TORONTO — On the first official day of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ new post-season march, the first chance for the team to reconvene with the regular season firmly in the rear-view, the message was clear: Embrace the opportunity.
“A lot of work’s been put into this year, and the journey to this point,” captain John Tavares said on the heels of an hour-long skills session at Ford Performance Centre Saturday. “We get a chance to compete in the playoffs. … You can just tell, the energy and the vibe around the building today. We’re getting extremely close, so we’re excited about that.”
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Surely tugging at the sleeves of that excitement is the undeniable pressure that sits on these Maple Leafs’ shoulders as they approach another brutal first-round test. On Tuesday night, Tavares’ club begins yet another best-of-seven rematch with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the latter looking to reach their fourth straight Cup Final, the Leafs fighting to avoid falling in the first round for the seventh consecutive year.
Add to those everything-on-the-line stakes the bigger-picture weight of this franchise’s post-season history, the decades since it’s won a playoff series, the eras since it lifted the Cup, and it all seems a bit daunting. For those in the room, the only way forward is tunnel vision.
“All we can do is prepare for what’s in front of us, and the opportunity that we have at hand,” the captain said. “We know we have an incredible fanbase, an organization that has a tremendous, rich history that is really special. So, you know, don’t let the pressure outweigh the pleasure of this opportunity, and the excitement that we have to go out and compete, and everything we’ve done to earn this.
Tavares on Maple Leafs’ playoff history: ‘We’re aware of it, no doubt’
“All we can do is prepare for what’s ahead, and be at our best when we meet this challenge.”
Even after a near-decade of Leafs Nation’s hopes falling flat in the post-season’s opening round, there is hope still in the newest iteration of this group. Another year older, wiser, with another year of hard post-season lessons burned into them, Sheldon Keefe’s squad looks ready to take another swing.
And this time, they might just have the help they need, starting with netminder Ilya Samsonov — the roll-the-dice backup option GM Kyle Dubas brought in alongside Matt Murray in the off-season, who’s emerged as the team’s clear No. 1 heading into the games that matter. Through 42 appearances in blue and white on the year, the 26-year-old finished the regular season with a career-best .919 save percentage, collecting four shutouts along the way.
‘You need to live day-by-day’: Maple Leafs’ Samsonov on how to approach the playoffs
“He’s just been really composed all season long,” Keefe said of Samsonov, who appears a lock to man the net in Game 1. “It hasn’t been a perfect season for him. It’s been a great season, but it hasn’t been a perfect season. At times, he had to deal with some adversity, he had to regroup and reconnect with his structure and the foundation that he put in place in the off-season and early in this season. He’s had to find his way in the season to get success on the road, and closed out the season tremendously in that regard.”
“And our team’s played well in front of him. Guys are confident and comfortable playing in front of him. I think with all those things combined, he’s ready.”
It’s been an unexpected ascent for the former Washington Capital, who came in as somewhat of a question mark as the Maple Leafs rebuilt their goaltending corps in the wake of Jack Campbell’s departure. While both newcomers were offered an even shot at the No. 1 role for much of the season, injuries and steady play slowly pushed Samsonov to the head of the pack.
“He came in just trying to get a sense of things, get a feel for his surroundings, and I think he’s just really blossomed,” Tavares said of the netminder. “His personality, his confidence on and off the ice, and just the comfort level he has with his game, how he’s fit in really well in the locker room, and the respect that we have for him just as a competitor — I think you’ve seen that really grow. Just the competitive fire that he has, and the ability, no doubt is great.
“All that has kind of meshed together really well. When challenges have come, he’s faced them extremely well and has responded great, and that’s a great sign for him and his growth here this year. He’s an important piece of our success.”
What makes this season’s Maple Leafs better suited to face Lightning in playoffs?
There’s no question he’ll be a vital piece of it, particularly given the behemoth of an opponent Toronto must get by if they hope to finally break their first-round curse: a veteran Lightning team that’s proven to be one of the hardest outs in the game for three years now. A Lightning team that proved just a little more savvy, a little more composed, as they outlasted Toronto last year.
The Maple Leafs hope they’ve made up that ground with the addition of Ryan O’Reilly, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner bringing his own Cup-lifting experience to the fold this time around.
“Having a deep run before, I think that can help for sure,” the veteran pivot said Saturday. “Every year’s different, the team’s completely different, but still I think it just gives me confidence going in. I know what it should look like. … It’s something that I don’t even know how to explain — it’s decisions that you make at the right times. Obviously going up against Tampa, they’ve been the best team in hockey for three years. They know how to win. It’s going to take our best.”
Luke Schenn, who joined O’Reilly in the group of trade-deadline acquisitions the Maple Leafs brought in to bolster their chances, knows the test ahead well, the weathered defender having suited up alongside the Lightning for their two recent Cup runs.
And while some among the Maple Leafs faithful might be writing off his former squad after a season that’s seen Tampa navigate a slew of injuries and look a slight step below their usual level, Schenn cautioned against paying too much attention to how they got here. All that is important is what happens next.
“In the playoffs, it’s mind over matter,” the defenceman said. “You look at different paths and schedules and how many games guys have played, but at the end of the day, each individual’s gone through their own things. Some guys are healthy, some guys are banged up.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. It’s a grind, whichever way you look at it.”
For Keefe, all that matters now is ensuring his group is ready to endure the mental battle that comes with that unending grind. That these Leafs are able to be the team they’re capable of being, the team they have been of late, with everything on the line.
Keefe on playoff expectations: ‘There’s a lot that goes into being a Maple Leaf’
“Right now it’s about making sure we remain connected to [our] identity,” the coach said Saturday. “That’s really what the regular season’s about, particularly for a team like ours, is to develop that over the course of the season. … You develop it during the regular season and in the playoffs, it’s about adhering to it. Being confident in who you are.
“We’ve established ourselves as an elite team in the league. We need to go out there and be respectful of our opponent, and know what the challenge is, but remain connected to what we do well.”
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.
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.
