Sports
The most compelling matchups to watch on Monday at the National Bank Open – Sportsnet.ca
After a weekend of qualifying in extreme heat, the National Bank Open picks up steam on Monday with the main draw beginning for the women in Toronto and the men in Montreal.
While the schedule looks fun, the only issue could be the weather, with rain in the forecast in both cities.
Here’s a look at the most compelling matchups at both venues on opening day.
Women’s headliner
No. 13 Leylah Annie Fernandez (Canada) vs. Qualifier Storm Sanders (Australia), 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Fernandez, from Laval, Que., plays her first match since suffering a Grade 3 stress fracture in her right foot in a quarterfinal loss at the French Open on May 31.
The 19-year-old Canadian has a favourable draw, facing a player ranked outside the top 200.
Sanders hasn’t won a match in a main draw this year.
Men’s headliner
Denis Shapovalov (Canada) vs. Alex de Minaur (Australia), 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT
Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., has slipped to No. 22 in the rankings – as of Sunday — after losing seven of his past eight matches.
De Minaur was one spot above him at No. 21.
The Australian is 2-0 lifetime against Shapovalov, who hopes to replicate his 2017 Montreal magic when he stunned Rafael Nadal.
Other highlights
Serena Williams (U.S.) vs. ‘Lucky Loser’ Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (Spain), Approximately 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT
The 40-year-old Williams will play an official singles match for just the second time this year on Monday.
After losing in the first round at Wimbledon, the 23-time Grand Slam champ begins hard-court prep for the U.S. Open against a player ranked outside the top 50.
Last time in Toronto in 2019, Williams made the final before retiring because of injury in the first set against Canada’s Bianca Andreescu.
Andy Murray (Great Britain) vs. No. 10 Taylor Fritz (U.S.), Not before 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT
With Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal not in Montreal, Murray is the lone player from that familiar foursome to be taking the court.
Now 35, Murray will be an underdog against Fritz. The Brit did reach a final in June at the Stuttgart Open, but then exited in the second round of Wimbledon at home.
Fritz has been battling a foot injury and stopped playing a match last week in the third set in Washington, where temperatures were very high.
Fritz has said the injury has prevented him from doing his usual fitness routine.
Full women’s schedule
Centre court (starts at 11 a.m. ET)
[15] Simona Halep (ROU) vs. [LL] Donna Vekic (CRO)
[LL] Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP) vs Serena Williams (USA)
Sloane Stephens (USA) vs. Sofia Kenin (USA)
Night session (starts at 7 p.m. ET)
{Q] Storm Sanders (AUS) vs. [13] Leylah Annie Fernandez (CAN)
Jill Teichmann (SUI) vs. [WC] Venus Williams (USA)
National Bank Grandstand Court (starts at 11 a.m. ET)
Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs. [Q] Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) vs. [14] Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
Alize Cornet (FRA) vs. Caroline Garcia (FRA)
Petra Kvitova (CZE) vs. Alison Riske-Amritraj (USA)
[WC] Katherine Sebov (CAN) vs. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
Court 1 (starts at 11 a.m. ET)
Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) vs. Martina Trevisan (ITA)
[16] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) vs. Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)
[Q] Asia Muhammad (USA) vs. Madison Keys (USA)
Court 4 (12 p.m. ET)
[8] A. Guarachi (CHI) / A. Klepac (SLO) vs. [WC] R. Marino (CAN) / C. Zhao (CAN)
Full Montreal Schedule
Centre Court (starts at 12 p.m.)
Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN)
Not before 2 p.m. ET: [WC] Andy Murray (GBR) vs. [10] Taylor Fritz (USA)
Night session (starts at 6:30 p.m. ET)
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs. Alex de Minaur (AUS)
[12] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
Rogers Court (starts at 12 p.m. ET)
Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) vs. Karen Khachanov (RUS)
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) vs. Jenson Brooksby (USA)
[Q] Hugo Gaston (FRA) vs. [Q] Jack Draper (GBR)
Night session (starts at 6:30 p.m. ET)
[Q] Marcos Giron (USA) vs. [14] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
[Q] Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs. Holger Rune (DEN)
Court 9 (starts at 12 p.m. ET)
Alex Molcan (SVK) vs. Mackenzie McDonald (USA)
G. Dimitrov (BUL) / A. Rublev vs. M. Ebden (AUS) / M. Purcell (AUS)
B. Bonzi (FRA) / G. Monfils (FRA) vs. [WC] V. Pospisil (CAN) / J. Sinner (ITA)
[Q] Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs. [Q] Arthur Rinderknech (FRA)
Court 5 (starts at 1 p.m. ET)
[6] T. Puetz (GER) / M. Venus (NZL) vs.H. Hurkacz (POL) / J. Zielinski (POL)
J. Murray (GBR) / B. Soares (BRA) vs. D. Evans (GBR) / J. Peers (AUS)
Sportsnet broadcast schedule
Women’s: 11 a.m. ET (Sportsnet ONE / SN NOW); 6:30 p.m. ET (SN NOW)
Men’s: 12 p.m. ET (Sportsnet / SN NOW); 6:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet ONE)
Sports
Canucks place goalie Thatcher Demko on long-term injured list – CBC.ca
The Vancouver Canucks have placed all-star goalie Thatcher Demko on the long-term injured reserve list retroactively.
“It’s just cap related,” coach Rick Tocchet said after practice Wednesday. “We get some cap relief, that’s all it is.”
The 28-year-old netminder has been considered week to week since being sidelined with a lower-body injury midway through Vancouver’s 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 9.
That injury designation hasn’t changed, Tocchet said.
Demko boasts a 34-18-2 record this season, with a .917 save percentage, a 2.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.
Casey DeSmith has taken over the starting job for Vancouver, going 3-2-1 since Demko’s injury. He has a .899 save percentage on the season with a 2.73 goals-against average and one shutout.
The earliest Demko could be back in the Canucks’ lineup is April 6 against the Kings in Los Angeles.
He’s expected to be a key piece as Vancouver (45-19-8) prepares for its first playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also announced Wednesday that the club has called up forward Arshdeep Bains from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.
“I’d like to see where [Bains is] at,” Tocchet said, noting he isn’t sure whether the 23-year-old winger will slot into the lineup when the Canucks host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
WATCH | Bains makes NHL debut
Bains played five games for the NHL team in February before being sent back to Abbotsford.
“He went down, he’s done a couple of things that we like, and he’s got some speed,” Tocchet said.
Vancouver may get another forward back in the lineup Thursday.
Dakota Joshua practised in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in Vancouver’s 4-2 win over the Blackhawks in Chicago on Feb. 13.
The physical winger, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has a career-high 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) this season.
Sitting out injured “hasn’t been fun,” Joshua said.
“It feels like forever,” he said. “But at this point, that’s behind me and I’m moving forward.”
Sports
Senators score 5 in 1st, cruise past Sabres – NHL.com
“I thought that we were ready to go,” Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. “We got some pucks at the net, we got people at the net. Took advantage of our opportunities and, I think, built a nice lead. And then I thought, in the third period, we continued again. Our goaltending was good. Made some key saves. But I thought we shut them down in the third period good.”
Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists, and Brady Tkachuk, Boris Katchouk, Jakob Chychrun and Drake Batherson each had a goal and an assist for the Senators (31-36-4), who have won three in a row. Korpisalo made 34 saves.
“If you want to win, you need balance,” Pinto said. “And we had that tonight and it’s going to be big for the back-to-back tomorrow (against the Chicago Blackhawks) to have that same thing. So, going to need all the guys on board.”
JJ Peterka and Connor Clifton scored for the Sabres (34-34-5), who have lost four of six. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on nine shots before he was replaced by Devon Levi, who made 31 saves in relief.
“We wanted, I guess, to play as individuals,” Clifton said. “I’m disappointed we let ‘Upie’ down, he’s the heart and soul of this team. He’s kept us in so many games, and just to not show up and play that careless style, give them freebies all over the place. … Yeah, obviously, the first 20 really dictated the rest of the game.”
Artem Zub gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead at 2:37 of the first period. He stuffed in a loose puck on the goal line after Katchouk’s shot was redirected by Mark Kastelic between Luukkonen’s pads.
Katchouk made it 2-0 at 4:56, tipping Parker Kelly’s shot from the top of the right face-off circle past Luukkonen.
“It’s keeping the consistency with good effort, right habits,” Katchouk said. “The small things matter so much in this game. And obviously, it worked out tonight with the tip. But kudos to my linemates. ‘Kels’ and ‘Kassy,’ they worked hard to get the puck as well. Those two battle hard every night as well. We feed off each other, and it’s good to play with them.”
Sports
Vasilevskiy stops 23 as surging Lightning beat Bruins – Sportsnet.ca
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