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The Catastrophe That Is David Fizdale’s Knicks — It’s My Opinion
Mike Soroka wins Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award
St. Marys, Ont. – Calgary native Mike Soroka has been named the winner of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2019 Tip O’Neill Award.
Canada’s baseball shrine presents this honour annually to the Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals.
Soroka, who finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in the Cy Young Award voting, is a first-time winner of the award. He staved off strong competition from last year’s winner James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) to secure the honour.
“Mike Soroka put together one of the best rookie seasons by a Canadian pitcher in major league history,” said Scott Crawford, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s director of operations. “He not only had an outstanding regular season with the Atlanta Braves, but he was also dominant in his first post-season start. He’s definitely a worthy recipient of the award.”
In his first full major league season, Soroka posted a 13-4 record and a 2.68 ERA, while striking out 142 batters in 174-2/3 innings in 29 starts for the Braves. His ERA ranked third in the National League, while his road ERA (1.35) was the best in the circuit and the fifth lowest in major leagues since 1913 (minimum 15 games started).
Among National League rookie hurlers, Soroka had the best ERA, was third in wins and fourth in games started, innings pitched and strikeouts. For his efforts, he was named to the National League All-Star team and a starting pitcher on Baseball America’s MLB All-Rookie team.
The Canuck right-hander was also masterful in his first post-season start, limiting the St. Louis Cardinals to one run on two hits, while striking out seven, in seven innings in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.
Selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, the PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum made his big league debut on May 1, 2018. In five starts for the Braves last season, he registered a 2-1 record and a 3.51 ERA.
On top of his strong on-the-field performance in 2019 , Soroka has also been active in charitable and community endeavors. He worked with a number of charities that the Braves Foundation supports, including the Dave Krache Foundation and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He also worked with CHOA’s epilepsy unit during the season to host a number of children and their parents at a game. Back in his home province, he serves as an ambassador for KidSport Calgary.
“When I had been told I would be the recipient of the 2019 Tip O’Neill Award, it really did put me back in a sense of awe,” said Soroka. “Having had the opportunity to grow up through the Canadian Baseball Program (Junior National Team), I have always felt a sense of pride when there are Canadians excelling in this game. I am always sure to mention to anyone watching other games in the clubhouse when a Canadian is at the plate or on the mound. I am beyond humbled to have the honour of sharing this award with some of the greats of not just Canadian baseball, but Major League Baseball period. This sense of pride has stemmed from others who represented Canadian baseball so well before me, and is something I hope to carry on as well.
“I am extremely thankful to have been considered for the Tip O’Neill, as it will be something I carry with great pride.”
Details about the presentation of the 2019 Tip O’Neill Award will be announced in the coming months.
The Hall’s Tip O’Neill Award is named after Woodstock, Ont., native James “Tip” O’Neill, who was one of Major League Baseball’s first legitimate stars. With the American Association’s St. Louis Browns in 1887, O’Neill set big league records in hits, doubles, slugging percentage and total bases, while compiling a major league record .492 batting average. Walks were counted as hits in 1887, but if O’Neill’s average was calculated by today’s standards, it would be .435, the second-highest in big league history to Hugh Duffy who hit .440 in 1894.
To determine the winner of the Tip O’Neill Award, the Hall takes into account a number of criteria, including each candidate’s on-the-field performance, contributions to their team, community and charitable endeavors and support in fan voting. Starting on November 15, the Hall had encouraged fans to vote for their top three candidates and they responded by casting their votes via e-mail and on the Hall’s website.
Past winners of the James “Tip” O’Neill Award:
1984 – Terry Puhl
1985 – Dave Shipanoff
1986 – Rob Ducey
1987 – Larry Walker
1988 – Kevin Reimer
1989 – Steve Wilson
1990 – Larry Walker
1991 – Daniel Brabant
1992 – Larry Walker
1993 – Rob Butler
1994 – Larry Walker
1995 – Larry Walker
1996 – Jason Dickson
1997 – Larry Walker
1998 – Larry Walker
1999 – Jeff Zimmerman
2000 – Ryan Dempster
2001 – Corey Koskie
2001 – Larry Walker
2002 – Eric Gagné
2002 – Larry Walker
2003 – Eric Gagné
2004 – Jason Bay
2005 – Jason Bay
2006 – Justin Morneau
2007 – Russell Martin
2008 – Justin Morneau
2009 – Jason Bay
2010 – Joey Votto
2011 – Joey Votto
2011 – John Axford
2012 – Joey Votto
2013 – Joey Votto
2014 – Justin Morneau
2015 – Joey Votto
2016 – Joey Votto
2017 – Joey Votto
2018 – James Paxton
2019 – Mike Soroka
← HALL OF FAMER LARRY WALKERSearch for:
Copyright 2019 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, All Rights Reserved.
TORONTO MARLIES (15-4-2-1 – 33 Points) vs. ROCHESTER AMERICANS (14-3-2-2 – 32 Points)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| TORONTO | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| ROCHESTER | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 4 |
GAME SUMMARY | GAME SHEET | PHOTOS | SCRUMS
SCORING SUMMARY
Toronto: No goals
Goaltender: J. Woll (27/31)
Rochester: Z. Redmond (3) PP (L. Pilut, A. Hammond), P. Aquin (1) (C. Fitzgerald, J. Gilmour), C. Lazar (5) (J. Dea), C. Fitzgerald (2) (B. Vail, C. Lazar)
Goaltender: A. Hammond (20/20)
ON THE SCORESHEET
OF NOTE…
REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
RECORD WHEN…
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
MARLIES UPDATES.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
POSTGAME QUOTES
ASSISTANT COACH A.J. MacLEAN
On whether there was a point in the game Toronto had the game they wanted to:
I don’t really think so. By the time we got the game we wanted to, it was already over. They came out extremely hard. That first period they gave it to us pretty good. It just didn’t seem like we were ready to go. By the time we got our competitiveness up, the game was already half over and that’s way too late to get started then.
On what the difference was between the two teams:
I think it was just competitiveness. I think Rochester came out, they worked really hard, our feet weren’t moving as much as we wanted them to and it really showed in that first period.
On what he saw out of Rochester:
They’re extremely motivated especially when they’re playing us, they bring their game every time. It’s up to us to match and exceed that.
On Mason Marchment’s return to the line with Adam Brooks and Jeremy Bracco:
It’s been awhile since he got himself into a game and he’s had some success with those guys so we wanted to get him with some familiar line mates and get him feeling good. I think as the game wore on, they were like everyone else, they got a bit better and more into it so hoping this weekend, everyone brings everything right from the get go.
NEXT GAME:
December 7 vs San Antonio – 4:00 p.m. ET
December 8 vs San Antonio – 4:00 p.m. ET
December 11 at Utica – 7:00 p.m. ET
December 14 vs Belleville – 4:00 p.m. ET
December 15 vs Rockford – 4:00
HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE
On what he liked from tonight’s performance:
I liked that our guys competed. I thought we stayed in the game all the way through it. At times when they had their push, I thought we withstood it fine and then had pushes of our own. After that, obviously I really liked how our penalty kill dug in in the third period and found its way through a tough task. We were set up pretty well after that getting a power play thereafter. Of course, I don’t like how that one finished. All in all, I liked the fight in our team. We just have to find ways to generate more offence.
On Johnsson’s status:
The only update is just that he was too sore to return. It’s not looking like anything serious at this point, but we’d love to get some pictures and stuff like that.
On if the decision to shuffle the lines was to spark offence:
That’s part of it, but also, as you say, losing Johnsson, it does change things quite a bit. We’re trying to get a spark and trying to score and trying to move things around, but I do intend on moving things around a little bit with those top guys, in particular, but probably not as much as I had to there in the third.
On Spezza taking blame for the loss after a miscue on the power play:
It’s a tough play. I’m sure he’d like to have that one back, but things happen on the ice and it’s unfortunate how that one worked out. I don’t think there’s any ill-intent there at all for us.
On the way the penalty kill rebounded in the third period:
Obviously, the first one, the goal went in in a hurry on us the first time. The confidence is — you’re not quite there when you’re going in and have to kill a double minor, but the guys did a terrific job all the way through it. I thought it was a big moment in the game, it gave us momentum, I thought, with the power play soon thereafter. We couldn’t get anything really established, had the puck on the power play there and we shot and missed the net and didn’t get things going really from there. Worst case scenario when it went in our net at the end.
On if he’s worried about a long road trip without extra skaters available:
I’m not concerned about the extra bodies; we’ll manage that if we need to. We’ll have enough guys to get through.
On why the team doesn’t draw many penalties:
It’s a good question, it’s one I’ve been asking. It’s not the first time for this team. I think last season there were long stretches of a very similar situation, so we’ve got to figure that out. The natural thing for me is to say we’ve got to get the puck to more dangerous areas and we’ve got to attack the middle of the ice a lot more. We do have to skate a little bit harder and be a little more competitive to fight through situations and things like that to perhaps cause infractions. It is a concern and something we have to look at and go back to last season to look at what the situations might be and see what we can do a little bit differently to hopefully generate something. Now, we don’t take a lot of penalties either. I think that in itself creates a situation where you’re not going to get a lot. We certainly want to generate more than we are.
On the sense of urgency within the team:
I think it’s high and I think our play reflected that. That’s a very good team, a rested team, sitting here waiting for us. We’ve been watching them. We played them not too long ago ourselves, but just watching them in the pre-scouts, they’re feeling pretty good about themselves and scoring a lot. It was a real challenge for us defensively today. I thought the urgency was fine and I think some of the adjustments we’ve been working at and focusing on defensively have been there for us, today in particular. At times not so much yesterday, but today I thought we withstood a pretty potent offence and that top line, for the most part. While our attention has gone there, we’ve gotten away from some of the things offensively we focused on in the early going and that has caused us to revert back to some things we don’t necessarily like. We’ll have to try to fix that.
On if Hutchinson will play on the upcoming road trip to give Andersen a night off:
Yeah, that’s something we’ve talked about. When Freddie was pushing us to play here and compete with his teammates, we sort of said that would probably be one of the things that we’ll have to make an adjustment on and get Hutch a game on the road here. I’m not sure exactly which one, but we would intend on doing that.
On the defensive pairings:
We just thought that given the back-to-back and given the challenge of the game today and the way that things went yesterday for us, we just thought a change would be good. We changed not just the pairs but the matchups to just try and get guys different looks, just spread it out a little more and manage minutes a little better. We were just trying some different things.
On Muzzin and Holl matching up against Colorado’s top line:
We wanted to see what it would look like and the challenge was great for them today so we did want to see what it would look like. We think Holl has really been making great progress, not just in his defending but also he’s using his feet and his skating to move the puck up the ice, which is a big part of playing against the other teams’ best players and then Muzzin has done that a great deal over his career and in his time here. We wanted to give that a look today and for the most part we liked it. We’ll have to look a little closer to see how everything else worked out.
FREDERIK ANDERSEN (27 SAVES)
On why he wanted to play tonight’s game:
The way the guys got called out after last game, I figured I wanted to be out there battling with them. That’s why I asked to play.
On the way the team performed tonight:
I think we responded well. We played well; they just found a way to get the win on special teams. It’s a good team and I thought we played well, especially 5-on-5.
On the challenge of fatigue playing both games in a back-to-back:
Obviously, you’re going try to get some rest to get up for the second game. I thought I felt pretty good and just unfortunate I couldn’t get the win.
MITCH MARNER (22:53 TOI)
On how he felt in his first game back from injury:
It was good, it felt nice to be back with the guys and back on the ice with them. Not the outcome we wanted, but I thought we competed well tonight.
On his conditioning level:
There weren’t many times out there that I felt like I was out of breath or felt like I couldn’t go right away again. I really just focused on trying to keep my conditioning up and making sure I was ready when I came back and felt that I was tonight.
MORGAN RIELLY (25:41)
On his takeaways from tonight’s game:
I thought we worked hard. I’d have to go back and watch it, but I thought we battled for a back-to-back. I thought we wanted to play better after what we did last night, so I thought we did that. Obviously, not the outcome we wanted, but we’ll move forward.
On his play with Spezza that led to the game-winning goal:
I’d have to watch it again. I know he broke a stick and I think he tried to play it with his feet. Not sure.
JASON SPEZZA (8:27 TOI)
On the play that led to Colorado’s winner:
Obviously, a tough play. I’m coming downhill, I got a good look at the net, stick breaks, I’m going to the bench and then I hear somebody yell the puck is coming, so I make a split second decision to play it and [Rielly] yells that he’s there. I kind of just froze to try to not get in his way and, in turn, got in his way more. That game falls on me now. I thought we were playing good up to that point.
On moving past that play going forward:
Yeah, we made a push after that, but it’s frustrating now. You work to get — we don’t have many power plays; you work to get that power play. You want to score the goal, not give up a shorthanded goal. A game of inches and split-second decisions. I made the wrong one tonight there and it cost us.
JOHN TAVARES (9 SHOT ATTEMPTS)
On tonight’s effort:
I thought overall we competed extremely hard and gave ourselves a chance to win. We obviously just weren’t able to get a couple behind him. We had a lot of good looks in the third and unfortunately, we gave the one up that put us behind. Just have to stay with it and the effort tonight and the way we responded was a real positive. We’ve got to bounce back and get some results heading into this weekend and then a road trip out west.
On Andersen wanting to play the second game in the back-to-back:
He’s a real leader for us and he’s one of the best in the league, so no question his determination, his confidence, he sets a real tone for us and the backbone of our group. He played great, he gave us a great chance to win, it’s too bad we didn’t reward him.
COLORADO AVALANCHE (17-8-2 – 36 Points) vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (13-13-4 – 30 Points)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| COLORADO | 0 | 1 | 2 | – | 3 |
| TORONTO | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 |
GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY
ON THE SCORESHEET
SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| COLORADO | 10 (10) | 13 (12) | 8 (2) | – | 31 (24) |
| TORONTO | 12 (12) | 11 (11) | 16 (10) | – | 39 (33) |
SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| COLORADO | 17 (17) | 30 (29) | 12 (4) | – | 59 (50) |
| TORONTO | 19 (19) | 18 (18) | 23 (15) | – | 60 (52) |
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
| Record at Home | 7-4-4 (15 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Colorado | 32-40-9-3 (84 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Colorado at Home: | 18-22-4-1 (45 Games) |
| Record vs. Western Conference | 6-4-0 (10 Games) |
| Record vs. Central Division | 2-3-0 (5 Games) |
| Attendance | 19,351 |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| Shots | 6 (Tavares) |
| Shot Attempts | 9 (Rielly, Tavares) |
| Faceoff Wins | 11 (Tavares) |
| Faceoff Win Percentage | 100% (Hyman, Mikheyev) |
| Hits | 4 (Kapanen) |
| Blocked Shots | 4 (Barrie) |
| Takeaways | 3 (Marner) |
| TOI | 25:41 (Rielly) |
| Power Play TOI | 1:12 (Marner, Tavares) |
| Shorthanded TOI | 2:42 (Hyman) |
| Shifts | 28 (Marner) |
| 5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage | 64.0% (Mikheyev – 16 for, 9 against) |
RECORD WHEN…
| Opponent scores first | 7-11-3 |
| Tied after 1 | 5-4-2 |
| Tied after 2 | 4-5-1 |
| Do not score a power play goal | 5-9-2 |
| Allow 1 power play goal | 4-6-3 |
| Outshoot opponent | 7-3-1 |
| Wednesday | 2-3-0 |
OF NOTE…
UPCOMING GAMES:
2019 Toronto BBWAA Award Winners
The Toronto Chapter of the BBWAA have announced their annual award winners highlighted by the selection of OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who earned both the Neil MacCarl Award as player of the year and the Most Improved Player Award. Also recognized were RHP Ken Giles, who earned the Pitcher of the Year, SS Bo Bichette as the Rookie of the Year, and 1B Justin Smoak as the John Cerutti Award recipient for displaying goodwill, cooperation and character.
Bichette, 21, began his Major League career with an 11-game hitting streak, the longest in team history to start a career and the third longest in MLB history by a player 21 years old or younger. During that stretch, he also became the first player ever to hit a double in nine consecutive games. The shortstop went on to record 15 extra-base hits in his first 15 career games, which were the most by any player in MLB history. Bichette recorded 39 hits in the month of August, the most all-time by a Toronto rookie in any month. He finished the season with 61 hits and 11 home runs in 46 games played, both the most by any Blue Jays batter to begin a career.
Giles, 29, ranked first among American League relievers in strikeout rate (39.9%), third in ERA (1.87) and tied for eighth in saves (23) last season. The 6-3, 210 lb. right-hander led the Majors with a 95.8 save percentage, and finished the season with a 2-3 record, a 1.00 WHIP, 17 walks and 83 strikeouts. His 98.0 save percentage over the last two seasons (49-for-50) is tied with Canadian Eric Gagne (2003-2004) for the highest over any two-year span since saves became official in 1969.
Gurriel Jr., 26, slashed .277/.327/.541 in his 84 games for the Blue Jays in 2019 while reaching the 20-home run mark for the first time in his career. The 6-3, 215 lb. right-handed hitter also spent time with Triple-A Buffalo and twice landed on the injured list. Over the course of the campaign, he led all Major League left fielders with nine assists – doing so in just 63 games – and became the first player in MLB history to lead his team in home runs at the All-Star break (16) after hitting zero homers in the club’s first 50 contests.
Smoak, 32, hit 22 home runs and drove in 61 runs in 121 games last season. The 6-4, 220 lb. switch-hitter drew a team-leading 79 walks, which ranked 8th among American League batters, and was nominated for a Gold Glove Award after posting a .995 fielding percentage. In five seasons with the Blue Jays, Smoak has recorded 117 home runs, 321 RBI, and 304 walks, leading to a .796 OPS and an All-Star appearance in 2017. His 117 homers are the second most by a switch-hitter in team history, trailing only Jose Cruz Jr. (122). Over the course of his 10-year Major League career, the first baseman has combined for 191 home runs and 555 RBI in 1,250 games.
COLORADO AVALANCHE (16-8-2 – 34 Points) vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (13-12-4 – 30 Points)
DECEMBER 4, 2019 ▪ 7:00 PM EST
SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ▪ RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus COLORADO
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 32-39-9-3 (83 Games) |
| ALL-TIME ON THE ROAD: | 18-21-4-1 (44 Games) |
| 2019-20: | 1-0-0 |
| LAST FIVE: | 2-2-1 |
| LAST 10: | 5-3-2 |
MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus COLORADO
| GAMES PLAYED: | Jason Spezza (32), Jake Muzzin (22), John Tavares (17) |
| GOALS: | Jason Spezza (6), Kasperi Kapanen (4), Auston Matthews (4) |
| ASSISTS: | Jason Spezza (11), Jake Muzzin (7), John Tavares (6) |
| POINTS: | Jason Spezza (17), Auston Matthews (9), John Tavares (9), Jake Muzzin (9) |
| PENALTY MINUTES: | Jake Muzzin (12), Martin Marincin (8), Three players tied (6) |
MAPLE LEAFS – AVALANCHE TEAM STATS
| TORONTO | COLORADO | |
| GOALS FOR (Rank): | 93 (t-5th) | 97 (3rd) |
| GOALS AGAINST (Rank): | 96 (t-27th) | 75 (7th) |
| POWER PLAY [%] (Rank): | 16/83 [19.3%] (t-13th) | 20/103 [19.4%] (12th) |
| PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank): | 69/91 [75.8%] (26th) | 69/88 [78.4%] (20th) |
| SHOTS (Rank): | 978 (3rd) | 838 (t-23rd) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank): | 1492 (1st) | 1119 (27th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank): | 53.4% (4th) | 49.3% (19th) |
| FACEOFF % (Rank): | 52.4% (2nd) | 47.7% (28th) |
MAPLE LEAFS – AVALANCHE NOTES
| FIRST MATCHUP BETWEEN CLUBS: | Nov. 18, 1979 at Quebec (Quebec 4, Toronto 2) |
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 32-39-9-3 (83 Games) |
| ALL-TIME RECORD AT HOME: | 18-21-4-1 (44 Games) |
| ALL-TIME RECORD ON THE ROAD: | 14-18-5-2 (39 Games) |
| LAST WIN VS. OPPONENT AT HOME: | Nov. 17, 2015 (Toronto 5, Colorado 1) |
MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. AVALANCHE
| Frederik Andersen | First Maple Leaf shutout (Dec. 22, 2016 at COL) |
| Tyson Barrie | Selected by Colorado in the third round (64th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. Franchise leader among defencemen in points (307), assists (232) and goals (75). |
| Cody Ceci | 300th NHL game (Nov. 11, 2017 (OTT) vs. COL) |
| Frederik Gauthier | First NHL goal (Dec. 22, 2016 at COL) |
| Kasperi Kapanen | 100th NHL game (Jan. 14, 2019 vs. COL) |
| Alexander Kerfoot | Played 157 games with Colorado (2017-19) |
| Martin Marincin | First NHL game (Dec. 5, 2013 (EDM) vs. COL) First NHL goal (March 25, 2014 (EDM) vs. COL) |
| John Tavares | 100th game as a Maple Leaf (Nov. 23, 2019 at COL) |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| CATEGORY | LEADER |
| GOALS | 16 (Matthews) |
| ASSISTS | 17 (Rielly) |
| POINTS | 31 (Matthews) |
| POWER PLAY POINTS | 9 (Matthews) |
| SHORTHANDED POINTS | 2 (Kapanen) |
| PIMs | 18 (Kerfoot, Muzzin, Rielly) |
| SHOTS | 107 (Matthews) |
| FACEOFF WIN% | 57.3% (Matthews) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % | 60.2% (Petan) |
| BLOCKED SHOTS | 53 (Ceci) |
| TAKEAWAYS | 24 (Marner) |
| HITS | 62 (Muzzin) |
| TOI PER GAME | 24:46 (Rielly) |
| PP TOI PER GAME | 3:14 (Marner) |
| SH TOI PER GAME | 3:16 (Ceci) |
MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES
| Frederik Andersen | – Is 7-3-3 at home this season with a 2.68 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. – Has an 4-3-0 record with a .928 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average in seven career games against Colorado.- Tied for third in the NHL in wins (13).- Third in the NHL in saves (630) and third in even-strength saves (516). |
| Tyson Barrie | – Seventh among NHL defencemen in shots on goal (78). – Skated in 484 games for the Avalanche from 2011-19 and is the franchise leader among defencemen in points (307), assists (232) andgoals (75). |
| Cody Ceci | – Sixth among NHL skaters in shorthanded time on ice (94:58).- Has started 188 shifts in the defensive zone, which is the fifth-most defensive zone starts among all NHL skaters. |
| Frederik Gauthier | – Has won 57.0 percent (85 won, 64 lost) of his defensive zone faceoffs. |
| Justin Holl | – Has an unblocked shot attempt percentage of 54.9 percent at 5-on-5, which leads all Maple Leafs defencemen. |
| Michael Hutchinson | – Ranks ninth among NHL goaltenders who have appeared in fewer than 10 games in saves (197). |
| Zach Hyman | – Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 53.9 percent, which ranks ninth among Toronto skaters who have played 10 games. – Averaging 17:40 per game in ice time through nine games since returning from injury, which ranks fifth among Toronto forwards. |
| Kasperi Kapanen | – Has four goals in three career games against the Avalanche. |
| Alex Kerfoot | – Had 85 points (34 goals, 51 assists) over 157 games with Colorado from 2017-19 after signing a two-year entry-level contract on August 23, 2017. |
| Auston Matthews | – Eighth among NHL skaters in goals (16).- Tied for fourth among NHL skaters in even-strength goals (12).- Tied for 13th among NHL skaters in points (16-15-31).- One of 12 NHL skaters with at least 100 shots on goal to this point of the season, ranking fifth overall in the League with 107 shots.- Has nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in seven career games against the Avalanche. |
| Ilya Mikheyev | – Second among NHL skaters in shorthanded shots on goal (10).- Tied for the lead among NHL rookies in shots on goal (69).- Leads NHL rookies and is tied for second on the Maple Leafs in even-strength points (4-13-17). |
| Jake Muzzin | – Tied for 12th among NHL defencemen in even-strength assists (9).- One of eight NHL defencemen and 21 NHL skaters to have registered at least 55 hits (61) and at least 50 shots on goal (58). |
| William Nylander | – Has notched seven primary assists, which is tied for fourth among Toronto skaters. – Has registered at least one point in 18 of Toronto’s 29 games. – Has four points (3 goals, 1 assist) in four games against Central Division opponents. |
| Morgan Rielly | – Tied for 11th among NHL defencemen in points (3-17-20).- Tied for seventh among NHL defencemen in even-strength points (3-12-15).- Tied for fourth among NHL defencemen in even-strength assists (12).- 11th among NHL skaters in TOI per game (24:46).- Tied for seventh among NHL skaters in shifts per game (28.8).- Has four assists in four games against Central Division teams. |
| Jason Spezza | – Averaging 3.2 points per 60 minutes of ice time this season, which ranks second among Toronto skaters. |
| John Tavares | – Tied for sixth in points in the NHL over the last seven days (4-2-6; 4 GP).- Averaging 20:01 per game in ice time against Central Division opposition.- Leads the Maple Leafs in faceoff wins (202). He is one of 36 NHLers to have won at least 200 faceoffs in 2019-20.- Leads the Maple Leafs in power play faceoffs won (53.2% – 42 won, 37 lost). |
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
| None | |
UPCOMING MILESTONES
| Frederik Andersen | Three wins from 200 career NHL wins. |
| Morgan Rielly | One game from 500 career NHL games. |
RECENT MILESTONES
| John Tavares | 400th NHL assist (November 30 vs Buffalo) |
INJURY REPORT
| Mitch Marner (Ankle) | On injured reserve. |
| Trevor Moore (Shoulder) | On injured reserve. |
| Man Games Lost: 61 |
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
| December 3 | Recalled defenceman Martin Marincin from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). |
| November 29 | Loaned defenceman Martin Marincin to the Toronto Marlies (AHL). |
15-5) MIAMI HEAT, 121 VS. (15-5) TORONTO RAPTORS, 110 (OT) SCOTIABANK ARENA TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019
TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES
NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)
On not stringing together a bunch of defensive stops in a row… First of all, I thought they played with great energy. I thought they were really flying around at both ends, much, much more than we were. So that was kind of the first thing and then I thought they made really great reads. There is a bunch of pieces to that, they hit the right guy and that right guy made a lot of shots as well, or they took it to the basket and made some good finishes on them. They had some stretches there, like (Justise) Winslow I thought had a good stretch that was really keeping them taking over, and like you said, we couldn’t really string up the consecutive stops.
On Kyle Lowry… It was a tricky one for me tonight. We tried to bring him back, and then he is kind of part of the come back there at the end. Then he made some plays and he was trying everything that he could and he made some good plays. Then you get to overtime, you kind of roll with what you have. Obviously that is not a very good shooting night for him or for Fred (VanVleet), and I would think that if those guys are seven-for-34 we are probably in trouble. Too good of shooters for those kind of numbers.
On Bam Adebayo’s defence on Pascal Siakam… Give Bam some credit, he did a good job. I thought he was physical with him, I thought he moved his feet and kept him in front. Pascal couldn’t get around him, couldn’t get over the top of him very well either, and I thought as well as a team defence, there was a few times I looked when Pascal was in the paint and he had four guys on him. He made a couple of good reads – a kick out to Marc (Gasol) here and there – and he made some shots. They sent a lot of attention to him, but it started with Bam.
On the defence on Jimmy Butler… We were trying to kind of get in and out of stuff with Butler and they probably made us get out of it more than we’d hoped because again, Bam on the offensive end. They were firing it to him and he was throwing fastballs out to the shooters and they were making them. It was tough on us, because again, like I said they were making really good reads. We were maybe a half step slow as well, and we didn’t quite get out to the shooters. It is a couple pass scenario, that we have to protect the rim and then be able to get out to the shooters. Again, we just didn’t have the greatest energy I didn’t think, especially in the first half. I thought they were trying pretty hard in the second half and it was just one of those games where it wasn’t quite bouncing our way.
PASCAL SIAKAM (15 points, 12 rebounds)
What was different tonight on the defensive end of the floor? I don’t know. I think a lot of miscommunications and they shot a lot of open threes and they made them. We weren’t as crisp defensively as we usually are. So, move on.
How much of it are new lineups with guys coming back? I don’t know how that that has an effect. I just know we really shot our rotations and things that we did, extra efforts, we didn’t have.
NORMAN POWELL (23 points, eight rebounds) On Miami and what you saw tonight… They are a high energy team, lead by Jimmy Butler. They’ve got a lot of shooters around him, they play fast, and they play hard offensively and defensively. They are able to get out on transition and create a lot of three-point looks for their shooters.
Is there a transition period when guys return from injury? I think so. When guys go out you have guys step up, guys get more minutes and guys get more opportunity. We were able to find a rhythm with the rotations that were going on when Serge (Ibaka) and Kyle (Lowry) were out. Now that they are back, it’s a little readjustment and for them guys to get adjusted and to the way we were playing and just get their fill and rhythm back to the game of basketball. It’s good, it’s early in the season, so hopefully those guys are able to get adjusted quickly and we will be able to get back into that flow that we had early on with all of us.
KYLE LOWRY (12 points, 11 assists)
When did you decide to play? Right before the game. I shot at like 4:30 and felt okay, felt good. We don’t have many practices, we don’t have time to go out there, so why not go test it against a hard-playing team, and it responded pretty well and it was cool.
On 2-18 shooting … That was terrible. That’s rhythm, I missed shots. I mean honestly I didn’t force anything, I don’t think. I think everything I shot came within the offence and honestly a lot of those threes went in and out. Layups, it’s just rhythm and a little bit of timing, I haven’t really done a basketball-type playing since New Orleans, so that takes a game, but I’m sure I’ll be better next game and there is nothing to be concerned or worried about.
On Miami being a physical team to play … Of course, they are a very physical team and they are a very tough team, well coached and the organization is built a certain way and they came out and showed some grit tonight. We still had a chance to win the game and you can’t get mad at that
(15-5) MIAMI HEAT, 121 VS. (15-5) TORONTO RAPTORS, 110 (OT) SCOTIABANK ARENA TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019
MIAMI HEAT QUOTES
ERIK SPOELSTRA (HEAD COACH)
On how you feel the way your team finished the game … It showed a great deal of mental toughness, obviously, from the guys in there. It reminded me a little bit of that Milwaukee game, we were up, once we got up eight we just have to execute, get some stops and see if we can come out of there in regulation with a win. We weren’t able to do it, you have credit them. They got to the free throw line and jammed us up on a couple of possessions. And then just to put that all behind us and focus on the overtime, and then we really defended during that stretch. Obviously, Jimmy (Butler) was pretty darn good. At that point, he didn’t have a ton of energy he had already played 40 minutes but it was like, all right, I’m just going to make sure we seal this and that this doesn’t get to a second overtime or even worse, a loss.
When Jimmy is so impactful on the game, how much does it make it easier for the other guys? Where it really helps you are games like this, against a really quality opponent on their home court. You face a little bit of stress and adversity, you know you can just get the ball to somebody and you’re going to get something coherent, somebody that likes those moments and he has an ability to draw fouls, score off the dribble, at the rim, pull-ups. So he can manufacture his own shot at the end of the clock against virtually anybody, and he can also set up other guys. He’s very unselfish and that’s what he’s been doing all year for us, he’s basically been our point guard and getting other guys involved, and then when its closing time he just makes whatever play is needed.
JIMMY BUTLER (22 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) On overtime mindset … Keep playing the way I’ve been playing, shoot the ball, pass it, and defend. I think that was the thing we talked about in the huddle. We were going to win it on the defensive end.
Is this game a milestone one for you? I don’t think so. I think that in this locker room, in this organization, this is one that we’re supposed to win. I think we have an opportunity to win any game – home or away. I’m not going to say this was (more) special than any other one. It was just two good teams going at it. We were fortunate enough to do our job.
On Bam Adebayo … Just him being aggressive. He rebounds the ball well. He gets everybody involved and whenever he’s being aggressive trying to score the ball he’s definitely making everybody’s job easier. Like I’ve said over and over again, he’s the heart and soul of this thing, and now that we got Justise (Winslow) back, he’s right up there with him. They’ve been doing this together for so long. They know what it takes to win, and they damn sure know what it takes to win in a Heat uniform.
JUSTISE WINSLOW (17 points, nine rebounds, four assists)
On tonight’s game … This is a constant mentality, that next man up mentality, for us … we did a great job of staying composed and really fighting, staying in the game early. It was just a gritty win. It wasn’t pretty. Our shots weren’t falling throughout the whole game, but we found a way to win and that’s all you can ask for, especially on the road.
On Jimmy Butler … Just his competitiveness. You can feel it defensively and offensively he’s just such a smart player. He finds the advantage and really just takes advantage of it. He makes others better. I mean, the triple-double tonight speaks for itself, but he was doing even more stuff that you won’t see on the box score. Encouraging guys, talking, and being in gaps defensively, so he was fantastic for us.
KELLY OLYNYK (16 points, six rebounds)
On Jimmy Butler… He’s a special player … there’s nothing Jimmy can’t do. He’s a super-unselfish player, but when the moment is there and the time is there, he steps to the plate and knocks sh-t out of the park.
On the first two wins of this road trip … It’s huge. Anytime you go into a trip, especially on the road, (when) you’re playing playoff basketball…you’re going into somebody else’s house, that’s not easy. They hadn’t lost at home this year and to be able to come in here and get this game gives us a boost of confidence … But you can’t feel good about yourself. We’ve got one more job to do on this road trip and it’s going to be tough going back-to-back in another tough environment, but we’re ready for it.
FINAL SCORE: MIAMI HEAT 121, TORONTO RAPTORS 110 (OT)
DATE: DECEMBER 3, 2019 ATTENDANCE: 19,800 (Sellout)
FINAL SCORE RECORD HIGH POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS
Miami 121 15-5 Butler/ Robinson – 22 Butler – 13 Butler – 12
Toronto 110 15-5 Powell – 23 Siakam – 12 Lowry – 11
KEY RUN Jimmy Butler opened the overtime period with eight straight points for Miami … The Raptors were 0-for-9 from the field in overtime, with eight attempts coming from three-point range.
KEY STAT Miami outrebounded Toronto 55-48 … The Heat improved to a perfect 13-0 this season in games where they finish with more rebounds than their opponent … Jimmy Butler led Miami on the glass with 13 boards.
RAPTORS NOTES: • With the loss, Toronto falls to 15-5 this season and 9-1 at home … The defeat ends the Raptors’ season-high seven game win streak (Nov. 18 – Dec. 1) … Toronto completes a three-game homestand (Dec. 1-5) Thursday night vs. Houston. • The Raptors are now 1-1 in overtime games this season. • Norman Powell recorded a game-high 23 points and a season high-tying eight rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench – his fourth 20-point game of the season and first as a reserve. • Pascal Siakam notched his eighth double-double with 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. • Kyle Lowry returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous 11 games (Nov. 10 – Dec. 1) with a distal phalanx fracture in his left thumb … Lowry posted his first double-double of the season with 12 points, six rebounds and a season-high 11 assists in 41 minutes of action. • The Raptors had six players score double figures – Powell (23), Fred VanVleet (19), Siakam (15), Marc Gasol (14), Serge Ibaka (13) and Lowry (12) … Gasol’s 14 points were a season high.
HEAT NOTES: • With the win, Miami improves to 15-5 on the season and 6-6 on the road … The Heat have won three in a row (Nov. 29 – Dec. 3) … Miami finishes a three-game road trip (Dec. 1-4) tomorrow at Boston. • Tonight’s victory snapped a four-game winless streak against the Raptors. • Miami has won both of its overtime games this season. • Jimmy Butler posted his fifth career triple-double (Last: Apr. 6, 2017 – CHI at PHI) with 22 points, a season-high 13 rebounds and 12 assists in 41 minutes of play … Butler became just the 10th player in Heat franchise history to record a triple-double. • The Heat had five players score in double digits – Butler (22), Duncan Robinson (22), Bam Adebayo (18), Justise Winslow (17) and Kelly Olynyk (16) … Robinson reached the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season.
The view from left field 