The Toronto Maple Leafs held an optional skate at Scotiabank Arena on Friday. The Calgary Flames held a full skate.
—
Flames coach Darryl Sutter was asked Friday what adjustments he’s looking for from highly skilled stars like Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.
“It’s just a little bit more of their shot count, shot quality, pace of the game and 200-foot game,” the veteran bench boss explained. “You look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, they play a complete game and their top players have made that adjustment to play a complete game, so you have to try to emulate those teams to have any success here.”
Gaudreau, Monahan and linemate Brett Ritchie have been dumping and chasing the puck more since Sutter took over.
“Whether I’m comfortable with it or not that’s our team, that’s our system right now,” Gaudreau said. “You need to adapt. It doesn’t matter which coach you’re playing for, you need to follow his instructions and make sure you’re playing the right way and the way he wants you to play.”
“We’re trying to limit turnovers,” said Monahan. “We’re trying to hold pucks more in their end. If you get chances off the rush you’re going to take it, but if they’re not there we have to continue to play the right way.”
Calgary had won three straight with Sutter behind the bench before getting shelled 7-3 on Wednesday in Edmonton. After that game, Sutter noted the Flames don’t have the same firepower as other teams in the North Division and have to play a more disciplined style to have success.
“I haven’t found the net too much in the past few games, but we’re 3-1 and that’s all you can really ask for,” said Gaudreau, who has one goal and six shots in the past four outings. “When you’re 3-1 with the new guy, I mean, that’s a recipe for success.”
Sutter isn’t juggling his forward lines tonight pointing out that the groups have played fairly well. The coach cited “needless penalties” as the major issue in Wednesday’s setback. The Oilers scored on three of four power-play chances.
“You see in this division where there are nights like that, basically power-play nights,” said Sutter. “Our team has responded very well. It’s not an issue.”
“We know we have skill on our team,” said Monahan. “We know we can score. We got to check first and that’s when we’ll get our opportunities.”
Flames not looking to play run-and-gun against Leafs: ‘We know how we have to win’
Darryl Sutter brings a more defensive style behind the bench and he’s been preaching to the Flames that playing a run-and-gun game won’t lead to success against teams like the Maple Leafs and Oilers. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan discuss the new playstyle and what it means for their offence.
—
The Flames have lost three of four games to the Leafs this season, but went 1-0-1 during a trip to Toronto last month. The Leafs didn’t score a five-on-five goal against Calgary in those two games.
“We’ve played well against them in the past,” said Gaudreau. “We’ve played these guys pretty well.”
“We know what we’re up against,” Monahan said. “It’s a game we’re looking forward to and we want to set the tone ourselves and get pucks behind them. We want to have the puck more than them and be heavy with it in their end and keep an eye [on] those top guys.”
The Leafs should have a lot of energy thanks to a four-day break between games. The rest has helped top-line centre Auston Matthews recover from a nagging wrist injury. Matthews has three goals, all from in tight, in seven games since returning from a two-game absence.
“Tony keeps pretty even-keeled,” said linemate Mitch Marner. “Our group tries not to get frustrated and stay the same mood at all times. I’m sure it is frustrating for him to not be able to shoot it as well as he’d like, but definitely looks like he’s coming back to normal and it’s a big help for our team.”
Already dealing with a hand injury, Matthews hurt his right wrist in a game against the Flames on Feb. 24 when defenceman Rasmus Andersson checked him hard into the boards.
Leafs Ice Chips: Matthews looking like his old self
The Leafs are ready to resume their season tonight against the Flames. Toronto has been off since losing Sunday night in Ottawa, and this break has helped the group refocus and re-energize after a tough stretch that saw them drop five of six games. The break has been especially helpful for Auston Matthews who has been nursing a nagging wrist injury. As Mark Masters explains, the 23-year-old centre has been looking at lot better in practice this week.
—
Alex Galchenyuk will make his Leafs debut tonight slotting in on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
“Seeing what he did with the Marlies, it seemed like he kind of got his swagger back with his confidence with the puck and power-plays seams and just kind of getting his magic back,” Marner observed. “Through practice these last couple days you’ve seen it as well. His chemistry is getting better with JT and Will and hopefully they adapt quickly in this game tonight. Everyone is excited to see him tonight.”
Acquired in a trade with Carolina on Feb. 15, Galchenyuk played six games in the American Hockey League, producing eight points before being recalled by the Leafs this week.
“He’ll get a chance to play with good players tonight and I thought those guys looked really good in practice yesterday,” said coach Sheldon Keefe. “I think the way that he moves the puck and the way that he can score and shoot the puck pairs well with them.”
Galchenyuk to make Leafs debut tonight, will play with Tavares, Nylander
Alex Galchenyuk will make his Maple Leafs debut tonight against the Flames. The 27-year old forward will play on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander, and head coach Sheldon Keefe explained why the timing is right for Galchenyuk to suit up tonight.
—
Wayne Simmonds returns to the Leafs lineup tonight after missing six weeks with a broken wrist.
“It’s been a long time coming for him,” said Keefe. “He’s the kind of guy who has a ton of energy and he hasn’t been able to utilize a great deal of that in a competitive environment. Just to be in the practices was real good for him and we wanted to see how he responded coming in here today, but he feels good and we’re happy to have him back in the mix.”
Simmonds will start on the fourth line with Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza and resume his role as the net-front guy on the top power-play unit. His mere presence on the bench is also expected to provide a spark.
“He’s got a strong voice, a loud voice, you know, a guy who will stand up and kind of yell or encourage the group from one end to the other,” Keefe noted. “He also has a strong voice on the ice with his linemates and with the opposition. He’s got a lot of respect in the league.”
‘An amazing teammate’: Simmonds returns to Leafs’ lineup against Flames
Wayne Simmonds will return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup tonight against the Flames after being out since February 6th due to a broken wrist. Simmonds’ teammates discussed what he brings to the team.
—
After giving up seven goals on 30 shots in Wednesday’s loss to the Oilers, Jacob Markstrom gets the start again for Calgary.
“He had a rough night last game and we’re looking for a bounce-back game tonight out of him,” said Sutter. “That’s what I’m looking for.”
Frederik Andersen starts for the Leafs. Jack Campbell will be the backup goalie. It is the first time Campbell has dressed in a game since aggravating a leg injury on Feb. 27 in Edmonton.
Andersen aims to regain confidence; admits injury still a factor
The Maple Leafs’ hold on the North division has been shaken by losing five of six. Goalie Frederik Andersen’s not the only one to blame, but he has been shaky lately. And while Andersen has been known to get out of ruts before during his time in Toronto, he’s facing both a mental and physical challenge now. TSN’s Mark Masters has more.
—
Sutter will be coaching against a familiar foe tonight in Joe Thornton. The pair have seen a lot of each other over the years in the Pacific Division.
“I have a ton of respect for him. It’s not just how long he’s played, but [also] the success and how he’s played and how he’s played at playoff time,” said Sutter. “What gets overlooked is his playoff performances. He’s a guy who’s knocked on the door lots, but his playoff performance has been immaculate and his ability to recover and play through tough injuries is remarkable.”
Thornton has 133 points in 179 career playoff games.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
