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Toronto Maple Leafs hungry for redemption against Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 2 – TSN

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TORONTO — As the Maple Leafs were being shut out by the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 1 of their qualifying-round playoff series on Sunday, Mitch Marner could not ​get even one shot on net to try and help turn the tide.

But when Toronto aims to even the best-of-five in Tuesday’s Game 2, Marner has a plan in place to earn a little redemption.

“Definitely [didn’t have] enough shots on net, didn’t produce enough offensively,” Marner assessed of his performance to reporters on a Zoom call from the NHL’s Eastern Conference hub at the Royal York Hotel on Monday. “The goal tomorrow night is just to have more confidence with the puck, not to try to throw stuff away, skate more with it in my hands and try to make more plays with the puck, and just have confidence with it. But at the same time, be responsible and smart with it.”

Marner was the only top-nine forward for Toronto that didn’t put a puck on Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo in the Leafs’ 2-0 loss, and that was while his line with John Tavares and Ilya Mikheyev produced Toronto’s highest possession numbers of the game at 62 per cent.

The problem was Columbus’ stifling defence, and the work of David Savard and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blue Jackets were the third-best defence in the NHL this season, going up against the league’s third-best offence in the Leafs.

But that defence tandem did solid work taking away areas of the ice that Marner and Tavares can usually capitalize on, and robbed them repeatedly of gaining momentum in the offensive end. 

“I think they did a good job inside their zone, keeping five tight,” Marner said. “Not a lot of shots got through and when they did, opportunities for a second [chance] weren’t really there. We’re trying to figure out ways to get by that. We’ve talked about those second opportunities today, and it’s something that we’ve got to get better at and something we need to get better at in this series if we want to keep going.”

Tavares also struggled to find his footing on Sunday, finishing with three shots on goal and mirroring Marner’s minus-two rating. While Auston Matthews’ unit with William Nylander and Zach Hyman saw more of Columbus’ top defence pairing in Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, Savard and Gavrikov handled Tavares’ group just as well.

“They commit themselves, and block a lot of shots,” Tavares said. “They do a really good job of protecting the front of the net and the middle of the ice and the high-danger scoring areas. Now it’s about doing the best we can breaking them down, drawing them out away from the net, make them have to defend and play in their own end consistently. I’d like to think over 60 minutes you can wear them down.”

It was the Leafs who had the wind taken out of their sails in Sunday’s third period, when a 0-0 stalemate was broken early in the third period by Cam Atkinson’s wrister beating Frederik Andersen’s blocker.

Reproducing a similar play off the rush that would fool Korpisalo is something Marner and Tavares have done numerous times before, but Columbus’ reputation as defensive stalwarts proved to be only too true in Game 1. The Blue Jackets were the NHL’s best team in the regular season at defending against the rush, something Tavares’ group especially will need to find their way around.

“This team is going to make it really hard for us offensively, in particular on the rush, a spot where Mitch and John have a lot of success,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe. “Because of that, we have to find different ways to score and that’s an adjustment. Scoring is what we really need. We just need those guys to be playing at their best, especially now coming off of a loss. We think everybody on our team has got another level to get to and we’re going to need it tomorrow.”

While Tavares has talked frequently since entering the NHL’s “bubble” about the importance of Toronto being comfortable in these unprecedented conditions, it was the Blue Jackets who were feeling a little too cushy on the ice Sunday. And that’s something the Leafs can try to counteract.

“They play their team identity, their structure very well. They’re very comfortable in those types of [one-goal] games,” Tavares said. “They play really well as a five man unit and playing five on the inside, they have a comfort level there. I think we have to adjust and adapt with the way we want to play and the skill sets that we have and starting with myself, I have to do a better job of finding ways to break them down and create the opportunities that we need.”

It’s all easier said than done, of course. The reality for Toronto now is it has to win three of these next four games to advance into the NHL’s round of 16. But if Monday’s practice was any indication to Keefe, his team is up for the challenge ahead. 

“That’s what their system is designed to do, is to frustrate you,” he said of Columbus. “We’ve talked a lot about that. But the good news is in just talking to our guys and the type of practice that we had, our guys are not frustrated. Our guys are hungry to get back at it and recognize where we can get better and know that we have more to give so we’ll be ready to play tomorrow.”

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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November 8, 2024

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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:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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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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