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Jack Campbell dealing with 'mental block' in Toronto Maple Leafs' net – Sportsnet.ca

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It’s highly unusual for the backup goaltender to take the podium on a game day.

It’s also highly unusual for a winning goaltender to get yanked mid-game due to poor performance while his team is leading.

But here we are.

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Or, rather, here is Jack Campbell.

Fittingly the Toronto Maple Leafs No. 1 netminder tried to take his mind off hockey Sunday in Washington, D.C., by checking out the No. 1 film at the box office, Uncharted (his review: “Solid”).

Campbell himselfis in uncharted territory as he rides the roller coaster that is a full 82 games in the white-hot Toronto market — without the seatbelt that is contract security.

And his play is sliding off the rails.

“It’s a mental block kinda thing going on right now that he’s got to work his way through, but he’ll get there,” said coach Sheldon Keefe, ahead of Monday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

“We think there’s a good goalie there that will find a level of consistency, and that’s what we continue to work through here now.”

The 30-year-old’s freefall is precipitous, from deserved All-Star Game invitee and backbone of his club’s pre-Christmas success to a .887 save percentage and a loosened grip on the starter’s gig since Jan. 1.

“It’s simple. I’m the same goalie I was to start year as far as strategy and talent, things like that,” Campbell said. “Just relax and having some fun and not beat myself up too much. So, I’m still working. You know, it’s a process. But I have great people in my life, great teammates, and I’ll snap out of it.

“It’s just having fun and chilling out a little bit. That’s it.”

Sensing Campbell had become a liability Saturday in Detroit, as the Red Wings threw four pucks past the starter within the first 5:21 of the third period, Keefe felt he had no choice but to put in Petr Mrazek late to secure the win.

Just as he’d done last month against New Jersey, Mrazek secured the two points in relief. He’ll hold the net Monday.

Keefe made a point to speak with Mrazek post-game, acknowledging he put him in a difficult spot by calling on him so late and cold. Keefe says he leaves goalie coach Steve Briere to talk over the rough outing with Campbell.

Campbell likens the veteran Mrazek’s “laid-back demeanour” to that of former Leaf Frederik Andersen. Both are quick to share information. Both are supportive.

Neither is as emotional as Campbell, whose recent struggles appear to be a direct cause of the pressure he’s exerting on himself.

“I mean, it’s not really my game,” Campbell said. “I’m the same goalie. It’s just having fun and chilling a little bit.”

Campbell’s work in the first half of his contract season was so stellar, it was unsustainable. (Fun fact: His 2021-22 save percentage and career save percentage are now and identical .917.) But his drop-off has to be a concern, particularly with the injury-prone Mrazek (8-4-0, .894) not exactly stealing the crease and running with it himself.

“Jack had earned all the attention and the accolades that were coming with his play. You have to be prepared for it to come the other way. Maybe you don’t want to have such extremes,” Keefe said.

“Knowing this was going to be Petr’s start today, there’s more time for Jack to clear his head and get back to work.”

Goaltending ranked below a top-four defenceman and a top-six winger on the Maple Leafs’ wish list ahead of the March 21 trade deadline, but if the saves don’t show up, one must wonder if priorities shift.

Captain John Tavares cast a vote of confidence for Toronto’s shaky tandem in the wake of Saturday’s 10-7 gong show.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the games, those two guys give us a great chance to win,” Tavares said.

“So, just flush it. Get back to work, as they both do really well. Trust who they are.”

One-Timers: Toronto is dealing with a flu bug, so its lineup will not be set until after warmups. “It seems like we’ve gotten through the worst of it but hoping it stays that way,” Keefe said…. Ilya Samsonov will start in goal for the Capitals. Defenceman Justin Schultz (upper body) is a game-time decision, while Dmitry Orlov (personal reasons) is expected to play…. Tavares is expected to play but admits he is still recovering with illness…. Interestingly, Auston Matthews — named NHL’s First Star of the Week — took reps in the bumper position of Toronto’s power-play Monday morning. Despite lighting the lamp 10 times in Detroit Saturday, the Leafs were held without a power-play goal.

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Vasilevskiy stops 23 as surging Lightning beat Bruins – Sportsnet.ca

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Shane Pinto has a goal, three assists as the Senators roll over the Sabres – Sportsnet.ca

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Here’s what we know about the allegations against Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara

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LOS ANGELES –

Only a week has passed since the Los Angeles Dodgers abruptly fired Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter and constant companion of their new $700 million slugger, Shohei Ohtani.

But the biggest story of baseball’s spring is still murky — and shocking — as the regular season begins in earnest Thursday.

The scandal encompasses gambling, alleged theft, extensive deceit and the breakup of an enduring partnership between the majors’ biggest star and his right-hand man. Investigations are underway by the IRS and Major League Baseball, and Ohtani publicly laid out a version of events Monday that placed the responsibility entirely on Mizuhara.

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Here are the basics as Ohtani and the Dodgers prepare for their home opener against St. Louis on Thursday:

Why was Ippei Mizuhara fired by the Dodgers?

Ohtani claims his close friend repeatedly took money from his accounts to fund his illegal sports gambling habit. Ohtani also says he was completely unaware of the “massive theft,” as his lawyers termed it, until Mizuhara confessed to him and the Dodgers last week in South Korea, where the team opened its regular season against the San Diego Padres.

Mizuhara has given more than one version of his path to this trouble, which was catalyzed by the IRS’ investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an alleged illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara has consistently said he has a gambling addiction, and he abused his close friendship with the Dodgers superstar to feed it.

Did Shohei Ohtani ever bet on sports?

That’s the biggest question to be answered in Major League Baseball’s investigation, and the two-time AL MVP emphatically says he has never gambled on sports or asked anybody to bet on sports for him.

Further, Ohtani said Monday he has never knowingly paid a bookie to cover somebody else’s bets. Mizuhara also said Ohtani does not bet, and Bowyer’s attorney said the same.

Mizuhara told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. If that were true, Ohtani could face trouble even if he didn’t make the bets himself — but ESPN said Mizuhara dramatically changed his story the following day, claiming Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.

MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball. They also ban betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.

What’s next for Ohtani?

Ohtani has played in every Dodgers game since the story broke, and he is expected to be their designated hitter in most regular-season games this season while baseball’s investigation continues.

Ohtani says his legal team has alerted authorities to the theft by Mizuhara, although his team has repeatedly declined to say which authorities have been told, according to ESPN.

Ohtani’s new interpreter is Will Ireton, a longtime Dodgers employee and fluent Japanese speaker who has filled several jobs with the team in everything from game preparation and analytics to recruiting free-agent pitches. But Ireton won’t be Ohtani’s constant companion, and manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday he’s optimistic that Ohtani will become closer to his teammates without the “buffer” provided for years by Mizuhara.

What don’t we know?

MLB’s investigation of Ohtani’s role in the events could last weeks or months, and it’s unlikely to be publicized until it’s complete. No one outside of Ohtani’s inner circle knows what it will find or how serious any repercussions could be, and nobody outside the circle is making informed speculation about the process.

One major question looms: How did Mizuhara have enough access to Ohtani’s bank accounts to get the alleged millions without Ohtani knowing? Is the slugger overly trusting, or is he wildly negligent in managing his vast fortune, which includes years of lavish endorsement deals in addition to his baseball salaries? Why didn’t the team around him, including his agent, do more to prevent the possibility of the theft he claims?

Finally, where is Mizuhara? Anybody who knows isn’t saying. He was fired in South Korea and apparently didn’t travel home with the Dodgers. Japanese media have visited his home in Southern California to look for him. Although he was born in Japan, Mizuhara’s life is in the U.S. — but his life will never be the same.

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