Pappin, credited with Maple Leafs’ last Cup-winner, dies at 82 - Sportsnet.ca

| June 30, 2022, 12:51 AM

June 30, 2022, 12:51 AM

TORONTO — Jim Pappin, the former NHL forward credited with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ last Stanley Cup-winning goal, has died. He was 82.

The Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks announced the death Wednesday on social media.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Pappin," the Maple Leafs said. "Jim played five seasons in Toronto, winning the Stanley Cup in 1964 & ’67. Named one of the 100 Greatest Leafs, he scored the Cup-winning goal and led the team in scoring in ’67. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Later, the Blackhawks said: “The ‘P’ in the MPH Line tallied 444 points in 488 games in Chicago and ranks 17th all-time for franchise scorers with 216 goals. Our hearts go out to Jim’s family and friends.”

Pappin was given credit for Toronto's second goal in a 3-1 series-ending victory over Montreal in Game 6 on May 2, 1967. Linemate Pete Stemkowski deflected it in, but allowed Pappin to take credit to earn a contract bonus.

Pappin also played on Toronto's 1964 Stanley Cup championship team, spending part of five seasons with the Maple Leafs.

Traded to Chicago in 1968, he had his biggest offensive seasons with the Blackhawks with MPH Line mates Pit Martin and Dennis Hull, finishing with career highs of 41 goals, 51 assists and 92 points in 1972-73.

After seven seasons with Chicago, he spent the 1975-76 season with the California Seals and followed the franchise to Cleveland the following year for his final NHL season.

In 767 regular-season games in 14 seasons in the NHL, Pappin had 278 goals and 295 assists. In 92 playoff games, he had 33 goals and 34 assists.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNwb3J0c25ldC5jYS9uaGwvYXJ0aWNsZS9wYXBwaW4tY3JlZGl0ZWQtd2l0aC10b3JvbnRvcy1sYXN0LWN1cC13aW5uZXItZGllcy1hdC04Mi_SAV1odHRwczovL3d3dy5zcG9ydHNuZXQuY2EvbmhsL3BhcHBpbi1jcmVkaXRlZC13aXRoLXRvcm9udG9zLWxhc3QtY3VwLXdpbm5lci1kaWVzLWF0LTgyL3NuLWFtcC8?oc=5

2022-06-30 04:51:00Z
1486355411

Tim Hortons, Esso withdraw for world juniors in another blow for Hockey Canada - CP24 Toronto's Breaking News

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, June 29, 2022 6:58PM EDT

TORONTO - Tim Hortons and Imperial Oil have joined a growing list of corporations to pull sponsorship dollars in the wake of Hockey Canada's handling of an alleged sexual assault and out-of-court settlement.

Tim Hortons said Wednesday it is “suspending support” for the upcoming men's world junior hockey championship this summer in Edmonton as the restaurant chain awaits details on how the national federation intends to take “strong and definitive action” following the “deeply concerning allegations.”

“Hockey Canada has communicated that it is committed to changing the culture of hockey to make it safer and more inclusive for all, on and off the ice,” Tim Hortons said in the statement. “We have expressed strongly that we believe Canadians are urgently seeking concrete details from Hockey Canada about how it intends to do so.

“We will re-evaluate our sponsorship agreement once we have all the information we need to consider our options.”

Imperial Oil, which is the head sponsor of the Canadian national women's under-18 hockey club championship under its Esso brand, also said it is withdrawing support from the world junior championship while continuing to sponsor youth and women's programs.

The energy company took a more definitive step Wednesday, a day after releasing a statement saying it was “concerned by the recent allegations.”

“Imperial will not be supporting the upcoming 2022 men's world junior championship with the Esso brand,” the company said Wednesday. “This matter is deeply concerning, and we have communicated our expectations to Hockey Canada that concrete steps must be taken to address safety issues and ensure swift culture change.”

The moves come after Scotiabank, Canadian Tire and Telus all paused Hockey Canada sponsorships Tuesday until the companies are confident the right steps are being taken to improve the sport's culture.

The federal government froze Hockey Canada's public funding last week.

Hockey Canada quietly settled a lawsuit last month after a woman, now 24, claimed she was assaulted by members of the country's 2018 gold-medal winning world junior hockey team at a gala and golf function four years ago in London, Ont.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Hockey Canada executives were grilled by legislators on Parliament Hill last week during a Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage meeting looking into the matter.

Scotiabank president and CEO Brian J. Porter said in an open letter Tuesday that marketing and events at the world juniors will be cancelled.

He said the investments would be redirected into other programs, including one that aims to help eliminate financial barriers for young people in the game, and the women's world championship.

Canadian Tire said in its statement the company is “deeply disappointed in Hockey Canada's lack of transparency and accountability around the assault allegations.” In addition to withdrawing support from the world juniors, Canadian Tire said it is “re-evaluating its relationship with Hockey Canada.”

Telus, meanwhile, said it's redirecting sponsorship money to Canadian organizations that support women affected by sexual violence. The telecommunications giant added it would continue to support women's events and youth programs.

Business development and partnerships have previously made up 43 per cent of Hockey Canada's coffers, according to the organization's most recent numbers, ahead of funding agencies (14 per cent), insurance premiums (13 per cent), interest revenue (10 per cent) and the taxpayer funds (six per cent).

Hockey Canada said last week it needs to “do more” to build a safer culture following a tumultuous few days that included president Scott Smith and outgoing CEO Tom Renney getting called to the floor by parliamentarians.

“Unfortunately, we did not receive many answers,” Pascale St-Onge, the federal government's minister of sport, told reporters in Ottawa last Wednesday.

She said at the time Hockey Canada would only have its public money restored once officials produced an incomplete report from a third-party law firm hired to investigate the 2018 incident that allegedly involved eight players.

St-Onge added Hockey Canada must also become a signatory to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner, a new government agency with the power to independently investigate abuse complaints and levy sanctions.

The woman who made the assault allegation was seeking $3.55 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the unnamed players.

Details of the settlement have not been publicized, but Smith testified to the committee Hockey Canada came up with the funds and paid the entire sum, adding no government money was used.

St-Onge has ordered an audit to make sure that's the case.

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is set to meet July 26 and 27 to hear from more witnesses. It has also requested a redacted copy of the non-disclosure agreement related to the financial settlement along with a long list of Hockey Canada communications.

St-Onge has said she only learned of the situation on call with Renney days before TSN broke the story last month. Hockey Canada said it informed Sport Canada of the situation in June 2018.

The House of Commons, meanwhile, has unanimously approved a Bloc Quebecois motion to pursue an independent investigation that will look into how Hockey Canada dealt with the allegations.

The organization hired Toronto law firm Henein Hutchison LLP to conduct its investigation, but Smith and Renney told MPs that while players present at the London event were “strongly encouraged” to participate, it was not mandated.

Smith said 12 or 13 of the 19 players from the world junior team at the gala were interviewed by investigators.

Hockey Canada has said repeatedly the woman declined to speak with both police and its third-party law firm.

Smith and Renney reiterated to the committee the woman also chose not to name the players. They added Hockey Canada still does not know the identities of the eight players in question.

The independent investigation ended in September 2020, but Renney testified the report is incomplete and shouldn't be released despite the fact in contained recommendations.

Smith testified last week on Parliament Hill that Hockey Canada has reported three sexual assault complaints in recent years, including the London incident, but declined to discuss the other two in front of the committee.

The NHL, which has said it also only recently learned of the allegations, is conducting its own investigation because some of the players in question are now in the league.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2022.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMic2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNwMjQuY29tL3Nwb3J0cy90aW0taG9ydG9ucy1lc3NvLXdpdGhkcmF3LWZvci13b3JsZC1qdW5pb3JzLWluLWFub3RoZXItYmxvdy1mb3ItaG9ja2V5LWNhbmFkYS0xLjU5Njg4NTTSAQA?oc=5

2022-06-29 22:58:02Z
1486355473

Sea Dogs win Memorial Cup, defeating Bulldogs in the Final - Sportsnet.ca

SAINT JOHN, N.B. — The Saint John Sea Dogs turned a devastating playoff loss into a Memorial Cup championship, thanks to renewed focus, 40 days of sweat and a university coach who pushed all the right buttons.

Considered a long shot at the beginning of the Canadian Hockey League championship due to a first-round loss in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs, the Memorial Cup host Sea Dogs downed the Hamilton Bulldogs 6-3 in Wednesday's final.

Saint John scored twice in the first six minutes of both the first and second periods and rode the emotion of a sellout crowd to win the championship for the second time in its 17-year history.

It was another national title for Gardiner MacDougall, a seven-time University Cup champion with the University of New Brunswick, who replaced Gordie Dwyer as head coach on May 22 and was credited for the revamped enthusiasm within the team that went 47-17-1-3 in the regular season before a stunning playoff loss to the Rimouski Oceanic in May.

“It was just a complete team effort,” said MacDougall. “The players are most important. They really bought in and they were all so receptive. This is as hard as I have ever worked a team.”

Cam MacDonald had a goal and an assist for the champions, while Josh Lawrence, Peter Reynolds and William Dufour — the tournament's most valuable player — had one of each. Captain Vincent Sevigny rounded out the scoring for Saint John. 

“It makes it more special because everyone thought we were the underdogs, not the Sea Dogs,” said Scott McCain, who's owned the team since 2005. “You know what? We proved we deserved to be here. We were the best team in the round robin and we won this game decisively today.”

Anaheim Ducks prospect Mason McTavish, with two goals, and Jan Mysak answered for the Bulldogs, who advanced to the final with a 4-3 overtime over Shawinigan in Monday’s semifinal.

Saint John goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise, acquired by the Sea Dogs at the QMJHL trade deadline, posted his third victory of the tournament with 25 saves.

“We have worked so hard and I am so, so proud,” said Hurtubise. “We knew that we worked too hard in the past month to not win it. We earned it.”

Hamilton’s Marco Costantini stopped 21 of 26 shots in the loss.

The Sea Dogs also won the Memorial Cup in 2011. Their win on Wednesday marks the sixth time a QMJHL team has won the Memorial Cup in the last 10 tournaments.

The 2020 and 2021 Memorial Cup events were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamilton was making its second Memorial Cup appearance after advancing to the 2018 semifinals where they fell to the Regina Pats.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Bulldogs 5-3 in the opening game of the tournament and used the same script Wednesday, scoring early.

Sevigny accepted a feed from Toronto Maple Leafs prospect William Villeneuve and his blast hit the stick of Hamilton’s Arber Xhekaj and whipped past Costantini 2:35 into the game.

“It is amazing,” Sevigny said. “It was a lot of hard work and the work paid off. To have this is the best day of our lives.”

Just over three minutes later, Villeneuve made another slick move on the right side boards and hit MacDonald in the slot. He made no mistake when he wristed a quick shot to beat Costantini at the 5:47 mark.

McTavish picked up his fifth of the tournament when he redirected a Nathan Staios shot past Hurtubise at 7:45 to calm the crowd and give Hamilton a much needed injection of offence.

Bezeau — a forward from Rothesay, N.B., who started attending Sea Dogs games at age five — patiently held the puck on a rush down the right side before connecting on a wrist shot 4:41 into the second.

Dufour, who led the tournament with seven goals, ripped a feed from Ryan Francis 5:15 into the period to give the Sea Dogs a 4-1 lead.

Hamilton allowed several other golden chances but came within two goals when Mysak had a Gavin White shot glance off him and past Hurtubise with nine seconds left in the period.

Lawrence put the Sea Dogs on the brink of the title with a sharp shot to the top corner on a feed from Dufour on a power play 6:32 into the third.

McTavish added his second of the night with 4:57 left on the game clock.

Reynolds fired a puck into an empty to seal the win at 18:43.

"The message to the boys was they're a champion of champions," said Hamilton coach Jay McKee. "What made the difference is (Saint John) capitalized on their big chances."

Saint John earned the bye to the final with two wins and an overtime loss to the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Oil Kings in preliminary action.

The Bulldogs won the Ontario Hockey League championship to advance to the Memorial Cup but dropped their first two games of the preliminary round to set up a series of do-or-die contests, starting with a 4-2 victory against the Oil Kings.

In a thrilling semifinal on Monday, Mysak scored 10:08 into overtime to lift Hamilton past the Shawinigan Cataractes 4-3.

Despite Wednesday's loss, the Bulldogs earned their OHL championship and are proud of the run at the Memorial Cup, said Staios, the CHL's defenceman of the year. 

"It took two months of war to get to it," he said. "We beat every championship team here. We beat the WHL, we beat the QMJHL, so (it) stings but you know, we're proud of ourselves. We're going to keep our heads high."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNwb3J0c25ldC5jYS9qdW5pb3JzL2FydGljbGUvc2VhLWRvZ3Mtd2luLW1lbW9yaWFsLWN1cC1kZWZlYXRpbmctYnVsbGRvZ3MtaW4tdGhlLWZpbmFsL9IBYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNwb3J0c25ldC5jYS9qdW5pb3JzL3NlYS1kb2dzLXdpbi1tZW1vcmlhbC1jdXAtZGVmZWF0aW5nLWJ1bGxkb2dzLWluLXRoZS1maW5hbC9zbi1hbXAv?oc=5

2022-06-30 00:56:00Z
1486561893

Which 2022 NHL Draft prospects would make the best superteam? Our experts make their picks - The Athletic

We decided to try a new idea, a 40-pick “superteam” draft between our two NHL prospect writers. The idea was to build the best starting lineup of 12 forwards, with four centers, six defensemen and two goalies, all from the player pool of 2022 NHL Draft eligibles. Yes, this idea was lifted right from ESPN’s NFL coverage, but The Athletic’s Chris Sprow was the initial inventor when he was at ESPN, so we consider that fair game!

Following a coin flip, Scott Wheeler picked first and Corey Pronman picked second.

---

1. Shane Wright, C, Kingston Frontenacs

Wright may not become the highest-scoring player in this draft, but he’s a winning player at a premium position. I’m excited to begin to build my team around his well-rounded offensive game and detail-oriented defensive one. —Wheeler

2. Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS

It was nice of Scott to leave arguably the best player in the draft in Slafkovsky for me. He’s an elite athlete with tremendous skill who should be the driving force of my offense. —Pronman

3. Logan Cooley, C, U.S. NTDP

We’re building this team through the middle of the ice, as all great teams are built, and that starts with the two best centres in the draft. Wright and Cooley bring different elements and form an interchangeable, formidable 1-2 punch. —Wheeler

4. Simon Nemec, RHD, Nitra

I’m all about Slovakia on my team. I have the best puck-moving defenseman in the draft now in Nemec to get the puck up to Slafkovsky. —Pronman

5. David Jiricek, RHD, Plzen

The Czech blueliner has all of the tools required to become an NHL stalwart who can play an aggressive game on both sides of the puck. I’m not going to let Corey take the draft’s two best defensemen the way he let me take the draft’s two best centres. —Wheeler

First #IIHFWorlds game, first #IIHFWorlds goal ✅@DavidJiricek with a rocket to make it 3-0 for @narodnitym

#CZEGBR #IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/W4QCJplimA

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 14, 2022

6. Joakim Kemell, RW, JYP

Kemell did very well versus pros this season and I’m looking forward to him being a top-line right-winger opposite Slafkovsky. —Pronman

7. Matthew Savoie, C, Winnipeg Ice

Savoie’s high-skill, high-speed, tenacious game complements Cooley’s to give my head coach (to be named later) either enviable depth down the middle or a right winger who can play at the very top of my lineup alongside either Wright or Cooley. —Wheeler

8. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgarden

Between Kemell, Slafkovsky and now Lekkerimaki my team is going to score a ton of goals. —Pronman

9. Danila Yurov, RW, Metallurg Magnitogorsk

We’re not afraid of taking risks here at Team Wheeler and as general manager I’m prepared to take one on Yurov, who I believe to be the best player available and a perfect fit alongside Cooley. —Wheeler

10. Cutter Gauthier, C, U.S. NTDP

By putting him down the middle, Gauthier rounds out my top line. He brings a lot of assets between his frame, speed, skill, shot and two-way ability. —Pronman

11. Brad Lambert, C/RW, Pelicans

This team is going to be built on speed and skill. Lambert’s got plenty of both, and I’m confident that he’s going to bounce back from an up-and-down year to retain his top-prospect status. —Wheeler

12. Denton Mateychuk, LHD, Moose Jaw Warriors

We don’t have much size on my blue line yet but my defensemen are going to put up points and be active in transition. —Pronman

13. Kevin Korchinski, LHD, Seattle Thunderbirds

Speaking of defencemen who can put up points and produce offence! I’m thrilled to add Korchinski’s length, playmaking and vision opposite Jiricek on the top pairing. —Wheeler

14. Marco Kasper, C, Rogle

I get a top-10 talent in this draft at 14, neat! Kasper is a well-rounded center who competes at a high level and will provide some skill, too. —Pronman

15. Frank Nazar, C, U.S. NTDP

This team’s just going to keep coming at you. I love the idea of two of the fastest — if not the fastest — players in the draft playing alongside one another. Good luck keeping up with Nazar and Lambert when they’re out there against soft matchups. —Wheeler

16. Rutger McGroarty, LW, U.S. NTDP

Lining McGroarty up with Kasper is going to make that line both a scoring threat and bring a ton of sandpaper. —Pronman

17. Lane Hutson, LHD, U.S. NTDP

Game-breaking D are in short supply in every draft and I want Hutson on my team. He has the right skills to play behind the length of my first pairing. —Wheeler

18. Conor Geekie, C, Winnipeg Ice

I’ve got three centers now with size and legit skill. My smallest center is bigger than my opponent’s largest! —Pronman

19. Liam Ohgren, LW, Djurgarden

Ohgren adds a well-rounded, physically mature, power-finesse scorer to the top of my lineup. —Wheeler

20. Jiri Kulich, LW, Karlovy Vary

Kulich brings NHL speed, skill and scoring ability while being a solid two-way forward on my third line. —Pronman

21. Isaac Howard, LW, U.S. NTDP

Howard was BPA on my board a few picks ago, but I had a sneaking suspicion I’d be able to wait on him. I’m not prepared to wait any longer. His skill-scoring game rounds out my top six beautifully. —Wheeler

ISAAC HOWARD COMPLETES THE HAT-TRICK 🎩🎩🎩

🇺🇸 USA leads 🇨🇦 Canada 6-3 after 40 minutes.#U18Worlds pic.twitter.com/sahYPvJNCg

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 23, 2022

22. Pavel Mintyukov, LHD, Saginaw Spirit

I’ll draft a defenseman who can kill penalties eventually, but all my defensemen, so far, can skate and move pucks like NHLers. —Pronman

23. Noah Ostlund, C, Djurgarden

Ostlund gives my fourth line the skating and skill that is present throughout the lineup, while also adding some versatility and all-situations utility. Don’t let the 5-foot-10 frame fool you, he’s a strong two-way player who is good in the faceoff circle. —Wheeler

24. Ivan Miroshnichenko, RW, Omsk Krylia

Miroshnichenko, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier in the year, is a top-five talent in the draft, providing a high-end combination of power, skill, speed and scoring ability. —Pronman

25. Ryan Chesley, RHD, U.S. NTDP

I’m keeping the U.S. NTDP’s top pairing together and using them as my second pairing to complete a top four that has something of everything. —Wheeler

26. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, U.S. NTDP

Snuggy will provide size and compete to my fourth line while also being a highly skilled goal scorer. —Pronman

27. Nathan Gaucher, C, Quebec Remparts

There are a couple of forwards I like better here on my board, but as I round out the bottom of my roster I want to make sure I’ve got a fifth player who can play center and I like Gaucher as a big, strong, powerful player who gives my roster a bit of a different dimension on the fourth line. —Wheeler

28. Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Mississauga-OHL

Gaucher was my preference here but I’m fine settling for DBB as my fourth-line center. He can kill penalties and provide scoring ability too. —Pronman

29. Hugo Havelid, G, Linkoping

I’m feeling really good about filling out my remaining two spots at forward and on defence with the guys I’ve got my eye on, so I’m making sure I get the netminder I believe is the best in this class. Havelid (who is 5-foot-10) will follow after Dustin Wolf and Devon Levi to do little goalies proud. —Wheeler

30. Lian Bichsel, LHD, Leksand

Bichsel will complement all the defensemen I’ve picked so far by being able to shut down top forwards and take hard defensive minutes. —Pronman

31. David Goyette, C/LW, Sudbury Wolves

You knew it was coming. Goyette completes the fastest third line in the history of fast third lines. —Wheeler

32. Topias Leinonen, G, JYP

Leinonen for my money is the best goalie in the draft so I’m excited to get him at the 32-spot to guard my net. —Pronman

33. Seamus Casey, RHD, U.S. NTDP

I zeroed in on Casey as a sheltered third-pairing puck mover at the start of this exercise and I’m glad he’s still around. The three top D prospects at the program this year all get to stick together with Team Wheeler. —Wheeler

34. Owen Pickering, LHD, Swift Current Broncos

I’m excited to add a 6-foot-4, mobile defenseman who can move the puck at the 34-slot to my third pair. —Pronman

35. Tyler Brennan, G, Prince George Cougars

There’s a chance Brennan is the first goalie selected in Montreal and I’m happy to make him the third goalie picked here and my backup. —Wheeler

36. Reid Schaefer, LW, Seattle Thunderbirds

Schaefer is a 6-foot-3 winger who plays hard and provides some skill and scoring. Hutson better keep his head up when Schaefer is on the ice. —Pronman

Reid Schaefer tickles the twine for the second time in the series and ties the game up for the @SeattleTbirds. #NHLDraft | #WHLPlayoffs | #SEAvsKEL pic.twitter.com/iIjbTvjIRr

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 27, 2022

37. Calle Odelius, LHD, Djurgarden

I thought about taking lefty Mats Lindgren for my final spot on the left side, but Odelius’ more mature/polished game complements Seamus Casey perfectly. I love the makeup of each of my three pairings with Odelius as the last piece. —Wheeler

38. Maveric Lamoureux, RHD, Drummondville Voltigeurs

Lamoureux is a mobile, 6-foot-7 defenseman who will PK and take a lot of D-zone draws for my team. —Pronman

39. Filip Mesar, C/LW/RW, Poprad

Mesar’s a right-handed shot but he has spent time at all three forward positions at the professional level and capped off his draft year playing left wing in the playoffs. I like that versatility for my 12th forward spot. —Wheeler

40. Dylan Silverstein, G, U.S. NTDP

I’m happy with Silverstein as my backup, he may be the most athletic goalie in the draft. —Pronman

Team Pronman

Juraj Slafkovsky	Cutter Gauthier	Joakim Kemell
Rutger McGroarty	Marco Kasper	Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Jiri Kulich	Conor Geekie	Ivan Miroshnichenko
Reid Schaefer	Luca Del Bel Belluz	Jimmy Snuggerud
Denton Mateychuk	Simon Nemec
Pavel Mintyukov	Lian Bichsel
Owen Pickering	Maveric Lamoureux
Topias Leinonen
Dylan Silverstein

Team Wheeler

Liam Ohgren	Shane Wright	Matthew Savoie
Isaac Howard	Logan Cooley	Danila Yurov
David Goyette	Frank Nazar	Brad Lambert
Filip Mesar	Noah Ostlund	Nathan Gaucher
Kevin Korchinski	David Jiricek
Lane Hutson	Ryan Chesley
Calle Odelius	Seamus Casey
Hugo Havelid
Tyler Brennan

(Illustration: Wes McCabe / The Athletic; photos: Terry Wilson / OHL Images; Xavier Laine / Getty Images)

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiRGh0dHBzOi8vdGhlYXRobGV0aWMuY29tLzMzODY3MzMvMjAyMi8wNi8yOS8yMDIyLW5obC1kcmFmdC1zdXBlcnRlYW0v0gEA?oc=5

2022-06-29 10:06:17Z
1485623067

Blue Jays thump Red Sox as Gausman provides much-needed quality outing - Sportsnet.ca

TORONTO – The baseball season is, in some ways, all about managing an ever-changing series of small fires. To start, maybe the offence isn’t clicking. Just when that comes around, the rotation erupts. Then, the bullpen goes, which only serves to reignite the starters. On and on it goes, teams moving from one crisis to another until only the deepest clubs remain standing.

Over the past couple of weeks, during which they split four games with the Baltimore Orioles before dropping three straight series to contending clubs, the Toronto Blue Jays have dealt with a number of flareups. Hyun Jin Ryu’s season-ending surgery. The struggles of Yusei Kikuchi and, more surprisingly, Jose Berrios. Danny Jansen’s ongoing absence. George Springer’s elbow. A series of bullpen injuries. Seemingly daily use of the Buffalo-to-Toronto relief shuffle.

It's been a lot, which made Kevin Gausman’s seven shutout innings plus home runs from Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Matt Chapman in a series-opening 7-2 thumping of the Boston Red Sox on Monday an ideal way to douse the recent embers.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNwb3J0c25ldC5jYS9tbGIvYXJ0aWNsZS9ibHVlLWpheXMtdGh1bXAtcmVkLXNveC1hcy1nYXVzbWFuLXJlZ2FpbnMtZm9ybS1pbi1zdHJlc3MtZnJlZS_SAQA?oc=5

2022-06-28 02:27:00Z
1483877782

Bunker blade on No. 18 by Sahith Theegala crushes victory hopes at Travelers Championship - Golf Channel

CROMWELL Conn. — Golf can be cruel.

Sahith Theegala walked to TPC River Highland's 18th tee with a one-stoke lead over Xander Schauffele and his maiden PGA Tour victory in sight.

Then the unfortunate happened.

After Theegala, a 24-year-old Tour rookie, hit his "perfect" tee shot into the left fairway bunker, he knew he still had a chance to win the Travelers Championship with a par. However, he thinned his second shot into the bank of bunker, his ball settling back into the sand.

"Never in a million years did I think I would allow myself to blade it," Theegala said after his round. "All I had to do was chunk it. (My caddie and I) even said, 'Like, this is a 50/50 ball in terms of I got to try and just basically hit it just a hair behind it.' Somehow my body just, I just straight bladed it. I had room there. I don't know how it looked, but I had room there. Just didn't think I would let myself blade it.

"But I guess the moment was — and then from there it's, like, 'Got to try and make 5 now.' Had a little more room. And I did the same thought process. I nearly bladed it again."

His second attempt out of the bunker went 43 yards and Theegala was 82 yards from the hole. He nearly made 5, but his 13-foot bogey putt lipped out, again sucking the air out of the very pro-Theegala crowd. Even if he made the putt, it might not have mattered. Schauffele, who went on to win, later birdied the hole.

---

Full-field scores from Travelers Championship

---

Theegala, however, still managed to find positives after heartbreak.

"Just going to grow from it," he said. "I feel like I'm playing really well and if I just keep doing the same, keep loving the game. I love the process. I've never loved it more than I have now. So, yeah, I'm just I'm really excited to see if I can do it again, keep putting myself in these positions."

Theegala has tasted victory before. He held the 54-hole Sanderson Farms Championship lead, but finished T-8. He also held the three-day WM Phoenix Open lead, but placed T-3. 

BY Associated Press  — June 26, 2022 at 7:34 PM

Xander Schauffele won the Travelers Championship with a three-stroke swing on the final hole Sunday.

With what he learned from those experiences, Theegala said he did "everything I thought I had to do and it just happened to be everything bad culminated on one hole." Still, he dreams of playing late on Sundays, like he did today. And if Theegala follows his "process" as he did this week in Connecticut, that coveted first win may soon come.

"[Theegala] was right there again and today and then in Arizona," Schauffele said when asked if he had any advice for Theegala after Sunday's heartbreak. "So he knows he can play to a level that will win out here on Tour and that's sort of — I think I don't need to tell him anything. I think he just needs to keep knocking on that door until he breaks that thing down." 

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmdvbGZjaGFubmVsLmNvbS9uZXdzL2J1bmtlci1ibGFkZS1uby0xOC1zYWhpdGgtdGhlZWdhbGEtY3J1c2hlcy12aWN0b3J5LWhvcGVzLXRyYXZlbGVycy1jaGFtcGlvbnNoaXDSAQA?oc=5

2022-06-26 23:47:27Z
1462394427

Honest In Gee Shows Her True Self At KPMG Women's PGA - LPGA

BETHESDA, MARYLAND | They don’t come more honest, which is refreshing in any profession these days but extraordinary in sports. Ask athletes to share their innermost feelings about anything and you’re likely to get looks ranging from bewilderment to contempt. At a time when the world seems to live on Me Island and every sentence starts with “I,” athletes are notorious for speaking endlessly about themselves without saying anything at all.

Then there is our latest major champion, In Gee Chun, who captured the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by a shot over her next-door neighbors in Irving, Texas, Minjee Lee, and Lexi Thompson. Unlike most 27-year-olds, Chun tells you everything. She is an open book – honest, earnest, intellectual, and the kind of gentle soul that makes you feel honored to know her.

Throughout the week, she was a breath of fresh air. Ask her about the course record 64 she shot on Thursday. “I’m so happy,” she said. Bring up the 75 she shot on Saturday, whittling a 7-shot lead down to three, and she said, “I have to put that aside and remember that I still have a lead and be happy with that.” Ask her about cooking for her neighbors, Minjee and Sei Young Kim, and she chuckles before saying, “I’m working on seasoning steak now.”

So, when she was asked on Sunday how it felt to blow a three-shot lead in the first four holes of the final round and make the turn having lost the lead for the first time since 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Chun pulled no punches.

“First nine holes I got a lot of pressure, so to be honest, I couldn't enjoy playing golf,” she said with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship trophy by her side. “But I believed that if I stuck to my game plan and then I believed that I had a chance on the back nine. So, I tried to hang in there. I'm so happy I made it. My body still shaking, though.”

So was everyone else’s. Chun opened up such a commanding lead in the first 45 holes that it looked like this one would be a runaway. At one point on Saturday, she was 11-under par, a number no one saw coming at Congressional Country Club when the week began. But major venues have a way of biting back. Chun made a couple of sloppy swings late on Saturday and finished the day at 7-under par, three clear of Thompson and Hye-Jin Choi.

A 40 on the front nine on Sunday and it looked like this one had gotten away from her.

“So I want to tell truth,” Chun said afterward. “I couldn't control all the pressure. This is why I had four bogeys (on the front). At the same time, you know, this course is never easy. Congressional Country Club is a hard golf course, and we had tough pin positions. Sometimes my golf is not perfect. Today, it just happened to be (not perfect) on the front nine.”

Then she laughed and said, “Golf is never easy. Still, I can't believe I won. That's why I feel really emotionally now.”

In the mark of a champion, Chun battled back. She played the difficult last four holes 1-under par, which was enough for the win. 

“At the time, I thought ‘In Gee if you never give up, then you can get something. Just don't crack under pressure. Just keep doing what you’re doing. See the big picture. Keep going to catch your goal.’”

It has been a long road. Chun last won in 2018 at the HanaBank Championship in her home country of South Korea. Before that, she won majors in 2015 and 2016.

“When I got in a slump, some people said, ‘In Gee, you should retire because your game is not good right now.’ But no matter what they said, I believed that I could win again. I'm so proud now.”

She has always been open, even about some of the struggles she had earlier in her career with depression. When asked what this win meant, not just for her career but for her personal journey back, she became quite emotional.

“I'm happy because my sponsors, they always believed in me,” she said. “I know it's never easy, so I really appreciate all my sponsors. Then my family and my coach, my managers, my friends, they never gave up on me no matter how I did, so I really wanted to win the last couple of years.

“I really appreciate everyone. When I got in a slump, I really wanted to quit golf, but not because of them. I stuck with it. I kept playing. That's how I won this week. That’s why I’m so thankful.”

Thankful and honest. How refreshing.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiU2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmxwZ2EuY29tL25ld3MvMjAyMi9ob25lc3QtaW4tZ2VlLXNob3dzLWhlci10cnVlLXNlbGYtYXQta3BtZy13b21lbnMtcGdh0gEA?oc=5

2022-06-27 00:58:25Z
1479867865

Colorado Avalanche win Stanley Cup, beat Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 - CTV News

TAMPA, Fla. -

The Colorado Avalanche are back atop hockey's mountain after dethroning the two-time defending champions.

Behind a goal and an assist from Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history and first in more than two decades by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the final Sunday night.

It's the first title for this core group led by MacKinnon, captain Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar and it follows years of playoff disappointment. The Avalanche lost in the second round each of the past three seasons after getting knocked out in the first round in 2018.

"It feels unbelievable," MacKinnon said. "Some tough years mixed in there, but it's all over now. We never stopped believing."

With a mix of speed, high-end talent and the experiences gained from those defeats, Colorado broke through this time -- earning every bit of the championship by knocking off the team that hoisted the Cup the past two years. Like the Avalanche fully expected, it wasn't easy.

After an early turnover by Makar leading to Steven Stamkos' goal that put them in a hole and several more bumps and bruises, the Avalanche tied it when MacKinnon beat 2021 playoff MVP Andrei Vasilevskiy with a near-perfect shot and went ahead on another big goal by trade deadline acquisition Artturi Lehkonen. They locked things down by holding on to the puck and not letting Tampa Bay even shoot the puck on Darcy Kuemper in the third period.

When they did, he was there. Brought in from Arizona in a trade last summer to shore up the sport's most important position, Kuemper was solid again and made his most important save with under seven minutes left when he slid over to deny skilled winger Nikita Kucherov.

Much like the Lightning went all in multiple times by trading high draft picks and prospects to load up for the best chance to win the Cup, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic was not afraid to ante up in March to acquire Lehkonen, defenseman Josh Manson and veteran forward Andrew Cogliano. They became the perfect complement to Colorado's core that had showed plenty of playoff promise and until now hadn't produced a championship.

Sakic, who captained Colorado's first two title-winning teams in 1996 and 2001, used a familiar recipe to get his team over the hump. Much like Pierre Lacroix, the architect of those Avalanche teams that had so much success after the organization moved to Denver, Sakic prioritized skill, speed and versatility.

That speed overwhelmed every opponent along the way, from an opening sweep of Nashville through a hard-fought, six-game series against St. Louis, another sweep of Edmonton and then Tampa Bay, which staved off elimination once but ended up two victories short of becoming the NHL's first three-peat champions since the early 1980s New York Islanders dynasty.

"They're a team that's looking to become a dynasty," Makar said. "We're a team that's looking to start a legacy."

That legacy finally involves a championship, thanks in large part to steady coach Jared Bednar, who in his sixth season found a way to focus his team on the mission at hand from the start of training camp. That mentality helped the Avalanche get over the hump, and Bednar became the first coach to win the Stanley Cup, American Hockey League's Calder Cup and ECHL's Kelly Cup.

Bednar won the chess match with Jon Cooper, also a Stanley and Calder Cup champion who is considered one of the best tacticians in the NHL. But things began to stack up against the Lightning facing their stiffest competition since their run of success began in 2020.

Injuries that sidelined top center Brayden Point and limited other key contributors proved too much against a stacked opponent built to withstand just about anything. Depth allowed the Avalanche to overcome losing defenseman Samuel Girard to a broken sternum and finish off the Lightning without Cup Final Game 1 overtime Andre Burakovsky sidelined by injury and with standout winger Valeri Nichushkin hobbling around on an injured right foot and center Nazem playing through a broken right thumb.

The Avalanche beat the Lightning before attrition could take too much of a toll and before the scary possibility of facing elimination in Game 7. Instead, they'll return to Denver to celebrate with the Stanley Cup.

While not as emotional as the past two years when Stamkos got the trophy, Colorado's series-ending victory marks another completion of an NHL season during a pandemic -- the first back to 82 games with a normal playoff format since 2019. It was not without its stumbles, including postponing dozens of games and pulling out of the Olympics -- and Commissioner Gary Bettman wasn't even able to hand the Cup to Landeskog because he tested positive for the coronavirus, leaving deputy Bill Daly to do the honors.

The Avalanche and Lightning dealt with at-times rough ice conditions playing late into June, something that should not happen moving forward as the league gets back to its regular schedule. When that happens, Colorado will get the chance to defend its crown and attempt to follow Tampa Bay in sustaining a perennial Cup contender.

------

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmN0dm5ld3MuY2Evc3BvcnRzL2NvbG9yYWRvLWF2YWxhbmNoZS13aW4tc3RhbmxleS1jdXAtYmVhdC10YW1wYS1iYXktbGlnaHRuaW5nLTItMS1pbi1nYW1lLTYtMS41OTY0MTc40gEA?oc=5

2022-06-27 02:57:00Z
1477293298

2022-06-25 Game Tracker - Edmonton Elks vs. Calgary Stampeders (6221) - CFL.ca

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

2022-06-25 Game Tracker - Edmonton Elks vs. Calgary Stampeders (6221)  CFL.caView Full coverage on Google News
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiHmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNmbC5jYS9nYW1lcy82MjIxL9IBAA?oc=5

2022-06-26 09:45:20Z
CBMiHmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNmbC5jYS9nYW1lcy82MjIxL9IBAA

Lions QB Rourke throws record-setting 436 yards in dominant win over Argos - TSN

VANCOUVER — Even after setting a CFL record, B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke saw room for improvement.

The 24-year-old native of Victoria, B.C., threw for 436 yards on Saturday, powering the Lions to a dominant 44-3 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.

It was the most passing yards a Canadian quarterback has ever put up in a CFL game, eclipsing the 427-yard mark set by Gerry Dattilio in 1981.

"I'm just a distributor of the football out there. Those guys are getting in the right positions and they're making big plays," Rourke said after the win.

"There were a couple throws today, especially the first half where I wasn't nearly as accurate as I need to be. But those guys made some plays for me and made me look good out there."

The performance was no surprise to veteran Lions defensive back Gary Peters.

“When you come into the facility, he's the first one there. And I'm one of the last people to leave. He's literally there after me, walking eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich, trying to find something to do. He's always working no matter what," he said.

"He’s trying to perfect himself. He's a young guy, but you can see in his eyes that he’s really hungry."

Rourke completed 39 of 45 passes on Saturday, including four touchdowns. He was sacked once.

Dominique Rhymes hauled in two majors for B.C. (2-0), while Bryan Burnham and Jevon Cottoy each had one. Fullback David Mackie scored a rushing TD late in the fourth quarter. Kicker Sean Whyte chipped in with three field goals, including a 50-yard strike.

B.C.'s defence smothered the Argos (1-1), holding McLeod Bethel-Thompson to 178 passing yards. The Toronto quarterback connected on 15 of 21 attempts, threw one interception and was sacked twice before being replaced late in the fourth quarter.

Chad Kelly came on in relief and threw for 26 yards, completing two of four attempts. He was sacked once and threw one interception.

The Argos' only points of the night came off a 23-yard field goal from Boris Bede early in the second quarter.

“I'm totally embarrassed. That was a horrible display of football," said Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. "That was a tough loss. It sucks. I hate it. But we can't let it ruin our season. We’ve just got to go back to work and find ways to get better.”

The Lions were coming off of a bye week but showed no rust early in Saturday's game, kicking it off with an eight-play, 68-yard scoring drive.

Rourke scrambled out of a collapsing pocket to pick up 11 yards and a first down, then capped the drive with a crisp 19-yard pass to Burnham in the end zone. The veteran wide receiver bowed twice to the crowd after tallying his first touchdown of the season.

B.C.'s defensive unit was tested on Toronto's first possession of the night, with DaVaris Daniels powering through a tackle and Bethel-Thompson finding Dejon Brissett on the Lions' one-yard line.

The Lions stood strong and denied the visitors all three times they attempted to sneak into the end zone. Toronto turned the ball over on downs.

“And then it just snowballed and we couldn't get nothing going," Dinwiddie said. "And we get a little bit going in the third quarter then we fumble. I mean, everybody had a hand in it. It's just It's upsetting, but we’ve got to find ways to get better.”

Early in the second quarter, B.C. cornerback Delvin Breaux knocked down a long toss from Bethel-Thompson to Brandon Banks and Dinwiddie challenged the call, arguing defensive pass interference. On review, officials agreed and Toronto was awarded a first down at the B.C. 21-yard line.

Lions defensive lineman David Menard sacked Bethel-Thompson on the next play, but the Argos still managed to score on the drive, with Bede booting a field goal that cut Toronto's deficit to 10-3.

Rourke increased the Lions' cushion midway through the half, finding Rhymes in the end zone with a 19-yard bullet to cap a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive.

B.C. headed to the locker room up 20-3 after Whyte hit a 44-yard field goal to close out the second quarter.

A rash of injuries swept through B.C.'s lineup late in the first half, though, with linebacker Bo Lokombo, running back James Butler and Burnham all heading to the locker room with game-ending injuries. Receiver Lucky Whitehead appeared to suffer an ankle injury too but stayed in the game.

"A couple of people went down but it just makes us stronger," Rhymes said. "And it just shows the versatility we have on offence. When one man goes down, that's our brother, so we want to make sure we only pick it up for him.”

Lions head coach Rick Campbell said Burnham went to hospital to have further tests done and the team won't know his status until Sunday. Lokombo and Butler may be available to play next week.

Midway through the third frame, Wynton McMannis hauled down Rourke around centre field for a seven-yard loss. The Lions remained undeterred, though, and sent Whyte out for a 50-yard field goal attempt. He made the kick, giving B.C. a 23-3 lead.

Lions defensive end Obum Gwacham seemed to exact some revenge on the next possession, sacking Bethel-Thompson.

Rourke's arching 29-yard toss to a wide-open Cottoy deep in the red zone set up B.C.'s third TD of the night late in the third quarter. Cottoy took a couple of quick steps into the end zone and tallied his first major of the season.

The final frame saw Rourke again connect with Rhymes, this time with a 24-yard toss. Stationed just outside of the end zone, Rhymes easily completed the touchdown and the Lions took a 37-3 lead.

Peters added to Toronto's woes midway through the fourth quarter, picking off Bethel-Thompson's pass.

Mackie — filling in at running back for the injured Butler — muscled the ball over the goal line late in the fourth for his first CFL touchdown. A successful convert from Whyte gave the home side a 44-3 lead.

Kelly came on for Bethel-Thompson to close out the game and was quickly sacked by Menard.

The Lions will be back in action on Thursday when they tackle the Redblacks in Ottawa. The Argos will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 4.

FOOTNOTES: The victory gives B.C. a 2-0 start to the season for the first time since 2016. … Argos offensive lineman Jonathan Zamora limped off the field after being injured on a play midway through the fourth quarter. Saturday marked the 100th all-time meeting between the two teams. B.C. holds a 60-38-2 edge in the series.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2022.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRzbi5jYS9uYXRoYW4tcm91cmtlLWJjLWxpb25zLXRvcm9udG8tYXJnb25hdXRzLXJlY29yZC1wYXNzaW5nLXlhcmRzLWJ5LWNhbmFkaWFuLXFiLTEuMTgxNzgwMNIBdWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRzbi5jYS9saW9ucy1xYi1yb3Vya2UtdGhyb3dzLXJlY29yZC1zZXR0aW5nLTQzNi15YXJkcy1iLWMtZG9taW5hdGVzLXRvcm9udG8tYXJnb3MtNDQtMy0xLjE4MTc4MDA_dHNuLWFtcA?oc=5

2022-06-26 04:59:49Z
1478505015

2022-06-24 Game Tracker - Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6220) - CFL.ca

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. 2022-06-24 Game Tracker - Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6220)  CFL.ca
2. Bombers' defence dominates Ticats to improve to 3-0 (& 14 other thoughts)  3downnation.com
3. Blue Bombers stay unbeaten with win over Tiger-Cats  TSN
4. 'We can do better': Unbeaten Bombers focus on fixing mistakes going into Grey Cup rematch with Ticats  CBC.ca
5. Blue Bombers remain unbeaten after win over Tiger-Cats  Sportsnet.ca
6. View Full coverage on Google News

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiHmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNmbC5jYS9nYW1lcy82MjIwL9IBAA?oc=5

2022-06-25 07:59:32Z
1479326698

Palat leads Lightning past Avalanche to keep Stanley Cup run alive - CBC Sports

The Stanley Cup was in the building and just waiting to be paraded around the ice.

Pack it up. It's heading back to Tampa Bay.

The resilient Lightning spoiled Colorado's party to stay in the hunt for a third straight Stanley Cup title, beating the Avalanche 3-2 on Friday night in Game 5.

Ondrej Palat scored with 6:22 remaining and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 35 shots in front of a raucous crowd hoping to celebrate the Avalanche's first championship in 21 years.

"That's what good teams do — you find a way," Lightning forward Corey Perry said. "Keep plugging along. This is fun. This is what hockey's all about, different guys stepping up at different times."

Game 6 is Sunday night in Tampa. The Lightning trail the best-of-seven series 3-2.

"Listen, this is a huge challenge for us," Lightning forward Pat Maroon said. "An exciting challenge, too. You've got to be excited for this challenge and embrace it."

The Cup was all shined up and ready for the moment — almost beckoning to the Avalanche from the side. It's back on the road for the Avalanche, where they're 8-1 so far in their playoff run.

WATCH l Palat's winner keeps Lightning's Stanley Cup three-peat bid alive:

Lightning edge Avalanche with Palat's winner in Game 5 of Stanley Cup final

6 hours ago

Duration 0:59

Tampa Bay beats Colorado 3-2 and now trails the best-of-seven Stanley Cup final series 3-2.

"We have belief in our room that we can win every game we go out and play," defenceman Devon Toews said. "We feel like we had a decent game tonight, pretty good game. Obviously it wasn't enough tonight."

Nikita Kucherov and defenceman Jan Rutta also scored for the Lightning. Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar had goals for Colorado. Makar's third-period tally bounced off the skate of Erik Cernak and through the pads of Vasilevskiy to tie it at 2.

That set the stage for Palat, whose shot slipped through the pads of Darcy Kuemper. It was Palat's 16th career go-ahead playoff goal, which trails only Brayden Point (18) in franchise history.

"I thought I played it well, slid over," Kuemper said. "It just found a little hole."

WATCH | Should Kadri's goal have counted?:

Should Nazem Kadri's Game 4 OT winner have counted?

2 days ago

Duration 1:01

The Avalanche took a 3-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final, but not without controversy.

Tampa Bay regrouped after an emotional Game 4 loss at home on a overtime goal from Colorado forward Nazem Kadri. The Lightning felt the Avalanche might have had too many players on the ice on the winner.

A similar too-many-players-on-the-ice scenario unfolded Friday — and this time it was called. With 2:43 remaining, the Lightning went on the power play and made it so that Colorado couldn't pull Kuemper until the final moments. They weathered the Avalanche's late barrage.

Just the Lightning showing their championship mettle. They've already rallied back from a 3-2 deficit to Toronto in the first round, and climbed out of a 2-0 hole against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Completing this comeback series win would put them in an entirely different category. Only one team has rallied to capture a Game 7 in the final after trailing 3-1 in a series — the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.

This is a gritty Lightning squad that's showing no signs of slowing down against a speedy Avalanche team and even after all the contests they've logged. Tampa Bay has played in 67 postseason games since the start of the first round in 2020, nearly an entire extra season.

Their resolve has impressed Lightning coach Jon Cooper. His team improved to 3-0 this season when facing potential elimination games.

"The mental fortitude you have to have to play in the environment they just played in, there's a reason these guys have a couple rings on their fingers," Cooper said.

The Avalanche are trying to capture their first title since 2001. The Avalanche fans were out in full force — both inside the building (an upper-level ticket on game day was going for around $1,500 US) and outside at a nearby watch party.

"It's not supposed to be easy and it's not going to be easy," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "We knew that coming into this. We knew that coming into tonight. ... Short memory in the playoffs and that's what we're going to do."

The Avalanche are 2 for 2 in their visits to the Stanley Cup Final. They also won in 1996, which was their inaugural season in Denver after relocating from Quebec.

Soon after Nichushkin tied it at 1-apiece in the second, Kucherov knocked in a goal off the post. The power-play goal was with Alex Killorn in the box for holding, along with J.T. Compher (holding the stick) and Makar (tripping), making for a 4-on-3 situation.

Bednar wasn't exactly thrilled with the call on Makar.

"There was no intent there. I don't even think he was checking that guy," Bednar said. "Look to me like he kind of tripped over a stick. It's a tough one."

Kuemper finished with 26 saves.

"He was OK," Bednar said. "I'd like to see him get the first one, obviously."

That first one would be Rutta's score less than five minutes into the game that zapped some of the energy from the crowd. It was his first goal of the playoffs.

"We've been here. Have we been down 3-1? No," Cooper said. "But we've been in these situations where we know the feeling of being in an elimination game."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNiYy5jYS9zcG9ydHMvaG9ja2V5L25obC9uaGwtMjAyMi1zdGFubGV5LWN1cC1jb2xvcmFkby1hdmFsYW5jaGUtdGFtcGEtYmF5LWxpZ2h0bmluZy1yZWNhcC1qdW5lLTI0LTEuNjUwMTMyM9IBAA?oc=5

2022-06-25 03:22:00Z
1477293298

Hamilton Bulldogs double Edmonton Oil Kings 4-2 in Memorial Cup - TSN

The Canadian Press

SAINT JOHN, N.B. — Mason McTavish scored twice and had an assist for the Hamilton Bulldogs in a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Memorial Cup on Friday.

The Ontario Hockey League champion Bulldogs advanced to Monday's semifinal with a 1-0-0-2 record and eliminated the Western Hockey League's Oil Kings (0-2-0-1) from contention.

The host Saint John Sea Dogs (1-0-1-0) face the unbeaten Quebec Junior Hockey League champion Shawinigan Cataractes (2-0-0-0) on Saturday to determine which team finishes first in the round-robin and earns a bye to Wednesday's championship game.

The Canadian Hockey League's new points system for the Memorial Cup offers three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win and a point for an overtime loss in the preliminary round.

Edmonton picked up two points from an OT victory over the Sea Dogs on Wednesday, but needed to avoid a regulation loss Friday to continue playing for a CHL title.

McTavish, the third overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft by the Anaheim Ducks, scored the eventual game-winner in the third period and also added an empty-net goal for Hamilton.

Avery Hayes had a goal and an assist and Ryan Winterton also scored for Hamilton.

Bulldogs defenceman Arber Xhekaj had two assists. Goaltender Marco Costantini stopped 40 of 42 shot for the victory,

The Bulldogs scored two power-play goals in the first period to lead 2-0 after two periods, but Edmonton's Jalen Luypen halved the deficit with a short-handed goal at 2:03 of the third.

McTavish restored Hamilton's two-goal lead at 13:26 before Oil Kings winger Jake Neighbours drew Edmonton within a goal again at 17:14.

"We were kind of getting outplayed there in the third," McTavish said. "We expected them to have a big push there. It was their season on the line. We expected it, but it was nice to (score) that one."

Oil Kings goaltender Sebastian Cossa stopped 32 of 35 shots in the loss.

"I thought it was the best game of the tournament for us," Neighbours said. "Just couldn't finish early. Proud of the guys. We never quit."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2022.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRzbi5jYS9oYW1pbHRvbi1idWxsZG9ncy1kb3VibGUtZWRtb250b24tb2lsLWtpbmdzLTQtMi1pbi1tZW1vcmlhbC1jdXAtMS4xODE3NDE10gEA?oc=5

2022-06-25 01:45:59Z
1466096068

Colorado Avalanche Looking to Close Out Stanley Cup Final - VOCM

The biggest game of Alex Newhook’s young career is taking place tonight as the Colorado Avalanche look to win the Stanley Cup.

The Avalanche won game four against the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday night, securing a 3-1 series lead against the defending two-time Stanley Cup champions.

A win tonight would give the Avalanche their first cup since 2001, and bring the cup back to Newfoundland and Labrador with St. John’s native Newhook.

The game gets underway tonight at 9:30 island time.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiNWh0dHBzOi8vdm9jbS5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8yNC9hbGV4LW5ld2hvb2stc3RhbmxleS1jdXAv0gEA?oc=5

2022-06-24 09:46:00Z
1477293298

Kadri returns, scores overtime winner to move Avalanche within win of Stanley Cup - Yahoo Canada Sports

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 22: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates his game winning goal in overtime to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Game Four of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 22, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Colorado Avalanche are on the verge of achieving their immense potential after a storybook, albeit controversial, ending to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

After missing the first three games of the series in recovery from a surgically-repaired thumb, Nazem Kadri scored in overtime on a partial breakaway to vault the Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, moving Colorado within one win of hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Kadri's magnificent and unlikely winner spoiled a brilliant performance from Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had to that point thwarted an inspired effort from the Avalanche with 35 saves in the game, including 10 in overtime.

It was the only clean goal scored on Vasilevskiy on a night where the Avalanche had to find other means. The Avalanche twice tied the game before Kadri provided his team with its first and only lead, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring his first goal of the series on a fortunate deflection and Nico Sturm using a lucky bounce, too, to register his first of the playoffs.

Vasilevskiy's counterpart, Darcy Kuemper, was also busy, making 37 saves. His only blemishes came on goals from Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman.

Kuemper also contributed offensively, moving the puck up the ice to earn a second assist on Kadri's winner.

Which leads us to the controversy we weren't aware of until Jon Cooper briefly and emotionally met with reporters, before offering a bizarre cliffhanger.

The Lightning head coach promised in his session with the media that we would see proof that the Bolts should have "still been playing" once Kadri's winner was reviewed under a more critical lens.

And, although not immediately clear, it would be pointed out that after Kuemper pushed the puck back up ice and it found the stick of Kadri, one Avalanche player — MacKinnon — had not completed his change.

By the letter of law, Cooper — the former attorney — has a valid point with six Avalanche skaters on the ice, possessing the puck. And for that reason, Lightning fans will be feeling aggrieved by something they wouldn't have noticed without Cooper's theatrics, while Avalanche fans and most others will argue that MacKinnon's failure to hop over the boards really had no bearing on the play.

Upon even closer examination, it looked like the Lightning had extras on the ice, too, as both teams worked to complete changes.

It's worth taking in Cooper's entire post-game presser, which included a lengthy and dramatic preface before delivering his point.

What Cooper's remarks shouldn't distract from is the night's most important headline, which is Kadri hitting the apex on his personal redemption arc.

Hockey folks were heartbroken for Kadri when the talented forward, who finally was able to keep his emotions in check on the postseason stage after several consecutive seasons of letting his teams down with dirty and punishable plays, was injured on a reckless shove from Evander Kane in the Western Conference Final.

There was no promise that Kadri would be able to suit up in the NHL's championship series, let alone contribute at a high level. And after a bit of a slow start to the game, and some clear deferral on his part while nursing a presumably cumbersome protection on his thumb, it appeared as though Kadri may have not been able to provide a boost.

Of course, Kadri grew into the game before pulling a brilliant move on Mikhail Sergachev to create the scoring opportunity used to tuck the puck under Vasilevskiy's arm and into the roof of the net.

With Kadri back, and Tampa's comeback story with Brayden Point failing to bear fruit, the Avalanche are clearly the fresher and more complete team.

And now they have three chances to clinch the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 21 years, with the first coming Friday night in Denver.

More from Yahoo Sports

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vY2Euc3BvcnRzLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9uZXdzL25obC1rYWRyaS1yZXR1cm5zLXNjb3Jlcy1vdmVydGltZS13aW5uZXItYXZhbGFuY2hlLXN0YW5sZXktY3VwLWxpZ2h0bmluZy0wMzM5MTE5NjcuaHRtbNIBgAFodHRwczovL2NhLnNwb3J0cy55YWhvby5jb20vYW1waHRtbC9uZXdzL25obC1rYWRyaS1yZXR1cm5zLXNjb3Jlcy1vdmVydGltZS13aW5uZXItYXZhbGFuY2hlLXN0YW5sZXktY3VwLWxpZ2h0bmluZy0wMzM5MTE5NjcuaHRtbA?oc=5

2022-06-23 04:39:00Z
1478399930

Chaotic finish overshadows Gausman’s improvements as Blue Jays fall to White Sox - Sportsnet.ca

CHICAGO — Baseball being baseball, and our planet’s climate emergency being allowed to persist unabated toward ultimate catastrophe, it should have come as no surprise that when Kevin Gausman — the Toronto Blue Jays starter whose recent run of sub-standard results was compounded his last time out by an illness he attempted to pitch through — took the mound Tuesday looking to get himself right, he did so on the hottest day Chicago’s had in a decade.

Just what he needed. A 37-degree Celsius scorcher — various weather services suggested it felt like anywhere from 40 to 44, but, really, what’s the difference at that point? — on which to make his third start in 11 days, regain command of his fastball, sort out a descending arm slot, locate his splitter more effectively, overcome the lack of energy he battled the start prior, and, oh, maybe stop tipping his pitches. No problem for a guy from — checks map — Centennial, Colo., where a hot summer’s day rarely reaches north of — checks historical weather records — 31.

"I didn’t wear tights today," Gausman said. "You just try to drink as much water as you can. Pedialyte."

And that’s not all. Gausman’s last start — a 2.1-inning, seven-run calamity vs. the Baltimore Orioles that he described as "embarrassing" — began a disastrous turn through the Blue Jays rotation in which none of the club’s starters could complete six innings, four of them didn’t see the fifth, and the collective produced a 9.31 ERA over only 19.1 innings, forcing heaps of workload pressure on the club’s beleaguered bullpen.

So, Gausman wasn’t only trying to right his own ship Tuesday — he was trying to right his staff’s as well. And with a six-inning, two-run, 107-pitch, grind-it-out performance against the Chicago White Sox, he did just that. The rest of the night got a little wacky, as things tend to when the mercury rises. Eleven runs were scored from the seventh inning on until the White Sox finally came out on top, 7-6, in the 12th. We’ll get to all that. But the bigger-picture, go-forward takeaway was Gausman’s bounce back at a time both he, and his team, really needed it.

"I thought we did a good job of mixing pitches and making adjustments when we needed to," Gausman said. "Got some big outs. Pitched in a lot of jams and pitched out of them. So, that was nice. But still gave up two runs. So, it's good but not great."

Was he as dominant as he was through his otherwordly first six weeks of the season? No. But Gausman was better than any Blue Jays starter’s been in nearly a week, and better than he’d been himself two of his last three times out. And that’s an encouraging performance the Blue Jays will happily carry ahead.

As is the one Toronto's offence put on against Chicago's bullpen once its starter Dylan Cease (more on him later) was out of the game. First, Alejandro Kirk worked a deep plate appearance against Jimmy Lambert — which included an egregious strike call off the plate by Doug Eddings, who unfortunately became part of Tuesday’s story — before lining a full-count heater 395 feet over the wall in left-centre.

Then, a procession of Blue Jays hitters put up patient, contact-oriented plate appearances against Davis Martin’s fastball-slider mix in the eighth, scratching together walks and softly-hit, perfectly-placed singles to plate a couple more. And Kirk capped it all off with a bases-loaded walk against Jose Ruiz in which he fouled off three 99-mph fastballs before taking one just off the plate, a dicey decision considering the strike call that had gone against him an inning prior.

But all that work was undone in the ninth, as Jordan Romano was simultaneously wild and hittable, walking a pair and giving up three hits to blow his third save of the season in 21 opportunities. Romano’s fastball sitting 96 mph — he’d been around 97-98 in his four prior outings this month — likely had something to do with it. As did the cluster of pitches he left up and over the plate. Ultimately, Romano needed an all-out, game-saving play from Bradley Zimmer in centre to get out of the ninth without taking a loss.

"His command wasn't there, walked a couple of guys — and when you do that, there's always a chance that what happened could happen," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said of his closer. "He's been great. He just wasn't sharp today."

Off to extras they went, where Vladimir Guerrero Jr. immediately reinstated Toronto’s lead by driving the first pitch of the 10th to the wall in right-centre, plating ghost-runner Bo Bichette from second. But, in the bottom half, Tim Mayza first couldn’t find the zone, then couldn’t buy a strike call from Eddings, as he walked his first batter and got deep into a count against his second.

Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected for arguing with Eddings along the way before a Josh Harrison single loaded the bases and a Danny Mendick single tied it. One out, bases loaded, infield in, no problem, as Mayza got Tim Anderson to hit a weak groundball right at Bichette, who started a 6-2-3 double play, extending the game further.

The 11th started with a balk — a balk! — that put Matt Chapman on third where he watched Lourdes Gurriel Jr. get drilled before Raimel Tapia plated him with a single to right. Cavan Biggio bunted the runners into scoring position, but they advanced no further as Bichette and Guerrero each made groundball outs.

Which brought 29-year-old rookie Matt Gage — you know, the guy who was playing independent ball two years ago — in from the bullpen to try to record a save in the first high-leverage MLB appearance of his life with the crazy-fast Anderson starting the inning on second. Off ya go!

The White Sox traded an out to get Anderson to third with a bunt, before Luis Robert lifted a sacrifice fly just deep enough to right, locking the game up again. But Gage kept it right there, striking out Jose Abreu at the end of an eight-pitch battle to send everyone soldiering off for the 12th, the temperature having decreased to a mere 32 degrees, the clock in right field creeping towards 11:30 p.m. CT.

Would this be a good time to mention Wednesday’s game begins at 1 p.m. CT? Because Wednesday’s game begins at 1 p.m. CT. Anyway, the Blue Jays couldn’t get anything going in the 12th, which sent Gage back to the mound from the dugout, glove in hand, to try to keep the White Sox off the board.

And, wouldn’t you know it, he got within a strike of doing it. But Harrison went down to get a slider — Gage’s 29th pitch of the night — at the bottom of the zone and lifted it into centre as the White Sox came streaming from their dugout. Game over. Blue Jays lose.

"I've never been in an extra-inning game that you lose where it's not tough. So, that's just another one," Montoyo said. "And, of course, they always become a little tougher when you had a chance to win it and then you blew the save. But our closer's been one of the best closers in baseball. He just didn't have it today."

Also from the bad news department, there’s the matter of George Springer, who left the game prior to his fourth plate appearance of the night with right elbow discomfort. That situation will obviously bear monitoring going forward and it is at least notable that Springer struck out three times Tuesday and entered the game in a 2-for-23 slump over his last half-dozen games.

"He's probably not going to play tomorrow," Montoyo said. "He's been playing with that a little bit. But today it bothered him even more."

Of course, it’s tough to fault Springer for striking out three times against Cease. Everyone was striking out against Cease. The 26-year-old was electric, running his fastball up to 99, striking out 11, and leaning heavily on his boomerang slider to generate 18 whiffs on 28 swings. The pitch's ridiculous movement and the fact he was able to land it for eight called strikes is what made it so difficult for the Blue Jays to lay off of. And yet, not helping matters was the consistency with which Cease received called strikes off the plate against right-handed hitters:

Now, it would be one thing if Cease was getting those calls with his slider and curveball, which each move an absurd amount and test the depth perception of umpires every time he’s on the mound. Incorrect rulings are to be expected when asking a human to judge the location of a small object — one moving unpredictably with extreme velocity — within a variable, imaginary box in real time.

But it’s another when Cease is getting fastballs off the plate, like the first-pitch strikes he got against Kirk and Santiago Espinal in the second, and the 2-0 call he received on a heater that was — generously — six inches off the black to Guerrero with a runner on in the fourth.

But the Blue Jays gave Cease plenty of strikes themselves, whiffing 20 times on the night, the majority of them chasing sliders that started on the plate and finished nearly in the dirt. Cease did a phenomenal job of staying away from Toronto’s righty-heavy lineup, starving Toronto hitters of anything they could turn on.

Toronto’s best opportunity came in the fourth, when Bichette worked only his second walk in the last two weeks and promptly stole second, the 33rd time a base-stealer had been successful against Cease in 38 career attempts. But with one out and Guerrero at the plate in a 2-1 count, Bichette gambled he could take third as well and lost thanks to a strong throw from catcher Seby Zavala.

Two pitches later, Guerrero walked. Seven pitches after that, Kirk grounded out to end the inning. And it wasn’t until the sixth that the Blue Jays came up with their first hit, as Gurriel beat out a grounder deep in the hole at short. But Gurriel remained right there as Springer went down swinging before Bichette was run up on another pitch you may want to see again:

It really do be like that sometimes. And to be fair, Gausman received three generous rulings of his own in and off the plate to right-handed hitters on a night when Eddings' strike zone was encroaching on the batter's boxes.

Each time it helped get Gausman into a leverage count, most crucially in his sixth inning when he had a runner in scoring position and only one out. Gausman finished that frame with a pair of strikeouts, his sixth and seventh of the night, stranding that critical run at third. In all, he threw 71 of his 107 pitches for strikes, earning whiffs with each of his four-seamer, splitter, slider and changeup.

Gausman’s struggles his last time out against Baltimore obviously weren't helped by the fact he spent part of his pre-game routine receiving intravenous fluids after a virus his son brought home quickly tore through the household. But it’s not like that rough outing was isolated. He was touched up by the Twins two starts prior, and matched a season-low with only five completed innings the start before that. After pitching to a 2.25 ERA — and 1.31 FIP suggesting he actually deserved better — through his first nine outings of the season, Gausman posted a 6.35 mark — a 3.19 FIP again telling a different story — over his next four entering Tuesday.

Of course, we know ERA isn’t everything. But something clearly was amiss. And while the possibility of tipping his pitches was an ongoing concern from earlier in the season when the Seattle Mariners appeared to have something on him, a mechanical inconsistency was a new one. The vertical release point of Gausman’s fastball — all of his pitches, really — had quietly dipped below six feet after staying above that mark over the two months prior:

Now, we’re only talking a matter of inches here. But so much of Gausman’s success is tied into the repeatability of his delivery — whether he can make his splitter look like a fastball out of his hand and vice versa — that a fluctuation like this can't be written off as insignificant.

Gausman had also been working to mix in more fastballs down in the zone in order to camouflage the fastballs-up, splitters-down pattern he'd established over his first 10 starts of the season. When Gausman struggled earlier this month against the Minnesota Twins, he averaged his highest fastball height, third-lowest splitter height, and largest discrepancy between those two numbers of any start this season. Coupled with the fact Gausman's splitter rarely lands on the plate, that approach made it too easy for hitters to set their sights on anything up, while letting anything down go by.

But it’s easy for us to say "just throw your fastball down more often" — not so easy to execute it on the mound. Gausman was trying against the Orioles, but ended up driving too many of those fastballs well below the zone. He was also yanking his splitter off the plate arm-side, which made it easier for hitters to take.

Those big misses drove up his pitch count early. And as Gausman tried to adjust through fatigue, he began leaving pitches with diminished velocity and action up over the plate, which is when the real damage began. The Blue Jays coaching staff was well aware of how sick Gausman was that day and were closely monitoring those velocity and movement readings from the dugout. That explains why Gausman was lifted 17 pitches into his third inning of the day, and only 53 pitches into his outing.

And while his command was inconsistent at times on Tuesday, and his release point wasn’t quite where it was earlier in the season, the overall package was better. Considering how things had been going lately, for Gausman and the rest of the starting staff, the Blue Jays will take it.

After four hours and 23 minutes of baseball in mid-30 degree heat, with a 1 p.m. CT start looming on Wednesday, they would’ve taken a win, too.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNwb3J0c25ldC5jYS9tbGIvYXJ0aWNsZS9jaGFvdGljLWZpbmlzaC1vdmVyc2hhZG93cy1nYXVzbWFucy1pbXByb3ZlbWVudHMtYXMtYmx1ZS1qYXlzLWZhbGwtdG8td2hpdGUtc294L9IBdGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNwb3J0c25ldC5jYS9tbGIvY2hhb3RpYy1maW5pc2gtb3ZlcnNoYWRvd3MtZ2F1c21hbnMtaW1wcm92ZW1lbnRzLWFzLWJsdWUtamF5cy1mYWxsLXRvLXdoaXRlLXNveC9zbi1hbXAv?oc=5

2022-06-22 05:34:00Z
1475203627