EDMONTON — His will be a career measured by moments more than numbers.
Jordan Eberle just has that sporting je ne sais quoi where he’s completely at ease with the game on his stick. You don’t pull a world junior championship out of the fire while playing for Team Canada on home ice or bury a puck like this in your NHL debut without having a hunger that matches your sense of occasion.
And what an occasion Eberle found himself with as the New York Islanders battled to extend their season here on Monday night. They were 51 days deep inside the NHL battle and into a fifth period against a strong Tampa Bay Lightning team when Eberle spotted his window of opportunity.
Kevin Shattenkirk fanned on a shot that sent Anders Lee and Eberle down the ice on a 2-on-1 and when the Islanders captain sent the puck across the ice you just knew the game was over.
“That’s the biggest one in a long time, for sure,” Eberle said of his goal that pushed the Eastern Conference Final to a sixth game.
It was made more impressive by the fact things hadn’t really been going in his favour. Barry Trotz began a must-win Game 5 by breaking up his top line of Lee, Eberle and Mathew Barzal because they hadn’t been producing.
Eberle had one goal in the last 15 games before saving New York’s season.
Trotz noted that the 30-year-old winger tends to be hard on himself during dry periods like that, but apparently it’s not overridden by his ability to meet the moment.
That’s part of why the great scout Lorne Davis, who lived down the street from Eberle in Regina, insisted that the Edmonton Oilers use the 22nd pick in the 2008 draft to take him. No matter what the circumstances are, he wants to be the difference-maker.
What should not be lost in New York’s 2-1 victory is that the winning goal came in the 93rd minute on the Islanders’ 24th shot. There weren’t going to be many chances to win this with the way that team plays. And you probably couldn’t ask for a better player to get a free look under these circumstances than Eberle.
“I think it’s just demeanour,” said Trotz. “You’re absolutely 100 per cent correct about him scoring big goals. Everything from the world junior to all those things, he’s scored a number of big goals.
“I think he just enjoys those moments.”
All these years later and Eberle is still scoring big goals in Edmonton.
Down 3-1 to the Lightning entering the night, Trotz told his team to go out and play in a way that guaranteed they wouldn’t have any regrets. They are the first team in NHL history to win three rounds in order to reach the conference final and have consistently been overlooked or left for dead while doing so.
And yet they are one of three teams still living inside the JW Marriott while 28 others are comfortably at home.
Tampa arguably had the better chances to end Game 5 and definitely spent more time in the offensive zone beyond regulation. But the Islanders buckled down and refused to give in.
“The boys battled hard tonight,” said Eberle. “We had some moments in the D-zone and especially in overtime, where we had a broken stick and collapsed and just held on. Just waiting for our chance.”
Of course it was Eberle who froze the clock at 12:30 of double overtime. He didn’t hesitate on a shot that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy low glove.
That sent the Islanders players into delirium at Rogers Place, with goalie Semyon Varlamov diving head-first into the celebration pile.
“When we scored that goal it was just a lot of emotions going through me in that moment,” said Varlamov. “I was just so happy for the guys and so happy for us, that we have a chance to continue to play.”
Eberle credited Lee for a clean pass and the play that led to the odd-man rush. He didn’t elaborate on why he always seems to be the guy who scores that goal.
“You just want to be in the opportunity, but first you’ve got to have the opportunity to do it,” said Eberle. “This team’s battled hard to get to where we are and we’re not finished.”
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.
