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Hughes, Canucks need bounce-back game against Golden Knights – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

August 24, 2020

EDMONTON — There are so many lessons for the Vancouver Canucks these days, and so many folks out there eager to point the Canucks players in the direction of their next tutorial.

Ryan Reaves. Zone exits. Quinn Hughes. Antoine Roussel.

You want advice? Hop on Twitter, or sports talk radio. We’ve got advice.

The lineup of those who seem to know where the Canucks should start their recovery from a 5-0 Game 1 obliteration by Vegas is a long one. The acceptance of this friendly advice by Canucks coach Travis Green and his players, however, is much shorter.

Livestream the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, plus every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet NOW.

“Win a game and move on as fast as possible, lose a game and move on as fast as possible,” said Tanner Pearson, winner of the 2014 Stanley Cup as a Los Angeles King. “We’ve reiterated that after every game. Next game’s a new game, and the last one doesn’t really matter.”

That lesson is of particular value when you get thrashed as mightily as the Canucks did in Game 1. Truly, as Green said after the game, “This was probably our worst game (of the playoffs) tonight.”

So, where do they go, these Vancouver Canucks, against a supremely confident Vegas team that has lost but once in nine starts since arriving in the Edmonton bubble?

Well, it starts in their own end, where the Canucks’ brightest young stars — Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser — all spent far too much time on Sunday night. So much, in fact, that none of the trio even registered a shot on net in the game.

Hughes in particular was, and will be, a focus of the Golden Knights. A rookie in his first NHL post-season, it is fair to say that the 20-year-old has never met an opponent as big, fast and deep as Vegas.

“They try to pressure everyone, not just Quinn,” Green said Monday afternoon. “Obviously he’s a big part of our team and they are hoping to get the puck out of your best players’ hands. I did talk to Quinn briefly last night, I will again today. I think good players adapt … especially a young guy who hasn’t been in this situation before. The one thing about a good, young, great player, they adjust to different situations.”

There is absolute trust that Hughes, like the Canucks did in previous series against Minnesota and St. Louis, will bounce back against Vegas in Game 2.

“Quinn is probably the most skilled and confident player I’ve ever played with,” defence partner Chris Tanev said. “I have no doubt in my mind: next game he’ll be fine and he’ll be flying out there.”

There will be no special wisdom imparted, no Knute Rockne speeches. Just the usual talks that Tanev and the young prodigy have had since the season began nearly a year ago.

“We always talk. We hang out together quite a bit,” said Tanev, giving some examples. “What can we do? What can we do better? What do we like about our game? We’re always trying to make little things better, and last night we weren’t good enough.”

Green, meanwhile, shifted the focus off his young core and on to, as hockey people like to say these days, the group.

“Not just our younger players; it’s our team in general,” Green said. “I don’t think their team did a lot of things that surprised us. We just weren’t sharp. We weren’t on top of our game. We didn’t pass the puck as well as we can. We didn’t receive passes … And give their team credit. They’re a good team.”

Too good a team for Vancouver? That remains to be seen.

But the team that will skate out with a 1-0 series lead on Tuesday evening at Rogers Place in Edmonton is supremely confident, with absolutely no doubt about whether they will get past the Canucks and into Round 3.

“I don’t know where (Game 1) ranks,” Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer said. “Definitely it’s on that list of complete efforts from us. Especially considering the circumstances – there were a lot of distractions, a lot of stuff flying around. I loved how we blocked out the noise and just went to work.”

How about a team whose former No. 1 goalie, “face of the franchise” Marc-Andre Fleury, is on the bench, while controversy swirls over a tweet sent out by his agent? And while the hockey world whips the story into a frenzy — could you imagine the media storm if that were a Canucks goalie? — the other guy, Robin Lehner, calmly goes out and pitches a shutout.

“That’s just outside noise to us,” DeBoer said. “We’re inside the bubble, and in our own bubble inside the bubble, where we’re not going to let any of that outside noise get in the way of what we’re trying to do. That’s advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup.”

It is pretty clear that the Canucks are facing an opponent that is focused, experienced, and is laser-focused on getting further than last season’s disappointing Round 1 ouster to San Jose.

The Canucks, meanwhile, fell behind Minnesota 1-0, and lost Games 3 and 4 to St. Louis, to which the hockey world responded by counting Vancouver out.

Well, here they are: Game 2, Round 2.

What do these Canucks have?

It is time, once again, to find out.

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Sports

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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Sports

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

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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