The Edmonton Oilers came out slow, but the Chicago Blackhawks came out slower. Edmonton failed to rev it up in the second, but the Blackhawks failed harder.
In the most hum drum game of the season — notable only because two good goals appeared to have been taken away from the Oiles by the refs — Edmonton squeezed out a 2-1 victory.
Connor McDavid, 7. Not his “A” game, it’s safe to say. He was muscled off the puck on Chicago’s first Grade A shot. He charged up ice and created his own break-in chance early in the first. Later in the period he stole a puck to set up a Bouchard slot harpoon. Early in the second he blitzed in off Ekholm’s stretch pass and deked Petr Mrazek for Edmonton’s second goal. Contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +4/-1; Special Teams +0/-2.
Zach Hyman, 6. He was the prime culprit on the first goal against, bumping into Cody Ceci in the n-zone, eliminating both players. He legally screened Mrazek from the outside edge of the crease but the refs still took away a good goal for the Oilers. On a second suspect call, he had a good goal taken away by the refs on an iffy Draisaitl off-side and coach’s challenge early in the third. He missed a wide open net with the net empty. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-0.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 5. He did his bit on the PK, which was crucial for the Oilers but was otherwise quiet. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0.
Leon Draisaitl, 7. More good moments than bad and one great strike. He set up Ekholm’s 5-alarm slot shot early in the game, then zipped in McLeod’s pass on the break to tie the game. He and his line had a terrible shift getting outworked late in the third, not a good time to let down. He won 11 of 16 face-offs. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +0/-2.
Warren Foegele, 6. Played with his usual hustle. He drove hard to the net for a Grade A power play shot in the first. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +2/-0.
Derek Ryan, 6. He earned his marks on the PK, where he got the job done. He won 11 out of 15 on the dot. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
Evander Kane, 4. Not his best game. Failed to cash in a rebound on McD’s break-in shot in the first. He took an iffy reach-in tripping penalty half-way through the third. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
Connor Brown, 6. He got things going early on, centreing the puck, then moving to the slot to redirect on net Brett Kulak’s outside shot. He had good some moments on the PK. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +2/-0.
Mattias Janmark, 5. He made a solid block on the PK early in the third. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.
James Hamblin, 5. He failed to drain a great slot pass from Erne in the third but played with his usual hustle. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Adam Erne, 5. He was fighting the puck a bit but set up Hamblin in the slot for a 5-alarmer. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Evan Bouchard, 6. He failed to drain a slot pass from McDavid late in the first. He was otherwise solid. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-1.
Darnell Nurse, 5. Had some good moments but also some iffy ones. He sprawled on Chicago’s first goal, sliding out of the play, allowing the wide-open 5-alarm shot. A moment later his stretch pass ignited the rush on Draisaitl’s goal. He made a huge play on what should have been the third or fourth Edmonton goal, winning a battle on the boards and firing it up ice. He got caught out behind the net on a 5-alarmer half-way through the third. GAS: ES +1/-5; ST +0/-2.
Cody Ceci, 4. His turnover in the third led to a wicked slot shot from Rem Pitlick, which he put off the post. He also allowed a slot pass that Ryan Donato almost slammed home in the third. GAS: ES +1/-3; ST +0/-0.
Brett Kulak, 6. Quiet game, decent game. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Vincent Desharnais, 7. He had a solid game on defence, as well as moving the puck. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Stuart Skinner, 7. He had little chance on Dickinson’s goal, but then came up with a gargantuan stop on Ryan Donato, sprawling to get his arm on Donato’s stuff shot. He thwarted a 5-alarmer from Joey Anderson late in the first. His turnover in the second led to a wicked Hawks slot shot, but the shooter missed the net. Chicago got little on net in the second and early in the third, but he made a huge save on Ryan Donato with ten minutes left, and a few good ones after that as well.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
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AP NBA:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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