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Lightning score eight, end Panthers' 13-game winning streak – NHL.com

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SUNRISE, Fla.Nikita Kucherov had two goals and three assists when the Tampa Bay Lightning ended the Florida Panthers’ team-record 13-game winning streak with a 8-4 victory at FLA Live Arena on Sunday.

The Panthers, who set their record with a 3-2 overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, lost for the first time since March 27.

“Tonight we were pushing again and you can only go to the well so many times and tonight it ran out,” Panthers coach Andrew Brunette said. “There’s some things that we’ve got to shore up absolutely, but I love the way our group competes even [on] a night where you can take it off. We did not take the night off.”

Nicholas Paul scored two second-period goals, Steven Stamkos had two goals and two assists, and Victor Hedman had four assists for the Lightning (49-22-8), who have won three in a row. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 37 saves.

Sam Reinhart scored two goals for the Panthers (57-16-6). Spencer Knight made 12 saves but was pulled in the second period after Paul’s second goal made it 5-3. Sergei Bobrovsky replaced Knight and made 12 saves.

Video: TBL@FLA: Paul goes upstairs, puts feed through skates

Florida, which has clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, stayed four points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche in the race for the President’s Trophy and the No. 1 seed in the NHL. Tampa Bay is in third place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs and three points ahead of the Boston Bruins.

Paul gave Tampa Bay a 4-3 lead with a shorthanded goal when he put the puck between his legs before flicking it past Knight.

He made it 5-3 at 12:59 when his centering pass bounced in off Knight’s stick.

“We knew the streak they were on,” Paul said. “And we wanted to come here and be the ones that ended it.”

Brayden Point made it 6-3 with a power-play goal at 3:34 of the third period.

Reinhart brought Florida to within 6-4 at 7:04 with a power-play goal.

Kucherov made it 7-4 at 11:36 when he one-timed Stamkos’ centering pass to the right circle before Stamkos made it 8-4 with a power-play goal at 16:34.

“The playoffs are like on steroids to what we saw tonight,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “You’ve got to be ready and games like this help you.”

Kucherov gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 with a high wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle.

Video: TBL@FLA: Kucherov extends goal streak to 6 at circle

After Claude Giroux had a goal disallowed at 4:06 when Tampa Bay successful challenged for goaltender interference, Reinhart made it 1-1 at 4:31 with a quick shot from the high slot for his 30th goal of the season.

“That’s huge,” Reinhart said. “I don’t think anyone wants to finish at 19, 29, 39, 49, whatever it is. I don’t think anybody wants to finish at that. So anytime you can reach that even number is a nice stat.”

Stamkos gave the Lightning a 2-1 at 6:44 with a power-play goal with a one-timer from the left circle before Cal Foote made it 3-1 at 14:58 when he redirected Brandon Hagel‘s pass on a 3-on-1.

Video: TBL@FLA: Stamkos one-times feed from up top for lead

Brandon Montour, who scored in overtime in the Panthers’ 3-2 victory against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, cut the margin to 3-2 at 17:28 when he one-timed a clearing attempt off the boards.

Mason Marchment tied the score 3-3 at 59 seconds of the second period with a one-handed backhand flip of a bouncing puck after Giroux lobbed the puck into the offensive zone.

“We’ve got a lot of competitors in here,” Marchment said. “I don’t think we ever want to lose I don’t think anyone’s ever happy with losing, especially in this locker room. I think for us just put this one behind us and move on to the next.”

NOTES: The Lightning, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, were flying from South Florida to Washington to visit the White House on Monday. … Stamkos became the first Tampa Bay player with four consecutive games with at least three points. … Kucherov extended his goal streak to six games, two shy of the Lightning record set by Brian Bradley in 1992-93. … Reinhart became the fourth Panthers players to reach 30 goals this season, joining Aleksander Barkov, Anthony Duclair and Jonathan Huberdeau. … Huberdeau had one assist to move to 114 points on the season, four behind Connor McDavid for the NHL lead.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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