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Mikko Koskinen stands tall, flat-out steals win for Oilers

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Blue Jackets 1, Oilers 4

Mikko Koskinen picked a great time to stand up and be counted. Just at a time when his Edmonton Oilers teammates collectively lost their skating legs, Koskinen delivered a pair of brilliant performances that garnered the Oilers four huge points they didn’t fully deserve. First he stopped 42 of 43 drives in Dallas on Tuesday as the Oilers snuck out of town with a 2-1 overtime win. Then he came on in relief in Chicago with his team down 4-1, slammed the door and helped spark a comeback that just fell short. Back in Edmonton on Saturday, he faced another barrage of rubber as the Oilers grimly held on to a 1-0 lead seemingly all night long. Koskinen stopped the first 45 shots he faced, losing his shutout in the final minute after the game was safely in hand. But as in Dallas, he was by far the primary reason the Oilers emerged from a largely one-sided game with two valuable points.

The first period was especially painful to watch for Oil fans. After Alex Chiasson gave the club the lead on the game’s first shot, the Blue Jackets completely took command, peppering Koskinen with 21 shots before the buzzer finally, mercifully, sounded. The home team struggled to make or take a pass, to make good decisions with the puck or to win it back after they’d coughed up possession. Shift after shift saw the puck locked into Edmonton’s zone, the visitors surging but unable to solve Koskinen.

But as the old saying goes, “they don’t ask how, they just ask how many”, and “how many” for the Oilers is now 82 points, based on a 37-24-8 record through 69 games. That puts them in an exact tie with Vegas Golden Knights for first place, with Edmonton listed first by virtue of a couple more regulation wins. The two teams will meet head-to-head in Edmonton on Monday night.

It was the fourth straight win for Edmonton over Columbus, by scores of 4-0, 4-1, 4-1, 4-1. Total domination, right? But whereas the earlier victories — especially the two in Columbus — were largely deserved, this one was a classic example of winning ugly. The Blue Jackets outshot the Oilers by a ghastly 46-24, and had a massive 17-9 edge in Grade A scoring chances. What the visitors did not have, however, was the better goalie.

Player grades

 

#4 Kris Russell, 5. Struggled mightily to move the puck, and spent far too much time chasing it in his end as a result. Did manage an assist on the winning goal with a rote D-to-D pass along the blueline to Jones.

#6 Adam Larsson, 4. His turnover in the game’s first minute set the stage for what was to come. Victimized on 5 Grade A chances. Did some solid grinding in the trenches, even as he struggled to move the puck, especially on his backhand. Made one important stop with a sliding play to cut out a pass. Made a strong rush to the net but was hooked down just as Draisaitl’s pass arrived, crashing hard into the goal frame. Ended the night with a +3 rating.

#15 Josh Archibald, 4. Oilers’ checking line were playing chase all night, getting caved by all possession numbers. Archibald was among the culprits on 4 Grade A scoring chances against, none for. He had not so much as a shot attempt or even a hit. But he escaped unscathed with an assist and a +1 thanks to a blocked shot in the final minute which Sheahan recovered and lobbed into the empty net.

#16 Jujhar Khaira, 6. A strong physical presence with 4 hits and, more importantly, 2 goalie screens that were instrumental to the game’s first two goals. Charged with 3 giveaways but had a clean sheet in terms of mistakes on Grade A chances. Took a penalty. 4/9=44% on the dot in his third straight game at pivot.

#18 James Neal, 5. Had identical boxcars to his linemate Khaira (0-1-1, +2, 2 PiM) on a night the bottom six looked after most of the scoring. His passes were part of the build-up to the game’s first two goals.

#19 Mikko Koskinen, 9. Absolutely brilliant right out of the gate, and had to be in a first period that saw him turn aside all 21 shots he faced. Among the 9 Grade A chances in that opening period were a number of point blank drives. After a quieter middle frame he faced 16 more shots in the final frame. Had Zack Werenski’s number in particular, stopping the 20-goal blueliner no fewer than 8 times. Was a minute away from a brilliant shutout but alas, it wasn’t to be. In 2½ games for the Oil this week, he stopped 97 of 99 shots including 38 of 40 of the Grade A variety. 46 shots, 45 saves, .978 save percentage.

#23 Riley Sheahan, 4. Dominated in flow of play to the tune of 2 shots for, 13 against during his 10 even strength minutes. As with Archibald he did chip in on the penalty kill. Blocked 3 shots. Drew a late penalty and scored an even later empty-net goal from 148 feet away to seal the win. 10/17=59% on the dot.

#25 Darnell Nurse, 5. Was among the most energetic and proactive Oilers. Made a number of strong plays on the puck. Found a soft spot in the Columbus defence to get open for a cross-ice feed from Ennis, and was denied by a fine stop by Joonas Korpisalo. Made a splendid defensive play to stop a dangerous Pierre-Luc Dubois rush in open ice, but took a borderline roughing penalty in its aftermath. Was the nearest Oiler on the scene when Eric Robinson took a chop at Koskinen, and didn’t take kindly to it at all, engaging the interloper in a spirited scrum. 3 shots, 3 hits.

#28 Andreas Athanasiou, 4. A few moments here and there, but looked like a fish out of water on the checking line.

#29 Leon Draisaitl, 4. Another Oiler who couldn’t find his rhythm and had his struggles behind his own blueline. Finally came on in the third period when his line started to dominate possession, even as they couldn’t find the back of the net. Set up his new linemate Ennis a few times but no finish was forthcoming. A rare pointless night ended badly when Draisaitl made a series of poor plays and decisions in the final minute that collectively cost Koskinen his shutout. Just 1 shot on net, but led all forwards again with ice time of 21:06. 14/24=58% on the dot.

#39 Alex Chiasson, 7. Became the eighth Oilers forwards to hit double digits in goals when he opened the scoring just 3 minutes in with a slapper through traffic which caught a favourable deflection on the way through. Chipped in an assist on the 2-0 tally over 52 minutes later with a simple pass on the cycle. Had one other good shot on net, and zero issues on the defensive side of the puck.

#44 Zack Kassian, 5. Struggled mightily to make or take a pass, or to shoot the puck in deep for that matter. Made amends for a sloppy night with a nifty pass in tight to the net that McDavid tapped home for the 3-0.

#56 Kailer Yamamoto, 5. Pesky on the puck as usual, and contributed to a couple of strong cycles in the final play. Took a nasty blow under the eye from a wicked high stick by Riley Nash which somehow went unnoticed by the officials on a night the Oilers mustered just a single powerplay.

#63 Tyler Ennis, 6. Generated a few scoring opportunities with his new linemates Draisaitl and Yamamoto but struggled to finish, twice taking a puck from an open spot in the slot to behind the net, not exactly the high-danger area. All 3 of his shots were dangerous, including a fine mid-air tip of an outside shot that tested Korpisalo. Made a fine cross-ice pass to Nurse for a dangerous chance. Chipped in a strong defensive stop in the early going. Led the club in all three of shots (3), hits (4) and takeaways (2).

#74 Ethan Bear, 4. Among the many Oilers d-men who wilted at times under the heavy Columbus forecheck. One bad turnover led directly to a great chance, but once again Koskinen bailed out his teammate(s).

#77 Oscar Klefbom, 4. A weird admixture of polish and rust on his return to the line-up. Showed his quality here and there with a slick play or pass, but the “simple” plays were anything but at times. Still wound up a tidy +3 on the night, even as he had little to do with the scoring plays. Did make a nice stretch pass in the build-up to the first tally. Credited with 4 hits to lead the Oilers, a rare honour for the smooth defender.

#82 Caleb Jones, 5. His pairing with Russell struggled to move the puck. Delivered the first game-winning goal  of his career with a quick-release wrist shot from the right point which took a slight deflection and fooled Koripisalo. Drew the lone Oilers powerplay when he was clipped by a knee-on-knee check.

#93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 4. Switched out from the Draisaitl line to the McDavid line which doesn’t sound like a hardship, but he had lots of trouble clicking. The play died on his stick multiple times, including twice on the Oilers’ one and only powerplay of the night, which went nowhere as a result. One slow line change aborted a McDavid rush by putting the play offside (though barely). Just 1 shot on net. But earned a late assist when he won a puck battle in the corner and fed Kassian in the slot.

#97 Connor McDavid, 5. Reportedly playing through some sort of illness, and it showed. Second straight game where he was involved in but a single Grade A scoring chance, a long way from his usual output. The good news was that one chance was turned into a goal when McDavid tapped home Kassian’s fine pass to stretch the lead to 3-0. Had his struggles at the other end as well, with few sightings of his trademark speed. 7/13=54% on the dot and an honest effort under tough circumstances.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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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.

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