They may have lost the game, but the Montreal Canadiens found their collective game face Wednesday — and it turned out to be Brendan Gallagher’s.
All it took was a little blood in the water — well, quite a bit of blood, actually, and it was coursing down the alternate captain’s scowling, moustachioed mug — to help the Habs rise to the challenge posed by the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final.
The night’s only real disappointment was the result: a 3-1 loss and a 2-0 series deficit. But included in that outcome was an unmistakable sense of momentum, remarkable considering the scoreboard, going into Game 3 on Friday in Montreal.
“We did a lot of good things last night,” forward Cole Caufield said Thursday before the team headed back to Canada.
Ondrej Palat capitalized on a late turnover from Joel Edmundson to put an end to any potential comeback from the Montreal Canadiens in game two. 1:03
“Obviously, some bounces didn’t go our way, but that’s hockey — you’ve got to move on and deal with it…. We just have to stick with what works and what got us here.”
That would include Gallagher, the chippy 29-year-old firebrand from Edmonton who went into the ice face-first during a goal-mouth tussle late in the lost cause of Monday’s 5-1 defeat. Photos of his gory scowl as he left the ice soon became a social-media sensation on hockey Twitter.
Gallagher, whose entire 11-year NHL career has been with the Habs, still had the scars when the team put him out face-first to greet the media following Wednesday’s pre-game skate to deliver a clear message: there’s a long way to go.
“From my experience in this league, the teams that handle these situations the best are the ones that can really just sit back and simplify the whole situation that you’re in, not get overwhelmed by it and not overthink it,” he said.
“When we play the way we need to play — we play our game, we dictate the style of hockey it is — we can compete with anyone.”
Gallagher’s frenetic brand of smash-mouth hockey was on full display Wednesday.
At one point early in the first period, he lost the puck, his stick and his footing all at once while trying to exit Montreal territory. Sprawled at the blue line, he managed to bat the puck out of danger with his glove and used his outstretched body to block the point-blank slapshot that followed.
“He’s the guy who drives the bus around here. He’s pushing the pace in practice, in the weight room — he’s the guy who’s definitely leading the charge when it comes to intensity and bringing that work ethic,” said defenceman Jon Merrill.
“When you see a guy like that, laying it all out there and doing whatever he can for this team to win, it’s definitely a motivating factor for us.”
Capacity limit increase request denied
Hopes that the Habs would have 7,000 more motivating factors in the stands for Game 3 were dashed Wednesday when the Quebec government refused to increase the Bell Centre’s COVID-19 capacity limit from 3,500 to 10,500.
“Unfortunately, I think there’ll be a lot more people outside the building than inside, which will be little bit different,” said forward Eric Staal.
“But we know that they’re there, we know that the support’s there, and we know that everybody is as excited as we are to be in this position in the final.”
They will also have Dominique Ducharme back behind the bench after a two-week forced separation, the result of the interim head coach testing positive for COVID-19 during the semifinal series against Vegas.
“I know it’s got to be killing Dom for the last two weeks, just missing our group and missing the daily activities of what we do and preparing,” Staal said.
“For him to be with us in person will be huge for us.”
If the first two games were any indication, the same will be true of Gallagher.
“He is that in-your-face guy that you’re going to cross-check his face right into the ice, but you’re still not going to stop him — he’s gonna get up and keep going and smile,” said assistant coach Luke Richardson.
“The guys love that about him — it definitely is a lead-by-example (situation), with the energy and the type of battle level that we have to have.”
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.
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