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Sunday, April 30, 2017

{allcanada} WHL: Pats, Thunderbirds to faceoff for title

 

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — The Western Hockey League championship is set.

The Regina Pats scored five straight goals to come from behind and defeat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 7-4 on Sunday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final.

The Pats will play the Seattle Thunderbirds for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Game 1 goes Friday in Regina.

Filip Ahl began the comeback for the Pats when he scored at 15:47 of the second period and Nick Henry tied the game less than two minutes later.

Jeff de Wit and Austin Wagner scored a minute apart midway through the third while Wyatt Sloboshan added an empty netter to complete a three-point outing. Robbie Holmes and Josh Mahura had first-period goals to round out the offence.

Egor Babenko, Jordy Bellerive and Ryan Vandervlis scored to give the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead just eight minutes into the game. Giorgio Estephan's goal 1:05 into the second gave Seattle a 4-2 lead.

Tyler Brown made 24 saves for the win as Stuart Skinner stopped 38-of-44 shots in a losing cause.

Regina went 1 for 3 on the power play while Lethbridge went 3 for 3 with the man advantage.

The Pats, who entered the post-season as the No. 1-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League, set a franchise record for wins in the regular season. Their last WHL championship came back in 1980.

---

THUNDERBIRDS 3 ROCKETS 1

KELOWNA, B.C. — Austin Strand scored the first of three straight goals in the second period as Seattle downed the Rockets in Game 6 of the Western Conference final.

Alexander True and Mathew Barzal also found the back of the net for the Thunderbirds, who got a 17-save outing from Carl Stankowski.

Nolan Foote was the lone scorer for Kelowna. Michael Herringer stopped 19-of-22 shots in a losing cause.

Seattle's Keegan Kolesar was ejected late in the first period after receiving a major for checking from behind.

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{allcanada} Homan caps impressive season with Champions Cup title

 

CALGARY — Rachel Homan capped an impressive season of curling by winning the Champions Cup.

The Ottawa skip downed Sweden's Anna Hasselborg 5-4 in the title draw at Canada Olympic Park on Sunday in the final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season.

"It's really exciting that we were able to finish the season off with a win," said Homan. "Team Hasselborg played really well, we had to fight for every shot."

Hasselborg led 4-3 going into the final end, but Homan grabbed a deuce for the victory.

Homan was joined by her usual teammates, third Emma Miskew and lead Lisa Weagle.

Sarah Wilkes subbed in for regular second Joanne Courtney, who was absent while playing in the world mixed doubles championship with Winnipeg's Reid Carruthers. They captured silver to help Canada clinch an Olympic spot in mixed doubles for the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.

Homan won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts earlier this season to qualify for the Champions Cup. She also became the first women's skip to go undefeated (13-0) en route to gold at the 2017 world championship.

Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., won the men's title, downing Calgary's Kevin Koe 6-2 in the final.

Jacobs scored two in the second end and never trailed. Koe replied with two of his own in the third, but Jacobs scored the final four points before the two skips shook hands after seven ends.

Jacobs, third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden made the final of four Grand Slam of Curling events this season, also winning the National.

"We've been in our fair share of finals and lost a couple of times, so any time you can win one is great," said Jacobs.

Koe was joined by third Marc Kennedy, second Brent Laing and lead Ben Hebert.

Team Homan and Team Jacobs both take home $40,000 for their victories. They also earned automatic berths into next season's Champions Cup.

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{allcanada} Patrick Roy, Mario Lemieux portraits unveiled

 

This week, the portraits of goalie Patrick Roy, who won the Stanley Cup two times with the Montreal Canadiens and two times with the Colorado Avalanche, and center Mario Lemieux, who won the Stanley Cup two times with the Pittsburgh Penguins, are unveiled in the 15th installment.

Roy, who popularized the butterfly style of goaltending during his 20 seasons in the NHL, is one of the most decorated goalies in the history of the League, winning four Stanley Cup titles and the Vezina Trophy three times. He is also the only player in League history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoff most valuable player three times.

When Roy retired after the 2002-03 season, he held NHL records for most regular-season wins (551), games played by a goalie (1,029), playoff wins (151), playoff games played (247) and playoff shutouts (23).

In his NHL100 profile on Roy, author Wayne Coffey not only wrote about the goalie's brilliant play, but his quirky personality and showmanship in goal.

"Roy famously winked at Tomas Sandstrom after making a sparkling save against him in the heat of a playoff game against the Los Angeles Kings. He once tangled with a teammate, Mathieu Schneider, between periods, and had an infamous mid-ice fight with a fellow goaltender, Mike Vernon, in the midst of a free-for-all in the heyday of the bitter Colorado Avalanche-Detroit Red Wings rivalry.

"Sometimes after snaring a shot, Roy would hold his glove hand aloft, a freeze-frame moment that didn't endear him much to his opponents.

"All of this made Roy compelling theater between the pipes, and made a whole generation of kids in French-speaking Canada want to play goalie and be like Patrick, among them Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Jose Theodore and Roberto Luongo."

Harris said when it came to painting Roy, there was no question he had to capture him demonstrating his famous technique.

"If Glenn Hall invented the butterfly technique and Tony Esposito improved upon it, you might say that Patrick Roy perfected it," Harris said. "When it was time to paint his portrait, I wanted to capture the perfect image of him in full butterfly mode."

Lemieux was the ultimate scoring machine, getting 1,723 points (690 goals, 1,033 assists) in 915 games, battling injuries and serious illness. He missed large chunks of some seasons, and even full seasons. He retired for more than three seasons.

Lemieux won the Stanley Cup twice with the Penguins, the Conn Smythe Trophy twice, the Art Ross Trophy six times as the NHL's top scorer, and the Hart Trophy three times as League MVP. He had 10 100-point seasons.

He also helped change the fortunes of the Penguins, writes Stu Hackel in his NHL100 profile on Lemieux.

"The Penguins had the first pick in the 1984 NHL Draft and never considered drafting anyone else. They were in disarray, having won 16 games the prior year. Their average attendance of less than 7,000 a game led to a fountain of red ink, fan alienation and talk of relocation.

"Lemieux changed it all, beginning with his first shift in the NHL, on Oct. 11, 1984. He scored his first goal on his first shot after forcing All-Star defenseman Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins into a turnover in the Penguins zone. Lemieux grabbed the puck and -- as he'd so often do -- pulled away for a solo dash that put the Penguins on the scoreboard. A 100-point season earned him the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, but his team was a wreck. Playoff heroics remained a few seasons away.

"Some nights, it appeared Lemieux could score at will, when every shot and pass ended up in the net. His 85 goals, 114 assists and 199 points in 1988-89 - all [NHL] career highs -- were at that point the most by anyone not named [Wayne] Gretzky. On New Year's Eve that season, he 'scored for the cycle' -- he had five goals, each a different variety: at full strength, on the power play, shorthanded, on a penalty shot and into an empty net -- against the New Jersey Devils. To the best of anyone's knowledge, it's the only time this has been done."

Harris said capturing Lemieux's impact in one painting was not easy.

"Looking for an image of Mario Lemieux to paint was more challenging than I thought it would be. He was skilled in so many different aspects of the game during his illustrious career, it was difficult figuring out which stage of his career to highlight," Harris said. "In the end I choose this one, somewhere between the beginning of his formidable rookie year and the middle when he was a 100-plus point machine."

 

Patrick Roy

  NHL 100 portrait of Patrick Roy

 

Mario Lemieux

  NHL 100 portrait of Mario Lemieux

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{allcanada} Henrik Lundqvist, Erik Karlsson have lasting mark in Gothenburg

 

O'Leary's Avenyn in Gothenburg, Sweden, was jammed with hockey fans Saturday night, many rooting for the New York Rangers but others cheering for the Ottawa Senators, who won 6-5 in the second overtime of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Second Round.

It was hockey night in Sweden's second largest city and two of the city's favorite sons, its two biggest star athletes, were on the big screen, playing against each other in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As big as we may think Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Senators captain Erik Karlsson are in North America, especially in their respective cities, in many ways that pales in comparison to how they are viewed in Gothenburg.

Lundqvist and Karlsson each played for the Gothenburg's Swedish Hockey League team, the Frolunda Indians. Neither was born in Gothenburg, but they both adopted it as their home Swedish city. Lundqvist still lives there in the offseason.

And a 3 p.m. ET start time for Game 2 meant a 9 p.m. local start time in Gothenburg. Perfect.

"There is undoubtedly a bigger interest in Gothenburg when two such major [stars] are playing against each other," said Daniel Johansson, a 25-year-old bartender at O'Leary's who also covers the Rangers, his favorite team, and the NHL Draft for SvenkaFans.com. "They are not only [stars] in their home cities New York and Ottawa, but are also something like ambassadors for Gothenburg and its hockey."

This isn't the first time Lundqvist and Karlsson have played in the playoffs. The first time was in 2012, when the Rangers defeated the Senators in a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. That series also featured former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, who used to be the most popular player from Gothenburg and is still revered in his hometown.

However, in the past five years with the growth of social media and the streaming technology that allows fans in Sweden to see every NHL game, the matchup has taken on a renewed interest and a bigger audience in Sweden, especially in Gothenburg.

"Within the hockey family and all the hockey fans it sure has a buzz," said Niklas Andersson, a Gothenburg native and former NHL player turned scout for the Los Angeles Kings. "I would say it is different here in Gothenburg for sure. Not as much in the rest of the country maybe, but around here the people from here, who follow Frolunda, it's definitely a bigger thing now than a regular playoff series. They always keep up with those guys, but when they play against each other it's a little bit extra for sure."

Lundqvist is the bigger star. In fact, Senators forward Viktor Stalberg, who is also from Gothenburg, said Lundqvist is the second biggest sports star in all of Sweden behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a soccer player for Manchester United.

"He is without a doubt one of the most loved athletes in Sweden and every time he comes home to Gothenburg he can barely walk down the street without being stopped by every other person who wants to shake 'The King's' hand," Johansson said. "Henrik is pretty much immortal here."

Lundqvist is technically from Are, a northwestern ski resort city near the Norwegian border, approximately a 10-hour drive from Gothenburg. He moved to Gothenburg as a teenager and grew up in as a goalie playing for Frolunda.

Lundqvist helped Frolunda win the SHL championship in 2003 and 2005. He returns to Gothenburg every summer and is one of the biggest donors to Drottning Silvias Barnsjukhus, the local children's hospital, and the Ronald McDonald House.

"If he would come [to Gothenburg] with the Stanley Cup, it would almost be as if Frolunda won the Swedish championship," said Johan Rylander, a columnist and hockey writer for the Goteborgs-Posten, the city's largest daily newspaper. "Almost."

Karlsson is from Landsbro, a small town southeast of Gothenburg, about a three-hour drive. He didn't play in Gothenburg for long and, unlike Lundqvist, he never won a championship with Frolunda. He also doesn't spend as much time there in the offseason.

It doesn't take away from his status as one of the city's finest athletes.

"Gothenburg is a hockey crazy city and when people speak of Henrik Lundqvist and Erik Karlsson, they do so with a certain pride in their voice," Johansson said.

People like Ronnie Sundin, for example.

Sundin is a former Frolunda star who played with Lundqvist and Karlsson before they each came into the NHL. Lundqvist, in fact, was thrilled to hear his name when told Sundin, who now works as a bathroom tiler, was interviewed for this story.

"The guys I know, the guys who play hockey, they are definitely interested," said Sundin, who also won the Olympic gold medal with Lundqvist in 2006. "All the players who know Lundqvist and Karlsson, they are definitely very interested. I definitely follow those guys. They are great guys."

Andersson, who also played with Karlsson and Lundqvist at different times with Frolunda, said he can tell their popularity in Gothenburg by the reaction they get from the kids.

"They are the big guns," Andersson said. "Hankie, when he first came up, everyone wanted to be a goalie."

Game 3 of the Lundqvist vs. Karlsson best-of-7 series on Tuesday won't start until 1 a.m. local time in Gothenburg. O'Leary's will be closed, but laptops, iPads and televisions will be on across the city.

"In a Swedish hockey player popularity contest, Henrik is most [certainly] No. 1 and Erik probably No. 2," Rylander said. "With these two in absolute peak shape, there's going to be a lot of Gothenburg residents missing their beauty sleep the upcoming weeks."

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{allcanada} May 1: Beliveau becomes first Conn Smythe winner

 

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: May 1

1965: Jean Beliveau becomes the first winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Beliveau wins the brand-new trophy after scoring the first of the Montreal Canadiens' four first-period goals in a 4-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Final at the Forum.

Beliveau sets a record for the fastest Cup-winning goal when he beats Glenn Hall 14 seconds after the opening faceoff. He assists on a goal by Dick Duff less than five minutes later, and Yvan Cournoyer and Henri Richard score late in the period. Beliveau finishes the playoffs with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists). Gump Worsley makes 20 saves to become the second goaltender to have a shutout in Game 7 of the Final. The Canadiens win their first championship since 1960.

 

MORE MOMENTS

1980: The New York Islanders set a playoff record by winning their seventh consecutive road game when Bob Nystrom scores at 1:20 of double overtime for a 2-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Memorial Auditorium in Game 2 of the Semifinals. Billy Smith makes 41 saves before Nystrom scores the third of his four career overtime goals to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

 

1992: For the first time in their history, the New York Rangers win a Game 7. Adam Graves scores two goals and sets up two others in an 8-4 victory against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden in their Patrick Division Semifinal series. The Rangers also get two goals and an assist from Mark Messier and 33 saves by John Vanbiesbrouck. It's the first time the Rangers play a Game 7 at home after going 0-4 as the road team.

 

1993: Nikolai Borschevsky scores at 2:35 of overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the Norris Division Semifinals at Joe Louis Arena. The Maple Leafs trail 2-1 and 3-2, but force overtime when Doug Gilmour scores with 2:43 remaining in the third period. Borschevsky then beats Tim Cheveldae to become the second player in NHL history to score his first playoff goal in overtime of a Game 7.

 

1995: The Canadiens are assured of a non-playoff season for the first time in 25 years when they lose 2-0 to the Sabres at Memorial Auditorium. Goaltender Dominik Hasek makes 32 saves and Richard Smehlik and Alex Mogilny score goals to eliminate Montreal from the playoff race. It's the first time since 1970 that Montreal will not take part in the postseason.

8 Dec 1995: Goaltender Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres on the ice during a game against the Washington Capitals at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. The game was a tie, 2-2. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport

 

2008: Johan Franzen scores three goals in Detroit's 8-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center, giving him an NHL-record nine goals in a four-game series. Franzen also breaks the Red Wings record for goals in a series of any length, set by Gordie Howe in 1949 (eight goals in seven games). He matches Colorado's total goals in the Western Conference Quarterfinal series and becomes the first player with two hat tricks in a series since Jari Kurri of the Edmonton Oilers in 1985.

 

2009: The Red Wings make history in a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Joe Louis Arena in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. It's the 18th consecutive time the Red Wings have started a series at home, a playoff record. Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom has two assists before scoring the winning goal with 49.1 seconds remaining in the third period. Detroit becomes the first NHL team to win consecutive games in one playoff year by scoring tiebreaking, game-winning goals in the last minute of the third period.

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{allcanada} William Nylander to play for Sweden at World Hockey Championship

 

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander will represent Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Hockey Championship.

This will be the Nylander's sixth time time playing for Sweden in his hockey career, and the first since the 2015-16 world juniors.

The 21-year-old just completed his rookie season with the Maple Leafs, in which he tallied 22 goals and 61 points in 81 games this season and added one goal and four points in six playoff games.

Fellow Maple Leafs rookie Mitch Marner will be representing Canada at the tournament.

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{allcanada} Silfverberg scores 2, Ducks beat Oilers 6-3 in Game 3

 

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) After scoring three goals in the first 12 minutes, Anaheim let the Edmonton Oilers tie the score midway through the second period. The Ducks then pulled away for a crucial win.

Jakob Silfverberg scored twice to lead Anaheim to a 6-3 victory over Edmonton on Sunday night, cutting the Oilers' series lead to 2-1,

''It's about getting ourselves back in the series, giving us a chance,'' said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who had a goal and an assist. ''You never want to fall down 3-0 in any series. It's a long climb. We take this one, learn from what we did right and wrong and get ready for the next one.''

Rickard Rakell got Anaheim on the scoreboard 25 seconds in, and Chris Wagner and Ryan Kesler also scored. John Gibson stopped 24 shots. The Ducks had lost the first two games of the series at home.

Just 48 seconds after Connor McDavid scored his first of the series to tie the score and rally Edmonton back from a 3-0 deficit, Wagner put the Ducks back ahead by firing a shot that deflected off Talbot's arm and in at 9:28 of the second period.

Silfverberg knocked in a feed from Josh Manson at 4:56 of the third to make it 5-3. The Oilers challenged the play for offside, but the goal stood after a video review.

''It's one of those, your eyes are telling you it's offside, but if you're the linesman you're going `I don't know for sure' and the call on the ice stands,'' Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said. ''It's disappointing because they likely know it's offside, but they can't confirm it. Let's not kid ourselves. That wasn't the backbreaker. The backbreaker was the 25 seconds in.''

Kesler swept in a rebound with 9 1/2 minutes left to cap the scoring.

''The thing we're doing properly is responding to adversity,'' Getzlaf said. ''We're not getting out of sorts. There's going to be ups and downs through every playoff game, every series and it's about controlling our emotions and using it to our advantage.''

Patrick Maroon and Anton Slepychev also scored and Kris Russell had two assists. Cam Talbot finished with 22 saves.

''Whatever luck we may have had in Game 2 definitely wasn't there tonight,'' McDavid said. ''We did a good job battling back to tie it up, but ultimately we definitely didn't deserve to win that one.''

Game 4 is Wednesday night.

Talbot was stellar in Game 2 with 39 saves, but the Ducks got to him early scoring on two of their first three shots of the game.

Rakell got a long pass from Getzlaf behind the Edmonton defense and scored on a breakaway 25 seconds in for the fastest playoff goal to start a game in franchise history.

Silfverberg got his stick on a loose puck to make it 2-0 at 5:33 when Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson failed to clear it away from Talbot.

Getzlaf beat Talbot with a wrist shot from the hashmarks with 8:09 remaining in the first. Getzlaf had corralled Darnell Nurse's clearing attempt around the boards to gain possession of the puck.

''Tonight, it really showed we have to come out with that attack mentality,'' Silfverberg said. ''It's something we've been talking about the two previous games.''

Russell finally gave the Rogers Place crowd something to cheer about when his shot from the point deflected off Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Maroon and past Gibson with 40 seconds left in the opening period.

The Oilers pulled to 3-2 at 1:28 of the second when David Desharnais' centering pass from beside the net deflected off Slepychev's skate and in.

McDavid tied it at 8:40 as he spun and cut back to lose defender Sami Vatanen and rifled a shot over Gibson's left elbow.

NOTES: The U.S. national anthem got a unique rendition before the game when the microphone didn't work Canadian country singer Brett Kissel. Decked out in an Oilers jersey and guitar, Kissel attempted twice to sing the anthem before throwing his hands in the air and encouraging the crowd to sing with him. The microphone resumed working in time for Robert Clark to perform the Canadian anthem. ... Vatanen was in Anaheim's lineup for the first time in the playoffs. He sat out the first six games with a knee injury . . . Ducks D Kevin Bieksa sat out a second straight game with a lower-body injury.

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{allcanada} QMJHL: Sea Dogs rally vs. Sagueneens, advance to league final

 
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CHICOUTIMI, Que. — Bokondji Imama capped a three-goal third period with the winner as the Saint John Sea Dogs rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday to win their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League semifinal series in six games.

The Sea Dogs will face the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for the President Cup.

Thomas Chabot and Samuel Dove-McFalls also scored in the third for Saint John. Jakub Zboril had a goal and two assists with Joe Veleno and Julien Gauthier, on the power play, rounding out the attack.

Joey Ratelle led the Sagueneens with two goals and two assists, with Frederic Allard also striking twice. Dmitry Zhukenov had the other and Nicolas Roy tacked on three helpers.

Callum Booth made 16 saves for the win in net as Julio Billia stopped 28 shots in defeat.

The Sea Dogs went 1 for 5 on the power play and Chicoutimi was 2 for 3.

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{allcanada} Wife of former Lions WR Simon passes away

 

VANCOUVER — Tracy Lasorsa-Simon, the wife of B.C. Lions director of Canadian scouting Geroy Simon, has died, the team announced on Sunday.

The cause of death wasn't released.

"We are devastated at the news of Tracy's passing and we ask that you keep the entire Simon family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time," said vice-president of football operations, general manager and head coach Wally Buono in a statement. "Tracy has been part of the B.C. Lions family for more than a decade and her loss is heart breaking for all of us."

Lasorsa-Simon leaves behind Simon and two children.

Simon is in his third season as a member of the Lions' football operations staff. He spent 12 seasons as a player in B.C. and set franchise marks for receptions, yards and touchdowns.

"The entire CFL community is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Tracy Lasorsa-Simon, wife of our friend and colleague Geroy Simon," CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and everyone with love in their hearts for Tracy and Geroy, including the B.C. Lions and their players and coaches."

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{allcanada} Martin drives in winning run as Jays edge Rays for first series win

 

TORONTO — Russell Martin drove in the winning run with a single in the eighth as the Blue Jays rallied for a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday after losing Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez to a finger injury in the first inning.

Jose Bautista began the rally with his 1,000th hit as a Blue Jay — a game-tying double off reliever Alex Colome (1-1) that nearly cleared the left-field wall.

Martin followed with a base hit to right field for his fifth RBI of the season and pinch-hitter Ezequiel Carrera tacked on a run-scoring single as the Blue Jays (8-17) won back-to-back games and a series for the first time this year.

Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his third save. J.P. Howell (1-1) got the win.

Sanchez, activated from the 10-day disabled list for Sunday's game, left with a split nail on his right middle finger after the top of the first inning. He threw just 13 pitches, walking the leadoff batter before a strikeout and double play.

Once in the dugout, Sanchez slammed his glove down on the bench in frustration and headed straight into the clubhouse with pitching coach Pete Walker. The 24-year-old Sanchez had landed on the disabled list two weeks ago with a blister on the same finger and underwent a procedure to remove part of the nail from it.

Reliever Ryan Tepera came on after Sanchez and cruised through 3 1/3 innings — Tampa didn't get a hit until Ryan Miller's leadoff single in the fifth. Tepera had a career-high five strikeouts and left with one out in the fifth to a standing ovation from the crowd of 42,986.

The game remained scoreless until David Robertson hit a sacrifice bunt off Joe Smith in the eighth to plate Logan Morrison from third base. Morrison walked to begin the inning and moved to third after a single and pop fly.

Chris Archer allowed one run on four hits through 7 1/3 innings for Tampa Bay (12-14). He also had five strikeouts.

Home plate umpire Jim Wolf issued a warning to Archer after his first pitch to Bautista sailed behind the Blue Jays slugger in the first inning. Bautista glared down at Archer from the batter's box for what felt like an eternity.

The Rays threatened in the bottom of the ninth, putting two runners on with two outs on an error to shortstop Ryan Goins and a base hit. Osuna got out of the jam with a strikeout.

NOTES: The Blue Jays begin a six-game road trip on Monday. They'll play the Yankees for three games then travel to Tampa for another three.

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{allcanada} Clarke MacArthur of Senators questionable for Game 3

 

OTTAWA -- Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher is matching lines and one-liners with New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault in their Eastern Conference Second Round series, which the Senators lead 2-0.

After Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau, known for his defense rather than scoring skills, had four goals, including in the second overtime in Game 2 on Saturday to give Ottawa a 6-5 win, Vigneault said he might have to "put a checker on their checker."

Boucher responded on Sunday.

"That was a good one, a funny one. I guess we're going to play a checking game now. I'm going to check his checkers and he'll check my checkers. I guess it won't be a chess match then. It'll be a checkers match."

Game 3 is in New York on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

Boucher said he would have to check on the status of forward Clarke MacArthur before knowing if Ottawa would use the same lineup that has won three games in a row (including Game 6 against the Boston Bruins in the first round).

MacArthur left Game 2 after two shifts in the second period. MacArthur said his injury is not related to the four concussions in 18 months that kept him out of the lineup for almost two seasons. Boucher said MacArthur was feeling better on Sunday and was travelling with the team to New York for Game 3 and 4 and expected him to skate Monday.

If MacArthur can't play, Tom Pyatt likely will take his place. Pyatt sustained multiple injuries early in Game 4 against the Bruins and has missed the past four games. 

"If we need to change something, Pyatt is ready and he's been an important part of our team," Boucher said. "He brings speed and he was actually one of our best players against the Rangers during the season. He's a great penalty killer, he's really fast and he plays great with Pageau and (Mike) Hoffman. That's a possibility, but we'll see. I want to make sure I know exactly what's going on with all the guys."

Boucher said he expected the intensity of the series to change when it shifts to Madison Square Garden.

"It's not like the other series where they won the two games on the road and they're coming home," Boucher said. "We won at home, the games that we have to win at home, and now we're going to play in their barn. We enjoy playing there. I think we did well there, but at the same time we know the kind of urgency they are going to bring to the table for their next game."

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{allcanada} 5 Keys: Ducks at Oilers, Game 3

 

DUCKS at OILERS

7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports

Oilers lead best-of-7 series 2-0

EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers have an opportunity to take a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Second Round against the Anaheim Ducks at Rogers Place after winning the first two games on the road.

It's the fifth time Edmonton has taken a 2-0 lead on the road and second time they have done it against Anaheim (2006). The Oilers went on to win each series.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 series go on to win 88.6 percent of the time (309-48) and teams that win the first two games on the road go on to win the series 79.3 percent of the time (69-18).

Here are 5 keys for Game 3:

 

1. Keeping things clear for Cam Talbot

Talbot made 39 saves in a 2-1 win in Game 2 when Edmonton was outshot 40-23. The Oilers defensemen have done a good job of clearing the front of the net in the first two games, allowing Talbot to see most of the shots he's faced.

"I think that was one of the best things that we did in that last game," Talbot said Sunday. "We gave up a lot of shot volume, but everything from the outside, for the most part, I was able to see and track it."

 

2. Contributions throughout lineup for Oilers

The Ducks expended a lot of energy trying to contain Oilers captain Connor McDavid in the first two games and limited the NHL's leading scorer to one assist. Despite his lack of production, Edmonton managed to win the first two games by getting offensive contributions from other players.

"We're up 2-0 coming home that all that really should matter," McDavid said. "We're a very deep team, I've said that before and I'll definitely said it again. We're a very deep team and we have guys that can produce offense."

 

3. Ryan Getzlaf raising game

Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf elevated his play in the third period of Game 2 and although he did not have a point, he finished with five shots on goal in 26:47 of ice time. The Ducks need a similar performance from their captain in Game 3 to try and get back in the series.

"[Getzlaf] has been a special player since he entered the League," coach Randy Carlyle said. "I think in the situations that he's been presented, he's shown that he can and will take the next level if it's required. Obviously in our situation we need more people taking his lead, following what he's doing."

 

4. More needed from Corey Perry

Perry has three points (one goal, two assists) in six Stanley Cup Playoff games and was not a factor in the first two against Edmonton.

"I think he's not any different than anyone else on our hockey club," Carlyle said. "I thought that he did some good things and I thought there were some opportunities he created. He's got to be that antagonizing guy that's going to go to the net and bring the puck from corners to the net and he can score, he can shoot. Corey has been a scorer all his life and we're asking not only Corey, but we're asking everybody."

 

5. Staying out of penalty trouble

Each team is trying to establish a physical presence without taking penalties. Edmonton was 3-for-9 on the power play in the first two games and Anaheim was 2-for-7.

"We've always been a team that plays hard and sticks up for each other and doesn't shy away from the rough stuff," Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano said. "But at the end of the day, the penalties after the whistle, the penalties that are undisciplined kill you at this time of year and they've killed us throughout it."

 

Ducks projected lineup

Nick Ritchie -- Ryan Getzlaf -- Patrick Eaves

Andrew Cogliano -- Ryan Kesler -- Jakob Silfverberg

Rickard Rakell -- Nate Thompson -- Corey Perry

Chris Wagner -- Antoine Vermette -- Logan Shaw

Cam Fowler -- Brandon Montour

Hampus Lindholm -- Josh Manson

Shea Theodore -- Korbinian Holzer

Scratched: Jared Boll

Injured: Simon Despres (concussion), Clayton Stoner (abdominal), Sami Vatanen (upper body), Kevin Bieksa (knee)

 
Oilers projected lineup

Patrick Maroon -- Connor McDavid -- Leon Draisaitl

Milan Lucic -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Jordan Eberle

Zack Kassian -- Mark Letestu -- Iiro Pakarinen

Benoit Pouliot -- David Desharnais -- Anton Slepyshev

Oscar Klefbom -- Adam Larsson

Andrej Sekera -- Kris Russell

Darnell Nurse -- Matt Benning

Cam Talbot

Laurent Brossoit

Scratched: Eric Gryba, Matt Hendricks, Jujhar Khaira, Griffin Reinhart

Injured: Tyler Pitlick (knee), Drake Caggiula (undisclosed)

 

Status report

Ritchie was a late scratch in Game 2 with the flu. He participated in the morning skate and will be a game-time decision … Caggiula, who left Game 2 with an undisclosed injury after crashing into the boards in the second period, is not expected to play. Pakarinen is expected to take his place in the lineup.

 

Who's hot

Draisaitl has seven points (two goals, five assists) in the past four games … Letestu has three goals in his past four games. … McDavid has three points in his past four games. … Getzlaf has seven points (four goals, three assists) and Silfverberg has five points (four goals, one assist) in six playoff games.

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{allcanada} Jean-Gabriel Pageau | NHLPA Playoff Performer of the Night

 
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Video: https://youtu.be/eyGQ1zcUcSI

Only one person doubted that Jean-Gabriel Pageau could put up a four-goal performance to complete an Ottawa Senators comeback to win Game 2 Saturday - him.

Pageau played the role of hometown hero to a 't' in the 6-5 victory. He netted the game-tying goal to complete a natural hat trick, and proceeded to score the game-winner in double-OT for the club that drafted him - the Ottawa Senators.

His game-tying goal came with just over a minute of play remaining in the third period, and secured the second postseason hat trick of Pageau's NHL career.

"Four goals, that's absolutely sick," Sens coach Guy Boucher said postgame. "It's not just four goals, it's the tying goal, it's the overtime one. It couldn't happen to a better person."

With the entire Canadian Tire Centre on the edges of their seats after one period of overtime, Pageau flew into the zone 2:54 into double-overtime with the crowd wondering if #44 could possibly cash in his fourth of the game.

Did he ever. With the game-winner, Pageau became the first player in franchise history to score four goals in a postseason game.

Ottawa leads the Eastern Conference series 2-0, which moves to Madison Square Garden May 2 for Game 3.

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{allcanada} Alexandre Burrows of Senators fond of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault

 

OTTAWA -- As much as Ottawa Senators forward Alexandre Burrows sees Alain Vigneault as the opponent now, the coach of the New York Rangers, the team standing in his way of getting one step closer to winning the Stanley Cup, in the back of his mind he still can hear Vigneault telling him what he needed to do to truly make it in the NHL.
 
That took place in the Vancouver Canucks coach's office following the 2006-07 season, after Burrows had already played 124 games in the League and had all of 21 points to show for it. This was when Vigneault, one season into his successful seven-season tenure with the Canucks, saw a player with potential, a player who would push himself, who deserved his time because he earned it.

"I remember AV brought me in at the end-of-the-year meeting and he said, 'Son, you're not good enough right now,'" Burrows said.

Except Vigneault said it in French to Burrows. He always talked in French to Burrows when they talked 1-on-1.

"He'd always call me 'Hey son,' but he would say it in French, 'Ti-gars,'" Burrows said.

Vigneault laid it out for 'Ti-gars' in this meeting after the Canucks lost in the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals to the Anaheim Ducks.

"He sat down with me for 15-20 minutes and explained to me how important my summer was going to be," Burrows said. "He didn't have to do that. He could have said, 'Good year, we'll see you next September,' but he took 15-20 minutes of his time to make sure that I understood I had to bring my game to another level. I really got the message. I went to a nutritionist in the summer. I got really good workouts. I came in heavier but leaner and more ready to play a full NHL season. And that's when my career took off."

Burrows had 31 points in 2007-08, 28 goals and 51 points the next season, and then 35 goals and 67 points the following season, each still his NHL career high. He played with Ryan Kesler on the checking line before Vigneault put him with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin on the No. 1 line.

Now Burrows, with 920 games in the NHL, including 78 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is on the other side trying to use everything he learned from Vigneault against his former coach in the Eastern Conference Second Round.

The Senators lead the Rangers 2-0 in the best-of-7 series thanks in part to Burrows' play, diving and chipping the puck up the ice, to set up Jean-Gabriel Pageau's double-overtime winner Saturday.

Game 3 is at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

"He's an example I think any coach in the League could use about a guy figuring it out and making it, but I never had to push him," Vigneault said before Game 2. "He was pushing himself."

It's obvious how much affection Vigneault still has for Burrows. When asked about him, Vigneault seemed excited at the chance to retell Burrows' story, the Cliffs Notes version, of perseverance.

He talked about how at 19 years old Burrows went to play with Shawinigan in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as an overage player after completing a prolific ball-hockey career. He talked about his two-plus seasons in the ECHL, playing in South Carolina and Louisiana. He mentioned his time with Manitoba of the American Hockey League.

Burrows, undrafted, didn't make his NHL debut until he was 24 years old.

"I think he's a real good story of a player that figured it out," Vigneault said. "He made it on sheer will and determination.

"Probably everybody was telling him he couldn't make it. He did make it. He's a great story of perseverance."

Burrows said he wouldn't have been able to persevere without Vigneault's guidance.

"He was always good for me," Burrows said. "He made me become a better player, understand the game better, how to play the right way, the high-percentage way.

"I was just a young guy who thought maybe the League was easier than what I expected it to be. I came in, my first year I had a few goals and I might have said this league isn't as hard as people said it is, but when you go after a tough year, you really realize this league is no joke. You have to prepare the right way. You have to train the right way. You have to put all your effort in. Just the trust, the communication, the ups and downs, he knew."

Vigneault still knows the damage Burrows can cause, that he'll continue to be in the face of Rangers players and goalie Henrik Lundqvist as the series shifts to New York, that he won't hesitate to speak his mind on the ice.

Vigneault knows how valuable Burrows is to a team in the playoffs.

Burrows had 32 points in 67 postseason games under Vigneault with the Canucks. He helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, when they lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins.

"We had a lot of good years, so obviously he's meant a lot to me," Burrows said. "We had some good success. We won [five] division titles in a row, a couple Presidents' Trophies, the Stanley Cup Final. But ultimately our goal was to win the Stanley Cup and we weren't able to accomplish that. Hopefully, I'll be able to get it done before he does."

He'll probably call Vigneault to thank him if he does.

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