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Player grades: Despite short-staffed D-corps, Oilers dominate Ducks – Edmonton Journal

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Ducks 1, Oilers 6

Saturday’s matinée got off to an ominous start for Edmonton Oilers when durable defender Brett Kulak got beaned by a point shot on his very first shift and left the contest after just 49 seconds of action.

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Into the breach stepped Edmonton’s Big Three on the back end as each of Mattias Ekholm (25:59), Darnell Nurse (25:51) and Evan Bouchard (24:20) played in the 24-26 minute range. Vincent Desharnais added a career high 21:26, while Troy Stecher, filling in for Cody Ceci (illness), chipped in 18:04. The group played a major role in limiting Anaheim Ducks to just 22 shots and 1 goal as the Oilers rolled to a 6-1 win.

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In a skirmish between haves and have-nots, it was the third time this season that the Oilers beat the Ducks by at least 5 goals. Edmonton ultimately swept the season series with 4 regulation wins and a composite scoreline of 26-8 in a sequence of games that were far from compelling. In Saturday’s final example, Edmonton dominated all shots and scoring chance metrics and had the goals to prove it. Our own analysis at the Cult of Hockey had the Oil leading by a 19-11 count in Grade A Shots (running count).

Player grades

#2 Evan Bouchard, 7. Another polished game that saw him collect 2 assists, 1 each at even strength and the powerplay. Broke up numerous opposition sorties at or even before they reached the Oilers blueline, and got the puck moving in the right direction immediately thereafter. Played a controlled game and let the puck do the work, likely mindful of the extra workload in Kulak’s absence. Kept a clean sheet defensively. Did find a moment to unleash a screamer of a Bouch bomb that rang the post. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +2/-0; Special Teams 0.

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#10 Derek Ryan, 6. Played his part on a strong fourth line that had 70% of the shots and 100% of the goals (1-0) during his 12 minutes of even strength play. 2 shots, 2 hits, 1 takeaway. Had a great chance to score in the game’s final minute but couldn’t solve John Gibson. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0.

#13 Mattias Janmark, 6. The event summary suggests he didn’t do much: 0 shots, 0 hits, 0 blocks, 0 points, +1. What it didn’t capture was the work he did away from the puck, including a splendid screen on Ekholm’s goal and another on Bouchard’s blast that rang iron, or the passes he made to help set up 2 other Grade A shots. Really has his skating legs going this last while. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST 0.

#14 Mattias Ekholm, 9. An outstanding game starting with boxcars of 1-2-3, +5. Scored on a wicked clapper through Janmark’s screen. Earned a splendid assist as he sold a lead pass to Draisaitl by the side boards before slipping a gorgeous feed to Foegele break free right at the Anaheim blueline. Led the team with 25:59 in ice time and co-led the defence in shots (4), attempts (7) and hits (3). Shots were 18-8 EDM during his 23 minutes at even strength, and did I mention goals were 5-0. Now stands at a towering +40 on the season, second in the NHL. Has exploded for 4-16-20, +24 in his last 21 games. GAS: ES +4/-3; ST 0.

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#18 Zach Hyman, 7. Belatedly awarded an assist on McDavid’s solo rush, breaking a remarkable run that had seen him score EIGHTEEN CONSECUTIVE GOALS since his last helper. Took him just 19 games to do that, mind. Returned to his customary spot on the scoresheet when he ethically buried a terrific McDavid pass from 30 feet. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST 0.

#19 Adam Henrique, 6. Opened the scoring when he deposited his own rebound from close range. Those were his only 2 shots of the game, though he did chip in 2 hits, a block, and 2/2=100% in limited duty on the faceoff dot. Did take a late penalty. Now has 4 goals as an Oiler including 3 in the last 4 games. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST 0.

#25 Darnell Nurse, 6. Logged big minutes and played an active 2-way game. 7 shot attempts (4 on goal) at one end, 3 blocks at the other. A couple of giveaways but nothing costly. GAS: ES +3/-2; ST 0.

#27 Brett Kulak, incomplete. Knocked out of the game on his very first shift when he was beaned by a shot from a man he was once traded for, former Oiler William Lagesson. He was held out for precautionary reasons, though it sounds like he might be good to travel with the team for its upcoming 2-game roadie.

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#29 Leon Draisaitl, 7. Racked up a pair of assists to reach 60 on the season. Both were primaries, a slick drop pass to Henrique on the opening goal and a lovely give-and-go with McDavid on the powerplay. No luck with his own shots, drilling a low-angle shot off the post while his stick exploded on what appeared to be a sure powerplay goal set up by a sublime McDavid feed. Played a conscientious 200-foot game, with the Oilers outshooting the Ducks 10-4 and outscoring them 3-0 during Leon’s14½ minutes at 5v5. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST +2/-0.

#30 Calvin Pickard, 7. Strong bounceback game from a rare off-night in Ottawa, holding the Ducks at bay until a late, well-executed powerplay goal ruined his shutout bid. Cool under pressure the few times the visitors pressed, most notably a 27-second span late in the second when he turned aside 4 of the 11 Grade A shots he faced on the night. Has now started 6 of Edmonton’s last 14 games. 22 shots, 21 saves, .955 save percentage.

#37 Warren Foegele, 7. Notched his 17th of the season when he timed his rush perfectly to receive Ekholm’s feed right at the blueline, jumped in alone and powered a shot right through Gibson’s paddle and in. 2 shots, 2 hits, 1 block with Edmonton producing 72% of shot attempts during his 14 even-strength minutes.

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#39 Sam Carrick, 7. Returned to the line-up after a 2-game tour of the pressbox and delivered a strong game. Earned the primary assist on Ekholm’s blast. Nearly had a goal of his own with a nifty between-the-legs shot from the edge of the crease. His line with Janmark and Ryan controlled play, in part due to Carrick’s 10/14=71% on the faceoff dot. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST 0. 

#51 Troy Stecher, 5. Banged up early but gutted it out. Played 18 active minutes with 3 shots, 3 blocks and 3 hits. Leaked a little oil on the back end, however, being burned for 4 Grade A shots. GAS: ES +0/-4; ST 0.

#71 Ryan McLeod, 6. His speed and defensive acumen are a good fit for the veteran guile of wingers Kane and Perry. Good shot shares, even as he was himself held without a shot on goal. 10/16=63% in the faceoff circle. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0.

#73 Vincent Desharnais, 7. His best game in quite some time saw him named the third star. Finally ended a 17-game pointless drought with not 1 but 2 assists. Skated well and was solid defensively. Oilers enjoyed a 12-5 advantage in shots during his 19:11 at 5v5, which he shared with a range of D partners (Bouchard 6:07; Nurse 5:58; Ekholm 3:55; Stecher 2:24) after his would-be mate Kulak left early. A very encouraging performance. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST 0.

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#90 Corey Perry, 6. The lower the puck is in the offensive zone, the better for Perry, who opened his bag of tricks with a few different power moves around the net. Nothing that resulted in a goal, but some entertaining moments all the same. 3 shots on net. Took a penalty for an extended battle behind the play with Troy Terry where both men took liberties with the rules but only one was called. GAS: +2/-0; ST 0.

#91 Evander Kane, 5. Frustrated around the net with 0 official shots on goal, a rarity for the volume shooter. His best moment was the heavy hit he laid on Gustav Lindstrom in the immediate aftermath of his linemate McLeod being crunched by Frank Vatrano. An appropriate, tit-for-tat response within a couple of seconds. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0.

#93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. His struggles around the net front continued, as he missed the target with 3 of his 4 attempts including a couple of real good looks. A couple of rugged moments defensively, but he delivered a key stop that likely prevented a goal. Was wrongly tagged with a penalty on the play but in the rarest of rarities, it was overturned and he was released from the the sin bin. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST 0.

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#97 Connor McDavid, 8. A tough game physically for the captain, who survived a crash into the net at top speed, a blown tire at the blueline, and a disappearance down the tunnel that turned out to be a skate issue. Played a season-low 15:49 but made the most out of it with 2 goals and 1 assist. His first goal was highlight-reel material, a steal at the defensive blueline, a dash up ice, an outside move around Bo Groulx and then a nifty deke against the grain to his forehand for the finish. Added another on a splendid give-and-go with Draisaitl on the powerplay. Set up Hyman’s snipe with a terrific pass off the rush, and came close with a few other creations, notably the great feed to Draisaitl that was thwarted by an equipment fail. A couple of lax moments defensively, but nothing costly. 7 shots, 3 giveaways. Now has 125 points on the season, and for a time on Saturday afternoon held the league lead. GAS: ES +5/-2; ST +3/-0.

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

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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:

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

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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

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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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