NHL roundup: Pens win as Evgeni Malkin scores twice in season debut | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Sports

NHL roundup: Pens win as Evgeni Malkin scores twice in season debut

Published

 on

Evgeni Malkin produced two goals and an assist in his season debut and Jeff Carter added two scores as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins earned a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.

 

Kasperi Kapanen had two assists and Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins, who earned the victory one game after their 10-game winning streak ended with a 3-2 road defeat to the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

 

Malkin, who has been out since surgery in June to repair the ACL and MCL in his right knee, found the net twice in the second period, scoring in a regular-season game for the first time since March 15 against the Boston Bruins.

 

Jakob Silfverberg had a goal for the Ducks to end a 30-game scoring drought. Goalie Anthony Stolarz stopped 30 shots in place of John Gibson, who is in COVID-19 protocol.

 

Predators 5, Avalanche 4 (OT)

 

Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal 3:01 into overtime as host Nashville beat Colorado.

 

Duchene and Luke Kunin finished with two goals each, Tanner Jeannot also scored and Roman Josi had three assists for Nashville. Juuse Saros stopped 40 shots to help the Predators win their fifth straight.

 

Cale Makar tallied a goal and two assists, Nicolas Aube-Kubel added a goal and an assist and Andre Burakovsky and Nathan MacKinnon also scored for the Avalanche. Nazem Kadri and Samuel Girard had two assists each and Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for Colorado, which had its five-game winning streak snapped.

 

Maple Leafs 4, Golden Knights 3 (SO)

 

William Nylander scored in the third round of a shootout to give Toronto a victory over Vegas in Las Vegas.

 

Nylander, who also scored the first goal of the game, fired a forehand shot over the glove of Vegas goaltender Robin Lehner to win it. Auston Matthews and Ilya Mikheyev also scored goals for Toronto while Campbell finished with 31 saves to improve to 18-5-3 on the season. Toronto improved to 5-0-1 in its past six games.

 

Alex Pietrangelo, William Karlsson and Keegan Kolesar scored for Vegas, which lost for the fourth time in its last five games (0-2-2). Lehner, who stopped shootout tries by Jason Spezza and Matthews before yielding Nylander’s game-winner, finished with 15 saves.

 

Lightning 6, Sabres 1

 

Nikita Kucherov recorded his fourth career hat trick — his first goals since October — as Tampa Bay pounded host Buffalo.

 

Following a 32-game absence due to an upper-body injury, Kucherov tallied twice in the second period — his second and third goals overall and first since netting against Detroit in the season’s second game on Oct. 14. The right wing added another tally 10 minutes later and finished his three-goal night at 13:57 of the third.

 

Steven Stamkos notched a goal and two assists for the Lightning, who are 7-3-1 in their past 11 games and have won eight of their past nine against Buffalo.

 

Sharks 3, Red Wings 2 (OT)

 

Logan Couture scored one minute into overtime and San Jose topped visiting Detroit for its third win in a row.

 

Timo Meier and Jeffrey Viel scored for the Sharks, who have won three straight at home and are 7-1 in games decided beyond regulation. Brent Burns had three assists, Jonathan Dahlen added two helpers and Adin Hill made 17 saves.

 

Tyler Bertuzzi and Nick Leddy were the goal-scorers for the Red Wings, who dropped their third consecutive contest while slipping to 0-4-2 in their past six on the road. Filip Hronek assisted on both tallies, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 37 shots.

 

Panthers 5, Canucks 2

 

Florida, which has the best home record in the NHL, successfully defended its ice once again, using two goals and an assist from Sam Reinhart to defeat Vancouver in Sunrise, Fla.

 

Florida improved to 19-3-0 at home, also getting one goal each from Aaron Ekblad, Maxim Mamin and Aleksander Barkov. Ekblad, Frank Vatrano and Anton Lundell added two assists each.

 

Jason Dickinson and Juho Lammikko scored for the Canucks, who were playing their first game since Jan. 1 due to a pair of COVID-related postponements. Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko had a rough game, allowing five goals on 26 shots.

 

Blackhawks 4, Blue Jackets 2

 

Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves as visiting Chicago defeated Columbus.

 

Defensemen Calvin de Haan and Connor Murphy also tallied to send the Blackhawks to their second straight win following a six-game skid (0-3-3).

 

Columbus captain Boone Jenner scored his team-leading 14th goal and second in as many games. Gustav Nyquist collected a goal and an assist and Joonas Korpisalo made 16 saves for the Blue Jackets, who have lost four of their last five games.

-Field Level Media

Sports

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

Published

 on

 

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:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

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

Published

 on

 

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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

 on

 

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).

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version