The Edmonton Oilers came out sleepy and sloppy and paid the iron price. They repeatedly forgot they were supposed to cover Florida attackers in the defensive slot early on, thus allowing three unmolested Panther shooters to thump in goals in the first.
Edmonton battled back but Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky outplayed Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard for the remainder of the game, with Florida eventually winning 5-1.
Connor McDavid, 6. A solid game on the attack without results, a tough game on defence where his one major mistake cost the Oilers. He set up RNH for two dangerous shots early on. But neither he nor RNH figured out who was supposed to be the main man in the defensive slot and allowed Brandon Montour to thump in a goal unmolested. The blame was mostly on RNH, but McD shared in it. He came alive in the second, twisting and charging to fire two wicked shots on Sergei Bobrovsky in one quick span. A moment later he was part of the gorgeous 5-man passing play on Edmonton’s first goal. He almost set up Hyman for a goal but Alex Barkov made a goal-line stop, demonstrating to all how a brilliant defensive centre gets it done. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +6/-1; Special Teams +1/-0.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 3. He got the first 5-alarm shot of the game, dropping a pass to McDavid, then charging the net and almost driving in McD’s rebound. A moment later he broke in for another Grade but couldn’t score. He was the primary culprit on the second Florida goal, failing to cover Brandon Mountour heading into the slot. He made a gorgeous pass to Hyman on the first and only Oiler goal. He missed a pass to McD on two-man breakaway early in the third, then cruised a bit on the backcheck on Florida’s fifth goal, which ending up allowing the scoring snipe. GAS: ES +3/-2; ST +0/-0.
Leon Draisaitl, 2. The big man was a statue in his own zone in the first and his team paid for it. Drai was the major culprit on two goals against. He was a few steps to slow to move to cover his man Carter Verhaege in the defensive slot and Florida got its first goal. He gave up the puck, then was caught flat-footed, not covering anyone in front of the net on the third Florida goal. He set up Cody Ceci for a great chance in the second. GAS: ES +1/-3; ST +0/-0.
Warren Foegele, 5. Some good, some bad. Made a sharp stop at the blueline, then fed Nurse for Edmonton’s first Grade A shot of the game. He failed to cover for Draisaitl on the first goal when Drai blew his own coverage. He got a rebound shot off an Evan Bouchard wrister but failed to drain it late in the second. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Mattias Janmark, 3. Likely his worst game of the year, with some uncharacteristic mistakes on defence. He allowed the outside shot on the third Florida goal. He got beat on the rush on the fourth Florida goal. On the plus side, he set up Gagner on the rush leading to his penalty shot. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +0/-1.
Ryan McLeod, 4. He’s not having much impact just now. He failed to clear the puck on the PK in the first, but no harm was done. His one major plus was he won 14 out of 16 faceoffs. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
Evander Kane, 6. He had an impact here, but not enough of one. He crashed Florid’s Nick Cousins into the boards for the game’s first nasty hit. He won a faceoff, leading to Kulak’s great chance early in the second. He and Ekholm led the team with five hits each. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Connor Brown, 5. Good hustle, improving speed, no major positive results. He blocked a shot on the PK in the first. He put the puck on net on Kulak’s 5-alarmer. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Sam Gagner, 6. Hustled but no major success until early in the third. He got a breakaway but was fouled, earning a penalty shot. He failed to drain it. Next he almost slammed in Nurse’s rebound. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.
Derek Ryan, 6. He was at least willing to pay the price. Some good work with RNH on a first period Florida power play. He took a few hard and painful-looking hits in the second. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
James Hamblin, 6. He sent in Ekholm on a breakaway with a gorgeous stretch pass. Nothing bad from him this game, which is more than we can say of most Oilers.
Cody Ceci, 5. Solid enough game, but not without a major blemish. He allowed the pass into the slot on the second Florida goal. He charged up into the play for a couple dangeroius opportunities in the second, one ow which he got on net. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-0.
Evan Bouchard, 5. One bad moment but a number of good ones. He wandered far from the net front and was part of the carnage on the third Florida goal. He kicked off the gorgeous five-man rush and passing play that led to Hyman scoring. He did a fine job limiting damage on a 2-on-1 a moment later. GAS: ES +1/-4; ST +0/-0.
Mattias Ekholm, 7. Solid enough game, moving the puck well. He’s been coming on strong. He was out of position on the third Florida goal, though Draisaitl blocking his path to the shooter didn’t help. He won a breakaway but failed to drain his shot in the second. His quick pass kicked off a dangerous rush with Foegele almost scoring late in the second. GAS: ES +5/-3; ST +0/-0.
Brett Kulak, 7. This loss wasn’t on him, which few Oilers players can say. He kept a clean sheet at even strength, with not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against. He moved in to zing a dangerous shot on net early in the second but failed to drain it. He won a puck battle to kick off Ekholm’s breakaway sequence. He took an unfortunate double-minor for high-sticking late in the second. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.
Calvin Pickard, 3. A goalie will on average stop three out of four Grade A shots. Pickard stopped just six out of eleven, though many of them were wicked chances. He had little help from his friends, but the big save eluded him. He had little chance on the first Florida goal, a cross-crease pass and one-timer finish. He did well later in the first to thwart Tkachuk’s break-in chance. The second was also thumped in from the slot, then he was left alone on the third, first to stop a deflection, then zero help on the rebound. A save would have been nice on the fourth Florida goal, a breakaway, but Pickard wasn’t up to Bobrovsky’s level this game. The fifth goal, too, was saveable.
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.
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.
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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