Finland 5, Slovakia 2 —Joakim Kemell (Nashville Predators) and Oliver Kapanen (Montreal Canadiens) each had a goal and an assist for Finland in a Group B game at Avenir Centre.
Sami Paivarinta (2023 draft eligible), Jani Nyman (Seattle Kraken) and Brad Lambert (Winnipeg Jets) scored, and Jani Lampinen (2023 draft eligible) made 22 saves for Finland (1-0-1-0), which rebounded from a 3-2 overtime loss to Switzerland on Monday.
“Today we had a fresh start,” Finland coach Tomi Lamsa said. “And I’m satisfied with how we played, the kind of energy we had. Tactically I think we did good decisions. And of course, in the second period we had three goals. That was a big, big 20 minutes for us.”
Peter Repcik (2023 draft eligible) scored two power-play goals for Slovakia (0-0-0-1). Patrik Andrisik (2023 draft eligible) allowed four goals on 15 shots before being replaced in the second period by Matej Marinov (2023 draft eligible), who made seven saves.
Paivarinta made it 1-0 at 8:54 of the first period with a shot from the right face-off dot.
Repcik scored on the rebound of a shot by Dalibor Dvorsky (2023 draft eligible) to tie it 1-1 at 19:49.
Kemell gave Finland a 2-1 lead at 3:34 of the second period before Kapanen made it 3-1 on a wraparound at 7:45.
Nyman extended the lead to 4-1 with a power-play goal at 13:56.
Repcik’s second goal cut it to 4-2 at 3:22 of the third period, but Lambert scored on an end-to-end rush at 5:01 for the 5-2 final.
Slovakia next plays the United States on Wednesday (4 p.m. ET). Finland plays Latvia on Thursday (11 a.m. ET).
“I think we are really good players, and I think we can make a surprise,” Repcik said of playing the United States.
Sweden 1, Germany 0 —Carl Lindbom (Vegas Golden Knights) made 28 saves for his second consecutive shutout in a Group A game at Scotiabank Centre.
Lindbom made 13 saves in an 11-0 win against Austria on Monday.
Adam Engstrom (Montreal Canadiens) scored for Sweden (2-0-0-0), which went 0-for-4 on the power play.
“We didn’t play good,” Sweden forward Isak Rosen (Buffalo Sabres) said. “We’re not doing anything wrong really, but we don’t use our skill enough. We don’t go hard to the net to score goals. We could score some more goals, but (we’re) not getting there, so that’s got to be better. But a win is a win.”
Nikita Quapp (Carolina Hurricanes) made 43 saves for Germany (0-0-0-1).
“I think we played a good game,” Germany coach Tobias Abstreiter said. “I think it was the best first game that we played the last couple of years, and against a good hockey nation. We had a chance to win the game.”
Engstrom scored at 19:38 of the first period. Filip Bystedt (San Jose Sharks) won an offensive-zone face-off back to Engstrom, who shot the rolling puck through traffic past Quapp.
Fabian Lysell (Boston Bruins) had a chance to extend Sweden’s lead, but he was stopped on a penalty shot at 11:23 of the second period.
Lindbom made 13 saves in the third period to preserve the win.
Germany next plays Canada on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. ET). Sweden plays Czechia on Thursday (1:30 p.m. ET).
Switzerland 3, Latvia 2 (SO) — Liekit Reichle (2023 draft eligible) scored in the seventh round of the shootout for Switzerland, which rallied in a Group B game at Avenir Centre.
Louis Robin (2023 draft eligible) and Rodwin Dionicio (2023 draft eligible) scored for Switzerland (0-2-0-0). Kevin Pasche (2023 draft eligible) made 16 saves.
Darels Dukurs (2023 draft eligible) and Dans Locmelis (Boston Bruins) scored for Latvia (0-0-1-1). Patriks Berzins (2023 draft eligible) made 27 saves.
Dionicio tied it 2-2 with 1:56 remaining in the third period on a point shot through traffic with Pasche pulled for an extra attacker.
Robin put Switzerland ahead 1-0 at 8:20 of the first period, scoring on the rebound of a shot by Brian Zanetti (Philadelphia Flyers).
Locmelis tied it 1-1 at 13:03 when he scored off his own rebound, and Dukurs gave Latvia a 2-1 lead at 17:50 of the second period on a rebound on the power play.
Latvia next plays Finland on Thursday (11 a.m. ET), when Switzerland will play the United States (4 p.m. ET).
Czechia 9, Austria 0 —Jiri Kulich (Buffalo Sabres) had a hat trick for Czechia in a Group A game at Scotiabank Centre.
Gabriel Szturc (2023 draft eligible) scored twice, David Spacek (Minnesota Wild) had a goal and an assist, Matyas Sapovaliv (Vegas Golden Knights) had four assists, Stanislav Svozil (Columbus Blue Jackets) had three assists, and Tomas Suchanek (2023 draft eligible) made eight saves and had two assists for Czechia (2-0-0-0), which defeated Canada 5-2 on Monday.
“We won and got three points, which is great, but we have to stay grounded and be ready for our next game,” Svozil said. “We played the same way the whole game, which is important. We knew Austria isn’t Canada, but they’re still a good team and we had to be ready, and we were.”
Michael Sicher (2023 draft eligible) made 38 saves for Austria (0-0-0-2), which lost 11-0 to Sweden on Monday.
“We always say in the locker room you’ve got to focus on the positive things, but obviously if you lose games 11-0, 9-0 it’s hard to just focus on the good stuff,” Austria forward Vinzenz Rohrer (Montreal Canadiens) said. “For sure our third period is something we can hang on. … The emotions went up, the guys were blocking shots. So I think that’s one of the things that we got to keep up.”
Jakub Brabenec (Vegas Golden Knights) made it 1-0 at 3:50 of the first period with a power-play goal.
Kulich extended the lead to 2-0 at 16:26 when he scored from the right face-off circle after receiving a seam pass from the left point by Svozil.
Petr Hauser (New Jersey Devils) jammed in a loose puck in the crease to make it 3-0 at 18:39.
Szturc made it 4-0 at 1:05 of the second period, and Ales Cech (2023 draft eligible) pushed it to 5-0 at 2:56 with a point shot that squeezed between Sicher’s pads.
Kulich scored on a power play to make it 6-0 at 8:16. Szturc then made it 7-0 at 10:02 when he finished a give-and-go with Jaroslav Chmelar (New York Rangers).
Kulich completed the hat trick on a breakaway eight seconds into the third period to make it 8-0, and Spacek scored at 14:13 for the 9-0 final.
Czechia next plays Sweden on Thursday (1:30 p.m. ET), when Austria will play Canada (6:30 p.m. ET).
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
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.
