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Canucks make valiant effort but slow start to season too much to overcome – Sportsnet.ca

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All that will, and Elias Pettersson’s skill, were just not enough for the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday when their 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild felt like the end of their playoff dream.

Up 3-2 late in the second period and still tied 3-3 on the road halfway through the third against a bruising, formidable opponent, the Canucks’ fuel gauge finally hit empty after all these months and the Wild scored three times in the last eight minutes to sink a dagger into Vancouver’s improbable playoff drive.

Leading scorer J.T. Miller hobbled to the final buzzer after blocking a slapshot on the inside of his knee. Checking centre Brad Richardson insisted on finishing the game after getting his nose smashed by Kirill Kaprizov’s stick in the first period. Goalie Thatcher Demko tried to play through whatever is affecting him — even if that is simply exhaustion after playing 63 games — but just didn’t have it.

The Wild were too good, too big, too deep.

The Canucks’ first regulation loss in nine games was still enough to feel like the end of hope after a magnificent four-month charge back towards the Stanley Cup playoffs.

But it wasn’t this game that cost them, even if it seemed that way. It was all those games they lost in November, when a team that needed everything to go well for it to make the post-season began the National Hockey League campaign 6-14-2.

That is the lesson they need to take from Thursday, from this season: Playing three-quarters of a season, even at the winning clip of a top-10 NHL team, isn’t enough when only half of the league’s 32 entries are allowed to play for the Stanley Cup.

Pettersson, who was stuck at six goals on Jan. 15, scored twice Thursday to bring his season total to 31, 13 of them in the last 12 games. But even if the Canucks win their final four games, starting Saturday in Calgary, it may not be enough.

It wasn’t enough that Miller, with 30 goals and 93 points, built the most productive season by a Canuck since Henrik and Daniel Sedin were winning consecutive NHL scoring titles a decade ago. It won’t be enough that Bo Horvat, now out with an ankle injury, scored 31 times. Or that defenceman Quinn Hughes will likely still set a new franchise record for points by a defenceman, needing three points from the final four games to surpass the 63 points Doug Lidster amassed 35 years ago. And it wasn’t enough that Demko had an MVP season, not only showing he can start over an 82-game campaign but proving he is one of the top goalies in the NHL.

All of these achievements were not enough to undo the damage to the Canucks from those first 22 games. Game 78 on Thursday — 32-15-9 since those first seven weeks — was a painful reminder of how much is required to make the playoffs.

“We had a lot of guys go down recently,” winger Conor Garland said Thursday after setting up Pettersson’s goals. “Everybody stepped up and played as hard as we could for as long as we could, trying to just keep winning games, trying to give ourselves a chance to get in. A lot of guys played hard for a long time. That won’t change the last four (games) but tonight definitely hurts.

“We understand what that (loss) means. It’s tough to be tied against probably one of the top two or three teams in the Western Conference in the third period, and we just couldn’t find a way to get it done. It sucks. We just couldn’t find a way to get that fourth one.”

Pettersson’s second goal, giving him five two-goal games in the last dozen, put the Canucks ahead 3-2 at 16:09 of a wild second period when he deftly converted Garland’s rebound to give Vancouver its only lead.

But it lasted less than two-and-a-half minutes because at 18:36, Mats Zuccarello crossed with Kaprizov in the Canucks’ zone and fired a wrist shot in off Demko’s catching glove to tie it.

Kevin Fiala scored the winner for Minnesota at 12:17 of the third period, shaking free from the Canucks’ Brad Hunt as he circled behind the Vancouver net, skated out into the slot and scored short-side on Demko. Kaprizov fired between the goalie’s pads at 18:05, and Ryan Hartman added an empty-netter.

“Until eight minutes to go in the third period, I thought we were doing a really good job,” Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I thought their third goal was a little bit of a backbreaker. I mean, if we usually get into the third period with the lead, we’re usually at least getting a point out of it. That hurt a little bit.”

But Boudreau added later: “They give it everything they have. I mean, tonight, for example, Miller’s blocking a shot; he’s got a couple ice bags on. Richardson breaks his nose and still wants to play. I mean, that’s the kind of effort and character that these guys have. I’m very proud of them. They never quit, they never die. Obviously, tonight was very disappointing at the end, but… they could have given up a long time ago, the odds were so against us. But they believed and they still believe. They’ll believe again tomorrow.”

With four games remaining, three against teams likely to be in the playoffs, the Canucks are four points back in the wildcard race, seven points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division.

If they win out, the Canucks will have 95 points and that still may not be enough to make the playoffs.

“Everyone tried their best,” Pettersson said after his team was outshot 15-4 in the third period. “Everybody knew what’s on the line, everybody worked their hardest.

“It’s extremely tough. We know how badly we wanted this win. We battled all 60 minutes. It’s not looking better for us, but it’s certainly not over. We’re going to battle until we don’t have any games left.”

There are as few as eight days left in their season.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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November 8, 2024

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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:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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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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