LAS VEGAS (AP) — Logan Thompson came off the bench to make 20 saves and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Sunday night.
Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev each had a goal and an assist, while Jonathan Marchessault, Nicolas Roy, Chandler Stephenson and William Karlsson also scored for the Golden Knights.
Golden Knights’ Eichel rips first shot short-side to extend point streak to 10 games
Adin Hill, who allowed one goal, made just two saves in his return to the net for the first time since Nov. 30. He left 6:25 into the game.
Thompson showed signs of a lower-body injury suffered in the third period, as he hunched over between shots, and was slow to get up each time he went down to block a shot.
Vegas captain Mark Stone said he was disappointed for Hill.
“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” said Stone, who finished with three assists. “He’ll get right back to work tomorrow to try and get back in the lineup. Definitely not worried about him. LT came in and played really well for us and got us the win.”
Vegas, which improved to 10-1-0 all-time against the Senators, extended its win streak against Ottawa to nine games. The Golden Knights have outscored the Senators 47-29 and have scored three or more goals in 10 of the 11 meetings.
Smith on Senators’ four-game losing streak: ‘The effort and mentality has to change’
Both teams finished 2 for 5 on the power play, as Vegas improved to 6 for 17 with an extra attacker over its last four games. Since a four-game drought without a power-play goal in mid-November, the Golden Knights are 17 for 68 (25 per cent), tied for eighth-best in the NHL in that span.
“I think that’s something that we’ve really been good at this year,” Stephenson said. “It’s helped us win games, create momentum, kind of all the above, so it’s something that we’re confident in right now.”
Josh Norris, Ridly Greig and Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators and Joonas Korpisalo made 25 saves.
After Friday’s disappointing collapse against Buffalo, the defending champion Knights wasted no time getting on the board, as Barbashev skated in on a 2-on-1 with Eichel, who kept the puck for himself and beat Korpisalo with a snapper 1:37 into the game.
Eichel extended his point streak to a franchise-record 10 games.
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Hill would be evaluated before the team leaves for a four-game trip that begins Tuesday in Carolina.
Ottawa has lost four straight and eight of its last 11.
‘We’re a little fragile’: Giroux on Senators’ resiliency in loss to Golden Knights
“Everybody wants to win so badly, and, of course, it’s not as easy to do in this league,” Tkachuk said. “We’re seeing that right now that it’s hard to win. We have to find a way to find a way to just give our absolute best on Tuesday.”
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.
