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Flames’ heartbreaking loss to Predators befitting of a country song – Sportsnet.ca

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NASHVILLE – Full marks to the local country artist who might one day be able to encapsulate the heartache involved with a loss like this.

Someone ought to at least try, as the Calgary Flames had a hard time describing the type of pain Nashville artists generally equate with a breakup, a dog running away or a scratch on their truck.

One tenth of a second away from a gritty road win over a Predators team nipping at their heels, the Flames somehow left Music City with Achy Breaky hearts Thursday.

“It’s a tough one to swallow,” said Mikael Backlund, who had one of the better games of his season ruined by Mikael Granlund’s game-tying goal with 0.1 seconds left in regulation, followed by his overtime winner 80 seconds later.

“We were so close to winning and they came back. Frustrating we let that last one in. But we’ll take the point and move forward. Five out of six points so far on this trip is pretty good – we’ve played some good teams so far.”

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Numb was the best way to describe the Flames afterwards, following another excellent road showing, albeit with an ending befitting a hurtin’ tune.

Despite taking the biggest kick in the teeth imaginable at this time of the year, no one kicked garbage cans or laced their post-game comments with profanities.

They did their best to take the dramatic setback in stride.

It couldn’t have been easy, as it appeared Andrew Mangiapane had scored the game winner with 43 seconds left, completing a Gretzky-esque pass from Backlund to go up 3-2.

Alas, a wild, goalmouth scramble in the dying seconds somehow found its way in with one-tenth of a second left to send the crowd at Bridgestone Arena into a frenzy.

“We’re a little sour right now,” said Mangiapane.

“We have to close that out. But as a whole, I think we played a pretty solid game. We have to learn from it and move on. We’re a little sad with that one there. We still have five out of six points right now on this road-trip, so we have to look at it as a whole. We’re playing good hockey right now and we just have to keep doing that.”

Indeed, let the record show the Calgary Flames deserved a better fate Thursday.

They had every reason to be happy with everything but the result.

“Well absolutely,” agreed interim coach Geoff Ward, whose club out-hit, out-blocked, out-shot and out-chanced a surging Predators club that entered the game just two points back of the Flames for a wild card spot.

“You have 42 seconds left, and you have the lead. They came back with a good push obviously. They’re playing for their lives right now, too. They’re the same as us — they’re fighting for those last two spots. And their players found ways to make plays to get it to overtime and then to win it in overtime. But for us, we were right there. One second. We needed one second. But tonight we didn’t get it.”

Backlund’s ninth goal in as many games put the Flames up 2-1 early in the second, thanks to a fortuitous bounce off the shin of Mattias Ekholm.

With the help of David Rittich and a solid forecheck, the Flames stymied the Predators for a full period until a Roman Josi shot squeezed under Rittich’s arm to tie it with five minutes left.

An intense game that featured plenty of playoff-type scrums, physicality and effort seemed to be over when Backlund toe-dragged his way through a pair of defenders before passing it back to Mangiapane for a last-minute snipe.

Cue Granlund with a response someone in town is bound to dub the Music City Miracle, as tired as it may sound.

It marked just the fourth time in NHL history the same player tied a game in the final ten seconds before winning it in extra time.

“There were a ton of good things, but it just stings right now, losing like that,” said captain Mark Giordano, who returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a hamstring injury.

“There were some opportunities throughout the game to get even more of a lead. But they stuck in there and found a way to tie it. It was a whole range of emotions. It was a tough way to lose, there’s no doubt about that. The puck seemed at the end like it was bouncing all around our net and they whacked it home — I think there was point-one on the clock or whatever it was. It’s a tough, tough point to lose, but we did a lot of good things. We’ll move on to the next one.”

The Flames finish their road trip against the Lightning and Panthers this weekend, and may have to do so without Noah Hanifin who missed the last 15 minutes of the first period with an apparent lower-body injury. He returned in the second and finished the game, but will be evaluated Friday when the team practices in Tampa.

Until then the coach admitted the pain of their latest setback will linger.

“It sticks with us and then it’s over,” said Ward.

“So think about it tonight and then we’ll put it to bed tomorrow at practice and then it’s on to Tampa. We can’t dwell on it. We have to make sure that we’re getting ready for the next couple of hockey games, because they’re going to be big. We’ve done a good job — we have five of six points on the trip so far. We have to be excited about that. We played an awful lot of good hockey tonight. We have to take that into the game against Tampa and just take what we need to learn out of the inches that we’re talking about.”

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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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November 8, 2024

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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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November 8, 2024

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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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November 8, 2024

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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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