VANCOUVER — For Blake Wheeler and the Winnipeg Jets, it truly was the best of times. Followed by the worst of times.
A banner night for the captain that included his long-awaited first goal of the year ended with him writhing on the ice in agony, clutching his right knee after suffering a serious third-period ailment. That added injury to the eventual insult of a 4-3 shootout loss to Vancouver in which Winnipeg had numerous glorious chances in overtime to snatch the bonus point from the hosts.
“It’s going to be a while. We’ll get him looked at (Saturday). I’m not a doctor, but it’s going to be a while,” a grim Jets coach Paul Maurice said following the game at Rogers Arena. “We’ll get him healed up, we’ll find other players and we’ll find a way to do it without him.”
Concern was echoed by numerous teammates, who had just celebrated Wheeler and his notorious durability when he skated in his 1,000th career regular-season game last Sunday.
“It was tough to see him down on the ground like that. We just gotta hope and pray for good news when we gets more results. That’s all we can do,” said linemate Mark Scheifele. “We know he’s a warrior, he plays through pretty much everything. Obviously there’s always hope he comes back. Hopefully we get some better news when we get home and get the doctors to look at it. All we can do is pray for good news.”
Vancouver Canucks’ Bo Horvat checks Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele during the first period. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Winnipeg, playing on the road for a second straight night following Thursday’s 3-0 victory in Seattle, drops to 13-9-5 but are back above the Western Conference playoff line with the single point. Vancouver improves to 11-15-2, including 3-0-0 under new coach Bruce Boudreau.
Maurice wasn’t lying when he said the work from Wheeler, along with Scheifele and Kyle Connor, might have been “as fine as I’ve seen that line play.” They were absolutely dominant until Wheeler went down in a heap near the midway mark of the third period, the result of Jets defenceman Nathan Beaulieu accidentally sliding into him after getting tangled with Vancouver forward Vasily Podkolzin during a chaotic scramble in front of the Winnipeg net.
“They were playing great. They were buzzing,” is how Jets forward Andrew Copp described the play of the top trio.
Vancouver Canucks’ Tanner Pearson is stopped by Winnipeg Jets goalie Eric Comrie, centre, during the first period. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Indeed. After Nils Hoglander opened the scoring 6:29 into the first period, Wheeler finally broke a regular-season scoring drought that stretched all the way back to last May 11, when he sniped twice against the Canucks in the second-last game of the abbreviated 2021 campaign. That’s a span of 22 games, including all 21 he’d played this season up until Friday. A wrist shot on the power play snuck by Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko, who was screened by the imposing Pierre-Luc Dubois, and the monkey was off his back. Wheeler actually pantomined reaching back and tossing the imaginary burden into orbit.
“Long time coming. He had how many assists? It wasn’t a worry for us. He’s been dishing left and right,” said Copp.
Turns out, he was just getting warmed up including some more dishing to come. Wheeler was robbed of a sure goal on the very next shift when Demko got a glove on the puck just before it crossed the goal-line. He was also denied on a breakaway near the end of the period, which Vancouver quickly turned around for the go-ahead goal, a softie given up by Jets backup goalie Eric Comrie off a Hoglander shot.
Winnipeg Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois and Vancouver Canucks’ Luke Schenn collide during the first period. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Wheeler had a direct hand in getting the game knotted up again, setting up Connor for his team-leading 18th 6:09 into the second period. Vancouver regained the lead just 57 seconds later, as Conor Garland came off the bench on a line change, got in behind Winnipeg’s defence and scored on a breakaway dash.
But then the first line did it again, with Wheeler and Connor setting up Scheifele for a rocket of a one-timer at 11:08, his seventh goal of the year.
Then came some controversy. The Jets appeared to have taken a 4-3 lead when Andrew Copp scored a few minutes later, but it was wiped off the board when Boudreau challenged for goaltender interference. Replays showed Dubois came in contact with Demko just prior to the puck going in.
Winnipeg Jets’ Blake Wheeler’s leg bends sideways at the knee as he vies for the puck against Vancouver Canucks’ Vasily Podkolzin, front right, during the third period. Wheeler left the game with an injury and did not return to the ice. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Maurice was livid on the bench, no doubt thinking back to a call that went against them last week when playing Carolina. Connor Hellebuyck got spun around during a crease battle shortly before the Hurricanes scored, but the goal was allowed to stand based on the NHL’s ruling that it was incidental contact during a loose puck battle.
“Well, that’s it. I don’t like one of those two calls. I can’t tell you which one. But one of those two calls is wrong,” Maurice said following the game.
Winnipeg Jets’ Blake Wheeler clutches his knee as he lies on the ice after getting injured during the third period against the Canucks in Vancouver, on Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
“You just never know what to expect, honestly. And it’s not just that, it’s just the full lack of clarity on what is goalie interference and what is not. That could have been goalie interference, for sure. If that one is, than probably the Hellebuyck once against Carolina probably is. So, I don’t think it’s just one call, it’s just lack of clarity overall,” he said.
“Try and not put it in their hands, I guess. The one today, it’s a 50-50 puck, Dubie is going backdoor tap-in and that’s the ruling that we got from the league, that incidental contact on a 50-50 puck around the net is not goalie interference. That’s where we are confused.”
After a scoreless third period, a wild overtime session ensued in which the Jets had the puck for pretty much the first four minutes but couldn’t solve Demko despite numerous glorious chances. They survived a last-minute tripping call against Nikolaj Ehlers — which set the stage for a shootout.
Winnipeg Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers trips Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson during overtime. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Elias Pettersson was the only one who could score on a nifty deke from in-tight. Connor, Scheifele and Dubois were all denied by Demko.
“We pretty much dominated that overtime. Breakaways, two-on-ones. I think one went off his cup on and on to the post or whatever. We had our chances, sometimes you have to tip your cap, Demko made some big saves and held them in it,” said Scheifele.
“We played a great game. Did a lot of really great things. It sucks shootouts are the way to end it. You wish you could just play three on three forever, until someone scores. That’s just the way it is, we have to be happy with our game and look at the good things. Now we got a little bit of time to rest, which is nice. We have to take that to our advantage and be ready for a little bit of a homestand here.”
Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson scores the game-winning goal on Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Eric Comrie during the shootout, Friday. (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
Comrie finished the game with 33 saves in regulation and overtime, while Demko made 34 stops.
The Jets are now off until Tuesday, when they open a three-game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres at Canada Life Centre. Washington and St. Louis will also pay visits.
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.
