TORONTO — The world has changed since the Toronto Maple Leafs last played a hockey game.
Kyle Dubas believes something has shifted inside his team’s dressing room as well.
It’s been 140 days that featured inactivity and uncertainty. A mix of fear, existential longing and boredom. And in the more recent gallop towards something approaching normalcy the Leafs general manager is seeing signs of sophistication.
“The talent level of the group, there’s never been a question,” Dubas said Monday. “It’s been the maturing and the mindset of the group that we know we have to take some strides in.”
They have arrived inside a bubble in their own city talking about taking those steps now. The Leafs are days away from jumping into a best-of-five Stanley Cup qualifier against Columbus, with only Tuesday’s exhibition game versus Montreal to sharpen their competitive spirit.
But Dubas is encouraged by the preparations made throughout the NHL’s COVID-19 pause. The Leafs dove head-first into voluntary Phase 2 workouts, getting over 20 players back skating together in small groups in early June while many rivals left practice facilities closed due to a lack of demand.
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They had a leg-up because of the number of guys who live year-round in the area but they also saw Kasperi Kapanen, William Nylander and Jack Campbell return early from the United States to serve quarantines in advance. Morgan Rielly and Alexander Kerfoot had ice to skate on in British Columbia and still chose to fly back to Toronto and join their teammates well before the NHL’s return-to-play agreement was finalized.
Rasmus Sandin, who enters the playoffs as the Leafs seventh defenceman, spent 14 days in a hotel room after returning from Sweden earlier than many of his countrymen.
That team-wide buy-in came with extra reps together long before the mandatory two-week training camp started earlier this month. It also allowed for some bonding on the golf course and in cottage country, where Mitch Marner hosted a small gathering at one point.
“The effort that the players put into it, and their focus on their on- and off-ice, even during that [voluntary] phase and what they were doing away from the rink with how careful they were being and how they were holding each other accountable was a really strong sign for me about the growth that we’re going through as a group,” said Dubas.
This will be the fourth crack at the post-season for this Leafs core. They have played highly competitive series while losing to the Presidents’ Trophy winners (Washington, 2017) and the NHL’s fourth- and third-overall finisher from the regular season (Boston, 2018 and 2019).
Last year’s seven-game loss to the Bruins was particularly disappointing since Toronto held 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads in the series — missing the chance to close things out at Scotiabank Arena in Game 6. The focus on maturity stems from the fact the Leafs actually finished with a slight edge in shot attempts and expected goals at even strength in that series, but still let it slip through their fingers in large part due to specialty teams.
They were lacking a killer instinct.
What remains to be seen is if the Leafs can emerge from this pause as a better version of themselves. They had a roller-coaster 2019-20 campaign and have placed a huge premium on reducing the number of chances and goals against. Only Florida allowed more goals among the 24 teams invited back for this summer restart.
“The root cause of that is just our mindset and becoming an elite team that really values how we’re performing defensively,” said Dubas. “Why I say it’s a mindset thing and not a skill thing on the defensive side, or a personnel thing, is that we’ve shown in various different games and different stretches that we can be a very good defensive team.”
This is where the commitment throughout the break comes in. It’s being viewed internally as a sign the core is ready to make the sacrifices needed to grind out tight games.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe certainly isn’t shy about discussing defensive faults — or, as he more optimistically labelled them, the team’s “biggest area of opportunity.” He spent months bingeing on the Leafs and then shared unflattering metrics with players during training camp.
The message resonated with Marner, who said “we’re hungry to prove ourselves out here.”
Dubas, who has moved downtown into the Royal York hotel alongside his players, doesn’t mind that kind of talk emanating from his group.
That’s a sign of understanding in his eyes.
“I think it’s great that the players talk about it. I think the players know the doubts that are on them, whether it’s from media or from other teams,” said Dubas. “And so they know what they have to prove and I think them acknowledging it and talking about it is a good sign because they’re not negative about it and they’re not upset that people say that about them.
“They know that we have to prove it and that’s what we’ll get to in the coming weeks and years.”
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.
