TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs, who practised at Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday ahead of Thursday night’s home game against the Calgary Flames.
Matthew Tkachuk may be among the top agitators in the NHL, but he’s failed to make much of an impression in seven career games against the Maple Leafs, scoring just one goal and taking three minor penalties.
“He knows his stuff probably won’t work on me, because I’ve seen it first hand,” said Auston Matthews, who played two seasons with Tkachuk with the U.S. National Development Program.
Perhaps Matthews and Mitch Marner, who played one year with Tkachuk in the OHL, benefit from being friends with the Calgary Flames alternate captain?
“Maybe a little bit,” Marner said. “I mean, I got to see a lot of his tricks in London so I know a couple things he does after the whistle and stuff like that and it was great when you played with him. I mean, he drew a lot of penalties for you and a lot of power plays.”
Matthews doesn’t think Tkachuk takes it easy on his pals.
“No, I don’t,” Matthews said. “Honestly, I think he doesn’t really take that stuff into account, he goes out there and competes every night, whether it’s against guys that he knows or guys that he’s friends with or not. That’s just the way he is. I think it’s the way it really should be.”
Sheldon Keefe is warning his players not to get drawn into Tkachuk’s game on Thursday night when the Flames pay their one visit of the season to Toronto.
“It’s just being aware of the fact he’s competitive and he’s going to come hard on every puck and all those types of things, but also not to let things go off the rails and become a sideshow,” the Leafs coach advised. “He looks to kind of, you know, change the focus that you might have in a game and that’s not what we want to be about. We want to just focus on what we have to do.”
Tkachuk registered just two shots and a minus-1 rating when the Leafs visited Calgary on Dec. 12. With only one point posted against the Leafs overall, Toronto is actually the team Tkachuk has burned the least in his career. And when it comes to discipline, it was Tkachuk who earned a one-game suspension for spearing Matt Martin, then with the Leafs, back in December 2017.
“You got to be careful around him,” Marner said. “The thing for us is to make sure we stay out of all the stuff after the whistle, nothing’s going to happen, just make sure we’re playing smart.”
And while Tkachuk is taking heat for his hits on Edmonton’s Zack Kassian and how he dealt with the fallout, the Leafs aren’t expecting the 22-year-old to tone things down in the centre of the hockey universe.
“He did the same stuff that he does now in the OHL,” Marner said, “and the most annoying thing is the skill he has in him and how good he is. If you take penalties against him, he could be the one who puts it in the back of your net so that’s the thing that really annoys people.”
“It’s something he feeds off of,” Matthews said. “I saw it first hand for two years. He just likes to compete out there and play on the edge. Obviously, he’s kind of pissed a couple people off on the way doing it, but I definitely think it’s one of those (things) where it’s a guy you hate to play against, but a guy you’d love to have on your team, for sure.”
Matthews on Tkachuk: ‘He knows his stuff probably won’t work on me’
As the Leafs get set to welcome the Flames and Matthew Tkachuk to town on Thursday night, team members discussed the unique challenges Tkachuk presents and how they plan to avoid getting wrapped up in antics.
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Keefe is starting to incorporate music into Leafs practices more and more.
“It’s the tempo and the energy,” he explained, “especially on days like this, you’re coming back from a game, it can be a little bit tough to put your gear back on and go out and get some work in so just raising the energy level not unlike what you would do in the gym.”
On Wednesday, video coach Jordan Bean was stationed beside a large speaker in the stands overlooking the ice awaiting signals from Keefe for when to blast the tunes.
“I’m a fan of it, it’s just relaxing,” said Marner, who at one point gestured at Bean to restart the music even without Keefe’s go-ahead. “I’m not sure what other guys think, but I had fun with it.”
Some players aren’t thrilled about the playlist, which on Wednesday featured Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” among other songs.
“He’s got Lady Gaga from 2013 going,” Matthews said with a smile. “I mean, I got nothing against her, I think she’s great, but maybe update the playlist a bit.”
Marner is looking for more of a flow.
“I like all genres so I’m good with anything,” the winger said. “It was just a lot of switching of songs in the middle of the songs, it wasn’t great by our DJ today.”
The playlist, Keefe said, is courtesy Marlies forward Rich Clune, who took responsibility for the music at practices when Keefe ran the bench for Toronto’s AHL team.
“I’d love for the players to take a little bit of ownership,” Keefe said. “They don’t take much ownership even in the locker room to put their own music on and stuff so if they want to take that over, that would be great. We have enough things to worry about.”
In past seasons, Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner were the resident team DJs in Toronto so there’s an opening there and Matthews seems keen on stepping up.
“I didn’t know we were going to do the music thing today,” Matthews noted, “so I’m sure old Bean Boy will get an earful from the guys here in the locker room about the playlist he had going on.”
Matthews calls for new practice playlist: ‘He’s got Lady Gaga from 2013 going’
The Maple Leafs had a DJ at practice on Wednesday, but as Mark Masters would soon find out, there were mixed reviews from Auston Matthews and the players about some of the song choices on the playlist.
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Before practice started and the music got going, Keefe met with the team’s leadership group. The topic: defence.
“That has been the greatest challenge,” he admitted. “We’ve made a lot of strides offensively and we think that puts our team in a better spot, there’s benefits defensively just from that because of how much more we’ve had the puck and we’ve spent a lot more time in the offensive zone. That’s really helped, but as we’ve seen with some of our play recently, breaking some of the habits defensively (is tough).”
In 23 games under Mike Babcock this season, the Leafs allowed 3.43 goals per outing, which ranked 24th in the league. In 24 games under Keefe, the Leafs are allowing 3.13 goals per outing, which ranks 19th.
“It’s not just a product of how we’re playing here now,” Keefe pointed out, “we think some of these things have been an issue for quite some time with some of our players and we got to find a way to break that and that’s our biggest challenge and we actually had a meeting about that type of stuff this morning with our leadership group (about) just kind of taking that next step as a team.”
One player leading by example is Matthews. The Arizona native is known for his incredible offensive abilities, but Keefe says what has surprised him the most about the 22-year-old is how good he’s been on the defensive side of the puck.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned (about) him is he’s a very good player defensively, away from the puck,” Keefe gushed, “and when he’s engaged, the way he can track, you saw the one goal in the Winnipeg game that he got, but we’ve got dozens of clips of him doing similar things and some of the best defensive-zone coverage clips that we showed here this morning to the players, he was out there doing a job.”
‘Our greatest challenge’: Keefe meets with leaders on breaking bad defensive habits
Scoring has never been an issue for the Leafs in recent years, but defensive breakdowns have been a constant struggle for the young squad. Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained the steps he and his staff have been taking to try and solve what he calls the team’s ‘greatest challenge.’
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When Rasmus Sandin arrived at Leafs training camp in September, a No. 38 sweater was hanging in his stall.
“They gave me it in camp. I don’t really think about it too much, but I’ve been getting a little bit of chirps so we’ll see if I can change maybe next year,” the 19-year-old said.
Sandin is the first Leaf to wear the number since Colin Greening in 2016. Per Hockey Reference, the other Leafs to wear No. 38 have been: Frazer McLaren (2013-14), Jay Rosehill (2010-12), Brad Leeb (2004), Yannick Tremblay (1997-1999), David Harlock (1996) and Chris Snell (1994).
Sandin needs one thing. A new number. He’s too good of a player for number 38. Maybe he likes 38. I don’t know. As you were.
“Just that the number doesn’t look the best,” he said with a smile.
Sandin wore No. 8 with the Marlies and with Team Sweden at the World Juniors. It’s the same number his older brother Linus Sandin wore. But pending UFA Jake Muzzin owns that digit these days in Toronto.
“It would be tough to move Jake from there,” Sandin said of the veteran.
Sandin’s next preferred option would be 14, but thanks to Dave Keon that number is retired in Toronto.
“I’m not bothered by it too much, to be honest,” Sandin said of the situation. “We’ll see what’s open for next year.”
Sandin facing chirps for wearing 38: ‘The number doesn’t look the best’
Rasmus Sandin has been rocking a 38 on his jersey since being called back up to the Maple Leafs on Monday. Sandin normally wears 14 or 8, but has been unable to secure those jersey numbers on this current Leafs roster. He spoke to Mark Masters about some of the chirps he’s been dealing with as a result.
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Muzzin skated on Wednesday for the first time since breaking his foot on Dec. 27. The hope is the defenceman will return in Toronto’s first game after the all-star break on Jan. 27 in Nashville.
“That’s what they’ve talked about for being a potential target,” Keefe revealed. “Obviously, how things go between now and then will dictate that. My understanding is he’s going to stick around and get working over the break.”
Jake Muzzin has emerged before #Leafs practice for a solo skate (well, the mannequin is there too!). Sheldon Keefe said yesterday Muzzin would likely be back on skates today, a sign of progress from that fractured foot injury. pic.twitter.com/t3xMK60hXs
Out since Dec. 21 with a concussion, Trevor Moore was cleared for contact and practised on the fourth line on Wednesday. His status for tomorrow’s game is unclear, but Keefe said the left winger is “very close” to returning.
Leafs Ice Chips: Back on the ice, Muzzin targets post all-star return
There were some familiar faces on the ice at Leafs practice on Wednesday as Trevor Moore skated with the fourth line and took contact for the first time since sustaining a concussion in December. Jake Muzzin also skated for the first time since breaking his foot in a game on December 27th. Mark Masters has more.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
