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Flames’ Geoff Ward after loss to Canucks: ‘We weren’t competitive’ – Sportsnet.ca

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Understandably, Geoff Ward wasn’t in the mood for niceties.

Asked about the effort that decisively ended his team’s three-game win streak, the Flames coach kept it short.

“We weren’t competitive,” he said, following Saturday’s 3-1 loss in Vancouver.

He wished to add nothing more, leaving the Zoom call with uncomfortable silence courtesy of the typically chatty coach.

Only when pressed would he elaborate.

“I thought we were slow everywhere,” he said.

“We weren’t skating. It was evident, and they were able to get a forecheck. The game is fair. We got what we deserved tonight. We got outworked, outskated and outcompeted. Usually, when that happens you don’t get the result you want.”

Indeed, after weeks of inconsistency, the Calgary Flames came up with their most complete outing of the season.

As in, completely outplayed from start to finish.

There were no lulls in their ability to remain the game’s second-best team, carrying their typical first-period face plant into a three-period effort that gave the Canucks their first win in seven games.

With the Flames expanding a 10-0 shot deficit the first ten minutes into a 46-19 difference by night’s end, the man lured from Vancouver with $36 million to stop pucks for the Flames probably started feeling a little underpaid.

Even on their power plays the Flames failed to gain any semblance of momentum.

Yet, there they were, tied 1-1 with five minutes left, thanks to yet another Jacob Markstrom masterpiece that masked one of the Flames’ worst outings of the year.

“We would have liked to have a point after your goalie stands on his head, but we probably got what we deserved,” said Mark Giordano, whose club allowed every single opponent to record at least one shot.

“Obviously they were desperate and they pressed hard, but we’ve got to be way better than that.”

Indeed they do, or all the momentum gained the previous three outings was for naught.

Fact is, the Flames were lucky two nights earlier to beat a Canucks club that fell victim to two unlucky bounces. Sean Monahan said the Flames knew the NHL’s most desperate team would throw everything at them, yet the Flames couldn’t respond with much more than the pretty game-tying goal by Sam Bennett that came just over a minute after Quinn Hughes scored a beauty on Markstrom.

“We weren’t good,” said Monahan.

“We’ve got to up our compete level. We’ve got to learn from that real quick.”

On this night, the Flames woes revolved around turnovers, which made it appropriate that the winning goal by Calgarian Tyler Myers with five minutes left came following a neutral zone turnover he created. His game-winner squeezed through his former netminder with the 44th shot on net – a season-high for the Flames that got even higher before Brandon Sutter capped things with an empty netter.

The Flames still have two more games against the Canucks in this four-game set and will likely have to play them without Mikael Backlund.

Less than a week after losing centre Derek Ryan with a broken finger the Flames lost the man who may just be their best centre so far this season.

Backlund left the game late in the first period after a 16-second shift, prompting some line shuffling that didn’t help the team’s cause.

Ward said after the game he didn’t have any update on Backlund’s status.

MACKEY’S DEBUT

Rookie defenceman Connor Mackey drew in for Nikita Nesterov to make his first NHL start, complete with the customary solo spins to open warmup as teammates looked on from the bench.

The 24-year-old college hotshot out of Minnesota State – Mankato played 13:56 in his pro debut, which included 44 seconds of penalty killing time alongside Juuso Valimaki.

The young duo was on the ice for Hughes’ stellar goal, although it was Valimaki who fell for the defenceman’s fake pass before beating Markstrom with a shot inside the post.

Mackey had shown well in the pre-playoff training camp and was the first defenceman to sub in for the Flames this year. The fact that he did so ahead of Oliver Kylington or Michael Stone says plenty about how they fell about the youngster, who was pursued by the bulk of NHL clubs as a free agent.

“It was incredible – something I dreamed of as a kid, to play in your first NHL game,” said Mackey, whose father, Dave, played 129 games in the NHL.

“So, it was pretty cool to experience that. Too bad we couldn’t get the win, but it was pretty special.”

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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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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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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