Oilers 2, Kraken 1
Give the Seattle Kraken some credit, they brought their A game on Saturday afternoon. Fighting desperately for their playoff relevance, the home club played 60 hard minutes and battled to the very last tick of the clock.
Sports
Player grades: Stuart Skinner sensational, Oilers squeak by Seattle
But let’s give the Edmonton Oilers some credit as well. The visitors hung around long enough to score the game’s first goal at the midway point of the second, then its second midway through the third. Those 2 tallies, a decent team effort and some flat out brilliant netminding from Stu Skinner were just enough for the Oil to eke out a 2-1 win in regulation.
While shots on net were close at 25-24 Seattle, the Kraken had the edge in territorial play with 63 shot attempts to 52. Our video analysis at the Cult of Hockey had the hosts with a significant advantage in Grade A shots at 17-10, including 7-3 in the most dangerous, 5-alarm shots (running count). Skinner was fully deserving of first star honours.
With the win, the Oilers finally moved 1 point ahead of Vegas for second place in the Pacific, and retained their 3 games in hand after the Golden Knights’ subsequent 7-2 loss in Buffalo.
Player grades
#2 Evan Bouchard, 6. A quiet game offensively, but more importantly, a quiet game defensively as well. Played 20 minutes at even strength during which time the Kraken managed just 3 shots on net compared to Edmonton’s 10. Kept things tidy for the most part, including an excellent defensive play to cut off a Yanni Gourde rush. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strenth +1/-0; Special Teams +0/-0.
#5 Cody Ceci, 6. Edmonton’s second pairing spent a little more time in their own zone, but Ceci played a strong positional game and did a reasonable job suppressing dangerous shots. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0.
#10 Derek Ryan, 5. Played 10 quiet minutes, kept things tindy for the most part. 1 shot, 1 block, 1 hit, 3/5=60% on the faceoff dot. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-1.
#13 Mattias Janmark, 6. Had a strong game offensively, firing 2 dangerous shots on goal and contributing to 2 more with excellent passes to streaking teammates in the neutral zone. Made a key shot block. Excellent along the boards in his own zone. Unable to cut out a seam pass on Seattle’s lone goal, scored on the powerplay. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST +0/-1.
#14 Mattias Ekholm, 6. Like his partner Bouchard, kept the play moving in the right direction, with Oilers enjoying a 7-2 shot share during his 18 even strength minutes. His one mistake came on the penalty kill, where he ventured over to the bench on the far boards to grab a new stick leading to a Grade A shot from his side of the ice. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-1.
#18 Zach Hyman, 5. Quiet offensively with just 1 shot on net, but mostly took care of business the other way. GAS: +0/-1; ST +0/-0.
#25 Darnell Nurse, 6. A tower of power in his own end at even strength, winning battles of both speed and strength. Did a good job protecting the puck under pressure and moving it in the right direction. Fired a couple of hard outside shots on net. Was, however, victimized on the lone Seattle goal when he spread out to take away multiple options only to have Eeli Tolvanen’s shot deflect off his glove, then both of Skinner’s legs on its way through the maze. GAS: +0/-1; ST +0/-1.
#27 Brett Kulak, 6. Had some adventures in his own end of the sheet, and was bailed out by Skinner more than once. But he returned the favour with an emergency defensive play that may have saved a goal. All he did at the other end was score the game-winner on an outside shot through traffic that somehow found a hole. GAS: ES +1/-5; ST +0/-0.
#28 Connor Brown, 4. Decent shot shares but had precious little happening offensively. Some struggles on the PK, including getting shredded on the cross-ice pass that resulted in the Seattle goal. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-2.
#29 Leon Draisaitl, 8. Opened the scoring, converting McDavid’s feed with a one-timer from his favourite spot in the right faceoff circle. Assisted on the game winner with a pass from the corner, his subsequent goalie screen also playing a role. Smoked Will Borgen with a heavy reverse hit, not that the stingy Seattle scorers (who saw just 5 Oilers hits all game!) noticed. After playing most of the game at wing, had a couple of strong shifts at centre as Oilers defended the lead. But made a late mistake with an over-aggressive forecheck that resulted in a penalty 160 feet from his own net with 53 long seconds to play, leaving his mates to defend their slender lead 4v6. Or should I say, 4+Skinner v6. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +1/-0.
#55 Dylan Holloway, 5. Played a team-low 9:27 and didn’t stand out. Lost a battle behind his own net leading to a Seattle chance. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0.
#71 Ryan McLeod, 5. Low-event game, a bit too much of it spent in chase mode. Made a nice steal to break away 2v1 with Foegele, but his attempted shot was disrupted by a diving defensive play by Alex Wennberg. 1 shot, 1 block, 1 takeaway. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0.
#73 Vincent Desharnais, 6. He and his partner wound up +2 in a 2-1 game, though they had some adventures along the way. Thumped Matty Beniers with a hit heavy enough to wake up the Seattle minor scorers. Earned a +1 on his grade for a splendid 4v6 shift at the end of the game in which he blocked 2 shots, dived to clear a dangerous rebound, then blocked a centring pass and ate both the puck and the sticks digging for it as valuable seconds ticked down. Ended the game with 6 blocks, 4 more than any other Oiler. GAS: +0/-3; ST +0/-0.
#74 Stu Skinner, 9. Outstanding from the first minute, when he stoned Gourde eyeball-to-eyeball, through the last in which he made 3 outstanding stops to seal the win. Also stoned Jordan Eberle with a lunging blocker stop in the early going, repelled Jared McCann’s slot rocket, and turned aside a Vince Dunn drive through traffic. More unlucky than anything on the one that found the net. A bit slow to move the puck a couple of times, but also made a fine pass that led to a good chance by Janmark. Made a trio of splendid stops on the game’s dramatic final sequence, robbing Eeli Tolvanen, Jordan Eberle, then Tolvanen again in the dying seconds. The stop off Eberle — who had an outstanding game — was particularly eye-popping. 25 shots, 24 saves, .960 save percentage, +1.78 goals saved above expected.
#90 Corey Perry, 5. Poorish possession numbers but he had some good moments without the puck. He and/or his stick was in good position defensively to cut off a couple of Seattle thrusts. Lost a board battle that led to a Kraken chance. Had a fine chance of his own at the other end when he drove the net after taking Foegele’s pass, drawing a penalty in the process. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-0.
#93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 4. Not really his day. His outlet pass in the first minute took an unfriendly bounce right to Gourde for a terrific chance. Earned an assist on Kulak’s goal with a pass back to the point. Took a marginal holding penalty with 8 minutes to play when he tugged Alex Wennberg’s shoulder in a routine board battle, leading to Seattle’s lone goal. Played a role in the tense ending when he lost the 4v6 faceoff leading to a quick chance, then lost a battle leading to another. 0 shots on net. GAS: ES +3/-4; ST +0/-2.
#97 Connor McDavid, 7. Played 22:45 to lead the forward group. Had a splendid sequence on the opening goal, starting with a good defensive play at the edge of his own crease, then overpowered Tye Kartye in the corner before speeding away on the counterattack, ultimately setting up Draisaitl’s one-timer with a superb seam pass. Extended his latest point streak to 10 games, the 15th double-digit run of his career to tie Guy Lafleur for second-most all-time. (Wayne Gretzky’s 31 remains safe for the time being!) Strong defensively, with the Kraken mustering just 3 shots on net during his nearly 19 minutes at 5v5, though his coverage of Gourde’s shorthanded rush wasn’t the best. Fired a heavy shot off the rush that squeezed through Grubauer but narrowly missed the post. Lost a couple of 1-on-1 battles with Seattle’s Brandon Tanev and Borgen that had the home crowd hooting and hollering, but he and his team had the last laugh. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +0/-0.
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Sports
Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere
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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