EDMONTON — A key injury to Duncan Keith and the end to Connor McDavid’s points streak. Those two setbacks and a 4-1 loss made the Edmonton Oilers‘ trip into Dallas a mighty forgettable one Tuesday night.
Hey – it could have been worse, as a beleaguered Stuart Skinner made some circus stops to stop this one from being a laugher. It was just one of those games: McDavid couldn’t keep the puck on his stick from one zone to the next; the Stars out-checked and outworked Edmonton all over the ice, and Leon Draisaitl had more minor penalties (two) than points (one).
“A few too many penalties,” said defenceman Cody Ceci of the five minors taken by the Oilers. “They got some momentum with some goals on those penalties and changed the whole course of the game.”
Edmonton’s defence was too soft in front of its own net, as the Stars tipped two pucks past a chanceless Skinner, and a usually stout penalty kill gave up two goals, and another just seconds after a Dallas power play had expired.
“I don’t think we deserved as many (penalties) as we got,” groused head coach Dave Tippett.
What does a team do when the minors start adding up?
“You try to kill ’em,” said Tippett, whose penalty killing units were ranked second in the NHL prior to the game. “That’s the difference — we didn’t kill ’em tonight. We gave up two power-play goals — actually three, one right at the end — against a heavy team like that. They got the two power-play goals in the first period and that just allows them to … make it harder on you.”
And the Oilers’ power play? To our eye Edmonton deserved the penalties they were assessed, but the Oilers surely could have had a better shake from the zebras on a couple of Stars infractions that went uncalled — particularly a high stick on Ryan McLeod that was missed.
The two calls Edmonton did receive on the night led to power plays that lasted just 35 and the final 19 seconds of the game. Dallas went two-for-five, another statistic that accurately depicted the flow of possession on this night.
“They moved it around well,” Ceci complimented. “It’s a pretty balanced power play. They showed it tonight, but we’ve got to move on pretty quickly. We have another game (Wednesday) night.”
Edmonton is in Arizona Wednesday, where Mikko Koskinen will get the start in goal.
Black and Blue Line
Add another Top 4 defenceman to the injury pile, with Keith leaving Tuesday’s game after two periods with what they are calling an upper-body injury.
Keith made a simple D-to-D pass along the blue line to Tyson Barrie, and immediately bent over in pain. He went to the Oilers bench where trainer T.D. Forss was seen checking Keith’s lower back.
Edmonton is already missing left side D-man Darnell Nurse (broken finger) for at least two weeks, and lefty Slater Koekkoek (ankle), both of whom are on the injured reserve. Keith is also a left-sider.
“The three guys that were on our left-side defence last week are not here right now. That’s a challenge,” assessed Tippett.
William Lagesson is on the trip and will almost certainly draw into the lineup Wednesday in Arizona. He, Kris Russell and Philip Broberg will comprise the left side of the blue-line against the Coyotes, barring a Keith return. Broberg has played two NHL games and Lagesson 27, while it will be the 889th game in Russell’s long career on Wednesday.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Ceci said. “Those (injured) guys eat up pretty big minutes, but …Broberg has come up and played pretty well for us. He’s a great skater, and he gets his shots through. It’s exciting for him, but it’s tough for us to have those guys all missing.”
Broberg has looked very comfortable through the first two games of his NHL career. And these injuries will ensure that he gets an even longer look than was likely planned, as the smooth skating Swede looks every bit like his billing said he would; big, an excellent skater, and very composed with the puck.
Fun while it lasted
McDavid’s 17-game point streak off the start of the season is the third longest in Oilers team history. We’ll let you guess who had numbers one and two.
Of course, it was Wayne Gretzky, who had a 30-game skein to open the 1982-83 season. Then the very next season The Great One challenged Joe DiMaggio’s legendary 56-game hit streak, when he stretched his consecutive games points streak to an NHL-record 51 games.
“His accomplishment so far has been unbelievable,” Tippett said of McDavid. “You know, the streak’s over. Move on.”
McDavid actually had a run of 25-straight games with a point, going back to last season. But it was a night of frustration for No. 97, who just couldn’t find his way through the Dallas traffic often enough to furnish him with the kinds of looks that makes him hockey’s most dangerous player.
He closed out the night with three shots on net and two more attempts in 20:50 of ice time.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
