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'GONG SHOW': Revenge-seeking Maple Leafs lose bitter battle to Jets – Toronto Sun

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3 years ago

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‘A snowball effect’ after Rasmus Sandin had to be helped to the dressing room after a knee-on-knee hit from Neil Pionk

Author of the article:

Lance Hornby

Publishing date:

Dec 06, 2021  •  1 hour ago  •  4 minute read  •  17 Comments

Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll makes a save with Jets forward Blake Wheeler looking for a rebound during the second period at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. Photo by Terrence Lee /USA TODAY Sports

WINNIPEG — Auston Matthews dismissed the late stages of Sunday’s 6-3 rowdy result to the Jets as “not really hockey … a bit of a gong show.”

But a stumbling start was just as difficult for him and the Maple Leafs to watch, falling into a four-goal hole that made their attempt at back-to-back rallies near impossible.

While the loss was a missed chance to retrieve top spot in the division from idle Florida, leaving just one point from their Central Time Zone road trip, there were added damages. Defenceman Rasmus Sandin had to be helped to the dressing room after a knee-on-knee hit from defenceman Neil Pionk, a player who has a history of such incidents with the Leafs.

Coach Sheldon Keefe could provide no immediate update on Sandin before the team flew home, and Sandin’s Sunday night defence partner, Morgan Rielly, could only add he was in a lot of pain when they talked post-game. Sandin was a little off balance after shooting wide during a frantic 4-on-4 play around the Jets’ net and the replay showed Pionk’s attempt to impede him by sticking his leg out.

“It looks to me like it’s a five-minute major,” Keefe said. “Knee-on-knee, a guy gets carried off. But I didn’t get much from the officials in terms of how they saw it. Obviously, they didn’t see it, if they did, they probably would’ve called it differently.”

Before that, the stripes let Matthews and Pierre-Luc Dubois wrestle before eventually sending both off, while post-Sandin, Jason Spezza took a run at Pionk. Wayne Simmonds came out of the box for a crosscheck and 10-minute misconduct to engage Jets’ giant Logan Stanley, who exited the game like a WWE character, exhorting the crowd at Canada Life Centre. Kyle Clifford and Brenden Dillon had the only true fight of the night, but eight roughing minors and four cross checks were called throughout.

“There was a snowball effect, things spiralled out of control a bit,” said Matthews, who rarely takes penalties.

Captain John Tavares said Pionk lit the fuse.

“Obviously, we didn’t like the hit on Sandy. Any time you see a teammate go down like that and have to be carried off, we’ll stick up for one another.”

In the end, the thirst for revenge came back to bite them. Simmonds was in the box when Pionk and Kyle Connor set up Mark Scheifele for the insurance goal, the Jets’ third on the power play, after Matthews scored for the sixth straight game (a 5-on-3) and Ondrej Kase then cut Winnipeg’s lead to two.

It was the first loss for rookie goalie Joseph Woll in four starts relieving Jack Campbell and even he was shaken up, an accident when he came out of his crease to cover a puck from an on-rushing Jet with a glancing blow to the head. Woll finished the game but was not made available to the media.

“The first two periods, so many odd-man rushes, we didn’t give him any help,” Matthews said. “That’s on us. And he still made some pretty amazing saves (on 41 shots). The way we let them fly through and have all these odd-man rushes, that’s not yhe way you want to play.”

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Matthews, Tavares, Rielly and William Nylander (injured Mitch Marner was kept out a second game, but due to return) were unable to cash their first power play, leaving it to Michael Bunting and the second unit to tie it after Dubois scored with Simmonds off. Ditto when the No. 1 unit had another opportunity late in the first. Then came wave after wave of Jets, goals by Andrew Copp, Evgeny Svechnikov, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers. The guy everyone in the house wanted to score, captain Blake Wheeler, settled for two assists after a pre-game ceremony with his family on the ice.

Keefe’s team arrived around 1 a.m. local time after the shootout loss in Minnesota, but he was reluctant to go down that avenue of excuse.

“We did have lack of attention to detail, lack of structure, lack of purpose in the things that have made us (16-5-4). It would be easy to go to the fatigue factor, but that’s not good enough. This is the reality of the schedule; you have to play back-to-back. So you just have to be that much more focused, that much more detailed.”

As they did the night before in Minnesota down three, the Leafs didn’t break. They made the most of a 5-on-3, after some initial stick squeezing, isolating Matthews for a high snap on Connor Hellebuyck, giving him 15 on the season. Kase struck next with 24 minutes still to play.

As well resting Campbell, Keefe put Clifford in for Joey Anderson and Timothy Liljegren for Travis Dermott, though he tried splitting the Swedes up, putting Liljegren with Jake Muzzin.

lhornby@postmedia.com

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PWHL MVP Spooner set to miss start of season for Toronto Sceptres due to knee injury

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1 day ago

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November 12, 2024

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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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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5 days ago

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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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5 days ago

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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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