Any remnants of the Montreal Canadiens’ feel-good glow from their series-opening overtime win over Pittsburgh were quickly dashed Monday night.
The fifth-seeded Penguins took advantage of a flat offensive effort from the Canadiens for a 3-1 victory at Scotiabank Arena that tied the best-of-five series at one game apiece.
Sidney Crosby and Jason Zucker beat Montreal goalie Carey Price and Jake Guentzel added an empty-net goal. Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi ended Matt Murray’s shutout bid with 2:09 left to play.
Montreal’s big guns were silent as the Canadiens went 0 for 3 on the power play, managing only one shot with the man advantage.
“Our best players have to be our best players,” said Montreal head coach Claude Julien. “Tonight we had some guys that really struggled and a lot of those guys happened to be on the power play.”
The 12th-seeded Canadiens delivered a 3-2 upset win on Saturday but were listless from the start in Game 2 and never recovered.
WATCH | Zucker’s goal pushes Pens to even series with Habs:
Sidney Crosby, Jason Zucker and Jake Guentzel each scored in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 win over Montreal to tie their best-of-five series at one. 0:57
Crosby gave Pittsburgh an early lead and Price — by far Montreal’s best player — did well to keep it a one-goal game until Zucker tallied with 5:19 left in the third. Price was pulled after Kotkaniemi’s goal for the extra attacker but Guentzel sealed the win with 9.1 seconds left.
Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday night.
“There’s no panic,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said of his team. “They are a confident group. They believe in one another and they control what they can.
“They aren’t going to dwell on the past and they certainly aren’t going to get ahead of themselves.”
The Penguins controlled the early offensive play and Price had to be sharp right away, denying Zucker after he was sent in alone a few minutes into the game.
Crosby opens scoring
Pittsburgh kept the pressure on and was rewarded when Guentzel’s cross-ice pass found Crosby streaking down the left wing. The Penguins captain snapped the puck between Price’s legs at 4:25.
It was the 188th playoff point of Crosby’s NHL career, moving him into an eighth-place tie with Joe Sakic and Doug Gilmour.
The Canadiens, who were outshot 14-7 in the first period, nearly scored on a Brett Kulak wrap-around attempt midway through the stanza.
Pittsburgh’s Jared McCann dislodged the net just before Kulak flipped the puck over Murray’s shoulder. After a review, the officials decided it was not a goal.
Montreal came out with more pace in the second period but could only manage a few decent chances. The best opportunity came when Jonathan Drouin found Joel Armia for a goalmouth redirect, but Murray made a brilliant glove save.
Price steady throughout
Price, who made 39 saves in Game 1, stoned Kris Letang twice on a scramble midway through the second period. Murray also had his moments and delivered key saves when needed.
Pittsburgh outshot Montreal 38-27.
“Obviously it wasn’t our best effort,” said Canadiens defenceman Shea Weber. “They were the better team tonight but Carey gave us a chance.”
As Montreal pressed for the equalizer in the third, Kulak got caught at the blue line to give Pittsburgh a 2-on-1 break. Conor Sheary broke out down the side and he found Zucker in front to make it a two-goal game.
The Penguins also struggled on the power play, going 0 for 5 on the night to fall to 1 for 12 in the series.
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.
