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Vladar saves his best for last as Flames win Battle of Alberta

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EDMONTON – Darryl Sutter referred to it as a “scheme,” a plan he came up with long ago to give Dan Vladar more starts, more regularly.

Apparently, he’s yet to fully disclose his ploy with the Flames backup.

No matter, as there was Vladar, denying a frantic, last-minute push by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Co. to win a quirky version of the Battle of Alberta, 4-3 Saturday.

“I gotta look at a video,” smiled the towering Czech backstop, who made several of his 26 saves in the dying seconds.

“I think the clock was paused a little bit because those last five seconds felt like 45. It was so long.”

Nothing could have felt longer on Saturday night than the lonely skate his counterpart, Jack Campbell, had to make ten minutes into the game, when he was pulled after being beaten four times by an energized faction of Flames.

By that point the Flames had a 4-1 lead in a game that was literally on pace for 30.

Things settled down from there, and Vladar’s steady influence had plenty to do with that, with a little help, of course, from a diligent group of Flames who knew all too well how capable the Oilers are of erasing large deficits.

A power-play goal by Connor McDavid midway through the second was followed up four minutes later by a Ryan McLeod snipe that closed the gap to one goal, setting the table for a tense third, no matter which side of Red Deer you live in.

“It was just awesome,” said Vladar of a final frame in which he turned aside all eight shots in what will be the Flames’ only visit to Rogers Place this (regular) season.

“After the second period, all the guys were saying, ‘Hey, this is our last 20 minutes in the regular season here. Let’s do everything to bring those two points home.’

“It’s a tough building to play in, obviously a great team, but I think today we showed heart and we battled.”

The fact they did it with their backup was significant, for many reasons.

Was the coach looking to shield starter Jacob Markstrom from an Oilers team that had his number all last season?

Is Markstrom simply feeling the effects of an illness that sidelined him the day before Thursday’s opener?

Will the coach appease a fan base that has been clamouring for Markstrom’s workload to decrease?

“Pretty clear I didn’t make (the decision) today or yesterday,” said Sutter after the game.

“When I looked at the schedule and looked at the first month, that’s what I was doing.

“He was awesome. That’s how he played in the pre-season. He did a really good job for us and that’s what I said this morning.”

Sutter said after the morning skate Vladar could expect more than the 19 appearances he made last year.

“Our theme coming in was there’s 26 weeks in our season and we want to make sure that Vladar gets a game a week,” he said.

“It’s just the way this month works. Quite honest, when Marky was under the weather last game, we thought about playing (Vladar) against Colorado and then Marky here. But he chose Game 1, so this is Game 2.”

It was music to Vladar’s ears after the game.

“It means everything for me, obviously,” said Vladar, who was told of his starting assignment Friday morning.

“That’s why I’m here. I’m here to play my best and help the team every single time I get the call. I didn’t even know that coach said that, but if he said that, it’s great for me. But obviously I have to perform well every single time I get the call.”

On Saturday, he did.

It certainly helped that Mikael Backlund scored 73 seconds in, before his teammates responded to a Cody Ceci equalizer with three more from Michael Stone, Nazem Kadri and Andrew Mangiapane.

Stuart Skinner posted a clean slate the final 50 minutes, with help from the post, which three Flames hit as part of continued pressure through the balance of the first and in parts of the third.

While Stone’s first three-point effort of his NHL career earned him a Hockey Night in Canada interview, Kadri’s goal had most people talking. He made a strong first impression in his provincial battle debut as he raced in alone past a stumbling Brett Kulak before neatly finishing the play with a tuck between Campbell’s legs.

“I just try to skate faster, that’s really what happened,” said Kadri of his mindset while watching Kulak fall to the ice at the blue line.

“I saw he kind of was going down and I just tried to put on the jets and luckily it came out with a chance and I was able to finish.”

A huge power-play goal for the newbie.

“It’s good to see him score,” said Sutter.

“They got the matchup they wanted the first two periods and it was against Naz. His wingers (Mangiapane and Dillon Dube) are going to have to get better for him.

“I thought we played a really strong game. In the second period you knew they were going to shorten the bench and come with a push, and they did early. I thought for the most part we did a pretty good job.”

The win came two days after beating the defending champs, springboarding the Flames into an eight-game homestand that starts Tuesday against Vegas.

Plenty to be excited about if you’re a Flames fan wondering how the re-tooled bunch would mesh early.

“I think it shows a lot of maturity,” said Kadri of the team’s ability to shut things down the final 25 minutes after the Oilers clawed within one and threatened to continue that momentum as they did through last spring’s playoff mismatch.

“We have a mature group in here and I don’t think anyone really hit the panic button. I think that’s what the season is all about. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, you’re going to be up a couple, you’re going to be down a couple.

“Either way, you just have to find that balance and continue to push forward.”

 

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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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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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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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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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