The Rockets’ James Harden, left, is fouled by the Clippers’ Paul George during the second half of Thursday’s game in Houston. The Clippers won 120-105. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (2) goes up for a shot as Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball…
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers dominate Rockets for 6th straight win — Daily News
IN JURY REPORT 8:30 P.M. THURSDAY
Golden State Warriors Bowman, Ky Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Green, Draymond Out Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Soreness
Looney, Kevon Out Injury/Illness – Left Hip; Soreness
Smailagic, Alen Out Injury/Illness – Right Quadriceps; Contusion
Thompson, Klay Out Injury/Illness – Left Acl; Rehabilitation
Toronto Raptors Brissett, Oshae Out G League – Two-Way
Gasol, Marc Doubtful Injury/Illness – Left Hamstring; Tightness
Hernandez, Dewan Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Ibaka, Serge Probable Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Soreness
VanVleet, Fred Doubtful Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Soreness
Watson, Paul Out G League – Two-Way
INJURY REPORT 5:30 P.M. THURSDAY
Golden State Warriors Bowman, Ky Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Game Date Game Time Matchup Team Player Name Current Status Reason
Green, Draymond Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Soreness
Looney, Kevon Out Injury/Illness – Left Hip; Soreness
Smailagic, Alen Out Injury/Illness – Right Quadriceps; Contusion
Thompson, Klay Out Injury/Illness – Left Acl; Rehabilitation
Toronto Raptors Brissett, Oshae Out G League – Two-Way
Gasol, Marc Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Hamstring; Tightness
Hernandez, Dewan Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Ibaka, Serge Questionable Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Soreness
VanVleet, Fred Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Soreness
Watson, Paul Out G League – Two-Way
Stephen Curry will return to the Golden State Warriors lineup Thursday night against the NBA champion Toronto Raptors — a rematch of last season’s final — and he expects to be limited to between 24-28 minutes
He has missed 58 games since suffering a broken bone in his left hand against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 30. The hand required two surgeries.
“It feels like the first day of school all over again, which is exciting,” Curry told reporters in San Francisco at the Warriors shootaround.said. “I feel pretty comfortable and pretty confident with where I’m at physically. I’m excited to get back out there.”
The anticipation ahead of Curry’s return is palpable. After shootaround at the Chase Center.
Meanwhile, the Raptors listed three players as questionable for the game — Marc Gasol (hamstring), Serge Ibaka (knee) and Fred VanVleet (shoulder). Gasol has missed 14 games and Ibaka and VanVleet three each. Ibaka and VanVleet indicated before Tuesday’s win over the Phoenix Suns that they hoped to play Thursday, the third of a five-game Western Conference road trip.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he intends to play Curry in in five- or six-minute bursts while keeping his minute total about 25 on Thursday.
Curry will be trying to end a career-long losing streak at home. When the Warriors lost to the Suns on Oct. 30 after Curry left with a broken hand, it marked the fifth straight loss at home for the Warriors with Curry was in the lineup. The previous worst had been four consecutive losses with the All-Star guard in the lineup.
Curry and the Warriors dropped three consecutive home games at Oracle in the NBA Finals against the Raptors in June, including a 114-110 defeat in Toronto’s title-clinching Game 6 win on June 13. And then the Warriors dropped both of their games at Chase Center with Curry playing in October.
Both teams are coming off victories on Tuesday. The Warriors startled the Nuggets 116-100 at Denver for only their 14th win this season. Toronto won 123-114 at Phoenix.
According to STATS:
Marcus Smart lost his cool Tuesday night at TD Garden and now he’ll pay the price. Smart and the Boston Celtics suffered arguably their most frustrating loss of the season to the Brooklyn Nets, who erased a 21-point deficit on the strength of 51 (!) fourth-quarter points to secure an overtime victory over their Atlantic…
NBA Issues Punishment To Marcus Smart After Incident With Referees — NESN.com
“The amount of Smart’s fine ($35,000) also reflects his multiple prior violations of acceptable on-court decorum.”
Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/03/nba-issues-punishment-to-marcus-smart-after-incident-with-referees/
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (35-24-8 – 78 Points) vs.
LOS ANGELES KINGS (25-35-6 – 56 Points)
MARCH 5, 2020 ▪ 10:30 PM EST
STAPLES CENTER (LOS ANGELES, CA) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO ▪ RADIO: TSN 1050
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus LOS ANGELES
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 65-64-21-2 (152 Games) |
| ALL-TIME ON THE ROAD: | 25-38-10-1 (74 Games) |
| 2019-20: | 1-0-0 |
| LAST FIVE: | 4-1-0 |
| LAST 10: | 5-4-1 |
MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus LOS ANGELES
| GAMES PLAYED: | Jason Spezza (24), Tyson Barrie (21), John Tavares (18) |
| GOALS: | John Tavares (4), Tyson Barrie (4), Jason Spezza (4) |
| ASSISTS: | John Tavares (12), Tyson Barrie (10), Jason Spezza (9) |
| POINTS: | John Tavares (16), Tyson Barrie (14), Jason Spezza (13) |
| PENALTY MINUTES: | Jason Spezza (12), Tyson Barrie (10), Mitch Marner (8) |
MAPLE LEAFS – KINGS TEAM STATS
| TORONTO | LOS ANGELES | |
| GOALS FOR (Rank): | 232 (1st) | 164 (30th) |
| GOALS AGAINST (Rank): | 219 (28th) | 203 (t-15th) |
| POWER PLAY [%] (Rank): | 43/184 [23.4%] (6th) | 32/180 [17.8%] (22nd) |
| PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank): | 141/184 [76.6%] (26th) | 138/181 [76.2%] (28th) |
| SHOTS (Rank): | 2199 (4th) | 2186 (6th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank): | 3323 (3rd) | 3276 (4th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank): | 52.0% (6th) | 53.3% (4th) |
| FACEOFF % (Rank): | 52.8% (3rd) | 50.7% (9th) |
MAPLE LEAFS – KINGS NOTES
| First Matchup between Clubs: | October 25, 1967 vs. LAK (Toronto 4, Los Angeles 2) |
| All-Time Record: | 65-64-21-2 (152 Games) |
| All-Time Record at Home: | 40-26-11-1 (78 Games) |
| All-Time Record on the Road: | 25-38-10-1 (74 Games) |
| Last Win vs. Opponent on the Road: | November 13, 2018 (Toronto 5, Los Angeles 1) |
MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. KINGS
| Jack Campbell | Played for Los Angeles from 2016-20. With LAK: 57 GP, 20-24-5; 2.51 GAA; .918 SV% |
| Kyle Clifford | Played for Los Angeles from 2010-20. With LAK: 660 GP, 60 G – 69 A – 129 P |
| Alex Kerfoot | 100th career NHL game (Nov. 21, 2018 (COL) at LAK) |
| Jake Muzzin | Played for Los Angeles from 2010-19. With LAK: 496 GP, 51 G – 162 A – 213 P |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| CATEGORY | LEADER |
| GOALS | 46 (Matthews) |
| ASSISTS | 49 (Marner) |
| POINTS | 79 (Matthews) |
| POWER PLAY POINTS | 24 (Matthews) |
| SHORTHANDED POINTS | 2 (Engvall, Kapanen) |
| PIMs | 40 (Muzzin) |
| SHOTS | 275 (Matthews) |
| FACEOFF WIN% | 55.4% (Matthews, Tavares) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % | 54.5% (Nylander) |
| BLOCKED SHOTS | 110 (Muzzin) |
| TAKEAWAYS | 74 (Matthews) |
| HITS | 109 (Muzzin) |
| TOI PER GAME | 24:15 (Rielly) |
| PP TOI PER GAME | 3:09 (Marner) |
| SH TOI PER GAME | 2:50 (Ceci) |
MAPLE LEAFS SNAPSHOTS
| Faceoffs | – The Maple Leafs rank third among NHL teams in faceoff win percentage (52.8%) and are second among NHL teams in offensive zone faceoff win percentage (54.0%). |
| Goals by Strength | – The Maple Leafs hold the NHL lead in goals scored at 5-on-5 (159). |
| Goals by Period | – Toronto is second in the NHL in goals scored in the second period (86) and are tied for fifth in the NHL in goals scored in the third period (77). |
| Power Play | – The Maple Leafs have the fewest power play opportunities (184) among NHL teams that have scored at least 40 power play goals (43). |
| Penalty Kill | – Toronto has been shorthanded 184 times this season, which is the eighth-fewest times shorthanded in the NHL. |
| Scoring First | – Toronto has a .767 win percentage when scoring first, which is tied for the fourth-highest in the NHL. |
MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES
| Frederik Andersen | – Tied for third among NHL goaltenders in wins (28).- Ranks fourth in the NHL in saves (1,372).- Is 8-1-2 with a 2.21 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in 16 career games against Los Angeles.- Has a 16-6-0 record on the road in 2019-20, with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage |
| Tyson Barrie | – Has eight multi-assist games, which is tied for the fourth-most among NHL defencemen.- Tied for third among NHL defencemen in multi-point games (12). – Averages 14.29 shot attempts per game at 5-on-5, which is the fifth-highest average among NHL defencemen who have played in at least 50 games.- Ranks 16th among NHL defencemen in 5-on-5 time on ice per game (18:18).- Ranks 15th among NHL defencemen in slap shots taken (56). |
| Jack Campbell | – Has a 3-1-1 record with a .913 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average since being acquired by the Maple Leafs.- Acquired by the Maple Leafs in a trade with Los Angeles on February 5. |
| Kyle Clifford | – Eighth among NHL left wingers who have appeared in 50 games in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (54.2%). – Averages 14.97 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks 18th among left wingers.- Ranks 10.14 hits per 60 minutes of ice time, which ranks 30th among NHL skaters.- Acquired by the Maple Leafs in a trade with Los Angeles on February 5. |
| Pierre Engvall | – Ninth among NHL rookie forwards who have appeared in 30 games in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (51.5%). – Has an on-ice goals-for percentage of 52.6 percent at 5-on-5, which is tied for the seventh highest among NHL rookie forwards who have appeared in 30 games.- Ranks fourth among rookie forwards in 5-on-5 shot attempts per 60 minutes (13.97). |
| Justin Holl | – Has started the eighth-lowest percentage of his 5-on-5 shifts (42.0%) in the offensive zone among right-handed defencemen.- Ranks second in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (51.7%) among NHL defencemen who have started less than 45 percent of their 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone (42.0%).- Has the second-highest unblocked shot attempt percentage at 5-on-5 (52.3%) among NHL defencemen to have started fewer than 45 percent (42.0%) of their shifts in the offensive zone. |
| Zach Hyman | – Ranks fifth among Maple Leafs skaters in points per game (0.77).- Fourth among Toronto forwards in even-strength time on ice per game (16:07).- Ranks third among Toronto forwards in shorthanded time on ice per game (1:47). |
| Kasperi Kapanen | – Has drawn 20 penalties this season and taken eight, which gives him the highest net penalties among Toronto skaters (+12) and ranks tied for 12th among NHL forwards.- Tied for third among Maple Leafs and tied for 12th among NHL right wingers who have appeared in 50 games in assists per 60 minutes of ice time (1.25) at 5-on-5.- Has recorded 21 (9-12-21) of his 36 points on the road this season. |
| Alex Kerfoot | – Ranks second among Toronto skaters who have appeared in 50 games in assists per 60 minutes of ice time (1.27) at 5-on-5.- Eighth among Maple Leafs in even-strength points (8-17-25).- Tied for second among Maple Leafs in primary assists at 5-on-5 (11). |
| Mitch Marner | – Tied for ninth among NHL skaters in assists (49).- Has 12 multi-assist games, which is tied for the seventh-most among NHL skaters.- Averaging 1.16 points per game, which is tied for the 16th-highest average in the NHL.- Averaging 1.78 assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which is tied for ninth among NHLers who have appeared in at least 50 games.- Eighth in the NHL in primary assists (31).- Ranks fifth among NHL forwards in time on ice per game (21:29) |
| Auston Matthews | – Second among NHL skaters in goals (46).- Leads the NHL with 35 even-strength goals.- Leads the NHL in goals scored at 5-on-5 (30).- Tied for first in the NHL in wrist shot goals (27).- Tied for second in the NHL in multi-goal games (10).- Tied for sixth in the NHL in multi-point games (25).- Ninth among NHL skaters in points (46-33-79).- Fourth in the NHL with 275 shots on goal. |
| William Nylander | – Leads the Maple Leafs and is tied for fifth among NHLers in game-winning goals (7).- Tied for 11th in the NHL in goals scored at 5-on-5 (19).- One of 13 NHLers to average at least 14:00 minutes per game at 5-on-5 (14:30) while maintaining a goal per 60-minute rate of at least 1.20 (1.21).- Ranks eighth among NHL forwards who average 14:00 per game (14:30) in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (54.5%). |
| Rasmus Sandin | – Ranks eighth among rookie defencemen who have appeared in at least 10 games in points per 60 minutes of ice time (1.07) at 5-on-5. – Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 54.1 percent, which ranks fifth among rookie defencemen who have skated in at least 10 games. |
| Jason Spezza | – Averaging 2.05 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which is the fourth-highest average among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 50 games.- Averaging 0.80 goals per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which ranks fifth among Maple Leafs who have appeared in at least 50 games.- Averaging 1.25 assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which is tied for the third-highest average among Toronto skaters. |
| John Tavares | – Tied for 22nd among NHL skaters in multi-point games (17).- Ranks 10th among NHL centres in 5-on-5 ice time per game (15:29).- Tied for 14th in the NHL in faceoff wins (588)- Has recorded 13 points (6-7-13) in 13 games against Pacific Division teams.- Has 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) in 31 games on the road. |
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
| Martin Marincin | Has points (1-2-3) in three consecutive games. |
| Mitch Marner | Has points (1-3-4) in four consecutive games. |
| Auston Matthews | Has goals (3) in three consecutive games and points (3-3-6) in four consecutive games. |
UPCOMING MILESTONES
| Zach Hyman | One game from 300 NHL games |
| Kasperi Kapanen | One game from 200 NHL games |
| Mitch Marner | Three games from 300 NHL games |
| Jason Spezza | One assist from 600 assists |
RECENT MILESTONES
| None | |
INJURY REPORT
| Cody Ceci (Ankle) | On injured reserve. |
| Andreas Johnsson (Knee) | On injured reserve. |
| Ilya Mikheyev (Wrist Laceration) | On injured reserve. |
| Jake Muzzin (Hand) | Sustained a broken hand on February 25 at Tampa Bay. |
| Morgan Rielly (Foot) | On injured reserve. |
| Man Games Lost: 187 |
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
| February 26 | Recalled defenceman Calle Rosen from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). |
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — As much as Kyle Clifford, and Jake Muzzin, can bring a winning pedigree to the Maple Leafs, the man coaching their former club sees their potential impact a little differently. Read More
Ex-Kings Clifford, Muzzin making an impact as Leafs continue to grow — Toronto Sun
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — As much as Kyle Clifford, and Jake Muzzin, can bring a winning pedigree to the Maple Leafs, the man coaching their former club sees their potential impact a little differently.
“I think that sometimes the winner tag is overrated,” Los Angeles Kings coach Todd McLellan said on Wednesday. “I think it’s the ability to fit in — the chemistry tag should be the one that is addressed more than the winner tag.”
The Leafs have been getting that symmetry with Muzzin, who signed a four-year extension with Toronto last week, for more than a year after acquiring Muzzin from the Kings in January 2019. The experience of having Clifford, and goalie Jack Campbell, as an influence on the group will hit one month on Thursday following the trade with the Kings on Feb. 5 that brought both to Toronto.
Clifford and Muzzin hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Kings, though as McLellan indicated, that’s only part of the package.
While Muzzin has taken on the status of a spectator after breaking a knuckle on his right hand last week against Tampa Bay — Muzzin said on Wednesday he would like to be back before the original prognosis of four weeks’ absence is up, but only if it “makes sense” — Clifford continues to take on a greater role, off the ice as much as on.
“He has really been terrific,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said following practice at the Kings’ facility near the Los Angeles International Airport. “His perspective that he has, the experiences he has, also the type of personality he has to be able to talk to anyone on the team.
“He is a competitor and he brings it every day. Those types of things rub off on the rest of your team.”
The Leafs could have used Muzzin’s guidance and presence on the ice on Tuesday night in San Jose, when there was general disorganization in the defensive zone during a 5-2 loss against the Sharks. While Muzzin and the rest of the injured Leafs might not have liked what they witnessed, the defenceman had some perspective a day later.
“It’s tough to be at the top of your game consistently night in and night out,” Muzzin said. “The teams that find a way to do that the most are at the top of the league and get themselves to win a Cup.
“It’s a battle throughout the season to continually bring your emotion and compete level. We’re working to get to that.
“We believe in the group in there. It’s just that getting there is tough.”
The Leafs, who take on the Kings on Thursday night at the Staples Center, won their previous three games and four in five before the Sharks attacked.
Veterans such as Muzzin, Clifford, Jason Spezza and captain John Tavares, whether they have won the Cup, are a positive influence, but with the emphasis in Toronto on a younger core of players, the learning curve will have bumps.
“We don’t want to be responding to anything that is happening,” Keefe said. “We want to be dictating it and we want to be confident when we come to the arena every day.”
So the work continues to try to be, as Muzzin said, as close to consistent every night as possible.
“We don’t want to say ‘Hey, we put together three pretty good games last week and that was just a one-off,’” Keefe said of the San Jose loss. “There have been other times where we have looked like that.
“One of the bigger issues is that when we have looked bad, we have been really bad. We’re not going to have great nights every night and we’re not going to win every night. But we’re capable of putting together a level of competitiveness and work ethic and structure every day to make sure it doesn’t go south to that degree.”
The Leafs will be better once Muzzin returns. Clifford is making in-roads.
We come back to something else McLellan said, which applies to the NHL as a whole.
“Sometimes coaches, media, fans, we live in this fantasy world that we’re just going to run over teams and take advantage no matter how we are built,” McLellan said. “The parity in the league is immense and they’re human beings. They’re going to have off-nights.”
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Sheldon Keefe’s head triumphed over his heart. Read More
Andersen returns to Leafs crease on Thursday versus Kings — Toronto Sun
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Sheldon Keefe’s head triumphed over his heart.
Rather than give goaltender Jack Campbell a start on Thursday against his former club, the Los Angeles Kings, Keefe will turn to Frederik Andersen after Campbell was sharp against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Campbell will start on Friday in Anaheim against the Ducks, giving Andersen another rest.
“The biggest thought process for us is we wanted to get Jack in two out of three games this week,” Keefe said. “That trumps anything in terms of him playing against his former team.
“Also, Fred’s our starting goaltender. It makes sense for him coming off (the fact) he didn’t play (Tuesday) night, had a full practice day (Wednesday) and he goes in and plays a game. He deserves that. At this time of year especially, you have to make those right decisions.”
Keefe has spoken of load management regarding Andersen, without using those words specifically.
Andersen has made 50 starts this season, tying him for third-most in the NHL prior to games on Wednesday. Campbell gives the Leafs a legitimate, don’t-need-to-worry backup, and we assume Campbell will be used more in the final month of the regular season.
Defenceman Rasmus Sandin will be back in the lineup after sitting in San Jose, with Calle Rosen likely to be scratched.
— Terry Koshan
DUNEDIN, Fla. — He’s the undisputed ace of the Blue Jays starting pitching staff, but Hyun-Jin Ryu prefers not to think of himself in those terms. Read More
Ryu all business as Blue Jays ace starter builds towards opening day — Toronto Sun
TORONTO MARLIES (28-25-3-2 – 61 Points) vs. BELLEVILLE SENATORS (38-17-4-1 – 81 Points)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| TORONTO | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 4 |
| BELLEVILLE | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 8 |
GAME SUMMARY | GAME SHEET | PHOTOS | SCRUMS
SCORING SUMMARY
Toronto: M. Salomaki (7) SH (Unassisted), S. Pooley (8) (H. Elynuik), M. Read (13) PP (K. Agostino, M. Lorito), E. Korshkov (16) (M. Kapla)
Goaltender: J. Woll (21/29)
Belleville: N. Baptiste (4) (M. Klimchuk, P. Kelly), F. Chlapik (8) (J. LaBate, D. Archibald), M. Lajoie (3) (J. Norris, V. Abrmaov), J. Szwarz (18) (M. Carcone, J. Aspirot), J. Norris (31) (D. Batherson, V. Abramov), M. Carcone (13) (Unassisted), D. Archibald (11) (J. Aspirot), M. Klimchuk (12) (P. Kelly, N. Baptiste)
Goaltender: A. Dubeau (19/23)
ON THE SCORESHEET
OF NOTE…
REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
RECORD WHEN…
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
MARLIES UPDATES.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH GREG MOORE
On what was different in tonight’s loss versus the comeback win against Texas:
Our lack of compete right from the start. For how many points we need right now and what this week is and what we’ve been talking about and they know our playoff lives are on the line here, that first period wasn’t good enough and to think that we can turn it on late against a good team like this, the players should be really down on themselves.
On what kind of team the Marlies are when they have success:
Our team, we can play our possession style if we have the compete and we do at times and when our brains are turned on and we’re engaged and active in the game, we’re not shoulder-checking, we’re not identifying what the time and space is around us before we get the puck, it ends up playing too slow. They just think that they can take a game off all of sudden, just because they had two decent games they put together and they’ve got to find a way to want more than that for themselves within our brand and we’ve had success winning hockey games by all five guys on the ice being active and holding onto the puck and making plays with each other, it’s when we get individual.
On if it was tough leaving Joseph Woll in for the entire game:
It was tough. We were finding our way back in the game so it didn’t feel as though we got too far away from it. He’s a great goaltender, he deserves a lot better. I could hear guys after in the room not happy with themselves and know that our goalie deserves a lot better than what they gave him here tonight.
NEXT GAME:
March 6 vs Syracuse – 7:00 p.m. ET
March 7 vs Syracuse – 7:00 p.m. ET
March 11 at Bridgeport – 7:00 p.m. ET
March 13 at Hershey – 7:00 p.m. ET
March 14 at Lehigh Valley – 7:05 p.m. ET
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James’ pronouncement in February 2019 that his intensity had been “activated” to a playoff level was met with some derision, especially when the Lakers went out and lost seven of their next nine games. Nobody’s mocking the late-season hustle this year. With 22 regular-season games remaining, the Lakers are 47-13 with…
LeBron James, Lakers operating with an eye toward the postseason — Press Telegram
There are rumors it the London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals could be postponed due to coronavirus concerns
Theo Epstein on the Cubs-Cardinals London Series: “As of now it’s on” — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
PHOENIX — Pascal Siakam was named an honourable mention for February’s East player of the month on Tuesday, but that’s old news already. More important, at least for Siakam and the Toronto Raptors ahead of Tuesday’s game against Phoenix, were the all-star starter’s recent struggles and what he was going to do about them. Well, […]
Siakam busts out of slump in Phoenix — Toronto Sun
HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE
On tonight’s loss:
They played really hard today. We just finished a stretch of games here where we played against some of the top teams in the League. For me, that was a harder game for us to play today, just the pace the puck moved, the pace that their feet moved, how competitive they were. Our inability to respond to that and find another level in our game causes a problem where we just — the ice tilted in that second period and we just couldn’t get it back. So that was really tough. The third period to me was pretty even, we just gave up some chances that ended up in our net, but the second period was where they really established their game and took it to us. Strange as it is, that’s the one that we win. We win that period of the three. So we’re in a good spot to try and play there in the third but we gave up too many chances and eventually cost us. You don’t win games when you score two goals.
On Jack Campbell’s play tonight:
I thought he battled all through that second period. There’s a lot of shots, a lot of pucks coming at him. He made some great saves for us there to keep us in the game and give us a chance to win that period and then set us up for the third. Some of the goals — when you look at the goals that go in, there’s some funny stuff happening behind the net, behind the goal line, stuff like that, but he battled and made saves for us. As I said, their goaltender made saves too. We had some real high-end chances that didn’t go in for us, but we’ve got to find a way to generate more than two goals if we want to have a chance to win, and then we can’t give up nearly what we gave up today. A lot of things that haven’t been issues for us in terms of odd-man rushes against and guys getting behind us — we’ve been talking about how we’ve cleaned that up pretty well, but It came back into our game today, I think, in part due to the pace of play, and we just didn’t respond well to it.
JACK CAMPBELL (33 SAVES)
On what San Jose did well in the second period:
I just know they got a lot better. I’m just disappointed. I thought we played, we battled and, you know, I just think Jones outplayed me, bottom line. So I’m not happy about that and I just feel responsible for this one.
On if San Jose is known for lively boards when pucks are shot into the zone:
I’ve played well here before and yeah, I don’t know what was going on there. They must have greased them up before the game. The pucks were coming off pretty strange angles, but no excuses. I’ve just got to find the puck and make the save.
On if he felt any rust after not playing the prior seven games:
No. I felt sharp and dialed in and no excuse for giving up four. It’s just not acceptable.
MITCH MARNER (1 GOAL)
On where the game got away from the team:
Most of that second period they dominated us. They did what they wanted to and we didn’t win enough puck battles. The only reason we really had a chance going into that third period was because of Jack. He played great tonight like usual for us and made it feel possible, got us through that second period and that third we just gave up too many chances. We weren’t stopping on pucks or being strong enough on pucks and it came back to haunt us.
On if the team is still learning how to be more consistent when things go wrong:
I think it’s just the consistency of every shift. It’s just knowing that you want to watch guys go on before you and battle, get in lanes. Coming into this game we talked about how they have one of the best, if not the best guy, at getting pucks through. When that’s happening, we know their game plan is going to be trying to get pucks through on tips, high tips, low tips. We need guys to get in lanes, we need guys to sacrifice for each other and I think that’s something that we’re just missing. It’s just guys needing to buy in more and getting themselves ready.
AUSTON MATTHEWS (1 GOAL, 1 ASSIST)
On trying to play catch up tonight:
Yeah, they play fast. I think the momentum kind of tipped their way and I think we didn’t really do a very good job of getting it back. I think they just kept coming and coming and a lot of times, we just had no pushback. Tough to get stuff going that way.
On San Jose making a big push in the second period:
Yeah, for sure. I think we just got caught out there and they were able to just continue to play in our zone and kind of tire us out, tire our back end out and just kind of wear on us. So, like I said, they came with a good push there and we just really had no answer.
The view from left field 