There’s mostly good injury news for the Maple Leafs and especially Blue Jackets heading into Sunday’s decisive Game 5 (8 p.m. ET on NBCSN; livestream). The Blue Jackets having Zach Werenski in the lineup against the Maple Leafs for Game 5 is the biggest bit, but there’s more.
Werenski, Murray, Korpisalo in for Blue Jackets in Game 5
Considering how much bad injury news the Blue Jackets absorbed in 2019-20, it must be refreshing to get some positive updates for Game 5.
Maybe most importantly, Zach Werenski is in.
The offensively-gifted defenseman missed the Maple Leafs’ blistering Game 4 comeback, including overtime. So it was fair to wonder if Werenski could suit up for the Blue Jackets against the Maple Leafs in Game 5.
Now, it’ll probably be fair to wonder if Werenski is at full-strength. That’s the nature of the beast during the postseason, pandemic or not.
On one hand, Murray hasn’t contributed really anything offensively. (He has zero points, and just one shot on goal.) On the other, Murray had been mostly breaking even all-around in this series. Murray’s expected to pair up with Dean Kukan in Game 5.
The team’s website indicates that John Tortorella said that Elvis Merzlikins might be injured, so maybe it’s not that interesting? Korpisalo began the series on a strong note, but the Maple Leafs got to him quite a bit more as it went along. We’ll see how Korpisalo and the Blue Jackets respond to that stunning Game 4 loss, and the pressure of facing the Maple Leafs in that decisive Game 5.
Maple Leafs may get Muzzin back soon — just not vs. Blue Jackets in Game 5
From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, good news hinges on beating the Blue Jackets in Game 5.
Jake Muzzin isn’t expected to play in Game 5, as expected. If the Maple Leafs can win on Sunday, they might get Muzzin back at some point.
Muzzin won’t play tonight but if Leafs advance he should be ready for next round. https://t.co/eVuXcrMUDo
That’s great if Toronto can advance, but that’s an enormous if. Expect plenty of drama on NBCSN on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. (Again, you can watch it live here.)
(8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets (Series tied 2-2)
Sunday, Aug. 2: Blue Jackets 2, Maple Leafs 0 (recap) Tuesday, Aug. 4: Maple Leafs 3, Blue Jackets 0 (recap) Thursday, Aug. 6: Blue Jackets 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT) (recap) Friday, Aug. 7: Maple Leafs 4, Blue Jackets 3 (OT) (recap) Sunday, Aug. 9: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN (livestream)
OTTAWA – American receiver Justin Hardy will miss the Ottawa Redblacks’ regular-season finale Friday.
Hardy, who leads the CFL in receptions (97) and is second in receiving yards (1,343), was listed off Ottawa’s depth chart Thursday. Hardy was named Wednesday as the Redblacks’ nominee for the league’s outstanding player award.
American Andrew Miller will start in Hardy’s place.
Ottawa (8-7-1) concludes its regular season hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7-10). The Redblacks have already clinched third in the East and will visit the Toronto Argonauts (10-7) in the division semifinal Nov. 2.
Hamilton has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Incumbent Dru Brown is listed as Ottawa’s starting quarterback.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
BOLOGNA, Italy (AP) — AC Milan’s weekend match at Bologna in Italy’s top soccer league has been postponed, Bologna officials announced Thursday following extensive flooding in the central Italian city.
The Serie A match had been scheduled for Saturday.
Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, large parts of which have been hard hit by torrential rains and bad weather for days.
The game was not immediately rescheduled.
“Following the flood that affected Bologna, intense work is underway to clean up the situation,” the city of Bologna said while announcing the game postponement on X.
BASEL, Switzerland – Canada’s Denis Shapovalov advanced to the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Thursday.
Shapovalov used a strong service game to overcome the Spanish veteran for the win at the ATP 500 event in just under one hour 40 minutes.
The 25-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., fired 18 aces, including one to set up match point in the second-set tiebreaker, and won 79 per cent of first-serves and 63 per cent of second-serve points.
Shapovalov, a former top-10 player on the ATP Tour, entered this year’s Swiss Indoors ranked 95th and will appear in just his second quarterfinal of the season.
He improved to 3-0 against Bautista Agut, who he beat in July en route to a quarterfinal appearance in Washington.
Shapovalov will next face the winner of a match scheduled for later Thursday between defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal and France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
