For the most part, this Team Blue vs. Team White intrasquad game had a pretty good pace to it, although not surprisingly, it got progressively sloppier as the game entered its later stages.
Team White won both the regulation game — by a score of 6-3 — and the OT period thanks to a 3-on-3 goal from Ilya Mikheyev. The two squads split the two shootout contests, with Mikko Lehtonen winning the first one for Team White and Morgan Rielly clinching the second one for Team Blue.
William Nylander led the way with a pair of goals for Team White, while Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews countered with a goal apiece in a losing effort for Team Blue.
Take this scrimmage exercise for what it is, but a few quick notes below:
– Alex Barabanov displayed a good motor throughout the game for Team Blue, pushing the pace and persistently hounding puck carriers. He also broke through for a breakaway that he couldn’t convert. That line — with Barabanov next to two heavier-footed players in Spezza and Simmonds — will need someone to help push the pace, so that’s an encouraging sign, at least as far as these scrimmages go.
– After the talk about Mitch Marner playing the middle of the power play in between Auston Matthews and Joe Thornton, it was Thornton in the bumper role in between Marner and Matthews in this game. Those concerned about too many playmakers and not enough shooters on that unit weren’t assuaged by this sequence:
Jokes aside, Marner let a number a few shots off on the first power-play opportunity for Team Blue, a few of which missed the net. It was hard to tell if his shot had a little more zip on it than last year — maybe it just seemed that way with a few loud bangs off the end wall — but for those asking Marner to shoot more this season (including the Leafs coaching staff), he did seem more trigger happy in the scrimmage.
Going to need to see more from this unit before they’ll have me convinced of moving both Tavares and Nylander off of the top group.
– At 5v5, the top line had some good sequences. Thornton’s intelligence, strength and presence down low — extending plays on the cycle, dishing, getting to the front of the net — while Matthews and Marner buzzed was visible at different times throughout the night. Jumbo kept up well for the most part. Again, we’ll wait until the real stuff starts before making any real judgments.
– While Marner and Matthews were right there, too, William Nylander might have been the Leafs’ best forward — skating really well, generating turnovers, turning them into offense — and he potted two goals of his own, one on a wicked one-timer on the power play off a Mikko Lehtonen feed.
– Speaking of Mikko Lehtonen, it wasn’t a perfect game in all areas of the ice, but his prowess offensively shone through clearly in this scrimmage, as he was very involved at the offensive end and eager to get pucks to the net, including one for Nylander’s first goal on a tip in front. We should see the coaching staff get Lehtonen involved offensively with softer matchups and some offensive-zone deployment off of the bottom pairing in the early going of the regular season, in addition to PP2 time, as he adjusts to the league.
– Jack Campbell put on the best goaltending performance of the three goalies, particularly in the first period, where he was really sharp and turned aside a number of good scoring chances and second opportunities for Team Blue.
– The coaching staff has put an emphasis on shootout practice knowing its weakness in this area last season and the importance of the extra points in the divisional matchups. But it wasn’t exactly a sterling display of shooting prowess tonight — while the goalies were sharp, there were lots of bobbles, failed backhand deke attempts, and not enough picking a spot and letting it rip. The two converted attempts out of the 13 were two good low, hard shots from a pair of defensemen in Lehtonen and Rielly:
1st shootout:
Tavares – missed on a backhand deke Matthews – stopped on a five-hole attempt Vesey – stopped on a backhand attempt, glove save by Andersen Marner – stopped on a low glove side attempt (Campbell) Nylander – missed, lost control after initially fooling Andersen Spezza – missed, lost control of the puck early Lehtonen – scored on a shot low blocker side past Andersen Barabanov – stopped on his backhand
2nd shootout:
Mikheyev – missed on a backhand attempt Spezza – missed wide right Robertson – missed, lost handle going to backhand Hyman – stopped on blocker side shot Matthews – stopped on a five-hole attempt
– Harsh words from Sheldon Keefe on Pierre Engvall, especially after a scrimmage: “I expect him to be better, to be honest.” While he scored late on a good play in the neutral zone by Zach Hyman to send him in alone, Engvall turned a puck back into the defensive zone and forked it over to Marner for the Matthews goal in the third period. It doesn’t seem as though the coaching staff would have a ton of confidence in going ahead with this line if Alex Kerfoot can’t go on Wednesday — which may necessitate a rethink of the lines, depending on Kerfoot’s status. Travis Boyd, who had a couple of nice moments in this game, is another option for center cover here, but the depth down the middle past the big two remains a question mark and also ties into the question of where Thornton is best used.
– This Rourke Chartier fellow is a good-looking piece for the Marlies; his pace and puck pursuit definitely stood out (note: he appeared in 13 games for the Sharks last season).
– For me, Ramus Sandin is ready for regular NHL minutes. We saw some nice instances of his evasiveness against the forecheck, and a beautiful reverse check along the endboards against a big lad in Justin Brazeau. The Leafs will have a couple of defensemen worthy of an NHL top six who won’t be playing on Wednesday night by virtue of the numbers game on the blue line.
– Quiet game from him overall, but they’ll have a player with this kind of shot in the press box to start, too:
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.
Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.
The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.
Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.
Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.
The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.
Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.
Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.
The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.
And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.
Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.
Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.
Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.
Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.
Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.
With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.
Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.
Questionable call
Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.
Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.
Running wild
Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.
Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.
Foles honored
Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
Injuries
The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).
Up next
Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
