Photo: David Mahussier/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
At every turn of his young CFL career, B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke has managed to rise to the moment.
In front of a hostile West Final crowd in Winnipeg, that streak of excellence came to a decisive end.
“We didn’t get off to the start that we wanted to. I didn’t think it was necessarily anything that they were doing that was special, I thought that we were really kicking ourselves,” Rourke told reporters following his team’s 28-20 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
“We had some breaks go our way early, which was great and we were able to stay in it, but it was just a little too late when we got into a rhythm. You just can’t do that against a good team like Winnipeg.”
Battling through the effects of a surgically repaired foot, the tough Manitoba elements, and the two-time defending Grey Cup champions, the Canadian sensation fell flat in a way CFL fans had not yet seen. He opened the game with five straight incompletions and was plagued by an erratic release throughout the first half, entering the break 7-of-17 for 87 yards and an interception.
While analysts and experts will spend an offseason trying to pinpoint an exact reason for the failure, Rourke himself could offer no easy answer.
“It’s tough to say. Mentally, I thought I was okay with the environment, with the cold, and all that different stuff,” he shared at the podium.
“Sometimes it happens for you and sometimes it doesn’t and to be honest, at this point I don’t exactly know why, but clearly it wasn’t out there and I didn’t show up the way that I needed to.”
The second half offered some chance at redemption and Rourke finished the game 20-of-37 for 300 yards, a fourth-quarter touchdown, and two interceptions. He also added 20 yards on the ground to lead the team, which was an unexpected result he cited as evidence that his injured right foot had no bearing on his playoff output.
Down eight points in the final minutes, there was hope that the Canadian pivot could once again catch fire and pull off a heroic comeback. In the end, he was stymied by the IG Field crowd rendering his play calls inaudible and allowing precious seconds to tick off the clock.
Despite the slow start and failed two-minute drill, Lions’ head coach Rick Campbell still had nothing negative to say about his quarterback. Context is critical, a fact often forgotten when talking about a player still just fourteen starts into his professional career.
“I think this is about as hard a game that he’ll play in so far as everything, the whole situation, all that. And he’s a 24-year-old and can handle all this stuff. I couldn’t have done this when I was 24, I know that,” Campbell stressed.
“I think he’s got nowhere to go but up, which is saying something. It just didn’t happen tonight.”
No loss can dampen the offseason circus that is now set to begin in Vancouver, with conversations around Rourke’s future beginning almost as soon as the final whistle blew. Many will openly wonder if the last image Lions fans will ever see of their homegrown phenom will be one of defeat, with him sobbing on the shoulder of veteran receiver Bryan Burnham.
Those realities are still far too abstract for the youngster to grapple with in the midst of the greatest letdown in his sporting life.
“Honestly, what’s going to happen next season and all that stuff is really at the back of my mind. What’s hard right now, what stings right now, is for people like Burnham, for people like our veterans on this team; the people that I was playing for out there,” he said. “When you’re not able to get it done and you put in a performance like that, that makes it a lot tougher.”
No matter how tough the final outing was, the staggering raw numbers and early season tape remain out there. Even in defeat, Rourke can only avoid the NFL question for so long and to most, the answer seems obvious.
However, leaving is harder when unfinished business remains. Asked point blank if he’ll be back in Lions colours next year, the heartbeat of the franchise left the door open — if only slightly.
“I don’t know,” Rourke admitted. “I’d sure like to be the way that I’m feeling right now.”
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kevin Lankinen made 26 saves for his fourth career shutout and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Saturday night.
Nils Hoglander, Brock Boeser and Kyle Sherwood scored for the Canucks, who spoiled Philadelphia’s home opener and the first NHL home game for top Flyers’ prospects Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko.
The Canucks controlled play for most of the game and took advantage of Philadelphia’s defensive breakdowns for a pair of goals.
Samuel Ersson made 29 saves for Philadelphia, which lost its fourth consecutive game (0-3-1) after winning its season opener against the Canucks in Vancouver.
TAKEAWAYS
Canucks: Tyler Myers picked up an assist on a nifty, no-look pass to Boeser. It was Myers’ 1,000th NHL game. Myers also had three shots on goal, blocked a pair of shots, finished the game plus-1 and led the Canucks in total time on ice at 21:54.
Flyers: In another milestone game, Philadelphia captain Sean Couturier played in his 800th career game. However, the veteran centre was demoted to the fourth line and on the left wing by coach John Tortorella before the game. Once the Flyers fell behind 3-0, Couturier was shifted back to centre, but he couldn’t spark the team’s offence.
KEY MOMENT
Vancouver scored twice in 50 seconds in the second period to pull away. Sherwood’s goal was a one-timer off a faceoff win by Teddy Blueger to make it 3-0.
KEY STAT
Minus 11, the Flyers’ goal differential in five games this season at even strength. Through five games they have now been outscored 17-6 at five-on-five. All three of Vancouver’s goals on Saturday were at even strength.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
NEW YORK (AP) — Noah Dobson scored in the ninth round of the shootout to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee scored in regulation for the Islanders, and Dobson had two assists. Semyon Varlamov finished with 21 saves.
Cole Caulfield had two goals and Logan Mailloux also scored for Montreal. Cayden Primeau made 33 saves.
Palmieri and Simon Holmstron also scored for the Islanders in the shootout, and Oliver Kapanen and Emil Heineman tallied for Montreal.
Caufield forced overtime with 2:10 left in regulation to tie the score 3-3. It came 2:26 after Lee gave the Islanders the lead.
TAKEAWAYS
Canadiens: Mailloux scored his first NHL goal 59 seconds into the second period to tie the game 2-2.
Islanders: Entering the game, the Islanders’ 33 shots per game ranked third in the NHL but their average of 2.5 goals per game was 27th in the league. Horvat and Palmieri scored 2:26 apart late in the first period to give New York a 2-0 lead.
KEY MOMENT
Varlamov’s glove save on Caufield’s breakaway 5:44 into the second period kept the score tied 2-2.
KEY STAT
New York limited Montreal to 24 shots in the win. Through their first four games before Saturday night, the Islanders had held opponents to 29.3 shots per game, which was 13th in the NHL.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Islanders: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland finished 54 holes of the wind-delayed Shriners Children’s Open knowing he’ll have his best chance at winning since brain surgery more than a year ago. Best of all Saturday was being finished.
Woodland had three birdies over his final six holes and extended his bogey-free streak to 28 holes in polishing off a 6-under 65 that gave him a share of the clubhouse lead with Las Vegas resident Kurt Kitayama, who also had a 65.
They trailed J.T. Poston and Doug Ghim by one shot when play was suspended by darkness. Thirty of the 66 players who made the cut earlier Saturday did not finish.
Poston had an eagle during his closing stretch of the second round for a 65, and his only sub-par hole in the third round was an eagle on the par-5 ninth. It put him at 15-under par through 13 holes. Also at 15 under was Ghim, who had four straight birdies and was facing a five-foot par putt on the 17th hole when it was too dark to continue.
Woodland had surgery in September 2023 to remove a lesion on his brain, situated on a tract that caused fear and anxiety. It’s been a long road back of making progress with his health, getting dialed in on the right medication and trying to get his game in order.
He also went back to Randy Smith, the PGA Hall of Fame swing coach in Dallas. Now Woodland is sensing the pieces coming back together.
“I feel a lot better for one,” Woodland said. “That’s a huge help. But I’ve seen some signs. I’ve been back with Randy Smith for a couple months now. I am starting to drive it better, iron play, controlling the golf ball like I haven’t in a long time, which is nice. Then putts start going in, start putting some good scores up.
“I’m excited and happy to be here — and really happy to finish tonight so I can get some sleep tomorrow.”
The third round was to resume at 8 a.m., and Woodland likely will start around 11 a.m. That beats getting up before dawn, which he already has had to do twice this week.
Next to be determined is where he stands.
Harris English and Alejandro Tosti of Argentina also were at 14 under with four holes to play, including the reachable par 4 and the easiest of the three par 5s. Six other players were at 13 under and still had holes to play.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., only completed 13 holes on Saturday and sits two shots back of the leaders. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 44th at 5 under. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is tied for 61st at 3 under.
The wind has calmed substantially from Friday, when gusts approached 50 miles per hour and led to a four-hour delay that caused the stop-and-start and the last two days being suspended because of darkness. A TPC Summerlin course that was all about hanging on is now back to being a test of who can make the most birdies.
“Conditions will be pretty easy. I think you saw that with some of the scores,” Poston said. “Guys are making birdies. So I think it’s just trying to stay aggressive but also stay patient if the putts don’t fall early because there is a lot of holes left.”
The second round didn’t end until about noon Saturday and the cut was at 3-under 139. Among those who missed was Tom Kim, the two-time defending champion who was trying to become the first player since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (2009-11) to win the same PGA Tour event three straight years.
Also missing the cut were the three winners in the FedEx Cup Fall — Patton Kizzire, Kevin Yu and Matt McCarty.
