute of the second period. Instead of just letting a shot fly, Bedard purposely put a shot off Demko’s pads and Foligno was there to deposit the rebound for a tap-in and 2-1 lead.
Foligno also opened scoring on a bad sequence.
Filip Hronek was stripped of the puck by Foligno behind the net and then got position on Quinn Hughes to redirect a Joey Anderson feed.
Power play finally finds range
The beat-up Blackhawks are using four rookie defencemen. That’s a huge problem.
And so was nearly losing a veteran blueliner in the first period Sunday when Connor Murphy took a J.T. Miller power play howitzer off his knee and had to be helped to the locker room but returned for the second period.
That only made it tougher to defend a Canucks power play that has so much potential, but was sputtering with a 3-for-27 funk in nine games — including going 0-for-5 on Saturday in a 2-1 shootout loss in Minnesota — before finally striking.
The Canucks went without a shot on their first man-advantage Sunday in the opening period and then had a 5-on-3 advantage for 51 seconds. They couldn’t finish, even though they had two players at the net, before Pettersson took a cross-ice Miller feed and went glove.
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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Sports
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.
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