Here’s what we learned as the Canucks claimed a 5-2 victory in the series opener at Rogers Place in Edmonton:
Be careful what you wish for.
From the outside, that was the advice to the Vancouver Canucks, but they obviously weren’t listening.
They made their first playoff appearance in five years on Wednesday night against the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. And if you thought a club that iced numerous first-round newbies was going to succumb to the strength and stamina of a seasoned NHL champion, you haven’t been paying attention.
Whether it was getting better with each qualifying-round victory, or youthful skill and naiveté having as much impact as playoff-starved veterans, the Canucks are hungry for more. And a 2-0-1 regular-season record against the 94-point club should accelerate that appetite in the best-of-seven series.
However, these aren’t the Blues who couldn’t create urgency with an 0-2-1 mark in the lethargic and meaningless round robin portion of the post-season for seeding purposes. Nobody was going home. Nobody was selling out on every shift.
Until now.
“They know what it’s all about,” Canucks coach Travis Green said in advance of Game 1. “There are no secrets how they play. It’s going to be a hard test and a good challenge, but I’ve said many times, when our team is challenged, you find out a lot about your group.
“And I’ve never had a doubt because they have a lot of belief in themselves.”
Here’s what we learned as the Canucks claimed a 5-2 victory in the series opener at Rogers Place in Edmonton:
The Vancouver Canucks celebrate a goal by defenceman Troy Stecher (51) during the third period.
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STECHER PROVES PROPHET
Troy Stecher knows his contract status and that the Canucks have roster options next season.
It’s why the Richmond native wanted this playoff sojourn to mean so much after losing his father, Peter, on Father’s Day and knowing that his club had so much to prove.
“I’m aware of my situation and my contract is up at the end of the year,” he said before Game 1. “Who knows what is going to happen. I’m excited and want to take over and help this team win.”
And he did just that.
With the clubs locked in a 2-2 draw in the third period, Stecher let loose a slapper that beat Jordan Binnington between the arm and body. He then looked to the heavens and screamed in joy. Horvat then followed up with his second goal of the night on a bull rush, deke and stick-side snapper to close scoring.
For Stecher, the magnitude of his special moment was not lost on him or his teammates or his coach.
“It’s been tough at certain moments through this process,” Stecher said post game. “I’m thankful to be surrounded by my teammates and I had a couple of seconds to reflect on my dad. And the biggest thing was everybody showed their support on the bench instantly and motivated me to keep going.”
Elias Pettersson was the first to reach out. Stecher was already having a good night in a shutdown pairing with Alex Edler. The winning goal was a just reward for a guy who has given so much to the team.
“What he went through in the summer was devastating and I just wanted to hug him,” said the centre.
Jacob Markstrom and Zack MacEwen also lost their fathers this season, so the joy they felt for Stecher was obvious.
“Very emotional for him,” said Markstrom. “I know what he’s going through and it’s not easy. For him to show that kind of emotion, I was just so happy he got it (goal). I gave him a big hug after the game and to be rewarded with a goal in a big game with everything he has been going through is huge.”
Jacob Markstrom makes a second period save on Ryan O’Reilly.
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MARKSTROM’S REST BEST
Two days off and two days of practice and video worked wonders for Markstrom.
He was sharp early and often and the starter had to be. The Blues kept coming, kept putting pucks through traffic and crowded his crease extra whacks after saves. And they studied video.
Zach Sanford tested the short side early before Markstrom made back-to-back saves off Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly, who tried to go 5-hole and score from the side respectively.
The Blues finally got to him when David Perron, who now has a dozen career goals against the Canucks, found a small opening on the glove side with a half-slapper slot effort on the power play. Jaden Schwartz then sped away on a breakaway — after Chris Tanev tried to play the puck at the opposition blue-line and then fell — before tucking a puck between the goalie’s pads on a deke.
Markstrom made a spectacular late left-toe save in which the puck was heading to the goalline but didn’t cross it as the Canucks clung to a 4-2 advantage.
“They kind of threw it in far side and they probably shot it for a rebound and I tried to kick it out and it hit Eagle (Edler) in the leg and back to the net,” recalled Markstrom, who finished with 29 saves. “It was kind of a desperation save and it went right to O’Reilly and we were quick to get a stick and he missed the net.
“They had a lot of pressure at the end and we were sacrificing a lot and blocking shots.”
Elias Pettersson celebrates his power-play goal against the St. Louis Blues at 8:37 of the second period and is grabbed by Brock Boeser.
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POWER IN THEIR PLAY
The Canucks went 1-for-12 with the man advantage in the season series — a 5-on-3 — and managed 13 shots.
In their playoff opener, there were better entries, better passing and a few new wrinkles in striking three times on the power play. Horvat worked the bumper position to perfection to open scoring and found open ice to take a feed from Quinn Hughes in the slot and whip a shot home.
The Canucks struck again in the second period when Pettersson, who was playing down low on the firstadvantage, got to his sweet shooting spot on a rotation and whipped a shot high glove side while falling backward. J.T Miller scored the third late in the third period.
As for Horvat, the captain has taken his game to another level. His stride is stronger, his finish is better and his determination has never been higher — as he demonstrated on his bull-rush goal. He finished with four shots and six attempts and won 54 per cent of his draws.
“You need everybody to win, but you especially need the power play to produce in the playoffs and we’ve done a great job spreading the scoring around,” said Horvat. “Guys are stepping up at key times and you want to get up for the big games and be a difference-maker. Playing the Stanley Cup champs is easy to get up for and these are the moments you want to be in.”
Especially when the power play is clicking.
“All five of us are confident,” said Pettersson. “We practise it a lot and it’s a good weapon to have. It’s going to win us games.”
“The chemistry just continues to grow,” added Hughes. “We’re at a point where we all have our one, two or three plays and guys can react to what is going to happen. Guys are hungry to score and we’ve been dialled in.”
So has the captain. Whether at even strength, the power play or in a match-up situation, his elevated game was lauded by Green.
“He was a horse tonight and kind of found his game,” said Green. “He looks like he has the jump back and is strong on the puck and does a lot of things that a team needs to win. He’s playing at his best when he has that 200-foot game. And when his skating is going, he’s phenomenal and players go through that where they’re feeling really good on the ice.”
“He’s fast, confident and strong.”
Zack MacEwen checks Vince Dunn in Game One of the Western Conference First Round.
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THE MILLER MYSTERY
J.T. Miller didn’t take the warm-up as Adam Gaudette took line rushes with Pettersson and Brock Boeser but was then a late addition to the lineup at bottom of the roster card. He didn’t look quite right at the bench to start the game.
Whether the winger is a little dinged up or was sick, he proved fit enough to play with a strong first period. The club’s leading scorer started the passing sequence on the opening goal, won four of six faceoffs and logged the most minutes of any Canucks forward at 7:33. As for his absence in the warm-up, Green didn’t share much.
“I’m not going to go into detail,” he said. “He couldn’t get out for warm-up and obviously played the game, so that’s all I’m going to say about it.”
Bo Horvat (3rd from left) celebrates his power-play goal at 4:29 of the first period against the St. Louis Blues in Game One.
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HUGHES IS TARGET
First is was Troy Brouwer mugging Hughes and then it was Perron.
The Calder Trophy finalist started getting extra attention in the second half of this shortened season and had to channel his anger. He learned that hacks and whacks come with the territory and as a dominant rookie who attacks, spins, shoots and drives the opposition crazy, the best revenge Wednesday was playing even better.
“You’ve got to be mentally tough — it’s a physical sport,” said Hughes, who logged 21:28 and had an assist, two shots and five attempts. “Honestly, it’s kind of an honour that they’re going to key on me and that’s how I take it. I know I have teammates who have my back. I just have to play my game to the best of my ability.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
