Guy Boucher’s team boarded the plane with four points in the bank.
The Ottawa Senators and their head coach had just taken both games from the Colorado Avalanche in Stockholm – back-to-back 4-3 victories – to sweep the NHL Global Series.
It ended up being their high point that season.
The Senators’ trip to Sweden in November, 2017 was followed by a disastrous run and spectacular fall once back on the ground in North America. Ottawa picked up a solitary victory over its next 13 games (1-10-2) to sink the franchise’s playoff aspirations after making it all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final the previous spring.
The Maple Leafs are hoping to avoid anything approaching a repeat. And with Boucher now an assistant in Toronto, they have plenty of first-hand intel on the potential impact of in-season, transatlantic road trips.
“Just about not underrating it,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of his conversations with Boucher after the team returned to practice Wednesday. “Giving it the proper attention that it deserves. It’s a real thing you have to manage.
“You can’t just expect the guys to push through and grind through without us being really smart and deliberate and doing what we can to take care of them.”
Toronto beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 after trailing 2-0 on Friday at Avicii Arena before securing a 4-3 overtime decision against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
Leafs winger William Nylander had two goals and three assists playing in his hometown, including that OT clincher, as Toronto now pivots to a Friday afternoon tilt in Chicago against the Blackhawks for U.S. Thanksgiving before visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
“Good to get moving, mentally get back in sync with things,” Toronto captain John Tavares said. “Important couple days to get back up to speed.”
“It’s better to fly this way versus going to Sweden,” Nylander added of potential jet lag. “Easier to get into the time zone.”
Keefe was happy his team left Europe with the maximum points, but didn’t love how they got there despite strong performances from Nylander, Tavares, Tyler Bertuzzi, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and an under-fire penalty kill.
“We didn’t play our best hockey,” Keefe said. “But a lot of encouraging signs of how the group pulled together in big moments.”
Now it’s about getting back in the swing of things on this side of the ocean with Toronto sitting 10-5-2 through 17 games.
“A long distance travelled, but we only played two games,” said Leafs defenceman Mark Giordano, the NHL’s oldest player at age 40. “We should be really fresh.”
Keefe and his staff are doing everything in their power to make sure that’s the case so the Leafs don’t experience a downturn similar to the one that doomed their provincial rivals six years ago.
“Have to be smart about it,” Keefe said. “And not disregard it as just hockey and part of the schedule.
“It’s something that really needs our attention.”
Injury update
Leafs defenceman Conor Timmins is close to returning from a lower-body injury suffered in training camp. “The whole rehab process went smoothly,” he said. “Pretty comfortable with where I’m at.” Fellow blueliner John Klingberg remains out with an undisclosed injury. Keefe said he won’t be available for the games in Chicago and Pittsburgh. “Continuing to work through things,” said the coach. “We’ll have something for you when something’s changed. At this point, there’s no change in his status.”
Bedard impresses Leafs
Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard had nine goals and 15 points through 16 contests heading into Wednesday’s action. The No. 1 pick at June’s draft helped his team pick up a 4-1 victory in Toronto last month. While there’s plenty of talk about Bedard’s powerful shot – and rightly so – Tavares pointed to something else in the 18-year-old’s tool belt. “It’s his hockey sense that impresses me,” he said. “He’s just got such good awareness of time and space. His release and deception is as good as any player in the game.”
Added protection
Giordano, Bertuzzi and defenceman Simon Benoit tested out neck guards at Wednesday’s skate. The equipment has once again become a focus following the death of a player in England after his neck was cut by a skate blade. “I’m in full support of guys if they’re comfortable,” Keefe said. “It’s a very personal thing, especially when we’re in the midst of a season and guys are performing at the highest level, have lots of pressure and expectations, and are very particular about their gear. The more players that do it makes them safer, and I think it sends a really important message to young people that it’s an important piece of equipment.”
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.
