Sidney Crosby on Wednesday got a sellout crowd roaring with a no-look pass to Nathan MacKinnon for a slam-dunk power-play goal in the first minute then he sent Canada fans home happy by assisting on Mitch Marner’s overtime winner.
Crosby showed that he has still got it at age 37, getting three assists to beat Sweden 4-3 in a thrilling opener of the 4 Nations Face-Off, with Finland and the US the other two teams. It was just the latest masterclass by Crosby, a two-time Olympic champion who brought his best to the return of elite international competition featuring the NHL’s top players.
“It’s no coincidence his record of when he’s wearing a Canadian jersey,” coach Jon Cooper said. “It’s not a fluke. He will go down as the greatest player to ever represent his country. If not, he’s going to be on the Mount Rushmore, for sure, of people that have thrown the Canadian jersey on.”
Photo: AFP
Fans who chanted the name of Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux during a pregame ceremony shifted to “Crosby, Crosby” throughout the night and after he set up Marner’s goal 6 minutes, 6 seconds into three-on-three overtime.
“As someone who loves to play in environments like that, I grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan and to have an ovation like that here was really special and something I’ll always remember,” Crosby said.
Crosby along with Connor McDavid were among the top skaters on the ice throughout. McDavid picked up the secondary assist on MacKinnon’s goal and was buzzing all over and around Sweden’s defenders.
Brad Marchand also scored for Canada to incite cheers at the home arena of the Canadiens, where the Boston Bruins captain is far more used to being the villain. Of course there were a few boos when his name was announced, too, to keep with tradition.
Marner, also usually not loved in Montreal because he plays for the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, got to bask in cheers — and the fact that his childhood idol set up the biggest goal of his career.
“You tell 13-year-old Mitch that he scored an overtime goal assisted by Sidney Crosby, the guy he looked up to since day 1, it’s pretty crazy,” Marner said. “I really just tried to enjoy the moment after. The building was rocking and it was nice to have them cheering for me instead of against me.”
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38
RSS