Sports

Offensive creativity led the Canadiens’ comeback – Habs Eyes on the Prize

Published

4 years ago

August 6, 2020

Wednesday night’s Game 3 was pleasing to watch. And not just because the Montreal Canadiens won an action-filled, back-and-forth, tense contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins. What made it satisfying was the manner in which the team pulled off the victory: the extra offensive efforts, the touch of boldness, and the much-needed offensive creativity.

If you’ve been following my work for the past year, you probably have seen me write a ton about the Habs’ offence. You’ve read article after article hammering on the same strategic points, principles that I reiterated yet another time in a series of analysis before the play-in series.

Control should be the operative word for the Montreal Canadiens’ offence. By practicing patience and puck rotations, by building scoring chances instead of hoping for a generous bounce, the Canadiens could instill more creativity and diversity in their offence and make themselves harder to shut down. A play-in series against a rusty defence that lacks timing and coordination is the perfect setting for the Habs offence to get away from this ‘‘get it on net’’ mentality to start cycling the puck and manufacturing breakdowns.

Too often, Montreal defencemen are guilty of firing the puck on net as soon as they get it at the blue line. Forwards stack the front of the net and try to get a piece of the disc as it flies to the cage or rebounds to the slot. The strategy sometimes works, but better offensive teams look to sustain the offence; they move the defence around, create breakdowns, and find dangerous plays in the middle of the ice.

Of course, the Habs are not the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Tampa Bay Lightning. There is no Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, or Victor Hedman in Montreal. But the team more than not meets the talent requirement to play a similar offensive strategy, one that breathes and flows. Talent helps, but adopting a possession style of offence is more a matter of puck management than one of pure skill.

Every time a player gets the puck inside space in the offensive zone, he is faced with a choice: go for the hope play and send it into traffic, or continue moving it into open areas to stress the defence and build a bigger and bigger advantage.

Ben Chiarot and Shea Weber usually choose the first option. They are content playing the odds, firing on net as soon as they receive a pass at the top of the zone. But last night, they decided to test the Penguins.

Weber opened the scoring by activating in the rush — a commendable decision — but this is not even the goal I have in mind. On Jonathan Drouin’s marker, Chiarot got the puck at the point, but instead of turning to slap it on net, he cycled it back down to his forwards. Then Weber received possession back at the blue line. He could have sent the puck down on the strong side, the crowded one of the ice, or fired it toward the net through a bunch of bodies. But he didn’t. He attracted the defence and passed the puck laterally, into space to his defensive partner.

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Chiarot used the open ice. He received in motion, as to further separate from the high checking forwards, got his head up, took a few steps down the wall, and shifted his weight to his inside foot — again not to fire at a set goalie. In his lateral movement, he spotted Jonathan Drouin right at the doorstep and snapped a pass toward his teammate for the goal.

Chiarot is often regarded as a defensive defenceman, but he is mobile. With a touch of space and confidence, he is a perfectly capable offensive engine. He showed it again on the fourth goal when he locked his offensive rhythm to that of Jeff Petry.

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In that sequence, the Habs’ right-handed quarterback received the puck at the top of the zone. Usually this would signal to the forwards the need to stack the front of the net to tip a shot from the blue-liner, but as the puck moved low-to-high, Drouin instead remained on the weak-side wall.

Seeing no net-front presence, and his winger open for a pass, Petry first dragged the defence laterally, away from his teammate, and fed him the puck. The space created by the defencemen’s movement allowed Drouin to skate up and cycle the puck back down to Phillip Danault, who brought it back up and connected with Chiarot with a pass.

In the meantime, Petry hid behind the defence on the other side of the zone. Chiarot sent the puck to him, and with a clever shot off the mask of Matt Murray, his partner scored the game-winning goal. Had he wanted to pass, Danault also skated to the slot as a one-timer option.

As the Habs confused the defence by pulling it high and making it spin, Petry had time to calculate his play. Defenders lost their assignments, became puck-focused, and forgot about the Habs defenceman. It wasn’t the much-maligned Jack Johnson on the ice this time, but the Penguins’ first pairing of Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin accompanied by Zach Aston-Reese, one of the better defensive forwards in the league.

Game 3 could have been a one-off for Montreal, a single showing of flow and creativity created by special circumstances that never reappears again in this series or in the next season. Or it could be the start of a different offence, one that weaponizes space, involves defencemen, and holds its fire until the right time — one way more fun and exciting to watch.

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Sports

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

Published

4 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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AP cricket:

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Sports

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

Published

4 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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

Published

4 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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