The NHL is still processing a major break-up, while the Raptors have moved on
Don Cherry's firing elicited some mixed reaction throughout hockey
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Top 5 things we're talking about
1. Don Cherry's demise sent ripples through NHL rinks.
Reaction from across the league began to pour in on Tuesday after Sportsnet fired the long-time host of Coach's Corner on Monday. Cherry was fired following his divisive "you people" remarks about those not wearing poppies on the latest broadcast. Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice said "the whole thing's just sad," citing everyone affected by the comments to Cherry himself, to kids who are "new to the country" and may now have to answer for not wearing a poppy. Maurice said he has a relationship with Cherry and would miss seeing him on Saturday nights.
Canadiens forward Max Domi called Cherry a "family friend" and "unbelievable guy" after getting to know the 85-year-old through his father, former NHL tough guy Tie Domi. Domi declined comment when asked about Sportsnet's decision, instead referring to him as "one of the faces of the sport" who'll always be remembered. "I love Don Cherry. I always have, always will," Domi said.
Members of the Maple Leafs, including captain John Tavares, also weighed in on Cherry. Tavares echoed Maurice's sentiment, saying the situation was "disappointing." Read more reaction to Cherry's firing from around the league here.
2. The Raptors faced their past, and saw the future.
It was a roller-coaster weekend for the defending champs, who went 2-1 in road games against the Pelicans, Lakers and Clippers. In New Orleans, the Raptors' (big) easy win was marred by injuries to Kyle Lowry (small fracture in his thumb, out at least two weeks) and Serge Ibaka (sprained ankle, out indefinitely). Already running a thin rotation, head coach Nick Nurse was forced to expand his circle of trust heading into a hellish back-to-back in Los Angeles. Turns out, the young Raptors stepped up against the old ones.
First up was Danny Green's Lakers. OK, so maybe they're not Danny Green's Lakers. Still, Toronto faced an eight-point deficit at halftime against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but ended up winning thanks in large part to 26-year-old Canadian Chris Boucher, playing his first significant NBA minutes, and Terence Davis II, an undrafted free agent performing with the composure of a seasoned vet. Green, meanwhile, was held scoreless on five shot attempts.
Twenty-four hours later, the Raptors ran out of steam against Kawhi Leonard's Clippers, but limited their former Finals MVP to an uncharacteristic 12 points and nine turnovers. It was about as heartening a loss as you could get for a contending team. The injuries to Lowry and Ibaka could prove blessings in disguise this early in the season if they continue to open up minutes for some of the younger Raptors like Boucher and Davis to shine.
3. Winnipeg's innovative offence denied Calgary its shot at a home Grey Cup.
The Stamps have played in the last three CFL title games, and the 2018 champions would have enjoyed home-field advantage this time around. Instead, Calgary got cooked by the Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium and lost by three touchdowns in the West semifinal. Winnipeg was led by a two-headed QB monster. Chris Streveler took 23 snaps under centre — all of which were runs. Third stringer Zach Collaros, acquired in October and on his third team of the season, guided the passing game to a big day. The quarterbacks sat side-by-side at the podium after the game. Streveler was thriving as a full-time starter before a pair of foot injuries sidelined him and forced the Bombers to make a move. With another week to heal and Collaros rolling, the Bombers suddenly have an interesting choice to make.
WATCH | Bombers cruise past Stampeders into West final:
Oddly, the East semi provided a potential blueprint for Winnipeg. Edmonton ousted Montreal behind near-perfect passing from Trevor Harris, who completed 22 attempts in a row to open the game. Harris connected on 36 of 39 passes overall in just his second start since being activated from the injured list after an issue with his throwing arm. The Eskimos visit regular-season East champion Hamilton with a Grey Cup berth on the line next Sunday as they continue their quest to become the first cross-over team to win the title.
4. The Maple Leafs continue sputtering along, and now Mitch Marner is hurt.
Toronto picked up just one point against the Flyers and Blackhawks over the weekend, and has more losses (10) than wins (nine) on the season. Now, the Leafs face at least four weeks without their two-time leading scorer Marner, who said he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Philadelphia. Toronto also waived back-up goalie Michael Hutchinson, who allowed more than four goals per game in five starts — all losses. Their schedule doesn't get any easier either, with games against the Islanders, Bruins and Penguins on deck. Auston Matthews and Williams Nylander emerged with four assists and two goals, respectively, in the first Marner-less game. But if things start going south for the Leafs, buckle up and get ready for plenty of takes on Mike Babcock's future. Read more about Marner's injury here.
5. Kim Boutin is fortifying her status as a speed skating superstar.
The 24-year-old Canadian collected two more gold medals on the short track circuit over the weekend, boosting her total to four in just two events. Boutin won both the 1,000- and 500-metre races on home ice in Montreal, and she did it with an image of a tortoise on her skate strap, which she says is a reminder to stay calm. Boutin isn't coming out of nowhere, as she won three medals at the 2018 Olympics, two of which came after she received online threats from when a disqualification bumped her to bronze in favour of a Korean skater in Pyeongchang. Short track is a notoriously fickle sport, and so Boutin's dominance should not be ignored. Read CBC's Scott Russell's analysis of Canada's short track squad and its future here.
Also...
Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby are going in opposite directions. The Oilers phenom recorded a hat trick on Saturday night that included his 400th NHL point in just his 306th career game. Edmonton suddenly owns a three-point lead in the Pacific and seems to have righted the ship with two straight wins after a brief skid. Crosby's Penguins have also won two in a row, but their captain has already been ruled out of tonight's game against the Rangers with a lower-body injury, and he didn't even travel with the team to New York. Pittsburgh has been mum on the injury so far. Crosby exited in the third period against Chicago after getting tangled up with defenceman Erik Gustafsson before taking a slap shot off of his foot. The Penguins are in New Jersey on Friday before returning home to face the Leafs the next night. Read more about Crosby's undisclosed injury here.
Week 10 briefly turned the NFL onto its head. Monday Night Football brought the first loss of the season for the San Francisco 49ers, previously the only undefeated team in the league. It was a close game too, with their division rival Seattle Seahawks triumphing on a last-second field goal in overtime after the 49ers missed a potential game-winning kick of their own. The key play in the extra frame was a 21-yard third-down scramble by Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, who continues to make his case for league MVP. Elsewhere, the blatantly tanking Miami Dolphins beat the Colts for their second win in a row, and the 7-1 Saints, favoured by 14 points at home, got blown out by the 1-7 Falcons in the biggest upset of the season by point spread.
Brent Lakatos is up to 13 career world para athletics championships gold medals. The 39-year-old Canadian is still going strong, and he won the men's 800 T53 final Tuesday for his second gold at the 2019 event in Dubai after also taking the 100m T53 race. Lakatos also won four medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Montreal native next competes in the 5,000 T54 race heats at 1:44 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Watch live coverage of all para athletics championship events on CBCSports.ca.
And finally...
Think you know who's gonna take over for 'Grapes?' Well, you can wager on his replacement at SportsBettingDime.com. Former executive Brian Burke is listed as the 5-4 favourite (bet $4 to win $5) to be the full-time fill-in, while Sportsnet analysts Kelly Hrudey, Colby Armstrong and Craig Simpson are also listed. You can also bet on Cherry's next move. If he goes into politics, oddsmakers say he's most likely to join Doug Ford's Conservative Party. But if you're feeling lucky, the NDP has 2,000-1 odds too.
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