The Triple Crown of Horse Racing is an annual torturous test of energy and endurance.
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Canucks 5, Islanders 2: Completing rare Triple Crown of victories by going wire-to-wire
A pair of first-period goals, and three markers by defencemen, allowed the Canucks to outpace the Islanders and claim an impressive win
The area is also home to UBS Arena, the posh digs for the New York Islanders, and where the Vancouver Canucks were attempting to complete their own Triple Crown Tuesday.
And that’s exactly what the Canucks did.
A pair of first-period goals, and three markers by defencemen, allowed the Canucks to outpace the Islanders and claim an impressive 5-2 victory. They improved to 3-1 on a seven-game road trip and 27-11-3 overall in pursuit of the NHL overall lead.
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Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet believed his club had enough in reserve by measuring minutes at Madison Square Garden. And it played out.
“It was the consistency and a lot of good efforts from everybody,” he said. “We had a good first and a lot of energy. When we came out with a lot of good shifts, I knew these guys were ready to play. To win three games in New Jersey and New York is tough to do.”
The win came in convincing fashion and included goals you don’t see every night.
J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson played pickleball with passes across the crease before the slick Swede potted his 20th of the season. And Tyler Myers took advantage of an Islanders line change by unleashing a 93 mile-per-hour slapshot at full stride to the stick side to make it 4-1 in the second period.
Maybe Hughes put it best.
“It’s crazy how a year can change,” he said. “Last year, we had a really hard time keeping leads in the third, and this year, we kind of look like a mature group.”
Here’s what we learned as Filip Hronek, Hughes, Pettersson, Myers and Dakota Joshua into an empty net scored for the Canucks, while Brock Nelson had both goals for the Islanders:
The smart start, the Hughes ballet
There was statistical proof that a good start was prudent.
The Islanders had surrendered one or fewer goals in the opening period in their previous 23 games. They also entered the night by outscoring the opposition 35-22 in the first period. Only the Los Angeles Kings had allowed fewer goals in the opening frame.
Conor Garland had a three-shot period and then the damage was done in convincing fashion.
First, it was Hronek ripping a point slapper that felled Casey Cizikas, and as he hobbled off the ice, the play continued and allowed Hronek to pounce on a loose puck to open scoring. Then, it was Hughes doing a figure skating and ballet combo to provide a two-goal cushion.
The Norris Trophy favourite emerged from behind the Islanders net with puck possession, wheeled into the faceoff circle, did a backward spin, and got to the slot to snap home his 11th of the season.
“Huggy’s goal was incredible,” said Tocchet. “When you get that second wave on the rush, and it was probably one of our better games breaking the puck out, that’s why our defence got some of those chances.”
“They’re so opportunistic if there’s a breakdown,” added Tocchet. “Obviously, a hell of a goal from Miller to Petey. They’ve been great and they’re dominating. It’s a great line.”
For Hughes, the win was just another part of the process of staying even-keeled and staying structured.
“We just want to keep climbing up the mountain,” he said. “We’re happy with how this road trip has gone, but we’ve got to finish up strong. Our depth scoring is why we’re good this year with multiple contributions and it’s nice to see Myers get rewarded.
“He has played so well for us. He’s taking tough matchups, penalty kill and blocking shots. And for him to get a goal is big. We’re going to need that down the stretch.”
DeSmith can be the difference
Casey DeSmith has had busier nights, but this one was efficient.
The backup goaltender improved to 7-3-2 and increased his .917 save percentage with a 17-save performance that had moments of resilience to ensure the Islanders didn’t gather momentum.
In the first period, DeSmith made a tough stop on Pierre Engvall after he took a cross-ice feed at the top of the crease from Nelson. He then stopped a streaking Barzal, who unloaded a hot shot to the far side that DeSmith got a piece of with his shoulder.
In the second period, DeSmith thwarted a 2-on-1 as Kyle Palmieri took a Barzal feed before remaining calm to stop a sharp-angle attempt during a three-shot sequence. DeSmith was beat on a second-period power play when Palmieri sent a backhand pass to Nelson at the far post. And late in the third, Nelson found the short side.
“It’s just work hard in practice and good habits — Clarkie (goalie coach Ian Clark) is big on the habits — and it translates to games,” said DeSmith. “It’s paying off. Obviously, the team was incredible tonight going back-to-back against a really good Islanders team.
“That was one of the better wins this season. We’re not giving up a lot of odd-man rushes and it seems like there’s a lot of chemistry and the Lotto Line is hot right now and fun to see.”
Maintenance day welcome ‘luxury’
Ian Cole is 34 years old.
He brings veteran savvy and a Stanley Cup pedigree to the back end and plays with a youthful exuberance. However, defending comes with wear and tear.
It meant Noah Juulsen was reinserted in a pairing with Nikita Zadorov while Cole, who hasn’t missed a game this season and leads all club blueliners in shot blocks (79) and is third in hits (40), could ensure he’s ready for Thursday in Pittsburgh.
“More of a maintenance and saving some wear and tear,” said Tocchet. “We’re healthy and it’s a good luxury right now.”
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Sports
Arch Manning to get first start for No. 1 Texas as Ewers continues recovery from abdomen strain
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe while regular starter Quinn Ewers continues to recover from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.
It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 56-7 Texas victory.
Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.
Ewers missed several games over the previous two seasons with shoulder and sternum injuries.
The Longhorns are No. 1 for the first time since 2008 and Saturday’s matchup with the Warhawks is Texas’ last game before the program starts its first SEC schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 28.
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The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Making 104 senior appearances for Canada over a 20-year span, Atiba Hutchinson embodied quiet professionalism and leadership.
“He’s very humble but his influence is as strong as I’ve ever seen on men,” said former national team coach John Herdman.
“For me it was just a privilege, because I’ve had the honour to work with people like (former Canada women’s captain Christine) Sinclair. And Atiba, he’s just been a gift to Canada,” he added.
Hutchinson documents his journey on and off the field in an entertaining, refreshingly honest memoir called “The Beautiful Dream,” written with Dan Robson.
The former Canada captain, who played for 10 national team coaches, shares the pain of veteran players watching their World Cup dream slip away over the years.
Hutchinson experienced Canada’s lows himself, playing for a team ranked No. 122 in the world and 16th in CONCACAF (sandwiched between St. Kitts and Nevis and Aruba) back in October 2014.
Then there was the high of leading his country out at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a 36-year absence by the Canadian men.
And while he doesn’t throw anyone under the bus — for example, he notes the missed penalty kick in Canada’s World Cup opener in Qatar against Belgium without mentioning the taker (Alphonso Davies, whom he is very complimentary to) — he shares stories that paint a picture.
He describes the years of frustration the Canadian men experienced, with European club teammates ridiculing his commitment to the national team. In one telling story about a key World Cup qualifier in Honduras in October 2012, he relates learning in the dressing room before the match that the opposition players had been promised “land or homes” by their federation if they won.
“Meanwhile an executive from the Canadian Soccer Association entered and told us that we’d each receive an iPad or an iPod if we won,” Hutchinson writes.
Needing just a draw to advance to the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, Canada was trounced 8-1. Another World Cup campaign ended prematurely.
Hutchinson writes about the turnaround in the program under Herdman, from marvelling “at how good our younger players were” as he joined the team for World Cup qualifying ahead of Qatar to Canada Soccer flying the team to a game in Costa Rica “in a private jet that was swankier than anything I’d ever seen the federation pay for.”
Canada still lost 1-0, “a reminder we weren’t there yet,” he notes.
And Hutchinson recalls being “teary-eyed” during Canada’s memorable World Cup 2-1 qualifying win over Mexico in frigid Edmonton in November 2021.
“For the first time we had the respect of the other countries … We knew we had been viewed as an easy win by opponents like Mexico. Not anymore,” he writes.
The Canadian men, currently ranked 38th in the world, have continued their rise under coach Jesse Marsch
“I’m extremely proud to see how far we’ve come along,” Hutchinson said in an interview.
“Just to see what’s happening now with the team and the players that have come through and the clubs they’re playing at — winning leagues in different parts of Europe and the world,” he added. “It’s something we’ve never had before.”
At club level, Hutchinson chose his teams wisely with an eye to ensuring he would get playing time — with Osters and Helsingborgs IF in Sweden, FC Copenhagen in Denmark, PSV in the Netherlands and Besiktas in Turkey, where he payed 10 seasons and captained the side before retiring in June 2023 at the age of 40.
Turkish fans dubbed him “The Octopus” for his ability to win the ball back and hold onto it in his midfield role.
But the book reveals many trials and tribulations, especially at the beginning of his career when he was trying to find a club in Europe.
Today, Hutchinson, wife Sarah and their four children — ranging in age from one to nine — still live in Istanbul, where he is routinely recognized on the street.
He expects to get back into football, possibly coaching, down the line, but for the moment wants to enjoy time with his young family. He has already tried his hand as a TV analyst with TSN.
Herdman, for one, thought Hutchinson might become his successor as Canada coach.
Hutchinson says he never thought about writing a book but was eventually persuaded to do so.
“I felt like I could help out maybe some of the younger kids growing up, inspire them a bit,” he said.
The book opens with a description of how a young Hutchinson and his friends would play soccer on a lumpy patchy sandlot behind Arnott Charlton Public School in his native Brampton, Ont.
In May, Hutchinson and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown celebrated the opening of the Atiba Hutchinson Soccer Court, an idea Hutchinson brought to Brampton city council in March 2022.
While Hutchinson’s playing days may be over, his influence continues.
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“The Beautiful Dream, A Memoir” by Atiba Hutchinson with Dan Robson, 303 pages, Penguin Random House, $36.
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Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024
LONDON – Canada will meet three-time champion Germany in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Malaga, Spain this November.
Canada secured a berth in the quarterfinals — also called The Final 8 Knockout Stage — with a 2-1 win over Britain last weekend in Manchester, England.
World No. 21 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal anchored a five-player squad that included Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., Gabriel Diallo of Montreal, Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C.
The eight-team draw for the quarterfinals was completed Thursday at International Tennis Federation headquarters.
Defending champion Italy will play Argentina, the United States will meet Australia and Spain will take on the Netherlands. Schedule specifics have yet to be released but the Final 8 will be played Nov. 19-24.
Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz were unbeaten in doubles play last week to help Germany reach the quarterfinals. The country’s top singles player — second-ranked Alex Zverev — did not play.
The Canadians defeated Germany in the quarterfinals en route to their lone Davis Cup title in 2022. Germany won titles in 1988, ’89 and ’93.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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