WINNIPEG — This was one of those times Paul Maurice simply had to trust his vision and he wasn’t going to be influenced by the raw numbers, even if they may have left him wanting more actual production.
The head coach of the Winnipeg Jets has been around long enough to know the traditional scoring summary isn’t the only way to fully measure the success of a line — or more importantly, determine what that line can ultimately become.
Chemistry can be an interesting experiment and sometimes simply sticking with your beliefs can lead to tangible results even after encountering some obstacles.
When the subject of a recent Pierre-Luc Dubois dry spell (two assists in his previous nine games) was raised in the morning, Maurice shrugged his shoulders and didn’t seem overly concerned.
Not only that, he doubled down on his intention to give the second-line trio of Dubois, Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor the benefit of the doubt and a much longer leash to get things sorted out.
“I’m aware of the numbers and then do you ask yourself, ‘Do you care?’ And what I mean by that is there a problem with the number as it relates to the way the line or the team is playing,” Maurice said on Wednesday morning. “And for me, there isn’t. We’re going to give this lots of time.”
That combo platter of patience and belief was rewarded several hours later, when that Jets line delivered three goals, including the overtime winner, in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
Connor scored a pair of goals, to give him 16 on the season, while Ehlers erased some frustration by scoring his 15th of the campaign 55 seconds into the 3-on-3 session, seconds after he was bailed out by a great save by Connor Hellebuyck on Jeff Petry.
Dubois recorded three assists and is suddenly up to four goals (including two OT winners of his own) and 10 points in 14 games since joining the Jets.
Never mind the vastly improved numbers for the centrepiece of the blockbuster trade, this was all about a line that looks like it’s finally starting to click.
Even during a game where Ehlers provided another critical self-assessment, complete with a side order of self-deprecating humour.
“You know what, to be honest, I think I played like (crap),” said Ehlers. “My linemates were playing a really good game, but as a line, it’s been working really well. It’s three guys with a lot of speed and we try to use that as much as possible. We’re shooting pucks and they’re going in for us right now, so that’s very exciting. We are building. It’s still new for us.”
Ehlers was asked a follow-up question about providing a critical analysis of his own game for the second time in a week — the last coming after scoring twice but being on the ice for three goals against.
“I’ve always been this way,” said Ehlers. “But I guess the last two times where I haven’t felt like I’ve played a good game, I’ve been in here talking to you guys after (on Zoom), but I know when I play well, and I know when I don’t play well. It’s not a secret.
“I don’t hide away from that, but it is what it is. We got the two points. I’ve got to work on my game and look at my game. See what is not going and then build from there.”
Since his arrival, Dubois has made a habit of saying he has more to give and that there are numerous areas he can improve on.
When asked about his recent drought, Dubois didn’t shy away from the subject either, making it clear his game had another level to reach, while reiterating the importance of doing things that don’t end up on the stat sheet.
“Hockey is a lot more complicated than points and stuff like that. I’m definitely not where I know where my game can be. I’m not hiding that either,” said Dubois. “I know I can be a lot better and in a lot of aspects. But, no, it’s faceoffs, it’s D-zone, it’s coverage, it’s offensive zone, being in their zone, it’s dominant possession. It’s everything that contributes to the player I know I can be.
“It’s hard to just play defence. It’s hard to just play offence. But it’s even harder to do both, and that’s what I’m trying to do out there.”
His Jets teammates understand what Dubois has already gone through this season can’t be easy, with a public trade request, a 14-day quarantine and a lower-body injury among the impediments to overcome.
But day after day, they see Dubois putting in the effort to try and get to where he knows he can eventually be while picking up the tendencies of his linemates on the fly.
“Yeah, he’s been doing really well. He wants to learn, too,” said Connor. “That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve picked up on him. He’s coming back to the bench, talking out every play. Even in practices and morning skates, he’s working on his game.
“He wants to be better and be that guy. For us as a line, it starts so much with our speed and getting on the D and using our sticks. It’s one of our best assets. (Forcing) a lot of turnovers, once you get the puck, I think we just need to be in the right spots, supporting each other in that offensive zone. We did that pretty well (Wednesday).”
Some line combinations work immediately, while others require a few more test drives before you really figure out what is under the hood.
“Chemistry can either instantly click and you can feel like you’ve played together your entire lives and you feel really good about where you’re going after some success,” said Jets forward Andrew Copp. “If not, you just have to work and talk a little bit more.”
The Jets remain one of two NHL teams that have yet to lose consecutive games in regulation (the Florida Panthers are the other), improving to 8-0-1 following a loss.
Despite seeing a two-goal cushion evaporate during the third period and giving up another late goal after Carey Price was pulled for an extra attacker, the Jets pushed the reset button following regulation time and found a way to bump their record in overtime to 6-1 and overall to 18-9-2.
Suddenly those items in the rearview mirror are definitely closer than they appeared a week ago for the Toronto Maple Leafs (30 games played), with both the Jets (29 games played) and Edmonton Oilers (32 games played) sitting two points out of the top spot in the congested North Division standings.
Speaking of the Oilers, they rebounded nicely from a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames by blasting their Alberta rival 7-3 in the rematch Wednesday, setting the stage for an important two-game series with the Jets.
Find a way to sweep and some separation can be created. Get swept and be bounced into a chase position.
Things can change quickly in this topsy-turvy campaign.
So the timing of this offensive outburst probably couldn’t have come at a much better time for Dubois.
Although Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry will handle the bulk of the responsibilities against the Oilers dynamic centre duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draistatl, part of the reason Dubois was acquired is to help neutralize those types of talents.
This will be his first game against the Oilers since the trade and you can be sure Maurice and his coaching staff are eager to see the impact he can have.
When Dubois, Ehlers and Connor play the way they did on Wednesday, they’re the group that can provide the matchup headache for the opposition.
Was Wednesday merely a sign of things to come for a unit with enormous potential?
Maurice certainly hopes so.
“This line, because we have three really unique players in some ways, it’s going to take them a little time to find each other, to find the rhythm of who is going to the net,” said Maurice. “You’ve got both guys on these wings are just shooters and they play their best when they think like that. Probably Pierre-Luc would have recognized that early on and he was trying to make a lot of plays.
“(Wednesday), he pulls the puck and shoots it and Kyle gets to the net and scores a big goal for us. That will develop as they get to know each other. They’re dynamic with that speed on the wings and with Pierre-Luc’s size, we think there’s a lot there.”
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
PITTSBURGH – Sidney Crosby plans to remain a Pittsburgh Penguin for at least three more years.
The Penguins announced on Monday that they re-signed the 37-year-old from Cole Harbour, N.S., to a two-year contract extension that has an average annual value of US$8.7 million. The deal runs through the 2026-27 season.
Crosby was eligible to sign an extension on July 1 with him entering the final season of a 12-year, $104.4-million deal that carries an $8.7-million salary cap hit.
At the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas last Monday, he said things were positive and he was optimistic about a deal getting done.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion is coming off a 42-goal, 94-point campaign that saw him finish tied for 12th in the league scoring race.
Crosby has spent all 19 of his NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, amassing 592 goals and 1,004 assists in 1,272 career games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.
Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.
The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.
“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.
“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”
Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.
The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.
“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”
It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.
“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”
Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.
He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.
Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.
“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”
Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.
“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.
Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.
Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.
“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”
Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.
Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.
Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.
Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.
Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.
“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
