Sheldon Keefe only really noticed the fact his team was playing in front of no fans during Tuesday’s national anthem.
Other than that, the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach felt like it was a pretty normal game — in an extremely abnormal time.
Morgan Rielly had a goal and two assists, Alexander Kerfoot scored twice, and the Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in their exhibition matchup as the NHL’s restart to its pandemic-hit 2019-20 season got into full swing.
“During the anthems is a time when you’re looking at the flag and you’re taking in the whole environment,” Keefe said. “It’s much different today than what you’re accustomed to. It’s the time when you really feel the moment and are really missing the fans and the environment, and recognize what they bring.
“Once the puck dropped…it really just felt like hockey and you didn’t notice it a whole lot.”
The first-ever July meeting in the franchises’ 103-year rivalry, things were made even stranger by the fact Montreal was designated as the home team and occupied the Leafs’ dressing room at Scotiabank Arena.
“2020’s been strange,” Habs forward Brendan Gallagher said. “That was probably the strangest thing we’ve been through.”
Toronto, meanwhile, wore its road whites and used the visitors bench for the first time in the building’s 21-year history.
“The whole atmosphere is just different considering what we’re going through,” Leafs captain John Tavares said. “You just kind of go the flow and try to focus on proper preparation as best you can.”
Roughly a dozen rows of seats up from the glass were tarped off in the spectator-less venue, while eight separate screens were suspended from the ceiling, adding a video game-like feel as both teams played a game for the first time in 140 days.
“There’s a lot that’s been put into this,” Tavares added. “Just fortunate to be back out there competing.”
WATCH | Kerfoot’s pair lifts Leafs over Habs:
Alexander Kerfoot records 2 goals in the middle frame as Toronto doubles up Montreal 4-2. 0:31
Ilya Mikheyev had the other goal for the Leafs, who got 28 saves from Frederik Andersen. Tomas Tatar and Paul Byron replied for the Canadiens. Carey Price stopped 19 shots for Montreal.
The Canadiens open their best-of-five qualifying round series against the heavily-favoured Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday — the first day the games will truly matter — before the Leafs do the same 24 hours later against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Gallagher said his team will need to simplify its approach this weekend.
“We were all probably guilty of it,” he said. “The brain wasn’t keeping up.”
Mikheyev, who suffered a gruesome wrist laceration in late December, scored just 33 seconds into his first game back inside an empty, cavernous building as the league resumed action after shuttering operations in mid-March because of COVID-19.
Kerfoot made it 2-0 at 6:46 of the second when he roofed a rebound after Kasperi Kapanen was stopped on a shorthanded breakaway.
WATCH | Rob Pizzo previews Leafs vs. Blue Jackets:
In part 3 of 10, Rob Pizzo breaks down the Leafs, and the now healthy Blue Jackets 1:18
Tatar got one back for Montreal with 3:04 left in the second on a power play, but Kerfoot tipped Rielly’s shot late in the period to make it 3-1. Leafs rookie Nick Robertson, who was making his NHL debut after a 55-goal season in the Ontario Hockey League, picked up the other assist.
“He’s a very impressive young kid to step into this situation,” Kerfoot said. “You can see whenever he’s on the ice how good he is.”
Byron made it 3-2 at 8:07 of the third, but Rielly restored the two-goal lead 1:22 later with Toronto’s second shorthanded goal of the night.
“Overall we were happy with it,” the Leafs defenceman said of his team’s effort. “Any time you play any kind of pre-tournament, a pre-season game like this, there’s going to be some kinks to work out.”
While television viewers were treated to artificial crowd noise, media seated in the upper bowl could hear almost every word uttered on the ice — including a couple of expletives — which is why the NHL has implemented a five-second delay on broadcasts. One particularly loud curse word bellowed in the second period, however, got past censors.
Music blared as the players, who are staying inside the NHL’s tightly-controlled bubble that includes the Fairmont Royal York a short walk away, hit the ice for warmups with only journalists, arena employees and league staff looking on.
WATCH | Rob Pizzo previews Canadiens vs. Penguins:
Can Carey Price help the Habs pull off a huge upset over the Penguins? Rob Pizzo breaks down their chances. 1:17
One member of the Leafs let out a giant “wooooo,” while Toronto winger Mitch Marner kept up his pre-game tradition by pretending to throw a puck over the glass to an imaginary fan after warmups.
“It reminds me a little bit of like a minor hockey tournament where you’re there and staying in the same hotel as a bunch of other teams,” Kerfoot said of the first few days in the bubble. “It’s got obviously a different feel, but this whole this whole tournament is unique and situation that we’re in is unique.”
Players from both teams stood side-by-side on the blue line for the national anthem as a show of solidarity with social justice movements which, like the pandemic, have been front of mind since hockey was last played in North America.
The Eastern Conference clubs are situated in the Toronto hub as part of the 24-team restart, while the West has been centralized in Edmonton.
With the Canadiens designated as the home side, Coldplay’s “Fix You” rang out around the building as the teams took to the ice before Mikheyev finished off a 2-on-1 with John Tavares on the game’s first shot.
WATCH | Hockey is finally underway:
After a 138-day hiatus because of COVID-19, the NHL season has returned with exhibition games ahead of the official puck drop on Aug. 1. Players, fans and officials are hoping that the league’s bubble strategy can keep the pandemic out. 2:01
There was barely any contact in the only exhibition contest for both teams until Toronto defencemn Jake Muzzin thumped Montreal winger Alex Belzile to the ice early in the second.
The offensively loaded Leafs looked disjointed much of the night, but neither team was helped by sloppy ice conditions in the second game of the day in humid Toronto.
Montreal was all but buried as the NHL’s 24th-ranked team when the schedule was suspended 4 1/2 months ago because of the virus, but was handed a lifeline when the league settled on a 24-team restart plan.
Toronto sat in a playoff spot, but because it sat outside the top-4 in the conference, has to go through Columbus to make the usual 16-club playoff bracket.
“I thought we gave up the neutral zone at times a little bit too easily,” said Keefe, who has focused heavily on defensive structure during training camp. “But I like the way we worked.”
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Patton Kizzire ended a long victory drought Sunday in the Procore Championship, closing with a scrambling 2-under 70 for a tournament-record, five-stroke victory in the FedEx Cup Fall opener at Silverado Country Club.
Kizzire had gone 176 events without a victory after winning tournaments in Mexico and Hawaii in a two-month span in late 2017 and early 2018.
“I’m going to enjoy this win,” Kizzire said. “It’s just so sweet to get through the ups and downs. That’s life. You just got to stay positive. That’s what led me to here, to right now.”
The 38-year-old former Auburn player earned a PGA Tour card for the next two years after entering the event 132nd in the fight to earn a card with a top-125 finish in the standings. He also gets spots in the Masters and PGA Championship and The Sentry at Kapalua.
Kizzire finished at 20-under 268. On Sunday, he repeatedly misfired off the tee for a second consecutive day, but stayed steady with his approach shots and had three birdies, an eagle and three bogeys.
“I knew that it would be difficult not to get ahead of myself with a four-shot lead heading into today,” Kizzire said. “I wrote down in my yard book, ‘I am here, I I am now.’ Kept going back to that. That helped me be disciplined and stay present. That’s what really helped me come out on top.”
David Lipsky was second after a 71.
Patrick Fishburn (71) was third at 14 under. Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, Ont. (72), Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont. (71) and Greyson Sigg (72) were another stroke back.
Sahith Theegala, the winner last year, closed with a 72 to tie for fifth at 12-under 276.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., finished tied for seventh at 12 under. He carded a 1 over on his final round. Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., finished tied for 13th at 9 under. He shot a 4 under Sunday. Roger Sloan of Calgary finished tied for 37th at 6 under.
Unlike in 2023 when Theegala was followed by a large gallery on his way to winning, Kizzire and Lipsky played the final round in front of a small crowd at the picturesque course in the heart of the Napa Valley wine country.
For the second straight day, Kizzire had to make up for his erratic tee shots. He missed 11 fairways and hit three drives into bunkers but got out of trouble and limited the damage each time.
Lipsky also had issues off the tee trying to battle winds that had been mostly absent for the first three rounds.
“It was really tough out there,” Lipsky said. “The wind was swirling and it was strong and the greens were so firm. Where they put some of those pins is really tough to get close.”
After Lipsky made birdies on Nos. 1 and 4 to get within two shots, Kizzire responded with an eagle on the par-5 fifth. Kizzire hit his second shot past the green, then holed a soft wedge shot coming back from 50 feet to get to 20 under.
Kizzire bogeyed No. 11 after another errant tee shot, while Lipsky birdied to get within two strokes again. Kizzire then made a birdie save after driving into a greenside bunker on No. 12, and had another birdie on No. 13.
Kizzire was ahead by five strokes after a birdie on No. 15, then missed a short par putt on No. 16. He had a chance to get the stroke back on No. 17, but pushed his putt to the right of the hole and settled for par.
VANCOUVER – As the Major League Soccer season ticks down, Vanni Sartini wants his Vancouver Whitecaps to make a declaration — the team is ready to compete.
“The time of hiding ourselves, I think it’s over,” the coach said after the ‘Caps earned a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
“We need to really say that we are here to try to be at the ball until the end and trying to shoot for the highest position. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make it, but we have the quality to do it.”
With seven games left on their regular-season schedule, the ‘Caps (13-8-6) sit in fifth spot in the congested Western Conference, just two points out of fourth.
Saturday’s loss officially eliminated the last-place Earthquakes (5-21-2) from post-season action.
Vancouver has been on a hot streak since returning from the Leagues Cup break and is unbeaten (3-0-1) in its last four outings across all competitions. The team has not allowed a goal in those matches.
“It’s the fact that we play really well,” Sartini said of the clean sheets. “We have the ball a lot, we finish our attack most of the time in their box. So it’s really hard for the other team to attack us. And then when they attack us, in the rare times that they arrive in the final third, we’re very solid.”
Recent additions have bolstered the team’s ranks, including the club’s newest designated player, Stuart Armstrong. The 32-year-old Scottish midfielder scored his first MLS goal Saturday.
Three minutes after coming on as a substitute for Alessandro Schopf, Armstrong gave Vancouver a two-goal cushion in the 87th minute.
Midfielder Pedro Vite dished a short pass to ‘Caps captain Ryan Gauld, who tapped it toward Armstrong. The former Southampton FC player then blasted a shot into the top of the net for his first strike in a Whitecaps’ jersey.
He was mobbed by teammates in the corner of the field.
“I think everyone was happy. Also for the first goal, but also that it was an important three points,” said Armstrong, who signed with the ‘Caps on Sept. 3.
“It kind of felt a little bit like last week, when we had a lot of chances and we didn’t get the three points. So today, I think everyone was just relieved to have that two-goal cushion.”
Vancouver was the dominant team from the outset Saturday and did not relent, outshooting the visitors 19-5 and controlling 54.1 per cent of possession.
Fafa Picault also found the back of the net for Vancouver, while Gauld contributed a pair of assists.
Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped both shots he faced to collect his seventh clean sheet of the year, while Daniel made nine saves for the Quakes.
Gauld and Picault teamed up in the 22nd minute when Gauld curled a cross in and the Haitian striker headed it down toward the net, only to see Daniel catch a piece of the shot with his forearm and redirect it out of harm’s way.
The duo connected again in the 35th minute on a Vancouver corner. Gauld swung a ball in and Picault jumped up from the pack to send a glancing header in past Daniel for his ninth MLS goal of the season.
San Jose briefly appeared to level the score in the 68th minute when an unmarked Ousseni Bouda collected the ball, froze Takaoka and tapped a shot into the Vancouver net. An official quickly raised the offside flag and waved off the tally.
Daniel kept San Jose’s deficit to a single goal with a pair of solid stops in the 82nd minute.
First, the Brazilian ‘keeper dove sideways on his line to tip away a bomb from Alessandro Schopf. He was tested again on the ensuing corner and jumped up to send a header from Picault over the crossbar.
“I think we created a lot of chances again,” Gauld said.
“We probably should have put the game out of their reach sooner. But we’d be more worried if we weren’t creating the chances. Three clean sheets in a row in the league, I think it’s a big thing for us. And it gives us a good platform to go forward.”
NOTES
Vancouver played without leading scorer Brian White for a third consecutive game as the American striker works his way back from a concussion. … Gauld’s second assist marked his 15th goal contribution (six goals, nine assists) in his last 15 Whitecaps games across all competitions. … An announced crowd of 21,309 took in the game at B.C. Place.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps kick off a two-game road swing Wednesday against the Houston Dynamo. The Earthquakes host the Seattle Sounders the same night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
MILAN (AP) — Bologna’s preparations for its Champions League debut are not going well though it managed to spoil Como’s first Serie A home match in 21 years on Saturday.
Bologna came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw to gather three points from its opening four matches.
Bologna hosts Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Its only other appearance in Europe’s top competition was in 1964 in the preliminary round of the old European Cup.
AC Milan is also winless as it prepares for a Tuesday Champions League match against Liverpool. The Rossoneri hosted promoted Venezia later. Juventus drew at Empoli 0-0.
Como made a great start in the fifth minute when Patrick Cutrone attempted to roll the ball across the six-yard box but it took a huge deflection off Bologna defender Nicolò Casale for an own goal.
Bologna thought it was gifted a way back into the match on the stroke of halftime when referee Marco Piccinini signalled for a penalty following an Alberto Moreno handball, but he revoked his decision and instead gave a free kick because the handball was just outside the area.
Bologna improved after the break but found itself further behind when Cutrone raced onto a through ball and cut inside past a defender and fired into the far bottom corner.
Tommaso Pobega hit the post for Bologna, which finally pulled one back in the 76th through substitute Santiago Castro.
Another substitute helped the visitors snatch a point when Samuel Iling-Junior curled a fine strike into the top left corner in stoppage time.
Unbeaten sides
Juventus, and more surprisingly Empoli, are among six unbeaten sides.
Empoli held Monza and Bologna to draws either side of a shock 2-1 win at Roma. Juventus’ perfect start to the season was ruined by Roma in a goalless draw before the international break.
On Saturday, there were few clearcut chances in Empoli although home goalkeeper Devis Vásquez made spectacular saves to fingertip out a Federico Gatti header and deny Dusan Vlahovic in a one on one with the Juventus forward.
Empoli had a good opportunity in the 73rd minute following an Alberto Grassi one-two with Pietro Pellegri but the finish was straight at Mattia Perin.
The host could have won it right at the death but Gatti flew in with a great sliding block to keep out Emanuel Gyasi’s close-range effort.
Juventus hosts PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday.
