Norman Powell starts the second half for Kyle Lowry, who is done for the night with a left thumb injury. Serge Ibaka, who has a sprained right ankle, also will not return. .
Raptors 75, Pelicans 53 at halftime. Lowry, Ibaka injured for Toronto.
MLS CUP: TORONTO FC AND SEATTLE SOUNDERS MEET FOR THE THIRD TIME IN FOUR YEARS IN THE FINAL
Having split the previous two meetings at BMO Field, with the Sounders lifting the trophy in 2016 and TFC exacting revenge in 2017, the scene shifts to CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
“It’s a very unique scenario because they’re like us – a lot of big games the past few years, a group that has been together most of the time,” said Jozy Altidore, the TFC striker who is injured a likely wonèt play. “A tactical game for sure. Two teams that know each other well, have always found different ways to win.”
. Click below the picture for the story by James Grossi of MLSSoccer.com.
RAPTORS AT PELICANS: PREGAME NOTES
RAPTORS NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors begin a five-game road trip (Nov. 8-16) Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. This matches Toronto’s longest trip of the season. The Raptors will also play five in a row on the road March 1-9. Toronto will not play at home again until Nov. 18 vs. Charlotte. The Raptors play eight of 13 games on the road in the month of November. Toronto was 11-4 on the road vs. Western Conference opponents last season.
• The Raptors have won eight of their last nine games against the Pelicans, including their last four visits to New Orleans. In the first meeting this season, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam scored 34 points apiece, as Toronto beat the Pelicans 130-122 in overtime in the NBA’s season-opening game. Siakam is averaging 25.0 points in his last three games vs. New Orleans. With a victory Friday, the Raptors would sweep the season-series for the fourth time in the past five years.
• Pascal Siakam scored 11 of his 23 points in the third quarter Nov. 6 vs. Sacramento. He has now scored 10 or more three times in the third quarter this season, including 19 points Oct. 30 vs. Detroit. Siakam is currently averaging 9.7 points in the third frame – second in the NBA behind only Damian Lillard (10.5).
• Serge Ibaka scored a season-best 21 points (9-16 FG, 1-4 3PT, 2-2 FT) in 24 minutes as a reserve Wednesday night against the Kings. Ibaka has now led (or tied) the bench in scoring in every game this season; averaging 14.9 points. Ibaka averaged 12.2 points in 23 games as a reserve last season.
• Toronto ranks first in the NBA in opponent field goal percentage (.407). The Raptors have held their opponent below 40 per cent shooting from the floor three times in the first seven games of the regular season.
• Fred VanVleet finished with 12 points and five assists in 35 minutes of action Nov. 6 vs. Sacramento. VanVleet has now recorded at least five assists in a career-long seven straight games; averaging a teamhigh 6.9 assists during this stretch.
• Kyle Lowry (39.0) and Fred VanVleet (37.4) currently rank first and third, respectively, in the NBA in minutes per game. Lowry has played at least 34 minutes in every game this season. VanVleet has logged 40+ minutes three times, including a career-high 44 minutes in the season-opener vs. New Orleans.
• OG Anunoby is one of only five players in the NBA – along with Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Andre Drummond and Jonathan Isaac – with at least 10 steals and 10 blocks this season. Anunoby has already set single-game career bestss in both categories with five steals Oct. 28 vs. Orlando and four blocks Oct. 26 at Chicago. •
Patrick McCaw underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove a benign mass on the back of the knee. The procedure was performed by Dr. Riley Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. A timetable for McCaw’s return has not been established. He will be reevaluated in four weeks and his condition will be updated as appropriate.
PELICANS NOTES
In their first meeting of the season, Brandon Ingram scored a team-high 22 points for New Orleans to go with five rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks…Jrue Holiday added 13 points, four rebounds, six assists and two blocks…JJ Redick registered 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep…Josh Hart posted a double-double off the bench for the Pelicans with 15 points and 10 rebounds…Nicolo Melli added 14 bench points for New Orleans on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 from deep.
In their first matchup of the season against New Orleans, Pascal Siakam recorded a game-high 34 points to go with a game-high 18 rebounds, five assists and one block…Fred VanVleet also posted a game-high 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-7 from long range…Kyle Lowry added 22 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals for the Raptors
. Alvin Gentry is 12-16 (.428) all-time against the Raptors…Nick Nurse is 2-1 (.667) all-time against New Orleans.
PELICANS-RAPTORS CONNECTIONS
Raptors Assistant Coach Jamaal Magloire played for New Orleans from 2002-05…In 187 games, Magloire averaged 11.9 points and 9.5 rebounds…Magloire represented New Orleans in the 2004 NBA All-Star game, the lone All-Star selection of his career.
Pelicans G Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a native of Toronto…Alexander-Walker briefly attended Vaughan Secondary School in Vaughan, Ontario.
Raptors G/F Stanley Johnson appeared in 18 games for New Orleans during the 2018-19 season, posting averages of 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6
BASEBALL: AUSTRALIA 3, CANADA 1
PREMIER12: Canada eliminated following loss to Australia
Nov. 8, 2019
SEOUL, Republic of Korea – Logan Wade’s two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth broke a 1-1 tie and ultimately gave Australia a 3-1 win to elimanate the Canadian Men’s Baseball Team from Premier12.
Canada’s hope of earning a spot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is now put on hold until March when the Americas Olympic Qualifier will take place in Arizona with one spot up for grabs.
“We’re very disappointed in the loss,” said Canadian Manager Ernie Whitt. “Our pitching was outstanding all tournament but you have to score runs to win games and we failed to do that.
Closer Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC) entered the game in the eighth with two out and runners on first and second before Wade hit ball into the gap in right-centre.
“My only regret is that we walked the leadoff hitter and it seems anytime you give up a free pass in these tournament it comes back to haunt you,” said Whitt. “We got beat with our best pitchers today but again, you have to score runs to win games.”
Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, ON) gave Canada the start it need one the mound as he allowed just a run in the first inning and held Australia to two hits and walk while striking out seven over six innings of work.
Down by one run in the second inning Rene Tosoni (Port Coquitlam, BC) doubled to right field with two out to score Tristan Pompey (Mississauga, ON) for Canada’s only run of the ballgame.
Australia’s Steven Kent fanned seven over four and one-third innings of work before Jon Kennedy and Ryan Searle shut the door in the eighth and ninth.
Baseball Canada Social:
Adam MorissetteBaseball Canada
FREDERIK ANDERSEN (37 saves) “It definitely felt like the puck was following me a little bit around so it’s a good feeling. There’s different nights where the puck seems to bounce your way and it felt good.”
HEAD COACH MIKE BABCOCK
On the team improvising on the power play leading to Matthews’ goal:
Well, he just shot it. Obviously, we had some real good looks, we had some real good power plays, but didn’t score. Then, we had a couple that were hard to watch. If you look at both teams, the penalty killing was really good for both teams. They didn’t get much done on ours, we didn’t get much done on theirs. In the end, we were fortunate to win the special teams battle tonight and win. For us, an important shot obviously. We were able to tie it, Freddie made some big saves for us. It was good.
On if this game was beautiful like the LA game:
What I would say is the game is way higher end. Obviously, they’re a real good team. They’re heavy, they’re fast and they’ve got a great top six, I liked their back-end tonight, I thought Subban played well. I thought it was a good game. I thought we were better in the first, I thought they were better in the second and I didn’t think there was much to pick between the teams in the third.
On the too many men penalty at the end of the third:
We had a guy on the ice and the other guy wasn’t off. Now, that’ll be our third one. The one was just at the end of the game the one night there just for padding the penalty kill stats, but this one tonight could have been a big deal. A guy going on can’t go on before the other guy. It’s just simple. We didn’t touch the puck or anything, I haven’t seen any overhead or anything to see whether it was or wasn’t. I’m sure it was.
On Andersen’s recent play:
I think we’re 4-1-1 in our last six. Is that right? So, he’s been playing and he’s been gotten better just like each year. He kind of gets through October and seems to kick it into gear and gets feeling good. He’s an important player for us, a good leader for us. We need him to make big saves.
On he sees the team loosening up:
That’s what we said before the power play there, ‘Come on, lighten up here fellas. Let’s just go out there and breathe a little bit and do what we’re supposed to do.’ You know, I think the biggest thing is we’re getting to know each other. I’ve said this a number of times, I don’t know if anyone believes it. It’s easier to play with people you know and over a period of time you get to know each other. I think this road trip we have coming up will be real good for us as well. It appears that the guys are starting to have more fun, interacting more. I see more abuse, which is — I think that’s a great thing, once you have fun having fun together. That’s once you get to know each other.
On if Hyman will return this weekend:
I don’t think Zach is coming until next week. I don’t know all the details, but he’ll give me a heads up. I don’t think he’s around until next week and I don’t know why.
FREDERIK ANDERSEN (37 SAVES)
On a strong performance in goal:
It definitely felt like the puck was following me a little bit around so it’s a good feeling. There’s different nights where the puck seems to bounce your way and it felt good.
On his save in overtime and Rielly’s blocked shot:
Yeah, [Rielly] blocked a shot and obviously, it hit a tough spot and bounced right back to [Marchessault]. I just tried to stay with it and tried to make the save.
On the important of the penalty kill when the power play is struggling.
I think penalty killers just focus on what they can control and just try to eliminate their scoring chances when we take a penalty. Obviously, we just keep believing that we’re going to find one eventually and we did. Huge goal by [Matthews] and unbelievable shot.
MITCH MARNER (1 ASSIST)
On a big penalty kill in overtime to give the team a chance to win it:
Yeah, it was nice finally getting some 3-on-3 time in there but, I mean, something we’ve always talked about is staying out of the box, we’ve got to do a better job of that. It’s hard to get even-strength going, but I thought our team stayed patient with it. It’s a big win.
On if team was getting frustrated on the power play:
No, I think you saw we went through a little drought there. It was tough throughout the middle but I thought we were getting our entries there well and that’s a big goal there by [Matthews]. I think that was our last power play we had and we needed a goal and we did it.
AUSTON MATTHEWS (1 GOAL)
On tonight’s win:
Yeah, I think in the first period we played well, the second I think they kind of ran that and the third was a toss-up. So, obviously, some big saves from Freddie there, probably by far our best player on the ice tonight. He just kept us in it with the penalty kill obviously at the end of the game. So, just stuck with it. Like you said just stayed patient and a big two points.
On the power play changing its look ahead of his goal:
I thought as we went along through the first two periods, we were a bit stagnant. In the third, we pretty much said, ‘what do you have to lose?’ Let’s move around, let’s get the penalty kill thinking more. I thought we did a really good job of that with different guys going to different areas and reacting, playing off our instincts. Not just drawn up plays, but reacting off one another, using each other and making plays. We spread them out a little bit and were able to score.
JOHN TAVARES (1 GOAL, 1 ASSIST)
On tonight’s overtime winner:
I think Mitch [Marner] did a great job reading their entry and causing a turnover and as soon as I read what he was seeing got good anticipation that he was going to be able to get the puck. After that I’m just trying to get available and make the lane as easy as I can if he wants to move it over and that’s what he does best. So, just tried to reward a good play that he made.
On the mindset when the team goes to the power play
Just that we’ve got another opportunity and we’re down a goal so we want to make the most of it. Whatever has happened up until that point, we’ve got an opportunity then and now to give ourselves a chance to get back in the game. Obviously, at times I think our execution wasn’t great but I think we also had a lot of looks on net, we put a lot of pucks there and sometimes it’s just getting those second and third opportunities. I think on that last power play that was what happened. We got some pucks to the net, got some looks and we kept retrieving them, retrieving them and finally were able to wear them down. You get [Matthews] inside the dots and there is no better shooter you want in that spot.
TORONTO 2, VEGAS 1 (OT) POSTGAME NOTES: “Frederik Andersen stopped 37 shots to earn the win. Tonight’s game was Andersen’s 205th appearance as a Maple Leafs, which places him in a tie with Alan Bester for 11th on Toronto’s goaltending register.”
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (9-5-3 – 21 Points) 1 vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (9-5-3 – 21 Points) 2 (OT)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| VEGAS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TORONTO | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY
ON THE SCORESHEET
- Auston Matthews put the Maple Leafs on the board with a power play goal at 8:14 of the third period. Matthews has goals (2) and points (2-1-3) in two consecutive games. He has five goals and seven points (5-2-7) in four career games against Vegas. Matthews has 12 goals in 11 home games this season.
- John Tavares registered the primary assist on Matthews’ third period goal before scoring the overtime-winning goal at 2:33 of the extra frame. Tavares’ assist was his first point since returning from injury on November 5 vs. Los Angeles. He has six points (3-3-6) in five career games against the Golden Knights. His goal tonight is the 13th overtime goal of his career. Tonight’s game is his second multi-point performance of 2019-20.
- Morgan Rielly collected the secondary assist on Matthews’ third period goal. Rielly has four assists over his last five games. He has recorded six points (1-5-6) in five games against Western Conference opponents in 2019-20.
- Mitch Marner registered the lone assist on Tavares’ overtime goal. Marner has four points (1-3-4) over his last five games. Of his 14 assists this season, 12 have come on home ice. He is tied for sixth in the NHL in primary assists (10).
- Frederik Andersen stopped 37 shots to earn the win. Tonight’s game was Andersen’s 205th appearance as a Maple Leafs, which places him in a tie with Alan Bester for 11th on Toronto’s goaltending register.
SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| VEGAS | 7 (6) | 14 (10) | 15 (8) | 2 (0) | 38 (24) |
| TORONTO | 13 (5) | 10 (8) | 12 (6) | 2 (0) | 37 (19) |
SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| VEGAS | 19 (16) | 23 (15) | 22 (13) | 3 (0) | 67 (44) |
| TORONTO | 23 (9) | 23 (18) | 21 (12) | 3 (0) | 70 (39) |
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
| Record at Home | 6-2-3 (11 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Vegas | 4-1-0-0 (5 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Vegas at Home | 3-0-0-0 (3 Games) |
| Record vs. Western Conference | 4-1-0 (5 Games) |
| Record vs. Pacific Division | 3-0-0 (3 Games) |
| Attendance | 19,218 |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| Shots | 6 (Matthews) |
| Shot Attempts | 10 (Matthews) |
| Faceoff Wins | 8 (Shore) |
| Faceoff Win Percentage | 67% (Shore – 8 won, 4 lost) |
| Hits | 4 (Ceci, Muzzin) |
| Blocked Shots | 6 (Muzzin) |
| Takeaways | 2 (Marner) |
| TOI | 24:32 (Muzzin) |
| Power Play TOI | 7:18 (Marner) |
| Shorthanded TOI | 6:34 (Marner) |
| Shifts | 28 (Muzzin, Rielly) |
| 5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage | 70.0% (Shore – 7 for, 3 against) |
RECORD WHEN…
| Opponent scores first | 6-4-2 |
| Tied after 1 | 4-1-2 |
| Tied after 2 | 4-3-1 |
| Score 1 power play goal | 2-2-2 |
| Do not allow a power play goal | 5-1-0 |
| Outshot by opponent | 4-3-3 |
| Overtime | 3-3 |
| Thursday | 1-1-0 |
OF NOTE…
- The Maple Leafs went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill and 1-for-6 on the power play tonight.
- Toronto’s line of Frederik Gauthier, Nick Shore and Dmytro Timashov were the lone Maple Leafs to not start a 5-on-5 shift in the offensive zone.
- Mike Babcock won his 700th career game behind the bench to become the eighth coach in NHL history with 700 career wins.
- Cody Ceci was on the ice for a team-high 21 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. He finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 48.8 percent (21 for, 22 against).
- Jake Muzzin blocked six shots, which ties the Maple Leafs single-game high for blocked shots in a game (Previous: Cody Ceci, Oct. 5 vs. MTL).
- Nick Shore was 3-for-3 (100%) in the faceoff circle when matched up with Vegas centre Nicolas Roy.
UPCOMING GAMES:
- Saturday, November 9, 7:00 p.m. vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)
- Sunday, November 10, 7:00 p.m. at Chicago Blackhawks (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
- Wednesday, November 13, 7:00 p.m. at New York Islanders (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
- Friday, November 15, 7:00 p.m. vs. Boston Bruins (TSN4, TSN 1050)
- Saturday, November 16, 7:00 p.m. vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)
MAPLE LEAFS PREGAME NOTES: “John Tavares has won 60 percent (21 won, 14 lost) of his faceoffs when the Maple Leafs are on the power play and 52.6 percent (61 won, 55 lost) of his faceoffs at even-strength. He is averaging 15:22 per game in time on ice, which ranks second among Toronto forwards.”
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (9-5-2 – 20 Points) vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (8-5-3 – 19 Points)
NOVEMBER 7, 2019 ▪ 7:00 PM EST
SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO ▪ RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus VEGAS
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 3-1-0-0 (4 Games) |
| ALL-TIME AT HOME: | 2-0-0-0 (2 Games) |
| 2018-19: | 2-0-0 |
| LAST FOUR: | 3-1-0 |
MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus VEGAS
| GAMES PLAYED: | Jake Muzzin (9), Tyson Barrie (6), Alex Kerfoot (6), Jason Spezza (6) |
| GOALS: | Auston Matthews (4), Mitch Marner (2), John Tavares (2) |
| ASSISTS: | Jake Muzzin (4), William Nylander (3), Morgan Rielly (3) |
| POINTS: | Auston Matthews (6), Four players tied (4) |
| PENALTY MINUTES: | Alex Kerfoot (4), Jake Muzzin (4), Seven players tied (2) |
MAPLE LEAFS – GOLDEN KNIGHTS TEAM STATS
| TORONTO | VEGAS | |
| GOALS FOR (Rank): | 55 (t-4th) | 49 (t-11th) |
| GOALS AGAINST (Rank): | 52 (t-26th) | 46 (16th) |
| POWER PLAY [%] (Rank): | 9/52 [17.3%] (20th) | 13/55 [23.6%] (7th) |
| PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank): | 43/57 [75.4%] (26th) | 53/59 [89.8%] (2nd) |
| SHOTS (Rank): | 505 (t-9th) | 545 (t-2nd) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank): | 679 (2nd) | 667 (3rd) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank): | 51.2% (7th) | 50.8% (13th) |
| FACEOFF % (Rank): | 52.9% (3rd) | 49.5% (17th) |
MAPLE LEAFS – GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES
| FIRST MATCHUP BETWEEN CLUBS: | Nov. 6, 2017 vs. VGK (Toronto 4, Vegas 3 SO) |
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 3-1-0-0 (4 Games) |
| ALL-TIME RECORD AT HOME: | 2-0-0-0 (2 Games) |
| ALL-TIME RECORD ON THE ROAD: | 1-1-0-0 (2 Games) |
| LAST WIN VS. OPPONENT AT HOME: | Nov. 6, 2018 (Toronto 3, Vegas 1) |
MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. GOLDEN KNIGHTS
| Tyson Barrie | 400th career NHL game (Mar. 26, 2017 (COL) at VGK) |
| Auston Matthews | 100th career NHL point (Dec. 31, 2017 at VGK) 100th career NHL goal (Feb. 14, 2019 at VGK) |
| Jake Muzzin | 200th career NHL assist (Dec. 8, 2018 vs. VGK) |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| CATEGORY | LEADER |
| GOALS | 12 (Matthews) |
| ASSISTS | 13 (Marner) |
| POINTS | 18 (Matthews) |
| POWER PLAY POINTS | 7 (Marner) |
| SHORTHANDED POINTS | 2 (Kapanen) |
| PIMs | 16 (Kerfoot) |
| SHOTS | 60 (Matthews) |
| FACEOFF WIN% | 60.8% (Shore) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % | 56.6% (Nylander) |
| BLOCKED SHOTS | 31 (Ceci) |
| TAKEAWAYS | 22 (Marner) |
| HITS | 35 (Moore) |
| TOI PER GAME | 25:38 (Rielly) |
| PP TOI PER GAME | 3:20 (Matthews, Rielly) |
| SH TOI PER GAME | 3:41 (Ceci) |
MAPLE LEAFS NOTABLES
– Frederik Andersen has made four career appearances against Vegas and has posted a 3-1-0 record with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. He is 38-15-7 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in 61 career games during the month of November.
– Tyson Barrie has been on the ice for 271 Toronto shot attempts this season, which ranks second among all NHL skaters in on-ice shot attempts for. He had three points (1-2-3) in three games against the Golden Knights last season.
– Cody Ceci is tied for 14th among NHL skaters in blocked shots (31). He ranks seventh among NHL skaters in shorthanded ice time (58:52).
– Andreas Johnsson has nine points (3-6-9) in 10 games on home ice this season. He has been on the ice for 22 Toronto goals, which is tied for fifth among NHL left wingers in on-ice goals-for.
– Kasperi Kapanen has a pair of assists in two career games against Vegas. He is one of five Maple Leafs to have recorded multiple shorthanded takeaways.
– Alex Kerfoot has won 52.2 percent (24 won, 22 lost) of his faceoffs when the Maple Leafs are leading in games. He is tied for second on the team in even-strength goals (4).
– Mitch Marner is tied for 13th among NHLers in points (4-13-17) and tied for eighth among NHL skaters in assists (13). He is tied for seventh among all NHL skaters in primary assists (9). He leads the NHL in takeaways (22).
– Auston Matthews is third in the NHL in goals (12) and is tied for second in the NHL in even-strength goals (9). He ranks sixth in the NHL in shots on goal (60) and is tied for second in the NHL in wrist shots (44). He is fourth in the NHL in goals per 60 minutes (2.29) among skaters who have appeared in at least 10 games.
– Ilya Mikheyev is tied for the lead among all NHL skaters in shots on goal while shorthanded (8). He is the only rookie forward in the NHL to have recorded multiple shorthanded takeaways.
– Trevor Moore is the only NHL rookie to average at least 1:00 per game in power play ice time (1:29) and 1:00 per game in shorthanded ice time (2:00).
– Jake Muzzin ranks second among Maple Leafs skaters in shifts per game (28.4). He is the only Maple Leafs defenceman to registered at least 25 hits (30) and 25 shots on goal (27). He leads Maple Leafs defencemen in takeaways (8).
– William Nylander has taken his shots from an average distance of 26.5 feet from goal, which is the second-closest distance among Toronto skaters who have taken at least 20 shots this season. He ranks fourth among Maple Leafs in faceoff win percentage (54.9% – 56 won, 46 lost).
– Morgan Rielly is tied for fourth among NHL defencemen in points (3-12-15). His 25:38 TOI per game average is the fourth-highest mark in the NHL and is tied for fourth in shifts per game (29.8). He ranks fifth among NHL defencemen in wrist shots on goal (27).
– John Tavares has won 60 percent (21 won, 14 lost) of his faceoffs when the Maple Leafs are on the power play and 52.6 percent (61 won, 55 lost) of his faceoffs at even-strength. He is averaging 15:22 per game in time on ice, which ranks second among Toronto forwards.
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
| None |
UPCOMING MILESTONES
| Michael Hutchinson | Four wins from 50 career NHL wins. |
| Andreas Johnsson | Two games from 100 career NHL games played. |
RECENT MILESTONES
| Tyson Barrie | 500th career NHL game (Nov. 5 vs. LAK) |
| Auston Matthews | 100th career NHL assist (Nov. 5 vs. LAK) |
INJURY REPORT
| Zach Hyman (Knee) | On injured reserve. |
| Man Games Lost: 36 |
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
| November 5 | Recalled forward Nic Petan from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). |
| November 1 | Loaned forward Nic Petan to the Toronto Marlies (AHL). |
Travis elects free agency
DEVON TRAVIS ELECTS FREE AGENCY
The TORONTO BLUE JAYS announced that 2B DEVON TRAVIS has declined outright assignment to Triple-A Buffalo and has elected free agency.
TRAVIS, 28, was acquired in 2014 from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for OF Anthony Gose. The second baseman made his Major League debut on April 6, 2015 and became just the fourth player in club history to hit a home run in his first career game.
He set career highs in 2016 in runs (54), hits (123), doubles (28) home runs (11), RBI (50), walks (20), strikeouts (87) and stoles bases (4). Travis played a career-low 50 games in 2017 before being placed on the disabled list on June 6 for the remainder of the season with a bone bruise on his right knee.
In his last full season in 2018, he played a career-high 103 games. The Palm Beach, FL, native holds a career batting average of .274 with 35 home runs, 153 RBI, and 14 stolen bases across four seasons with Toronto.
Travis missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing surgery on his left knee and was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 25.
PASCAL SIAKAM: “I don’t know how many threes they had, like twenty something (20), that’s too much and we are definitely not happy about that. We can definitely do a better job on defence and just run them off the three-point line, especially the guys we know are shooting.”
(2-6) SACRAMENTO KINGS, 120 VS. (5-2) TORONTO RAPTORS, 124
SCOTIABANK ARENA WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES
NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)
On the 28 assists this game … Yeah, I thought the offence was great … They kept taking what was there, and you’re right (team assists were) 28. I think it was real high early, so that’s a good sign. That was one of our better offensive nights. There was no real lulls, and the ball (was) sticking very much tonight.
On tonight’s game … They were hard to get rid of. I can’t count how many times we got up eight, nine, and then they hit a three … They hit 20 threes. That’s a lot. …. Little bit imbalanced last game and not getting the gaps closed down. Tonight we got the gaps closed down a little better and didn’t spring back out to the shooters, so the defence is a work in progress. We have to combine those two things a little better in a game.
What area of OG Anunoby’s game have you seen the most growth in? I just think he’s looking like more of a complete player now. There’s some shooting there that looks not hesitant at all, and it’s almost like when he’s open, you’re expecting him to make them, like all of them now, which is great. There’s good cutting, there’s a little bit of driving, there’s usually one a game where he gets in the lane and steals it, and he’s off the other way. He’s grown and doing a lot of things. He’s blocking shots here and there, getting his hand in off the drive here and there, so he’s had some good ones this year.
How would you access Pascal Siakam on fouls? He was good. He seemed a little bit not aggressive, kind of, in general, I thought, both offensively and defensively. Maybe it was a little bit of a foul situation on his mind maybe too much, but he did a good job tonight. He committed one foul. That’s going to get his average down.
PASCAL SIAKAM (23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists)
On having only one personal foul tonight … I mean, I have to be more ready. It’s something that I have to work on and I’ll eventually get better. I’m learning every single day, so it’s a good experience for me.
How important was the bench play tonight? We need that, we need everyone and just bringing the energy up a little bit. We didn’t win like we wanted to today, but we got the win and that’s all that matters.
On team’s defensive play tonight … I don’t know how many threes they had, like twenty something, that’s too much and we are definitely not happy about that. We can definitely do a better job on defence and just run them off the three-point line, especially the guys we know are shooting. So it’s part of it, learning, and obviously it’s better learning with a win, so we’ll go back and look at that and make sure we get better next game.
On your third quarter scoring … I try to be aggressive, just seeing what the defence is giving me. I always want to be in attack mode regardless, but I think just coming out of timeouts and making sure that the first five minutes we put some pressure on the other team and play fast, transition, try to do whatever we can just to make sure we come out with some energy.
FRED VANVLEET (12 points, five assists, two rebounds)
On tonight’s game … It’s good for us, it’s good practice. It’s a tough team and they are playing well and they gave us their all. We knew that we were going to have our hands full. Obviously we probably could have given ourselves more space and comfort in terms of scoring, but they made plays and we had to keep fighting and close them out.
On the amount of threes made by Sacramento tonight … I don’t know how many of those were contested, but not enough for us, so a lot of breakdowns, falling asleep and they did a good job of finding guys. They’ve got explosive guys, so you can’t give them too many looks, but we weathered it and we were able to come out with a win. We will take it.
KYLE LOWRY (24 points, six assists, two rebounds)
When a team hits that many threes, how much is it them getting hot or defensive miscues? Miscues, a lot of miscues, but they made shots. You give them credit – they made the shots when they had the opportunity. A lot of misreads and a lot of miscommunication, but we have to continue to get better and grow as a team. We take the win, and figure it out and get better.
On the play of OG Anunoby … I think he’s just getting repetitions. I think just getting repetitions again on the floor and I think he’s just going to continue to grow. I think right now he’s playing his role and doing what we are asking him to do, and he’s doing it at a high level right now.
RAPTORS 124, KINGS 120 POSTGAME NOTES: “After missing their first four shots of the game, the Raptors made their next 14 attempts from the field. … Toronto finished the first quarter shooting .778 (14-18) from the floor.”
FINAL SCORE: TORONTO RAPTORS 124, SACRAMENTO KINGS 120
DATE: November 6, 2019 ATTENDANCE: 19,800 (Sellout)
Tonight marked Toronto’s 241st consecutive sellout (including playoffs) dating back to Nov. 11, 2014 – the longest streak in franchise history.
FINAL SCORE RECORD HIGH POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS Sacramento 120 2-6 Barnes – 26 Holmes/Hield – 8 Fox – 9; Toronto 124 5-2 Lowry – 24 Siakam – 13 Lowry – 6
KEY RUN Trailing 17-16 midway through the first first quarter, Toronto outscored Sacramento 20-6 over the final six minutes to lead 36-23 after one … The Raptors extended the lead to 15 points multiple times early in the second quarter – their largest lead of the night.
KEY STAT After missing their first four shots of the game, the Raptors made their next 14 attempts from the field … Toronto finished the first quarter shooting .778 (14-18) from the floor.
RAPTORS NOTES:
• With the victory, Toronto improves to 5-2 this season and a perfect 4-0 at home.
• The Raptors have won five in a row vs. Sacramento, including the last three meetings at home.
• All five Toronto starters scored in double figures, combining for 89 points.
• The Raptors outscored Sacramento 52-32 in the paint and 18-10 on the fast-break.
• Kyle Lowry led the team in scoring for the third time with 24 points … He added six assists in 40 minutes … Lowry has scored 20 or more in six of the first seven games; averaging 24.0 points.
• Pascal Siakam posted his second double-double of the season with 23 points, a game-high 13 rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes … Siakam scored 11 points in the third quarter.
• Serge Ibaka scored a season-best 21 points in 24 minutes as a reserve … Ibaka has now led (or tied) the bench in scoring in each of the first seven games; averaging 14.9 points.
• OG Anunoby recorded a season-high 18 points and a career-best five assists in 37 minutes of action. • The Raptors had six players score double figures – Lowry (24), Siakam (23), Ibaka (21), Anunoby (18), Marc Gasol (12) and Fred VanVleet (12) … Gasol’s 12 points was a season high … VanVleet shot 4-4 at the free throw line and has now made his last 26 attempts at the foul line.
KINGS NOTES: • With the loss, Sacramento falls to 2-6 on the season and 1-3 on the road … The Kings finish a threegame road trip (Nov. 3-8) Friday night at Atlanta.
• The Kings tied a franchise record with 20 three-point field goals … Sacramento shot .455 (20-44) form beyond the arc … The Kings also made 20 threes Jan. 5, 2019 vs. Golden State … Bogdan Bogdanovic matched a career high with six made three-pointers.
• Harrison Barnes scored a season-high 26 points in 39 minutes – his second 20-point. • The Kings had five players score in double digits – Barnes (26), Bogdanovic (22), Buddy Hield (21), De’Aaron Fox (17) and Cory Joseph (10) … Hield scored 20+ points for the fifth time this season … Joseph reached 1,500 career assists early in the fourth quarter.
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RAPTORS 124, KINGS 120: LOWRY 24 POINTS; SIAKAM 23 POINTS AND 13 REBOUNDS.
The view from left field 