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Vasilevskiy, Lightning struggling with more playoff-ready Maple Leafs

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TAMPA — Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is considering an equipment upgrade to help him in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I don’t know,” Vasilevskiy said. “Maybe I’ll buy myself some [bleeping] X-ray glasses.”

The Lightning trail 3-1 in the best-of-7 series. Game 5 is in Toronto on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; TBS, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSUN).

Vasilevskiy has been the backbone of the Lightning’s run to the Stanley Cup Final the past three seasons, including Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. But he has struggled through four games against the Maple Leafs, with a 4.33 goals-against average and .856 save percentage.

He acknowledged that the Maple Leafs’ effort to get pucks on net from the blue line and create traffic in front of the net has given him problems.

“I’m 100 percent sure it’s a game plan for them and so far they’ve executed that plan well,” Vasilevskiy said. “Lots of screens, tips, deflections and obviously we haven’t got much luck on those tips and bounces as well. But it happens in the playoffs. We just have to work hard to get over it.”

The Lightning have tried to close the middle of the ice, particularly in the slot where Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander can create high-danger scoring chances. But Vasilevskiy also said that Toronto is no longer solely relying on those opportunities, making them a more dangerous team offensively than they were in the first round of the 2022 playoffs, when the Lightning won in seven games.

“Last year they were trying to play more of a skill game,” Vasilevskiy said. “I’m not sure if they’ve done something different or if we’re not doing as good of a job as a team up front. But last year they played more skilled hockey; this year they are playing more playoff hockey to score those … I don’t want to say garbage goals … but [greasy] goals.”

There also have been questions about whether Vasilevskiy historically has struggled seeing pucks from the blue line. Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde, a Lightning assistant from 2018-22, suggested as much while doing analysis for Sportsnet.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said that he heard about Lalonde’s comments and dismissed them as not being accurate.

“Sportsnet is paying him well to give an opinion, so he’s got to make something up about that kind of stuff,” Cooper said. “He’s trying to offer insight and give the fans something. He should be doing that. He’s just got to make sure he’s accurate in what he’s saying.”

The outside noise is something Cooper doesn’t have much time for with the Lightning facing elimination. He was more concerned about a strong effort at practice Wednesday and being fully focused on what has to be done Thursday.

“I think that day off (Tuesday) did us well,” Cooper said. “We’re not going to win a series in our next game. We’ve just got to win one game and we’ve done that ample times this year.”

The Lightning have had plenty of positive moments during the series. They controlled play for most of Game 3 and held a 3-2 lead in the final minute of the third period before Ryan O’Reilly tied the game and Morgan Rielly scored in overtime.

In Game 4, Tampa Bay dominated the first two periods and held a 4-1 lead before Toronto scored three goals in a span of 6:20 in the third period to tie the game, and then Alexander Kerfoot won it in overtime.

Forward Pat Maroon said the Lightning can’t think about what might have been.

“It could be 3-1 for us, it could be 2-2 right now,” Maroon said. “It’s in the past. It’s over. Playoff hockey is a game of inches. It’s getting the puck in, getting the puck out, winning your puck battles on the wall. Getting in front of the net, scoring the dirty goals. It’s just outworking your opponent and doing the little things.”

Forward Steven Stamkos said elimination games are less about the skill of a team and more about their willingness to do everything possible to stay alive. It’s something the Lightning captain has seen out of his teammates many times during a run that has seen Tampa Bay win 11 of 12 playoff series during the previous three postseasons.

“When your back is against the wall it’s either fight or flight,” Stamkos said. “You either say it’s going to be too hard to come back and you don’t give your best effort, or you go out there and lay it all on the line. That’s what I expect this group to do.”

 

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Jays reliever Green and Canadian slugger O’Neill nominated for comeback player award

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NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.

The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.

Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.

The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.

O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.

After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Duke’s Cooper Flagg makes preseason AP All-America team as ACC, Big 12, SEC each place 2 players

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Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina‘s RJ Davis looked into the possibility of leaving for the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.

Their decisions helped their teams earn top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 and earned both players some preseason honors, too.

Sears was a near-unanimous selection for The Associated Press preseason All-America men’s basketball team released Monday, earning all but one vote from a 55-person national media panel. Davis was right behind him, nabbing 51 votes.

They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.

Alabama twin bill

Sears was a key cog in the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the Final Four a year ago, orchestrating one of college basketball’s highest-scoring teams.

The 6-foot-1 guard was named a second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the first Division I player in 31 years to have 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a single season while breaking the Alabama single-season record with 26 games with at least 20 points.

Sears worked out for NBA scouts during the offseason before deciding to return to Alabama, earning the Crimson Tide a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.

“I saw the team that we had and I wanted to be a part of it, and bring home Alabama’s first national championship in basketball,” Sears said.

Across the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a quick decision about his future, announcing in April that he would be back for a fifth season.

The 6-10 forward was a third-team AP All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the floor. With an eye on an NBA future, Broome worked hard on his perimeter shooting during the offseason and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason ranking.

“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to make it as far as I can in March Madness,” Broome said. “When a team shines, everyone shines individually.”

Along Tobacco Road

Like Sears, Davis has similar aspirations after opting to return for his fifth season at North Carolina.

The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American last season and the ACC player of the year after averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Davis enters this year within reach of former North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring record.

“I know there’s more work to be done,” Davis said. “I know my jersey’s not going up until I leave. So there’s some more records to break and some more work to be done. I’m satisfied but I’m not satisfied, if that makes sense.”

Up the road at Duke, Flagg was the only underclassman on the preseason All-America team after arriving with tons of hype. The 6-9 swingman was the No. 1-rated high school recruit out of Newport, Maine and has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

Flagg has the skills of a guard, but can also play inside and has worked hard on his perimeter shooting, giving him the potential to be one of college basketball’s most versatile players. He’s part of a stellar recruiting class that has No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.

Big 12 duo

Dickinson was the biggest move in the transfer portal last spring after leaving Michigan for Kansas. The 7-2 center lived up to the billing, averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.

With Dickinson’s return and an influx of talented transfers, Kansas is ranked No. 1 going into the season that begins Nov. 4.

Love’s decision to return for a second season at No. 10 Arizona has ratcheted up expectations in the desert for the Big 12 rival of Kansas.

The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring career at North Carolina and continued it after transferring to Arizona last season. He was the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 points per game and making 92 3-pointers.

Love tested the NBA waters this summer before deciding to return.

“He’s had a very successful college career thus far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He’s kind of this last generation of player that’s going to get better with this extra year, and so I just encourage him to take advantage of it.”

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Browns QB Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles tendon and is out for the season, AP source says

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of Cleveland‘s season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon on Sunday against Cincinnati, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.

Watson was injured on a non-contact play in the second quarter of Cleveland’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals.

Watson will soon undergo surgery, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the results of imaging tests taken on his leg.

It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year.

The 29-year-old Watson went down without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson collapsed to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.

As he laid on the ground, there was cheering by some Cleveland fans, leading to some of Watson’s teammates criticizing that behavior during the team’s fifth straight loss.

The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s divisive stay with the Browns.

Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks to Houston and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million in 2022. The deal came amid Watson being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions. He settled civil lawsuits in all but one of those cases.

Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games with the Browns and then made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.

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