TSN Toronto Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs. The Leafs and Oilers skated in Edmonton on Thursday morning.
The two games between the Leafs and Oilers last week didn’t produce the offensive fireworks many expected, but Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl still all found a way to put the puck in the net.
Now, William Nylander wants in on the fun.
“I’ve been looking to pass in certain situations where I should definitely get a shot on goal so that’s something to keep in mind and something I got to do better,” said Nylander, who hasn’t scored since potting two on opening night.
This seven-game drought already matches Nylander’s longest dry spell from last season (Dec. 3-17, 2019). He does have five assists, including a highlight-reel helper against the Oilers last Friday.
“I was thinking shoot the entire time and then I saw [Jimmy Vesey] coming down and I saw the goalie came out pretty hard, too, so that’s why I passed,” Nylander explained. “Was lucky the D [Slater Koekkoek] didn’t get a piece of the puck there. I like making plays, but I want to start scoring some goals too.”
Nylander exploded for a career-best 31 goals in 68 games last season. And he showed off his powerful shot by blasting a pair of pucks past Carey Price on Jan. 13.
“The way the season started for Will in terms of how he shot the puck and just took that initiative whether it’s the one timer off the faceoff against Montreal or stepping in on the power play and putting it under the bar, those were really good signs in terms of what he’s capable of,” said coach Sheldon Keefe. “We haven’t seen as much of that. It’s not all on Will. In some cases the line hasn’t provided those opportunities, but with his abilities we expect him to get on the inside more and attack the net more and generate more looks himself. We’re also trying to find a little more consistency in the way the line attacks and the way he and John play off each other.”
Nylander pointed out that his line hasn’t generated enough offensive-zone time of late.
“After the first shot, get the puck back,” Nylander said of the necessary mindset. “We’re second on the retrievals where they’re able to get the puck out of the zone and we got to start over again.”
Keefe moved Ilya Mikheyev onto the line with Tavares and Nylander on Tuesday.
“We played a little bit together up until when Micky got injured last year and were able to click very good together so I think that’s going to be good for us,” Nylander said. “We have to get the second pucks back and adding speed on the line will help us get those pucks back.”
Nylander wants to score more, trying to find passing vs. shooting balance
With his shots on goal numbers down so far this season, William Nylander explains that he’s been looking to pass lately, but knows he needs to do a better job of shooting more in hopes of finding the back of the net more often.
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Nylander needs to steal a page from Marner’s playbook. The winger has adopted more of a shooting mentality this season and delivered the game-winning goal on Tuesday night.
“A great shot and it was from far out, too, so definitely he’s improved on his shot,” said linemate Zach Hyman.
Marner received a pass from Matthews in the high slot and one-timed it past Jacob Markstrom.
“I’ve really been working on that shot with Mats,” Marner revealed. “If I can try and find that spot more I know Mats can find me there. For me, it was just trying to get it off my stick quickly and on net for a chance for a rebound or something for Hymie or to go in which it did. I’m trying to get more of a shot mentality, try to be more of a threat.”
Marner, who had six shots on net in the last two games against the Flames, put on some muscle in the off-season while also changing the flex of his stick to try and transform his shot from muffin to missile.
“It’s underrated,” said goalie Frederik Andersen. “He’s good at picking spots and being pretty elusive and tricky a little bit with where he’s going to go and that’s something he’s really good at. He wants to be more than an incredible passer and playmaker. I know he wants to add to his game and he’s done that.”
Leafs’ Marner uses ‘underrated’ shot to climb scoring list
Mitch Marner potted his fifth goal of the season on Tuesday night beating Jacob Markstrom with a one-timer from distance. The Leafs winger revealed that changing the flex of his stick has helped turn his shot into more of a weapon this season. “He’s good at picking spots and being pretty elusive and tricky,” observed goalie Frederik Andersen. “I think it’s underrated.”
Usually it’s Matthews who’s the finisher on Toronto’s top line. Since the start of last season Marner has assisted on 26 of Matthews’ goals. But now the Marner shot is something the opposition needs to be wary of.
“It adds an aspect to his game,” said Koekkoek. “If a guy is pass-first, then you’re looking around before you get to him and when he starts shooting the puck more it’s obviously dangerous and something we have to take note of here.”
And that makes handling Matthews, already a daunting task, even harder.
“One thing he does specifically well is pull and drag where he really changes the angle of his shot,” said Koekkoek. “Like, when I go down to block a shot I’m kind of reading his blade or reading where the guy is trying to shoot it so when he pulls it back like that and you’re already committed to a block it’s really tough to defend.”
How will Oilers handle Marner’s new shot mentality?
With five goals in the first eight games of the season, Mitch Marner has developed a shoot-first mentality, which has been paying off. The Oilers discuss the challenges of adjusting defensively to contain Marner’s new goal-scoring prowess.
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The Leafs, meanwhile, will have their hands full trying to contain McDavid, who is tied with Marner for the NHL’s scoring lead with 12 points. You can’t take a second off against the Oilers captain.
“I would say his ability to maintain his pace later on in the shift,” said Hyman when asked if there was an underrated part of McDavid’s game. “You can be hemming the other team in the offensive zone and have a great shift against his line and then 45 seconds into the shift he still has the ability to get to his top speed and to maintain it so he’s always dangerous.”
There’s also nowhere on the ice where McDavid isn’t dangerous. He pulled off a buzzer-beating assist against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday from behind the net.
“His playmaking ability is unbelievable,” noted Nylander. “The way he makes plays in the O-zone and behind the goal line catching guys is unbelievable.”
And while much is made of Marner wanting to shoot more, it’s McDavid who leads all NHLers in shots on net this season with 35. That is his highest total ever through his first eight games of a season.
“He gets into situations where he [can] shoot the puck probably more than any player in the league,” noted Draisaitl. “He’s got a great shot and he’s using it and obviously it shows.”
McDavid finished 23rd in shots last season.
Leafs offer insight on McDavid’s underrated attributes
Although defending against Connor McDavid’s elite speed is typically the focal point for the Leafs, the team offers insight to other underrated attributes the Oilers captain possesses that make him so tough to slow down.
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Toronto won only 10 of its 25 one-goal games during the 2019-20 season, matching Detroit (10) for the fewest such wins. But the Leafs are 4-0-0 in one-goal games so far this season. The other two wins in their column this season came by two goals with an empty netter tacked on.
“Being in those tight games and being able to close out those games has definitely been an improvement,” Hyman said.
The Leafs weren’t at their best despite sweeping two games in Calgary earlier this week. The first win on Sunday was described by multiple players as “ugly” with credit given to Jack Campbell for stealing the two points. After an incredible first period, Toronto held on during the final 40 minutes on Tuesday. So, there are plenty of things to clean up, but the fact they walked away with the wins is a sign of progress.
“We talked about it after the game,” said defenceman Justin Holl. “These are character wins and they’re positive for a team finding its way, but I don’t think we’ve really touched how good we can be. We’re not rolling yet.”
‘Character wins’ help Leafs get off to hot start
All six of Toronto’s wins have come by one goal or by two goals with an empty netter. “These are character wins and they’re positive for a team finding its way,” said defenceman Justin Holl. The Leafs are looking to tighten up defensively this season and the group is still getting used to Sheldon Keefe’s system. “I don’t think we’ve really touched how good we can be,” added Holl. “We’re not rolling yet.”
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With Mike Smith still sidelined, Mikko Koskinen makes his ninth straight start for the Oilers.
“He says he’s feeling strong physically, mentally,” said coach Dave Tippett. “We’re trying to make sure he gets enough rest in between games but so far so good.”
With Campbell sidelined weeks with a leg injury, the Leafs are likely to ride Andersen for the foreseeable future. These next two games were likely earmarked for Andersen anyway. The Dane is a perfect 6-0-0 with a .928 save percentage in Edmonton during his NHL career.
Nylander looking to find his offence; Is Koskinen’s workload a concern?
Mark Masters and Ryan Rishaug join SportsCentre to discuss what has to change for William Nylander to find the back of the net more, what the keys will be for the Oilers to defend the Leafs’ offensive firepower tonight, and if Mikko Koskinen’s workload is becoming a concern.
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Projected Leafs lines for Thursday’s game in Edmonton:
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.”
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.
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.
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.
