A new-look Toronto team made its official debut Thursday night, with all six recent acquisitions getting in the lineup.
It wasn’t always pretty. In fact, the first period was quite sloppy. But integrating six new players into the lineup — with Luke Schenn and Erik Gustafsson making their debuts — isn’t easy. The team got better as the game went on with a strong third period to close out a 2-1 win over Calgary on the second night of a back-to-back. If nothing else, the game was much better than the poor showing in Edmonton on Wednesday night.
Could there be more changes to come on deadline day Friday? We’ll find out soon enough. Until then, let’s hand out grades.
Game score did not favour Marner — or his linemates tonight — likely due to the amount of chances Calgary got against them while at five-on-five (shot attempts were 16-10 in favour of Calgary). However, Marner was dancing around a lot tonight, and scored the Leafs’ opening goal in the second, in impressive fashion — as Marner does.
This was one of those nights where the puck seemed to always be on Marner’s stick, and he was almost always doing something with it. He had eight shots on goal and seven individual shot attempts.
I was going to give Luke Schenn the first star just because it’s wild to see him back in Toronto, but Marner was too good to do that. However, I have no issue giving him a second star. Sometimes we can have fun in these report cards, and appreciating Schenn putting on a No. 2 Leafs jersey after 10 years out of the organization is fun! Even Marner was doing it.
“Watching him when I was growing up (and) he was just blowing guys up,” he said pregame. “Not much has changed so it’s good to have him on our side.”
Schenn looked good, albeit in limited minutes (10:42), in his first game back since April 7, 2012. In that time though, he blocked two shots and tied for the team lead in hits (four). Schenn brings a physical element to the blue line that the Leafs were missing. I’ll admit, the second star is a bit of the nostalgia factor winning over, but it’s also fun to think about Schenn crushing people in the playoffs.
All Toronto needed Woll to do tonight was give them a chance to win. I know that sounds really corny, but it’s true, and he did just that.
I don’t blame him for the Blake Coleman goal against, plenty of goalies would have no chance on a clear breakaway like that. Otherwise he was sharp, and statistically perfect making 25 saves on 26 shots.
One thing I really liked about Woll’s game tonight, was that he did well to freeze pucks under pressure and not give the Flames too many second-chance opportunities. I recall that being a bit of an issue in a previous game he played this year, and he cleaned that area up tonight.
Jarnkrok gave the leafs the go-ahead goal with a nice play in tight to beat his childhood pal, Jacob Markstrom, in the third period. The hands, to pull the puck back and tuck it in with pressure behind him from Nikita Zadorov, were impressive. That gets him a solid grade in my books.
Tavares didn’t get a point in this game, but he was still impactful in all three zones, and the faceoff circle with an 81 percent efficiency. And with the Leafs’ captain on the ice in all situations, the Flames only had 10 shot attempts. Only five of those attempts made it to the net.
Giordano was looking young and fresh against his former team, particularly when he danced around Milan Lucic in the first period for a solid scoring chance. I know it’s Lucic, but Giordano is 39 years old!
With lots of new faces in the lineup, and some shuffling of the D pairs with seven guys in the lineup tonight, Giordano provided a steadying presence when he was on the ice.
There’s been a lot of talk about Jake McCabe and TJ Brodie being the new Leafs shutdown pair and while that’s true — they really didn’t allow many dangerous chances against, and were not on the ice for a goal against — let’s not forget that McCabe brings some decent offence to the table too. He has a solid release and put that on display with a few good offensive looks in this game. We know that it helps to ride shotgun with Brodie because you know he’ll be there for you if you decide to jump into the play, and I wonder how much offence that will unlock for McCabe. It’s early but there’s reason to be optimistic about with this duo.
Nylander had a few moments where he appeared to be coasting and got beat by someone on the Flames, like the first period power play when Mikael Backlund blew by him for a short-handed chance. But, he also had moments where he was impossible to knock off the puck, like in the first when he drew a penalty on Rasmus Andersson.
Matthews needed a bounce back after the game in Edmonton last night, and I thought he did just that. He was skating hard, creating in transition and was getting to open spots in the offensive zone. His eight shots on goal was tied for the team lead with Marner, and his 10 individual unblocked shot attempts were the most by a single player in the game at five-on-five.
Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews combined for 16 shots and 21 shot attempts against the Flames.
I know people want to see Matthews producing more on a consistent basis, but when the team is winning, and sitting fourth in the NHL standings — not to mention he’s still producing more than a point per game — it’s hard for me to be overly critical.
This was a bit of an odd game to evaluate O’Reilly because his linemates changed so frequently due to the 11 and seven configuration. And that’s not to say that he played poorly tonight either. He didn’t. But my biggest takeaway is that I’m still torn on where he fits best.
O’Reilly does so many good little things to gain and keep possession that he would work well between Tavares and Marner — who can put the puck in the net — or as the centrepiece of a killer matchup line. I guess his best fit depends if the Leafs want him producing in a top-six role, or freeing up the top six to go to work while he shuts down other teams’ top lines. Sheldon Keefe has time to figure that out, at least.
They didn’t play a lot (under 11 minutes each), but I enjoyed Acciari and Lafferty. They banged around — Acciari had five hits — and connected for nice passing on the Flames’ doorstep late in the game. Lafferty, by the way, made the stretch pass to spring Nylander for his second period breakaway, too.
The Leafs are still playing with their lineup and working to integrate new faces, but I’m intrigued about what these two will add to the bottom of the lineup in the stretch run and into the playoffs.
Kämpf did his job tonight. The highlight? He was in on the forecheck that caved in — and tired out — Calgary’s fourth line in the second period that led to Marner’s goal. Kämpf specifically did well to win the battle on the wall, keep possession of the puck, get it to the top line and get off the ice. It’s nothing flashy, but it led to Marner dancing around a gassed group of skaters, and the Leafs’ first goal of the game.
Rielly wasn’t exactly great in his own zone tonight, but he had the primary assist on the game-winning goal. Critics might say that’s a typical Rielly game. Overall he was fine.
C
Alex Kerfoot
Kerfoot was moving his feet, and looked good in transition, but he cannot buy himself a goal sometimes. He had a wide open net in the second period, with the puck right in front of him, but Noah Hanifin flipped it away before he could get his stick on it.
This was a pretty quiet night for Bunting. He established his presence on the doorstep on the Marner goal in the second period, and was active in the trenches, but he played more of a passenger role tonight.
Erik Gustafsson
Not a great debut for Gustafsson. He mishandled the puck and failed to hold the line while running the second power-play unit early in the first period with Coleman coming right at him. Coleman, who was very good for Calgary tonight I might add, scored on a short-handed breakaway as a result.
It was his first game post-trade, so I’m not overly concerned.
Game Score
Final grade: B+
Considering this was the second night of a back-to-back against a solid defensively-structured Flames team, a 2-1 road win is probably as good as we were going to get tonight. The game was sloppy early, but the team made adjustments and improved throughout, with a strong third period finish. And while there are still some kinks to work out in this lineup, like who plays where, who sits and who gets in the lineup, there was a lot to like in this game. The duo of Brodie and McCabe looked excellent, and Woll was steady, which could be important if Matt Murray does not return soon.
What’s next for the Leafs?
Toronto heads to Vancouver on Saturday night for a Luke Schenn homecoming on Hockey Night in Canada at 7 p.m.
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.
