Noah Gregor, Maple Leafs saviour. Weird but true.
Sports
‘CRAZY END TO THE GAME’: Gregor an unlikely hero as Maple Leafs beat Panthers in shootout
“Outstanding, just so solid,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “His play through the final segment of the first period (when the Leafs sagged) keeps us around in the game.”
In the shootout, the Panthers’ Nick Cousins hit the post after Gregor scored, ensuring the Leafs’ win. Cousins was the 12th shooter.
Florida thought it won when the 10th shooter, Evan Rodrigues, beat Woll. But a review, initiated by the NHL, showed Rodrigues double-tapped the puck and the goal did not count.
“I’ve never seen that before,” said Gregor, who added it was his first shootout goal in the NHL. “It’s a crazy end to the game. When we got back from the tunnel, Keefer told me I was going. I think everyone thought the game was over.”
In starting a three-game home stand, the Leafs won after losing two in a row.
A scare went into the Leafs when Mitch Marner took a Matthew Tkachuk shot to the face in the first period and dropped to the ice. Marner got up and went directly to the Leafs’ dressing room. Marner came back to start the second period, wearing a minor-hockey style cage to protect his face.
“Seems fine, other than a pretty good gash on his cheek, on his jawline,” Keefe said.
The Leafs are 0-for-11 in their past three games on the power play.
GREGOR A FORCE
Much was made going into the game about the line changes Keefe made — swapping Marner, who played with John Tavares, and William Nylander, who skated with Auston Matthews — but it was Gregor who scored a highlight-reel goal to tie the game 1-1 in the second period.
“Huge,” Keefe said. “I really liked his game. Tried to give him a bit extra here and there. It was great to see him come through for the guys.”
Nylander hit the post twice in the second period and drew a couple of penalties. When the Leafs needed their best players to put them in control, however, none could get it done. These tight games against division rivals are the kind where the elite are paid to make a difference. On Tuesday, that did not happen for Toronto.
FIVE GUYS
The Leafs had to play with five defencemen after Mark Giordano was hurt in the first period.
As the second period was starting, the Leafs announced that Giordano would not return because of an upper-body injury.
“I haven’t got the final report, but it looks like he is going to miss time,” Keefe said.
If there was pressure on GM Brad Treliving to make a trade for a defenceman, that only increases. The Leafs have been getting by with a shorthanded group on the blue line as it is.
William Lagesson and Simon Benoit were signed for depth roles, not to play every night. The Toronto Marlies aren’t exactly brimming with prospects on defence, though Max Lajoie probably would be in line to get the call if required.
Still, the Leafs can’t expect to be competitive with several defencemen who would not be playing under normal circumstances. The feeling has been that Treliving has to acquire a top-notch defenceman. Now, getting one who could take reps in the bottom four would be a benefit.
START, SCHMART
The Leafs were looking forward to playing their first home game since Nov. 11, when they beat the Vancouver Canucks.
From the way they started, the Leafs played like they wanted to be anywhere else but in their relatively quiet home building.
A goal by Florida’s Kevin Stenlund came after Ryan Lomberg sent Nylander flying in the corner in the Leafs’ end in a battle for the puck. The Leafs didn’t recover and watched as Stenlund beat Woll.
Keep in mind the Panthers played the night before in Ottawa, where they defeated the Senators 5-0. The first was especially ugly for a number of Leafs, especially Matthews and Rielly.
At five-on-five, the Panthers had 20 shot attempts when Rielly was on the ice, and none against. With Matthews on the ice, it was 15 for, none against.
Rielly rebounded as the game progressed and made several fine defensive plays in the third period.
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
PITTSBURGH – Sidney Crosby plans to remain a Pittsburgh Penguin for at least three more years.
The Penguins announced on Monday that they re-signed the 37-year-old from Cole Harbour, N.S., to a two-year contract extension that has an average annual value of US$8.7 million. The deal runs through the 2026-27 season.
Crosby was eligible to sign an extension on July 1 with him entering the final season of a 12-year, $104.4-million deal that carries an $8.7-million salary cap hit.
At the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas last Monday, he said things were positive and he was optimistic about a deal getting done.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion is coming off a 42-goal, 94-point campaign that saw him finish tied for 12th in the league scoring race.
Crosby has spent all 19 of his NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, amassing 592 goals and 1,004 assists in 1,272 career games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.
Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.
The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.
“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.
“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”
Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.
The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.
“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”
It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.
“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”
Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.
He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.
Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.
“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”
Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.
“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.
Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.
Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.
“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”
Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.
Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.
Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.
Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.
Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.
“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
News7 mins ago
Politics likely pushed Air Canada toward deal with ‘unheard of’ gains for pilots
News11 mins ago
Energy minister says public money could help finance Alberta energy cleanup
News12 mins ago
Donald Trump doesn’t share details about his family’s cryptocurrency venture during X launch event
Media1 year ago
12 Bizarre Things People Did Just To Make Social Media Content
Sports5 years ago
AP source: Bears acquiring quarterback Nick Foles from Jaguars – Sportsnet.ca
Investment5 years ago
dynaCERT Inc. Invites You to Join Us at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference | INN – Investing News Network
-
Sports12 hours agoPenguins re-sign Crosby to two-year extension that runs through 2026-27 season
-
Politics15 hours agoNext phase of federal foreign interference inquiry to begin today in Ottawa
-
News15 hours agoVoters head to the polls for byelections in Montreal and Winnipeg
-
Economy13 hours agoLiberals announce expansion to mortgage eligibility, draft rights for renters, buyers
-
News15 hours agoFeds wary of back-to-work legislation despite employer demands: labour experts
-
News15 hours agoOntario considers further expanding pharmacists’ scope to include more minor ailments
-
Sports23 hours agoSlovenia’s Tadej Pogacar wins Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal
-
Politics14 hours agoGould calls Poilievre a ‘fraudster’ over his carbon price warning
