When J.D. Martinez was released by the Astros in 2014, the designated hitter used it as fuel to make himself into a three-time All-Star, World Series champion and one of the best hitters in the game. Seven years later, Martinez has a new reason to prove himself. After the worst season of his big-league career…
Red Sox’ J.D. Martinez: ‘Chip on my shoulder’ after struggles in 2020 — Boston Herald
INJURY REPORT 1:30 P.M. TUESDAY
PHI@TOR Philadelphia 76ers Curry, Seth Probable Injury/Illness – Left Ankle; Soreness
Reed, Paul Out G League – Two-Way
Tucker, Rayjon Out G League – Two-Way
Toronto Raptors Harris, Jalen Out G League – Two-Way
Lowry, Kyle Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Thumb; Sprained
JUSTIN MORROW RE-SIGNS WITH TORONTO FC
Toronto FC announced today that defender Justin Morrow has been re-signed to a new contract through the 2021 season.
“Justin has been a fixture with TFC and it’s great to have him signed,” said Toronto FC General Manager Ali Curtis. “His versatility on the field, veteran presence in the locker room and overall leadership on and off the field have been critical for the club for a long time and we’re thrilled that will continue.”
Morrow, 33, is entering his eighth season with Toronto FC and 12th in Major League Soccer (MLS). Morrow has made 229 combined appearances, scoring 17 goals and 19 assists for Toronto FC. Morrow currently ranks second in all-time club appearances and is one of three players to have made 200 appearances or more for the club (Jonathan Osorio and Michael Bradley). Morrow was part of the Reds 2017 Treble winning season (MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, Canadian Championship), and has been part of two additional Canadian Championship winning teams (2016, 2018) with TFC. In 2017, Morrow was named to the MLS Best XI, where he scored a career-high eight goals in league play that season, including the first hat-trick of his career on September 30 in a 4-2 win over the New York Red Bulls at BMO Field. For his career, Morrow has made 275 combined appearances (MLS regular season and MLS Cup playoffs) scoring 19 goals and 27 assists with Toronto FC and the San Jose Earthquakes. Morrow was originally acquired in a trade with the San Jose Earthquakes on December 16, 2013.
Morrow was named executive director of Black Players for Change (BPC) following the organization’s launch on June 19, 2020. BPC were named the 2020 MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year award winners in December.
TRANSACTION: Toronto FC re-sign defender Justin Morrow to a new contract.
-TORONTO FOOTBALL CLUB-
CALGARY FLAMES (9-9-1 – 19 Points) vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (14-4-2 – 30 Points)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| CALGARY | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 3 |
| TORONTO | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY
ON THE SCORESHEET
SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| CALGARY | 14 (11) | 12 (6) | 7 (3) | – | 33 (20) |
| TORONTO | 9 (6) | 17 (9) | 8 (8) | – | 34 (23) |
SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| CALGARY | 20 (17) | 18 (8) | 12 (6) | – | 50 (31) |
| TORONTO | 26 (14) | 29 (17) | 20 (16) | – | 75 (47) |
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
| Record at Home | 8-3-1 (12 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Calgary | 63-61-12-5 (141 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Calgary at Home | 36-20-7-3 (66 Games) |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| Shots | 4 (Lehtonen) |
| Shot Attempts | 11 (Tavares) |
| Faceoff Wins | 6 (Matthews) |
| Faceoff Win Percentage | 67% (Engvall – 2 won, 1 lost) |
| Hits | 2 (Petan, Vesey) |
| Blocked Shots | 3 (Brodie) |
| Takeaways | 3 (Matthews) |
| TOI | 27:33 (Rielly) |
| Power Play TOI | 10:03 (Marner) |
| Shorthanded TOI | 6:13 (Brodie, Holl) |
| Shifts | 23 (Kerfoot) |
| 5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage | 81.3% (Kerfoot – 13 for, 3 against) |
RECORD WHEN…
| Opponent scores first | 4-2-1 |
| Trail after 1 | 2-2-1 |
| Trail after 2 | 0-3-0 |
| Do not score a power play goal | 3-3-0 |
| Allow multiple power play goals | 2-1-0 |
| Outshooting opponent | 5-2-1 |
| Monday | 2-1-1 |
OF NOTE…
UPCOMING GAMES:
Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution. Please consult official NHL game sheets (links above) to confirm no statistical changes were made.
TORONTO FC HIRE BARRIEU AS DIRECTOR OF HIGH PERFORMANCE
Toronto FC announced today that Pierre Barrieu has been named the club’s Director of High Performance.
“Pierre brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our club having worked at the highest levels of the game,” said Toronto FC General Manager Ali Curtis. “Excited about the positive impact he will have on our team’s overall health, fitness and conditioning.”
Barrieu, the former strength and conditioning coach for the United States Men’s National Team, most recently worked with the LA Galaxy as their director of high performance. Barrieu began his coaching career at the University of Virginia in 1999, holding a dual role as an assistant coach and strength and conditioning coach with the men’s soccer program. He then joined US Soccer as head fitness coach for the National Team, Olympic team and U-20 team in 2002 and remained until 2007. After one season at New York Red Bulls, Barrieu re-joined the U.S. National Team in 2008 and remained through 2011. During this time with the National Team, Barrieu was part of the staff at three FIFA World Cup’s (2002, 2006, 2010), five Concacaf Gold Cups (2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011), two U-20 World Cups (2003, 2005) and two FIFA Confederations Cup’s (2003, 2009). He then joined the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) Football Association as the head fitness coach for the Men’s National Team then as an assistant coach with the U-19 team. In 2014, Barrieu held the position of director of high performance for English side, Sheffield Wednesday F.C. and later joined Norwegian club, Stabaek Fotball as a senior consultant. From there, he joined French club, Le Havre AC as the director of high performance (2015-16) and then as head fitness coach for Swansea City A.F.C. (2016-17). Following his time in Europe, Barrieu joined the LA Galaxy in 2017.
“I think that joining TFC is a great opportunity. The organization is known to be one of the very best in MLS and I am looking forward to keep building a winning culture, optimizing the performance structure while taking advantage of the wealth of resources MLSE provide,” said Toronto FC Director of High Performance Pierre Barrieu.
In addition to his extensive experience at the club and national team level, Barrieu also serves as a High Performance Expert and instructor with FIFA since 2014. He holds two “A” coaching licences from UEFA (FFF) and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
-TORONTO FOOTBALL CLUB-
CALGARY FLAMES (8-9-1 – 17 Points) vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (14-3-2 – 30 Points)
FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ▪ 7:00 PM EST
SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪
TV: TSN4 ▪ RADIO: TSN 1050
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus CALGARY
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 63-60-12-5 (140 Games) |
| ALL-TIME at HOME: | 36-19-7-3 (65 Games) |
| 2020-21: | 2-0-0 |
| LAST FIVE: | 3-1-1 |
| LAST 10: | 6-3-1 |
MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus CALGARY
| GAMES PLAYED: | Joe Thornton (66), Jake Muzzin (33), Jason Spezza (29) |
| GOALS: | Joe Thornton (11), John Tavares (8), Wayne Simmonds (7) |
| ASSISTS: | Joe Thornton (44), Jake Muzzin (16), John Tavares (11) |
| POINTS: | Joe Thornton (55), John Tavares (19), Jake Muzzin (19) |
| PENALTY MINUTES: | Jason Spezza (33), Joe Thornton (31), Wayne Simmonds (23) |
MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES TEAM STATS
| TORONTO | CALGARY | |
| GOALS FOR (Rank): | 72 (t-1st) | 46 (18th) |
| GOALS AGAINST (Rank): | 51 (19th) | 54 (t-21st) |
| POWER PLAY [%] (Rank): | 21/56 [37.5%] (1st) | 14/69 [20.3%] (16th) |
| PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank): | 49/61 [80.3%] (14th) | 47/61 [77.1%] (21st) |
| SHOTS PER GAME (Rank): | 29.3 (t-22nd) | 29.1 (24th) |
| SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME (Rank): | 28.6 (t-9th) | 30.1 (19th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank): | 760 (9th) | 748 (11th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank): | 48.3% (24th) | 51.7% (t-8th) |
| FACEOFF % (Rank): | 52.8% (5th) | 49.4% (19th) |
MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES NOTES
| First Matchup between Clubs: | Nov. 5, 1972 (Toronto 2, Atlanta 2) |
| All-Time Record: | 63-60-12-5 (140 Games) |
| All-Time Record at Home: | 36-19-7-3 (65 Games) |
| All-Time Record on the Road: | 27-41-5-2 (75 Games) |
| Last Win vs. Opponent at Home: | Dec. 6, 2017 (Toronto 2, Calgary 1 SO) |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| CATEGORY | LEADER |
| GOALS | 18 (Matthews) |
| ASSISTS | 21 (Marner) |
| POINTS | 30 (Marner) |
| POWER PLAY POINTS | 9 (Marner, Matthews, Rielly) |
| SHORTHANDED POINTS | N/A |
| PIMs | 22 (Simmonds) |
| SHOTS | 75 (Matthews) |
| FACEOFF WIN% | 59.8% (Tavares) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % | 57.8% (Thornton) |
| BLOCKED SHOTS | 35 (Muzzin) |
| TAKEAWAYS | 17 (Marner) |
| HITS | 35 (Hyman) |
| TOI PER GAME | 23:35 (Rielly) |
| PP TOI PER GAME | 3:11 (Matthews) |
| SH TOI PER GAME | 3:20 (Holl) |
MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES
| Frederik Andersen | – Leads the NHL in wins (11).- Tied for second among NHL goaltenders in saves made (411).- Has a 9-2-2 record with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in 15 career games against Calgary. |
| Travis Boyd | – Averaging 2.95 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks fifth among Toronto skaters who have appeared in multiple games. |
| TJ Brodie | – Averaging 18:53 in even-strength ice time, which ranks second among Toronto skaters.- Fourth among Maple Leafs defencemen in points (0-5-5). |
| Justin Holl | – Ranks 31st among NHL right handed defencemen who average at least 15 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (17:18) with a shot attempt percentage of 50.2%.- Tied for 22nd among NHL defencemen who average at least 15 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (17:18) with a goals for percentage of 53.8%.- Ranks 14th in the NHL in shorthanded ice time per game (3:20). |
| Zach Hyman | – Leads Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:20).- Has the second-highest on-ice goals for percentage (68.0%) at 5-on-5 among Toronto forwards. |
| Alex Kerfoot | – Has two goals and five assists in 11 games on home ice this season.- Ranks seventh among Toronto forwards in shifts per game (19.8).- Has seven points (3-4-7) in nine games during the month of February. |
| Mitch Marner | – Second among NHLers in assists (21)- Third among NHLers in points (9-21-30).- Second in the NHL in even-strength goals (9).- Leads NHL forwards in time on ice per game (22:40).- Has played 40.6% of Toronto’s shorthanded ice time.- Has the highest on-ice goals for percentage (76.4%) at 5-on-5 among Toronto forwards.. |
| Auston Matthews | – Leads the NHL in goals (18).- Fourth among NHLers in points (18-11-29).- Averaging 21:45 in time on ice per game, which is ranked seventh among NHL forwards.- Ranks third among Maple Leafs forwards in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (51.2%).- Ranks third in the NHL in shots on goal (75).- Leads the NHL in scoring during the month of February (12-7-19). |
| Ilya Mikheyev | – Ranks third among Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:05).- Has an average of 13.7 shot attempts per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, which ranks fourth among NHLers who have played at least 35 minutes of shorthanded ice time (39:27). – Has started 38.6% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the lowest percentage among Maple Leafs. |
| Jake Muzzin | – Tied for 21st among NHL skaters in shorthanded ice time per game (3:13).- Tied for 10th among NHL defencemen and ranks sixth among Maple Leafs in points (1-11-12). – Has started 48.0 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the lowest mark among Toronto defencemen. |
| William Nylander | – Has the eighth highest points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (1.88) among Toronto skaters who have appeared in over five games.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 51.8%, which is the second-highest percentage among Maple Leafs forwards who have appeared in at least five games.- Has an on-ice goals for percentage of 56.2% at 5-on-5.- Averaging 2.35 takeaways per 60 minutes of ice time, which rank second on the Maple Leafs. |
| Morgan Rielly | – Leads Maple Leafs in average time on ice (23:35).- Tied for second among NHL defencemen in points (2-14-16).- Has five assists in two games against Calgary this season.- Has nine points (1-8-9) in nine games during the month of February. |
| Jason Spezza | – Has the third-highest points per 60 minutes rate (3.03) at 5-on-5 among Maple Leafs who have appeared in over five games.- Has won 61.5% of his defensive zone faceoffs, which is the fourth highest percentage among NHLers who have taken at least 75 defensive zone draws. |
| John Tavares | – Tied for 10th in the NHL in power play goals (4).- Has the third-highest faceoff win percentage (59.8%) among NHLers who have taken at least 250 faceoffs (276).- Has five goals and four assists in 11 games at home this season.- Has an on-ice goals for percentage of 60.0% at 5-on-5 in 2020-21. |
| Joe Thornton | – Has the highest 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage among Toronto skaters at 57.9%.- Has recorded two goals and five assists through four games since returning from injury on February 15. |
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
| Alex Kerfoot | Points (2-3-5) in four consecutive games. |
| Mitch Marner | Goals (2), assists (5) and points (2-5-7) in two consecutive games. |
| Auston Matthews | Goals (7) in four consecutive games, assists (4) in two consecutive games and points (16-8-24) in 13 consecutive games. |
| Morgan Rielly | Assists (4) in two consecutive games. |
| Jason Spezza | Assists (2) in two consecutive games. |
| John Tavares | Points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games. |
| Joe Thornton | Assists (5) and points (2-5-7) in four consecutive games. |
UPCOMING MILESTONES
| Zach Bogosian | Two points from 200 NHL points |
| Travis Boyd | Four games from 100 career NHL games |
| Jake Muzzin | Two games from 600 career NHL games |
| Joe Thornton | Five assists from 1,100 career NHL assists |
RECENT MILESTONES
| Justin Holl | 100th NHL game (Feb. 20 at MTL) |
| Auston Matthews | 300th NHL point (Feb. 8 vs. VAN) 300th NHL game (Feb. 20 at MTL) |
| Jake Muzzin | 200th NHL assist (Feb. 17 vs. OTT) 100th game as a Maple Leaf (Feb. 17 vs. OTT) |
INJURY REPORT
| Jack Campbell (Leg) | On injured reserve. |
| Wayne Simmonds (Wrist) | On injured reserve. |
| Man Games Lost: 44 | |
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
| Feb. 17 | Acquired forward Alex Galchenyuk from Carolina in exchange for forward Egor Korshkov and defenceman David Warsofsky. |
STOCKTON HEAT (0-1-0-0 – 0 Points)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| TORONTO | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | 7 |
| STOCKTON | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 1 |
GAME SUMMARY | GAME SHEET | PHOTOS | SCRUMS
SCORING SUMMARY
Toronto: S. Pooley (1) (H. Elynuik), K. Agostino (2) PP (T. Liljegren, N. Robertson), T. Gaudet (3) SH (Unassisted), R. Clune (1) (J. McKenna, C. Conrad), T. Kivihalme (1) (Unassisted), J. Brazeau (1) PP (A. Brooks, C. Rosen), H. Elynuik (2) (J. Duszak, T. Gaudet)
Goaltender: A. D’Agostini (27/28)
Stockton: L. Philip (1) PP (M. Pospisil)
Goaltender: D. Wolf (6/11), G. Sparks (15/17)
ON THE SCORESHEET
OF NOTE…
RECORD WHEN…
MARLIES LEADERS
POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH GREG MOORE
On tonight’s victory:
It was really good to see everyone contributing. It’s the sign of a good win. Points are spread throughout the roster, all four lines are contributing, defence is contributing offensively. I thought the group did a really good job tonight defensively as well. We definitely had to weather a storm early on. We had talked about Stockton being really excited to play a hockey game for the first time in a while. You knew they were going to come with a ton of energy. D’Agostini did a heck of a job again tonight giving us a chance in that first period.
On practicing special teams:
Not a lot [of time to practice]. Especially with what our schedule’s looked like last week and this week, A.J. MacLean has done a phenomenal job coaching them and giving them video and getting them a game plan and giving them a process and a structure and something to stick to and the players have bought into that which has really shown.
On Justin Brazeau:
He had a good game tonight. He’s really gained more confidence with every game. He’s a big body who utilizes that skill and that asset in the games. Our assistant coaches have really been putting in the time to watch video with players and really give them some perspective as to how they can take advantage in this level in this league. Brazeau is one of those players that asks the right questions, he’s always wanting to learn. He has a good sense of himself, as an athlete and as a person. His process so far has been great. He’s been getting better with every game.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
February 19: Recalled defenceman Noel Hoefenmayer from loan to Wichita (ECHL)Signed defenceman Dakota Krebs to an ATO
February 17: Signed goaltender Angus Redmond to an AHL contract
February 15: Signed goaltender Jeremy Link to an ATO
UPCOMING GAMES:
*All times Eastern Standard Time
February 23 at Stockton – 8:00 p.m.
February 24 at Stockton – 8:00 p.m.
February 26 at Stockton – 4:00 p.m.
RAPTORS NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors return to Tampa following a perfect 3-0 road trip (Feb. 16-19) to host the Philadelphia 76ers at Amalie Arena on Sunday. The two teams will play again Tuesday. The Raptors have won 15
straight games at home against Philadelphia. After starting the 2020-21 campaign with one win in seven games, the Raptors are .500 (15-15) for the first time this season.
• This marks Toronto’s fifth and final ‘series’ in the first half where a team scheduled to play twice in one market, has those games scheduled to be played consecutively. The Raptors are 6-2 in ‘series’ games, which includes sweeps over Charlotte (H) and Milwaukee (A) and splits with Miami (H) and Indiana (A). Toronto also swept consecutive games with Orlando, however it was a home-and-away set.
• The Raptors scored 86 points in Friday’s victory over Minnesota – the fewest in a win in the NBA this season. The last time Toronto scored 86 points (or fewer) and won was Jan. 19, 2018 vs. San Antonio (86-83).
• Norman Powell led all scorers with a season-high 31 points (10-19 FG, 6-10 3PT, 5-5 FT) Feb. 19 at Minnesota – his fifth career 30-point game. Powell also tied a career best with six three-point field goals against the Timberwolves. Powell is averaging a team-high 22.6 points through 10 games in February, and
has scored 20 or more points seven times. He is shooting .545 (78-143) from the field, including 50 percent (30-60) from beyond the arc this month. Powell is the fifth different Raptor to score 30+ point this season,
joining OG Anunoby, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam (five times) and Fred VanVleet (five times).
• The Raptors (7-3) have the best record in Eastern Conference in February. Toronto is averaging 117.0 points and shooting .471 (412-875) from the field, including .399 (145-363) from three-point range this month. Norman Powell (22.6), Fred VanVleet (22.5) and Pascal Siakam (21.9) are all averaging 20+ points through 10 games played in February.
• Pascal Siakam finished with 10 points, and team highs of nine rebounds and six assists, Feb. 19 at Minnesota. Siakam has now recorded five or more assists in a career-high four straight games (Feb. 14-19). He is averaging 5.8 assists and has a 2.88 assists-per-turnover ratio (23-to-8) during this stretch.
• Kyle Lowry missed his fifth game of the season Friday at Minnesota due to a left thumb sprain. Lowry injured the thumb in the first quarter Feb. 16 at Milwaukee. The Raptors are 5-0 this season without Lowry in the lineup and 17-2 dating to the start of last season.
• HUSTLE STATS: Fred VanVleet leads all players in the NBA in total steals (52) and deflections (115), and is tied for second in loose balls recovered (37) … Kyle Lowry is tied with Montrezl Harrell for the league-lead in charges drawn (12), while Aron Baynes ranks fifth with 10 charges taken.
Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg says the problem went away immediately after the 15-minute carpal tunnel surgery.
Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg: ‘Numbness in my whole hand’ led to surgery — MLB | NBC Sports
NBA INJURY REPORT AT 5:30 P.M. SUNDAY
PHI@TOR Philadelphia 76ers Milton, Shake Available Injury/Illness – Left Ankle; Sprain
Reed, Paul Out G League – On Assignment
Simmons, Ben Available Injury/Illness – N/a; Illness
Tucker, Rayjon Out G League – On Assignment
Toronto Raptors Harris, Jalen Out G League – Two-Way
Lowry, Kyle Out Injury/Illness – Left Thumb; Sprain
INJURY REPORT AT 1:30 P.M.
PHI@TOR Philadelphia 76ers Milton, Shake Probable Injury/Illness – Left Ankle; Sprain
Reed, Paul Out G League – On Assignment
Simmons, Ben Probable Injury/Illness – N/a; Illness
Tucker, Rayjon Out G League – On Assignment
Toronto Raptors Harris, Jalen Out G League – Two-Way
Lowry, Kyle Doubtful Injury/Illness – Left Thumb; Sprain
By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE (AP) — Draymond Green lost his cool and the Golden State Warriors lost another game. After Green picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 9.3 seconds left for arguing the outcome of a jump ball, Terry Rozier hit an off-balance jumper from the left corner as […]
Rozier hits game-winner as Hornets capitalize on Draymond Green’s blow up — Salisbury Post
Kendrick Nunn scored 27 points, and Jimmy Butler had 24 points and eight rebounds.
Butler, Nunn lead Heat past depleted Lakers 96-94 in NBA Finals rematch — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
The view from left field 