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.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins will bring in another quarterback while starter Tua Tagovailoa deals with his latest concussion, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.
For now, Skylar Thompson will be considered the Dolphins’ starter while Tagovailoa is sidelined. Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo in the third quarter with the third known concussion of his NFL career, all of them coming in the last 24 months.
“The team and the organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the team has not made any decision about whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Tagovailoa was expected at the team facility on Friday to start the process of being evaluated in earnest.
“We just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared for every situation,” McDaniel said, noting that the only opinions that will matter to the team will be the ones from Tagovailoa and the medical staff.
McDaniel added that he doesn’t see Tagovailoa playing in Miami’s next game at Seattle on Sept. 22.
“I have no idea and I’m not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of,” McDaniel added. “All I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad and be a dad this weekend. And then we’ll move from there. There won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard … none of that will happen without doctors’ expertise and the actual player.”
Tagovailoa was 17 for 25 passing for 145 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions — one of which was returned for a Buffalo score — when he got hurt. Thompson completed eight of 14 passes for 80 yards.
Thompson said he feels “fully equipped” to run the Dolphins’ offense.
“What’s going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I’m confident, though,” Thompson said after Thursday’s game. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever’s to come. I’m going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job.”
Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot has announced he will be out for the rest of the CFL season.
The Delta, B.C., native posted the news on his Instagram page Thursday.
“To Be Continued. Shoutout my team, the fans of the CFL and the whole city of Montreal! I can’t wait to be back healthy and write this next chapter in 2025,” the statement read.
Philpot, 24, injured his foot in a 33-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 10 and was placed on the six-game injured list the next week.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound receiver had 58 receptions, 779 yards and five touchdowns in nine games for the league-leading Alouettes in his third season.
Philpot scored the game-winning touchdown in Montreal’s Grey Cup win last season to punctuate a six-reception, 63-yard performance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — David Lipsky shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Silverado Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Procore Championship.
Winless in 104 events since joining the PGA Tour in 2022, Lipsky went out with the early groups and had eight birdies with one bogey to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall series at the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.
After missing the cut in his three previous tournaments, Lipsky flew from Las Vegas to Arizona to reunite with his college coach at Northwestern to get his focus back. He also spent time playing with some of the Northwestern players, which helped him relax.
“Just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are, not knowing what’s coming for them yet, it’s sort of nice to see that,” Lipsky said. “I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”
Patton Kizzire and Mark Hubbard were a stroke back. Kizzire started on the back nine and made a late run with three consecutive birdies to move into a tie for first. A bogey on No. 8 dropped him back.
“There was a lot of good stuff out there today,” Kizzire said. “I stayed patient and just went through my routines and played well, one shot at a time. I’ve really bee working hard on my mental game and I think that allowed me to rinse and repeat and reset and keep playing.”
Mark Hubbard was at 67. He had nine birdies but fell off the pace with a bogey and triple bogey on back-to-back holes.
Kevin Dougherty also was in the group at 67. He had two eagles and ended his afternoon by holing out from 41 yards on the 383-yard, par-4 18th.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala had to scramble for much of his round of 69.
Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the AT&T at Pebble Beach in February, had a 70.
Max Homa shot 71. The two-time tournament champion and a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup in two weeks had two birdies and overcame a bogey on the par-4 first.
Stewart Cink, the 2020 winner, also opened with a 71. He won The Ally Challenge last month for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
Three players from the Presidents Cup International team had mix results. Min Woo Lee shot 68, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 69 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., 73. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., also had a 69.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 68, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., shot 70 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had a 71.
Lipsky was a little shaky off the tee for much of the afternoon but made up for it with steady iron play that left him in great shape on the greens. He had one-putts on 11 holes and was in position for a bigger day but left five putts short.
Lipsky’s only real problem came on the par-4 ninth when his approach sailed into a bunker just shy of the green. He bounced back nicely with five birdies on his back nine. After missing a 19-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, Lipsky ended his day with a 12-foot par putt.
That was a big change from last year when Lipsky tied for 30th at Silverado when he drove the ball well but had uneven success on the greens.
“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out,” Lipsky said. “You’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that and it seems like it’s working out.”
Laird stayed close after beginning his day with a bogey on the par-4 10th. The Scot got out of the sand nicely but pushed his par putt past the hole.
Homa continued to have issues off the tee and missed birdie putts on his final four holes.
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