Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs are taking on the Vancouver Canucks in the first of a three game set. The Leaf got a nice little break to rest and relax, while the Vancouver Canucks have been off to a rough start to the season. They got pummeled by the Habs, and are looking to get their best players going.
Sounds like the Leafs, but the Leafs at least have been banking points. Their last game, which I also recapped, I turned into a drunk recap after the worst start to a game I’ve ever seen the Leafs play. Please, don’t do that again… it’s still a week night.
FIRST PERIOD
The first good chance goes to the Leaf. Kerfoot got hit in stride through the neutral zone and set up Vesey for a good shot on a sort-of odd man rush.
Not long after, Tavares had a rush and set up Bogosian who jumped up into the play. Two shots from two chances off the rush for the Leafs early.
GOAL: Auston Matthews goes end to end, makes it 1-0 Toronto
Matthews drew a penalty and scored on an end to end rush, made it look really easy. Or Vancouver’s terrible defense did… that was bad all around for them.
Not long after the fourth line had a nice shift, with a good shot from Petan coming in from the point. Leafs are all over Vancouver early on.
GOAL: The Canucks capitalize on their first chance on an ugly scrum in front of Andersen. Tie game.
Double bad news: Dermott went to the tunnel earlier on what looked like a fluke knee-on-knee collision.
The Leafs follow up with another good shift by the fourth line, with Spezza and Petan almost connecting. The Canucks followed with a heart-attack play off a rush by Pettersson, they’re starting to push back more. There’s been no shortage of chances on either side so far. Defense has been optional.
Tavares with a great solo rush, pantsing Hughes on a deke and stick handling into the slot on his knees, almost setting up a chance.
GOAL: Jason Spezza scores on the powerplay, 2-1 Leafs.
Simmonds nearly set up Marner for a goal right after, but Demko robbed him. A few minutes later of more pressure by the Leafs, Nylander draws a high sticking penalty and the Leafs go back to the powerplay.
They don’t score, but apparently having two powerplays in the period hit a hard quota because when Kerfoot got clearly hit from behind into the boards, there was no call. I’m sure if you looked back far enough in time, Kerfoot turned into it like 30 seconds before.
Leafs end the period with a 2-1 lead.
Period One Thoughts
Offense: It was good. They tied at even strength in goals 1-1, but the Leafs were clearly the ones controlling play. At even strength they controlled 74% of the expected goals and 71% of shot attempts.
Defense: It was good. They had the one brainfart that led to the Pearson goal, but otherwise did not give up much to the Canucks. They were particularly good at getting it out of their own end quickly, so Vancouver had almost no extended zone time in the Leafs’ end.
Special Teams: It was good. The first powerplay was over quickly thanks to Spezza. Their second powerplay was… less good since they failed to enter the zone about half a dozen times. Can’t argue with a 50% success rate though.
Standouts: Honestly, aside from the obvious names I thought Petan had a great period. He had three shifts looking noticeable and being a part of 2-3 scoring chances, all while on the fourth line.
NST Heatmap:
SECOND PERIOD
More of that first period effort, please.
Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews work their magic early, with Demko robbing Matthews in front on a great feed by Mitch.
The Canucks come right back with their top line, and Pettersson set off a frantic flurry in front with a screened shot off the rush.
GOAL: Auston Matthews banks a goal in from behind the net. 3-1 Leafs.
Marner makes a great play going behind the net with the puck, pulls the old no-look pass to Matthews behind him, who chipped it in off Demko as he was leaning the other way. Great assist by Marner for a guy who can’t skate or stickhandle or receive a pass.
GOAL: Horvat catches the Leafs napping right after, 3-2 Leafs
The Leafs got hemmed in their own zone for two shifts, and to the rescue comes… the fourth line again. Petan again has looked good. He led an extended shift in the Canucks’ end with Spezza and Boyd.
GOAL: Jason Spezza scores his second on a SUPERB all-round play. 4-2 Leafs.
The fourth line connected on a great shift. Bogosian erased a cycle, passed to TJ Brodie. Brodie springs the rush with a great stretch pass. Boyd, Petan, saucer to Spezza, roof baby roof. Great to see Petan rewarded for his great game.
The first half of the period was more high-offense for both sides, with the same general over all result: Leafs controlling play to a high extent. The second half of the period has been a bit more calm, the Leafs are controlling play in the offensive zone and more suffocating through the neutral and defensive zone.
GOAL: Nylander with a beautiful pass to Tavares for the tip in. 5-2 Leafs.
My god William, you hug your mother with those hands?? What a passing display.
The Canucks get a chance late with a powerplay, but Ilya Mikheyev had the best chance on a partial breakaway. He needs to bury some of those eventually.
Period Two Thoughts
Offense: It was very good. They scored three goals, all at even strength. Three different lines scored it. They were simply dominant and controlled play everywhere. They made stretch passes, they passed cross ice at will, and just skated circles around Vancouver.
Defense: It was good. They gave up more chances against than the first period, but not by much. They still controlled play to the tune of 70% expected goal share and 55% shot attempt share.
Special Teams: They had about 1:20 of a penalty to kill, and the best scoring chance was from Mikheyev. That’s good.
Standouts: I’m coming around on Bogosian. He’s a perfectly cromulent third pairing guy. He’s underrated at handling the puck in his own zone to help start a breakout. He’s by no means like Polak or any other defenseman of his ilk that the Leafs have cycled through the last few years.
NST Heatmap: the red blob of death returns!
THIRD PERIOD
Starting on the penalty kill, Marner had a nifty rush that had a decent scoring chance. The two best scoring chances on that powerplay for Vancouver came from Toronto.
William Nylander with a ridiculous effort that didn’t really lead to a scoring chance, but I wanted Willy to know I saw it. Fought through three checkers in the neutral zone, had his stick knocked out of his hands, picked it up and still corralled the puck surrounded by Canucks.
Not long after, Hyman with a drive to the net drew a slashing penalty and the Leafs go back to the powerplay… apparently slashing is the only penalty in hockey these days. There was no goal from it, but my god that was a great looking PP. All kinds of movement, passing, good open shot attempts. The best chance came on a Matthews one-timer, but Demko made a great save.
GOAL: JASON SPEZZA WITH THE HAT TRICK!!! 6-2 Leafs
Pretty goal by Spezza to cap the hat trick. Was it bad defense? Absolutely, but still fun. What a game for the 37-year old.
Leafs continue dominating play… or rather the Canucks are just lifeless. They’ve been broken, and took another penalty sending the Leafs to the powerplay. Which… was quickly erased by a Kerfoot penalty. I’m sure he’s thrilled with that. And not long after Tavares takes a penalty for accidentally colliding skates with Hughes. Hughes is the one who fell, so Tavares takes the penalty. Makes perfect sense. Leafs to the PK, then a 5 on 3.
GOAL: JT Miller scores a powerplay goal, sniping it over Freddie. 6-3 Leafs.
GOAL: Mitch Marner sneaks a wrist shot from afar past Demko. 7-3 Leafs.
Good effort from the fourth line led to that goal for Mitch as he jumped on the ice.
Great win by the Leafs.
Final Thoughts
Offense: Domination. Leafs took their foot off the gas pedal in the third when they were up by several goals, for the most part. But still got their chances off turnovers and on the rush. They still controlled shot attempts and expected goals in the third to the same degree as the first.
Defense: They gave up almost nothing against at even strength. Can’t really ask them to do better than they did, although the Canucks were also just completely lifeless.
Special Teams: They had a great looking powerplay that didn’t score, then a penalty kill that did give up a goal against but that was also the only scoring chance they had. They also had some chances themselves, from Marner and Mikheyev.
Standouts: That’s the best any Leafs’ fourth line has looked all year. But it was also the best the Leafs as a team have looked all year. Bogosian had his first point as a Leafs and looked solid all night. Tavares and Nylander finally had a good game at even strength. Dominating game.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22282828/20202021_20171_5v5.png)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22282937/20202021_20171_cfdiff_5v5.png)
