TAMPA, Fla. — Nazem Kadri knows how to make an entrance.
Colorado’s top-flight forward returned to the lineup following thumb surgery in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay on Wednesday and scored the overtime game-winner that gave the Avalanche a 3-2 win, and a 3-1 series lead.
Now Colorado has a chance to clinch the organization’s first Cup victory since 2001 on home ice in Game 5 on Friday. And Kadri, in the first Cup Final game of his career, helped make it happen.
“It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Kadri said. “Just thinking I was done and having a sliver of hope, and then sitting here right now is kind of surreal. I just was excited to join the team again and be in the dressing room. This is what I’ve been waiting for my entire life, so it certainly was exciting to get back into the lineup.”
Kadri became the ninth player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in his Cup Final debut, and the first to ever do it after a series’ Game 1. He finished Game 4 with two shots on net in 18:39 TOI.
Wednesday was Kadri’s first action since he was boarded by Evander Kane in Game 3 of Western Conference Final in Edmonton on June 4. Kadri required surgery on his thumb after the play (for which Kane earned a one-game suspension) and only resumed shooting pucks earlier this week.
Despite feeling good enough to come back, Kadri looked hesitant to fire the puck early in Game 4. He didn’t register a shot through the first two periods but seemed to get more confident as time wore on. His game-winner came after several good chances — and a couple hit posts — for Colorado, who were dominant possession-wise for much of the extra frame.
“I was trying to go far side,” Kadri said of his goal. “I knew I got a pretty good shot off and might have had a chance. I actually thought it was in originally, and then he kind of fooled me there and I thought it maybe [was] pinned between his arm. He was kind of swimming in the crease. I thought he had it, so it certainly was a few seconds of confusion there. And then I just saw everybody bull rush the ice and that’s when I knew it was confirmed. Certainly, a team effort on the goal, and it feels nice to get it done.”
Kadri was having a successful playoff before his thumb issue, tallying six goals and 14 points in 13 games. That was after Kadri put together a career regular season (27 goals and 89 points in 71 games) that produced high expectations for his performance in Colorado’s Cup run.
Kadri’s determination to appear in the Cup Final was evident to everyone monitoring his recovery. Given all that’s at stake though, Bednar had to be sure Kadri wouldn’t be a liability.
“I want to know more than just him telling the trainers he’s ready to go,” Bednar said. “I want to know what he’s able to do, what he can’t do, if anything, how he’s feeling about it, making sure that he’s confident he can come back and help. I don’t want him in if he can’t play the right way and accomplish what we need to accomplish. He was pretty sure, I liked how his skates have gone, so obviously we want a player of his caliber in the lineup.”
What Bednar wasn’t surprised by was that Kadri’s return ultimately produced a series-shifting climax.
“It’s the Stanley Cup Final; you know he’s going to go out there and give it his all,” Bednar said. “And he has the ability to win you hockey games in moments like that. There’s no question why we wanted him in.”
While Game 4 had a positive ending for Colorado it didn’t look to be trending that way early on.
It took Tampa Bay only 36 seconds to go up 1-0 over the Avalanche on the weirdest goal this series has seen.
The Lightning had good offensive zone pressure early when Erik Cernak fired a shot on Darcy Kuemper that knocked the goaltender’s mask right off. Kuemper then couldn’t get across to stop Anthony Cirelli‘s ensuing play that put Tampa Bay on the board.
Normally when a goalie’s mask comes off there’s an immediate whistle but, in this case, because there was an ongoing scoring chance, play was allowed to continue.
Both sides traded chances from there, with Colorado overcoming two deficits to force overtime. Colorado hit multiple posts there and could have become frustrated seeing nothing get through. Kadri would not be denied. And so the Avalanche head home for Game 5 with one goal in mind: Hoisting the Cup.
“It says a lot [about] what we already know, [that he’s] a super resilient human being,” Nathan MacKinnon, who scored a power play goal in Game 4, said of Kadri. “[It was] a great boost for us to get that guy back. I thought he looked really good tonight, made a lot of good plays and just seemed to have one great shot on net.”
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.
