Sports
THE BREAKDOWN: Many happy returns for Josh Norris and the Ottawa Senators
Making his season debut after after a setback with his surgically repaired shoulder, Norris scored twice to help the Senators remain perfect in this opening homestand as the club scored its third straight win with a 6-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in front of 15,201.
It had been 270 days since Norris last suited up for the Senators on Jan. 21 against the Winnipeg Jets. He scored his last goal in that game and the club had been trying to fill the void since.
He wasted no time stretching the club’s lead to 2-0 on the power play at 12:29 of the first. Standing on the doorstep, Norris beat a wide-open Washington goalie Darcy Kuemper on the glove side.
“I felt I settled right in and it felt like I was just playing another hockey game. It was fun. I just tried to treat it like a normal game.”
Winger Drake Batherson was thrilled to see Norris return, and set him up for his second of the game at 1:47 of the second to restore the club’s two-goal lead at 3-1. It’s the eighth multi-goal game of Norris’ career.
“It was fun,” said Batherson, who had two primary assists on Norris’ goals. “Like I said we were just trying to wait for the game to come to us and he just did what he normally does. He did what he gets paid for and just puts it in the back of the net.
Artem Zub, Jake Sanderson, Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Senators.
ANOTHER HIT
There was some concern about Zub when the final buzzer sounded.
He took a puck to the side of the face in the third period and had to be helped to the dressing room. Zub, who broke his jaw last year and missed a lengthy stretch, left the ice with trainer Dom Nicoletta.
The puck rode up his stick, and it’s hard to say exactly where it hit him.
Coach D.J. Smith said he didn’t have an update on Zub but remains hopeful he’ll be ready to play against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday.
Earlier, Zub had scored his first of the season.
The offence from the defence continued. Zub’s goal at 4:46 of the second, to give the club a 4-1 lead, was the fourth from a blueliner in four games.
Just for good measure, Sanderson added another one in the third.
BACK TO FORSBERG
The Senators are determined to have a tandem this season so it was no surprise to see Anton Forsberg back in net against the Caps, and he put in another solid effort.
Joonas Korpisalo stopped 22 shots in the club’s 5-2 win over Tampa on Sunday and, at this point, goaltender coach Zac Bierk and coach D.J. Smith want to get both netminders into a groove.
A huge pad stop by Forsberg early on Connor McMichael set up the opening goal by Tarasenko. He took a pass from Mathieu Joseph, went to the net alone and beat Kuemper on the glove side at 4:28 of the first.
Tarasenko also had an assist and posted his third straight multi-point game after signing with the Senators in the off-season.
CAPITAL CUP
The Senators have struggled with the Caps, and this one represented a huge challenge in this homestand.
Coming into this one, the Senators had a 5-15-3 record against Washington in the last 23 games dating back to the 2014-15 campaign. In the last 12 games in Ottawa, the Caps had victories in six of the last seven games between the two teams with a 9-2-1 record in that stretch.
That’s why it was important the Senators were on their toes for this one and it didn’t help the club allowed John Carlson to close the gap to 2-1 with only 1:06 left in the first.
“I didn’t love our start and we’ve had really good starts. It was sloppy and I’m talking about both sides,” said Smith. “There was a lot of turnovers but I thought we had a really mature start to the second. We did what we had to do to take the game over.
“The most exciting thing was having Josh. You can see the difference, he only needs one look and it goes in. Tonight, if he’s not there, do you win? You don’t know. He’s a guy who gets one look and it’s in the back of the net.”
Coming off back-to-back wins on opening weekend, Smith was hopeful that trend would continue and it did.
THE LAST WORDS
The Senators congratulated Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom on suiting up game No. 1,100 of his career … Along with the goal, Norris took a big hit from Ovechkin near the club’s bench in the first. That will go a long way confidence …Sanderson has been moved to the No. 1 unit on the power play in place of Thomas Chabot … Great setup by Chabot to Giroux for a tap-in goal with 4:13 left in the second to give the club a 5-1 lead. The Caps challenged for offside but after a lengthy review it was ruled a good goal.
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Sports
French league’s legal board orders PSG to pay Kylian Mbappé 55 million euros of unpaid wages
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris on Wednesday after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.
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News
Reggie Bush was at his LA-area home when 3 male suspects attempted to break in
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
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Sports
B.C. Lions lean on versatile offence to continue win streak against Toronto Argonauts
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
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