TSN reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on Team Canada, which held a media availability at its hotel on Friday ahead of Saturday’s semifinal against Finland.
Team USA seemed stunned. After scoring 17 goals in four preliminary round games, the Americans were shut out 1-0 by Finland in the quarter-finals.
“It’s tough to take in right now,” said American sniper Cole Caufield moments after the buzzer sounded. “I didn’t think we gave it our best game. I don’t think we brought our ‘A’ game. We didn’t create enough the whole game.”
Finland could sense the American annoyance building as the minutes drained from Thursday’s elimination encounter.
“After the second period it was easy to see they were frustrated,” said Finnish defenceman Toni Utunen, “and they started to play a little by themselves so it was good for us.”
Team USA head coach Scott Sandelin summed it up.
“They played to their identity,” the Minnesota-Duluth bench boss said, “which we knew would be a hard game. We didn’t do enough offensively, we didn’t create a lot of time there, a lot of one and dones and not a lot of second chances and, obviously, they got the big power-play goal.”
“It was a tight game,” said Finnish coach Raimo Helminen, “but the game was in our hands almost the whole game. That’s what I felt on the bench. We worked hard, big time. They couldn’t get into the middle. They didn’t get too many chances. Our players were so together. They gave out almost nothing.”
“We played so well together and as a group,” said Winnipeg Jets prospect Ville Heinola. “That was our strength.”
This is what Team Canada is up against on Saturday in the semifinals. The Finns are deep, disciplined, patient and talented.
“A very good team,” observed Canada assistant coach Mitch Love. “A team that had an excellent hockey game yesterday. A team that doesn’t give you a lot so we got our work cut out for us. We expect their best and we have to be at our best.”
Canada’s scorching power play, leading the tournament with a 44 per cent success rate, will face a formidable roadblock in Finland’s second ranked penalty kill (86 per cent).
“They’re on top of you,” said Love, “just like their five-on-five game, so we’re going to have to be ready to make plays quickly.”
Finland is a team with a capital T and very comfortable against a North American opponent.
“Canada plays pretty similar to USA,” noted Heinola, “so we don’t have to change anything, we can play just like that game.”
Finland also appears to be getting stronger. Just like last year, they finished third in the group stage, but panic never set in. It’s all about peaking at the right time.
“Our first couple games, not our best,” said defenceman Lassi Thomson, an Ottawa Senators prospect who serves as captain, “but now we had a good game against USA so we’re going to play good next game and win a couple more.”
“We have more there,” vowed Heinola. “We played well, but we can play more. We can play more as a team. And sometimes we lose pucks when we’re in a bad position, but we can fix that.”
After frustrating USA, feisty Finns look to do the same to Canada
After frustrating the United States in the quarter-finals, Finland says they’re looking to do the same in the semi-finals to a Canadian team that plays a similar style to the Americans. The Finns also expect Canada’s returnees to be motivated to atone for last year’s overtime loss in the quarters.
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With a tight, structured affair expected, Canada will rely even more on the game-breaking ability of Alexis Lafreniere, who didn’t seem to miss a beat in his return from injury on Thursday. He scored a goal on the power play and also picked up an assist on the opening goal.
But there is actually one tweak the coaching staff wants to see in the Rimouski left winger’s game.
“He’s an unselfish player and we’d like to see him shoot more sometimes,” coach Dale Hunter told TSN’s Tessa Bonhomme after Thursday’s win.
“He’s probably more of a pass-first guy,” said Love. “He had a few looks, especially on the power play where he released the puck coming down that flank, and he scored on one of them and hopefully that brings some more confidence into his game.”
Even Barrett Hayton, who has seen Lafreniere assist on three of his five goals here, wouldn’t mind if his linemate kept the rock every now and then.
“You see his playmaking skills, but you saw last game he has a pretty elite release,” Canada’s captain said, “so definitely shooting the puck little bit more wouldn’t hurt.”
What’s crazy is how quickly Lafreniere, who has 23 goals in 32 QMJHL games this season, silenced any concern about his left-knee injury (bone bruise and muscle strain). Is he really 100 per cent?
“I believe so,” said Love. “He looked it. His first shift he had a pretty nice hit so it looks like his body’s physically there.”
“It felt really good,” Lafreniere said nonchalantly after the game. “It’s fun to be back and be with the boys.”
“He’s a star,” said Lethbridge forward Dylan Cozens. “He’s unbelievable. Every time he has the puck, he’s got his head up and he’s looking to make a play. He’s a threat.”
Lafreniere insists he never once considered leaving Ostrava.
“I was scared a little bit, but it was good recovery with the docs,” he said. “My knee twisted a little bit and I went down. It was scary a bit at the start, but after I felt good.”
Lafreniere looks no worse for wear as Canada pummels Slovakia in quarters
After what looked like a devastating knee injury to top player Alexis Lafreniere, the surging Canadians have now won three straight. Lafreniere looked great in his return as nearly everything went right for Canada in the win, except for the loss of Nolan Foote, who was ejected from the game in the first minute for what was deemed a hit to the head. Was the ejection warranted? TSN’s World Juniors panel weighs in.
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A reliable defensive stalwart for Team Canada, Jacob Bernard-Docker has worked hard to improve his shot over the last year.
“Just shooting a lot in the cage and working on forearm strength,” the University of North Dakota defenceman explained. “It’s always something I’m trying to get better at.”
Bernard-Docker is also spending time watching video of elite shooters he admires regardless of position.
“I know he’s a forward, but Auston Matthews is the one guy who comes to mind,” he said. “You look at him and he just pulls the puck like no one else in the league, it’s pretty fun to watch.”
Bernard-Docker, who has three goals in 17 NCAA games this season, showed off a slick move in the quarter-finals against Slovakia firing home his first World Juniors goal.
“I saw the winger sliding out a bit so just tried to change the angle a bit and had a screen in front,” he recalled.
Hunter liked what he saw from the Senators prospect and the rest of his blueliners, who combined for five points against the Slovaks.
“Our D were getting pucks through and that’s a key,” Hunter said. “Every team blocks so many shots and we did a good job of moving along the line and getting shots through.”
Canada d-man Bernard-Docker improves shot by studying Leafs’ Matthews
Jacob Bernard-Docker scored his first goal of the World Juniors in Canada’s quarterfinal game against Slovakia on Thursday. He spoke to TSN’s Mark Masters to explain how he’s been working on his shot and said he takes inspiration from Auston Matthews.
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Rasmus Sandin left Sweden’s final preliminary-round game after getting slashed on the left wrist. Again, in the quarter-finals, the defenceman took a hack to the same sore spot and was sent to the room prematurely.
Is he playing through pain right now?
“Yeah, a little, maybe, but it’s not too bad, it’s getting better,” the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect said.
Does Sandin feel like the Czechs were targeting him?
“I’m not trying to think about it too much,” he said. “I don’t know if they’re trying to hit my wrist or not. I’m trying to focus on my stuff.”
“It says what kind of character he has,” said coach Tomas Monten. “He wants to play.”
Sandin plays a top-pair role for the Swedes with teammate David Gustafsson, a Jets prospect, calling him the best defenceman in the tournament.
They will lean on Sandin heavily in the semifinals against Russia.
“The Russians have a good individual team,” Sandin noted, “they got some really good individual players. We got a really good team. We’ve come together really well as a group.”
Playing through pain, Sandin believes Sweden’s team can beat Russia’s individuals
Rasmus Sandin has continued to compete for Team Sweden in the World Juniors despite dealing with a wrist injury. When asked if he believes opponents have been targeting his wrist, Sandin said he’s not worried about it and only focused on what he can improve.
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What message did the Leafs give Sandin when they loaned him from the AHL to Team Sweden?
“They pretty much said, ‘Good luck. Go win silver,'” Sandin said with a chuckle. “That was pretty much it. But, I don’t want to listen to that too much.”
It was Marlies GM Laurence Gilman and the Marlies coaching staff, who offered the tongue-in-cheek parting shot.
“This is one of the times I’m going to try to not listen to my coaches,” said Sandin with a laugh.
Sandin said he hasn’t had much contact with folks back home since arriving at the World Juniors although he is still exchanging messages with William Nylander.
Sandin on message from Leafs management: ‘Go win silver’
Leafs defenceman Rasmus Sandin spoke to TSN’s Mark Masters to share his thoughts on Toronto’s fantastic play as of late and an interesting message he received from the team’s management as he headed overseas to take part in the World Juniors.
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Nils Höglander is putting on a show at the World Juniors. The Vancouver Canucks prospect leads the tournament in scoring with 10 points and he pulled off the lacrosse move in the opening game, one of his five goals.
What stands out the most?
“His creativity in the offensive zone,” said Gustafsson. “I mean, sometimes I just give him the puck and just watch, just stand by and watch him doing what he does best.”
“He’s so fun to watch,” marvelled Sandin. “To see his goals, his moves in small areas out on the ice is surreal to see.”
Nils Hoglander is changing the game from behind the net, but this time he can’t put it home. ? pic.twitter.com/668mw6OKx6
In the quarter-finals, Höglander scored the opening goal against the host Czechs and then put his finger to his lips.
“He’s got kind of his own swagger,” said Sandin. “He’s a little bit different. He might not be a typical Swede, but he’s a guy you like to have on your team. He can do it all. He can do a lacrosse goal as everyone saw this tournament. He can dangle, he can hit, he can skate. He’s a huge addition for our team.”
“He can do whatever he wants to,” said Gustafsson with a smile. “He has confidence in it and he’s a skilled player.”
‘Might not be a typical Swede’: Hoglander showing off skill and swagger
Sweden’s Nils Hoglander has put on a show at the World Juniors, showcasing unorthodox, high-skill techniques and gaining the attention of many who have watched the tournament with his flamboyant personality. His teammates Rasmus Sandin and David Gustafsson shared their thoughts on Hoglander’s game.
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Is Utunen ready to break Canadian hearts again?
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Last year, Utunen scored the overtime winner against Canada in the World Junior quarter-finals in Vancouver. He beat fellow Canucks prospect Mikey DiPietro and silenced the sellout crowd.
“It was a huge goal and I hope to see something similar tomorrow,” he said with a smile.
Utunen still has the puck he used to score that goal. He keeps it in a safe spot in his dad’s house. And sometimes he’ll watch the video of that magical moment. What goes through his mind?
“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s hard to explain that feeling, what happens after the goal.”
It was a special moment for Utunen and not just because the magnitude of the game. The fact is Utunen simply doesn’t score much. He has just one goal in 71 career games with Tappara Tampere in the SM-liiga.
Utunen, however, did score two goals against Canada back on July 31 in the World Junior Showcase in Plymouth.
What’s the deal? Does he only score against Canada?
“Yeah, I guess so,” he said with a laugh. “Last four goals, three of them were against Canada.”
So, he’s feeling good going into this one?
“Yep,” he said with a grin.
Canucks prospect Utunen rarely scores…unless he’s playing Canada
Toni Utunen isn’t known for his scoring, but when he does score, it seems to be at Canada’s expense. The Canucks prospect broke Canadian hearts at last year’s tournament with his overtime-winner, and also netted a pair against Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase in July. Ahead of the semi-finals, the Finnish defenceman jokes about his success against the red and white.
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Team Canada did not hold a practice on Friday, with only backup Nico Daws and Dawson Mercer skating. It was the first time the team stayed off the ice since Christmas Eve.
A morning skate is set for at 11 a.m. (5 a.m. ET) on Saturday at Ostravar Arena.
VANCOUVER – As the Major League Soccer season ticks down, Vanni Sartini wants his Vancouver Whitecaps to make a declaration — the team is ready to compete.
“The time of hiding ourselves, I think it’s over,” the coach said after the ‘Caps earned a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
“We need to really say that we are here to try to be at the ball until the end and trying to shoot for the highest position. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make it, but we have the quality to do it.”
With seven games left on their regular-season schedule, the ‘Caps (13-8-6) sit in fifth spot in the congested Western Conference, just two points out of fourth.
Saturday’s loss officially eliminated the last-place Earthquakes (5-21-2) from post-season action.
Vancouver has been on a hot streak since returning from the Leagues Cup break and is unbeaten (3-0-1) in its last four outings across all competitions. The team has not allowed a goal in those matches.
“It’s the fact that we play really well,” Sartini said of the clean sheets. “We have the ball a lot, we finish our attack most of the time in their box. So it’s really hard for the other team to attack us. And then when they attack us, in the rare times that they arrive in the final third, we’re very solid.”
Recent additions have bolstered the team’s ranks, including the club’s newest designated player, Stuart Armstrong. The 32-year-old Scottish midfielder scored his first MLS goal Saturday.
Three minutes after coming on as a substitute for Alessandro Schopf, Armstrong gave Vancouver a two-goal cushion in the 87th minute.
Midfielder Pedro Vite dished a short pass to ‘Caps captain Ryan Gauld, who tapped it toward Armstrong. The former Southampton FC player then blasted a shot into the top of the net for his first strike in a Whitecaps’ jersey.
He was mobbed by teammates in the corner of the field.
“I think everyone was happy. Also for the first goal, but also that it was an important three points,” said Armstrong, who signed with the ‘Caps on Sept. 3.
“It kind of felt a little bit like last week, when we had a lot of chances and we didn’t get the three points. So today, I think everyone was just relieved to have that two-goal cushion.”
Vancouver was the dominant team from the outset Saturday and did not relent, outshooting the visitors 19-5 and controlling 54.1 per cent of possession.
Fafa Picault also found the back of the net for Vancouver, while Gauld contributed a pair of assists.
Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped both shots he faced to collect his seventh clean sheet of the year, while Daniel made nine saves for the Quakes.
Gauld and Picault teamed up in the 22nd minute when Gauld curled a cross in and the Haitian striker headed it down toward the net, only to see Daniel catch a piece of the shot with his forearm and redirect it out of harm’s way.
The duo connected again in the 35th minute on a Vancouver corner. Gauld swung a ball in and Picault jumped up from the pack to send a glancing header in past Daniel for his ninth MLS goal of the season.
San Jose briefly appeared to level the score in the 68th minute when an unmarked Ousseni Bouda collected the ball, froze Takaoka and tapped a shot into the Vancouver net. An official quickly raised the offside flag and waved off the tally.
Daniel kept San Jose’s deficit to a single goal with a pair of solid stops in the 82nd minute.
First, the Brazilian ‘keeper dove sideways on his line to tip away a bomb from Alessandro Schopf. He was tested again on the ensuing corner and jumped up to send a header from Picault over the crossbar.
“I think we created a lot of chances again,” Gauld said.
“We probably should have put the game out of their reach sooner. But we’d be more worried if we weren’t creating the chances. Three clean sheets in a row in the league, I think it’s a big thing for us. And it gives us a good platform to go forward.”
NOTES
Vancouver played without leading scorer Brian White for a third consecutive game as the American striker works his way back from a concussion. … Gauld’s second assist marked his 15th goal contribution (six goals, nine assists) in his last 15 Whitecaps games across all competitions. … An announced crowd of 21,309 took in the game at B.C. Place.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps kick off a two-game road swing Wednesday against the Houston Dynamo. The Earthquakes host the Seattle Sounders the same night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Not good enough. That was Arne Slot’s verdict after his first defeat as Liverpool manager on Saturday.
A shock 1-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League ended Slot’s perfect record since succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Anfield at the end of last season.
“We had a lot of ball possession but only managed to create three (or) four quite good chances, so that is by far not enough if you have so much ball possession,” said the Dutchman, who suggested his team should not be losing to the likes of Forest.
“If you lose a home game it’s always a setback, especially if you face a team … we never know, maybe they will go all the way to fight for Champions League tickets, but normally this team is not ending up in the top 10, so if you lose a game against them that’s a big disappointment.”
Slot won his first three games in charge, including a memorable 3-0 victory against Manchester United before the international break.
But that run came to an end after Callum Hudson-Odoi struck in the 72nd with a curling effort from the edge of the box and beyond goalkeeper Alisson.
Liverpool’s defeat leaves Manchester City as the only team with a 100% record in the league after a 2-1 win against Brentford kept the defending champion at the top of the table.
United won at Southampton 3-0 to end its two-game losing streak.
Unstoppable Haaland
Erling Haaland moved to 99 goals for City after scoring twice against Brentford.
The Norwegian’s double came after Yoane Wissa fired Brentford ahead with just 22 seconds on the clock.
Haaland scored his 98th and 99th goals in his 103rd City appearance in all competitions. And he was the width of the post away from his third consecutive hat trick after trebles against Ipswich and West Ham.
“He’s been really, really good. Yeah, I would say he’s the best (he’s been), but it’s only four fixtures (this season),” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Haaland, who has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, has nine goals in four league games. He has topped the league scoring charts in each of his two seasons at City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for $63 million.
Haaland’s first goal after 19 minutes evened the game following Wissa’s opener, which stunned the Etihad Stadium crowd. Haaland turned and swept a shot past goalkeeper Mark Flekken after a slight deflection off Ethan Pinnock.
He was then too strong for Pinnock when shaking off the defender and running through for his second in the 32nd.
He was inches away in the 81st; the shot came back off the post after beating the keeper.
Rashford snaps run
Marcus Rashford snapped a 12-game barren run in front of goal as United beat Southampton.
Rashford doubled United’s lead at Saint Mary’s after Matthijs de Ligt’s scored his first for the club. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho scored a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The win came after back-to-back defeats for United.
Rashford hadn’t scored since March in United’s win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals. He curled in a shot from the edge of the area to put Erik ten Hag’s team 2-0 up at Southampton in the 41st minute.
Ten Hag said it could be a turning point for the forward.
“For every striker, they want to be on the scoring list. Once the first is in, more is coming. Like a ketchup bottle, once it’s going, it’s coming more,” he said.
De Ligt, who joined United from Bayern Munich in the offseason, headed in from Bruno Fernandes’ cross in the 35th.
It could have been a different story if Cameron Archer converted a penalty for Southampton in the 33rd. Instead, his effort was saved by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Newly promoted Southampton was reduced to 10 men when Jack Stephens was sent off in the 79th for a high challenge on Garnacho.
Villa comeback
After three straight defeats to start the league, Everton looked set for its first win when leading Aston Villa 2-0.
Goals from Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Sean Dyche’s team in control until Ollie Watkins struck twice to even the game.
Jhon Duran completed Villa’s comeback and sealed a 3-2 win in the 76th to leave Everton rooted to the bottom of the table and the only top flight team without a point.
Late drama
Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a stoppage time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for Crystal Palace against Leicester.
Leicester led 2-0 at Selhurst Park after goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi.
But Mateta sparked Palace’s response with a goal in the 47th, a minute after Mavididi doubled Leicester’s advantage.
Conor Coady fouled Ismaili Sarr in the box right near fulltime and Mateta was cool enough to convert.
West Ham left it even later to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Danny Ings struck in the fifth minute of added time after Raul Jimenez’s goal looked like earning Fulham the win.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, the manager of the month for August, was frustrated as his team was held to 0-0 at home by Ipswich.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
