OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators are working hard to dig themselves out of a deep early-season hole. But it’s proving difficult.
Ottawa outshot Edmonton 42-22 Tuesday, including 30-10 over the last two periods, and held Oiler big guns Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl off the scoresheet for the first time in 11 games.
Goals by defenceman Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard and Tyson Barrie were enough to lift Edmonton to a 3-2 win over the Senators.
“I thought right from the get-go we were jumping,” said Sens coach D.J. Smith. “Third period we had a great push. I thought we were probably the better team all the way through the night … We asked the guys to be ready and they were ready tonight.”
The win moved the Oilers (8-7-0) above the .500 mark for the first time this season, largely due to their success against Ottawa (2-11-1), which came into the game leading the league in hits but not much else.
It marked the fourth meeting between the two in 10 days. Edmonton won the first three — 8-5 and 4-2 in Edmonton and 3-1 Monday at the Canadian Tire Centre. They will meet five more times during the regular season.
“The tale of the tape tonight is our defence came through and got big goals for us and we found a way to win,” said Edmonton coach Dave Tippett.
“Ottawa, you’ve got to give them credit. They worked hard,” he added.
Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov replied for Ottawa.
“There wasn’t really a guy that I could say I didn’t like his game, tonight,” said Smith. “I think everyone came to win.”
For the second night in a row, the Senators battled hard but without much to show for it. Conceding a couple of weak goals didn’t help.
Ottawa replaced goaltender Marcus Hogberg with Matt Murray at 3:53 of the second period after the Oilers went up 3-1. Hogberg stopped 10-of-13 shots.
Trailing 3-1 going into the third, the Sens cut the deficit to one when a stretch pass from Mike Reilly sent Dadonov in on a breakaway. He beat Mikko Koskinen at 1:20 for his second goal in as many nights.
Ottawa has lost three straight and 12 of its last 13 — including 11 in regulation. Its lone wins came in the season opener Jan. 15 against Toronto and Feb. 4 against Montreal.
Edmonton has won two straight and five of its last six.
“I liked the way we hung around. We scored timely goals, we got timely saves and we found a way to get the two points,” said Tippett.
McDavid had 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) while Draisaitl had 20 (eight goals, 12 assists) over their previous 10 games. While Ottawa pressed in the third, both had chances to add to their points streak with Draisaitl hitting the post with the net empty in the dying seconds.
The 24-year-old McDavid, in his sixth NHL season, started the game at 496 career points — 171 goals and 325 assists.
Koskinen returned in goal for Edmonton, after giving way Monday to Mike Smith who was impressive in his season debut after being sidelined by injury.
The six-foot-seven Finn, in his 13th outing of the season, had a rough start with Brown tipping a shot home a Nikita Zaitsev shot from the point just 26 seconds in on Ottawa’s first shot on goal.
Hogberg’s turn came at 4:11 when a hard Nurse shot leaked through the five-hole after a Josh Archibald drop pass. It was Nurse’s fifth of the season, matching his 2019-20 total over 71 games, and fourth in five games — also his third against the Senators.
Hogberg showed more mettle in a fine stop on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins after a Thomas Chabot turnover at the blue line gave McDavid the puck. But the six-foot-five Swede was beaten again at 17:19, unable to find Bouchard’s wrist shot from the point through five bodies.
The second period was delayed by a problem with the ice, apparently involving a leaking ice resurfacer, with one arena worker directing a fire extinguisher at the playing surface.
“I think it blew a radiator or something, they said. I don’t know ” said Tippett. “Radiator fluid all over the ice. Good thing they got it off before it melted too much of it.”
Barrie sparked Hogberg’s exit with the Oilers’ third goal, watching the goaltender slide out of position as he delayed his shot.
“He’s a great kid. He works hard. He does all the right things,” Smith said of Hogberg. “It’s just unfortunate he’s had some bad bounces and some goals go in on him. It’s not for lack of effort.”
Ottawa had its chances in the second, outshooting Edmonton 14-3, but was unable to convert on a double high-sticking minor against Archibald.
The Senators start a five-game road trip Thursday, with two games in Winnipeg followed by three in Toronto. Edmonton wraps up its four-game road trip Thursday in Montreal.
“We’re not a finished product by any stretch but we’re moving in the right direction,”’ said Tippett.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
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.”
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.
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.
