What Did You Miss Thursday?

--Naaman Roosevelt will be back in the Riders lineup Saturday night against BC.  He has missed the last four games with a knee injury suffered in Toronto.

--The Scotties is coming back to Moose Jaw.  Curling Canada officials announced the 2020 Canadian Women's Curling Championship will return to Mosaic Place February 14-23.  The event was held in the city in 2015.

--Phil Kessel and Patrik Hornqvist each had a pair of goals as the Penguins walked into Calgary and spanked the Flames 9-1. It was the worst home defeat for Calgary since the Oilers beat them 10-1 at the Saddledome in November 1996.

--Deshaun Watson threw 5 touchdown passes as the Houston Texans moved to 5-3 on the season with a 42-23 win over the Miami Dolphins.   DeAndre Hopkins and Jordan Thomas each had a pair of touchdowns for the winners.

--Hugo Cruz's time as an NFL official has come to a close. The league fired Cruz, who had served as a down judge for performance reasons and was not meeting the standard over a sustained period of time according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.  The NFL Referees Association plans to file a grievance on behalf of Cruz over his dismissal.Cruz had been with the league since 2015, but quickly became known in recent weeks as the official who missed a blatant false start late in the second quarter in Week 6's game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns. Chargers left tackle Russell Okung dropped back to block before the snap and should have been flagged. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett even pulled up in apparent anticipation of a flag, pointing to Okung while looking to an official. The play was not blown dead and Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyrell Williams en route to a 38-14 win.

What Did You Miss Wednesday?

--David Price went six strong innings as the Boston Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the World Series with a 4-2 lead.  JD Martinez's two run single in the 5th gave Boston a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Game 3 is in Los Angeles Friday. 

--Riders head coach Chris Jones had kind words for Wally Buono as he prepares to make his final regular-season visit to Regina on Saturday. “I work out basically before the game now because I was in Montreal and I saw Wally getting a workout before the game,” said Jones who started his CFL coaching career with the Als in 2002 while Buono was guiding the Stampeders.  “I didn’t ask him why he did it, but I thought, ‘Hell, if he’s doing it, I should do it.’ It’s something that I’ve kind of copied from him. When asked what Buono's legacy is, Jones smirked and responded with "It's pretty clear. You win as many games as he did, it didn't matter what hand he was dealt, he ended up winning games. I think that's the mark of a great coach."

--Rams coach Steve Bryce says Noah Picton may be a spectator in what will be his final game as a Regina Ram on Friday versus the U of S Huskies.  Picton is still being bothered by septic arthritis which can become much more dangerous if not treated properly.  Bryce says Picton has not been given medical clearance yet despite the fact he desperately wants to play in the last game of not only the Rams season but his university career. 

--The Leafs jumped out to a 3-0 lead before holding on to beat Winnipeg 4-2 in NHL play Wednesday.  Nikita Kucherov had the only goal of the game in Denver as the Lightning beat the Avalanche 1-0.

--Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden did his best Wednesday to pour cold water on rampant rumors surrounding further roster dismantling. Gruden said he wouldn't "speculate" on deals being made in advance of next Tuesday's trade deadline, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, but added, "I certainly don't see us trading the quarterback (Derek Carr)." Carr, a fifth-year pro and three-time Pro Bowler, has a career-high 71.7 percent completion rate through six games but has thrown eight interceptions with just seven touchdowns.

What Did You Miss Tuesday?

--Sidney Crosby's 2nd goal of the game in overtime ended it as the Penguins beat the Oilers 6-5 in Tuesday NHL action.  Leon Draisiatl had two for the Oilers in a losing cause.

--After sitting out last week's win in Calgary because of a DUI charge, the Riders say Charleston Hughes will play Saturday against BC in what is the regular-season finale for the green-and-white.  Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones said "He should play. We’re moving forward. It was an unfortunate event, but we can’t just sit there and continue to pound away at it. It’s one of those things where any time something negative happens, we have to move forward at some point."

--The Boston Red Sox have taken Game 1 of the World Series.  They beat the Dodgers 8-4. Eduardo Nunez hit a pinch-hit 3 run HR to break the game open in the 7th.

--The Kelowna Rockets didn't take long to fill their head coaching vacancy. One day after gassing former NHL defenceman Jason Smith, they hired former NHL defenceman Adam Foote to the position.  Foote's son Nolan is a forward on the Rockets. 

--Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks emphatically stated the Arizona Cardinals will not trade star cornerback Patrick Peterson, who at 28 years old should be in the prime of his career. Wilks' comment Monday came moments after a report via Twitter that said Peterson had asked the Cardinals to trade him by the Oct. 30 deadline.

World Series Primer

Two of baseball's most historic teams -- the Red Sox and Dodgers -- are set to meet in what should be a thrilling World Series. The fun starts tonight at Fenway Park, with a classic pitching matchup on tap for Game 1.

Clayton Kershaw, a three-time National League Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star, takes the ball for the Dodgers. The Red Sox counter with Chris Sale, who is also a seven-time All-Star and finished in the top five in the American League Cy Young Award voting the last five seasons. Kershaw and Sale are widely considered to the best lefties in their respective leagues for the last several years. Can it get any better than that to start a World Series?

"Chris is a very good pitcher," said Kershaw, who beat the Astros in Game 1 of the World Series last year. "He was dominant this year. He's been dominant for a long time. I enjoy watching him compete. I have nothing but good things to say about him and the way he competes and the way he's pitched the last few years. I don't take much [stock] in the fact about the matchup, I don't really care too much, other than I'd like him to not be as good so we have a better chance of winning, for sure."

In another intriguing subplot, managers Alex Cora and Dave Roberts are good friends and former teammates. In fact, both Cora and Roberts played for the Red Sox and Dodgers. Look for Roberts to get a nice ovation when he is introduced at Fenway prior to Game 1. His stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 AL Championship Series against the Yankees will never be forgotten.

Here is a primer to get you ready for a Fall Classic that features two star-studded rosters and solid role players on both sides.

Game	Date	Time	Matchup	TV
Gm 1	Oct. 23	8:09 p.m.	LAD @ BOS	FOX
Gm 2	Oct. 24	8:09 p.m.	LAD @ BOS	FOX
Gm 3	Oct. 26	8:09 p.m.	BOS @ LAD	FOX
Gm 4	Oct. 27	8:09 p.m.	BOS @ LAD	FOX
*Gm 5	Oct. 28	8:15 p.m.	BOS @ LAD	FOX
*Gm 6	Oct. 30	8:09 p.m.	LAD @ BOS	FOX
*Gm 7	Oct. 31	8:09 p.m.	LAD @ BOS	FOX

The starting lineups

Dodgers: Roberts used a different leadoff hitter in each of the last four games in the NLCS, and Brian Dozier, who has four doubles and three homers in his career against Sale, will bat first in Game 1 as the Dodgers go with an all right-handed-hitting lineup against Sale. Dozier has 50 career plate appearances against Sale, while all other Dodgers have a total of 31 plate appearances against him, with Manny Machado next at 22. Dozier has a .255/.300/532 career line against Sale, while Machado has a .316/.408/.579 mark versus the lefty in an extremely limited sample.

Roberts confirmed on Monday that David Freese will start and Matt Kemp will be the designated hitter. Yasiel Puig generally doesn't start against left-handed pitching, but he will man right field after his three-hit performance, including a three-run homer, during the NLCS Game 7 clincher. Austin Barnes will catch again after starting the final four games of the NLCS. Whether all of those right-handed hitters can avoid the temptation of trying to pull Sale pitches over the Green Monster is one of the keys for the slug-happy Dodgers.

Official lineup

1. Brian Dozier, 2B

2. Justin Turner, 3B

3. David Freese, 1B

4. Manny Machado, SS

5. Chris Taylor, LF

6. Matt Kemp, DH

7. Enrique Hernandez, CF

8. Yasiel Puig, RF

9. Austin Barnes, C

Red Sox: The most balanced lineup in MLB takes its act to the World Series with the clear mission of continuing to set the tone. The Sox are 7-0 this postseason when they score first and 0-2 when they don't. It was also a trend in the regular season, when Boston was 74-15 when scoring first. With Kershaw starting for the Dodgers in Game 1, Cora has stacked the deck with right-handed hitters, as he did against other lefties this postseason. This means that Steve Pearce will start at first base instead of Mitch Moreland, though the left-handed-hitting Rafael Devers got the nod at third base over Eduardo Nunez. Though Cora has more or less turned the catching reins over to Christian Vazquez of late, the slumping Sandy Leon caught Sale the majority of the time this season and will do so again in the World Series opener.

Official lineup

1. Mookie Betts, RF

2. Andrew Benintendi, LF

3. Steve Pearce, 1B

4. J.D. Martinez, DH

5. Xander Bogaerts, SS

6. Rafael Devers, 3B

7. Ian Kinsler, 2B

8. Sandy Leon, C

9. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF

The starting pitchers?

Dodgers: Kershaw makes his first Fenway Park start in Game 1 after convincing management he didn't need extra rest in the wake of throwing the final 15 pitches on Saturday night in Milwaukee. Kershaw lost his Game 1 start in the NLCS, lasting only three-plus innings, but won Game 5 with a masterful seven innings then closed out the clincher. Hyun-Jin Ryu, Walker Buehler and Rich Hill will follow Kershaw in Games 2-4, respectively.

Red Sox: Sale, who has a lot of adrenaline even for starts in Spring Training, will be extra fired up for his World Series debut. He did have issues down the stretch, pitching just 17 innings from July 28 through the end of the regular season due to left shoulder inflammation. After Sale had an impressive showing against the Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Division Series, his velocity and command were lacking in his no-decision in Game 1 in the next round against the Astros. Sale had a stomach virus right after that start against Houston and will be on nine days' rest when the World Series starts. Extra rest has generally been a good thing for Sale. He made 11 starts on five or more days' rest during the regular season, going 6-2 with a 1.41 ERA. Sale doesn't have much history with the Dodgers. He last faced them on June 15, 2012, taking a no-decision at Dodger Stadium. Sale's only other appearance against them was in relief in 2011.

Who is hot and who is not?

Dodgers: Taylor hit a quiet .364 against the Brewers and Puig hit .333, including his crucial three-run home run in Game 7. But even in the clincher, the Dodgers went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, so there are still chinks in the offensive armor, but the one hit was Puig's blast. Max Muncy and Hernandez really struggled in the NLCS, Muncy with 13 strikeouts in 22 at-bats and Hernandez going 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts. The bullpen has been nearly untouchable, but the starting rotation unpredictable.

Red Sox: Considering Bradley hit .200 in the ALCS, it's hard to classify him as hot. But he has made his hits count. The three he had against the Astros added up to nine RBIs and led to the center fielder earning ALCS MVP honors. Betts has shown flashes of brilliance in the postseason, but he hasn't gotten hot yet. This probably means he will. In 39 postseason at-bats, Betts is hitting .205 with no homers and three RBIs. The Dodgers have a rotation that is lefty-dominant, so it will be interesting to see how Cora deploys left-handed hitters Devers and Moreland, who have both swung the bat well when they've played this postseason. In fact, Devers is one of five players in history to hit three or more postseason homers before the age of 22. The others? Mickey Mantle, Andruw Jones, Miguel Cabrera and Bryce Harper, with four each. Leon continues to be close to an automatic out. Since Aug. 25, the switch-hitter has two hits in 52 at-bats and a .149 OPS.

Anything else fans might want to know?

• There's some rain in the forecast in Boston tonight, but it is expected to clear before the game. The temperature is expected to be in the mid to high 40s.

• The distance between Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium (approximately 2,588 miles) is the longest between World Series opponents.

• Fenway Park, which opened in 1912, is easily the oldest venue in the Major Leagues. Dodger Stadium is the third oldest, opening in 1962.

• This is the first time the Dodgers have played at Fenway Park since 2010. The last time the teams met was 2016, when Los Angeles took two out of three.

• These iconic franchises have met just once in the World Series, in 1916, when the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn and known as the Robins. The Red Sox won in five games for the second of three World Series titles won from 1915-18 prior to a drought that lasted until Boston again won the World Series in 2004.

• The Red Sox hope to continue their dominance against NL opponents. During the regular season, the Sox went 16-4 in Interleague Play. In their last three World Series appearances, Boston combined to go 12-2 against the Cardinals (2004 and '13) and Rockies ('07).

• Cora is the third rookie manager in the expansion era (1961-present) to lead his team to the World Series. The others were Ralph Houk (1961 Yankees) and Bob Brenly (2001 D-backs). Houk and Brenly both went on to win the Fall Classic.

(MLB Media) 

What Did You Miss Monday?

--Jacob Trouba's goal in overtime capped off a comeback that saw Winnipeg down 3-1 to start the 3rd as they beat St. Louis 5-4 in NHL play.  Mark Schiefele had two goals and two assists for the winners who have registered points in their last 15 home games dating back to last season.

--The Kelowna Rockets fired head coach Jason Smith on Monday.  The Rockets are off to a 4-10-0-0 start.

--18-year-old brothers Keenan and Kaedan Taphorn from Yorkton have been traded from the Kootenay Ice to the Moose Jaw Warriors. In return, the ICE have received 18-year-old forward Nick Bowman and a sixth-round selection in the 2021 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

-- Joseph Anoa'i, known to WWE fans as Roman Reigns, opened up the broadcast of "Monday Night Raw" by announcing he has leukemia. As a result, Reigns relinquished his heavyweight championship belt and is taking a leave of absence from WWE as he once again fights the cancer which had been in remission since late 2008. In a statement, the WWE said Reigns is taking his battle with leukemia public in an effort to raise awareness and funds for research in order to advance cures for the disease."

--A potential major injury for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  Mo Leggatt was taken off Investors Group Field on a cart with a lower-body injury after getting tangled up with Darvin Adams during a drill. He has 33 tackles and a sack for the Bombers this year.

--The Atlanta Falcons beat the New York Giants 23-20 in the NFL Monday nighter.  Matt Ryan completed his last 18 passes of the game as he threw for 379 yards and a touchdown.

NHL Three Stars Of Week

 Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Oct. 21.

 FIRST STAR – GABRIEL LANDESKOG, LW, COLORADO AVALANCHE

 Landeskog led the NHL in goals and finished tied for the League lead in points (6-1—7 in 3 GP) as Colorado gained five of a possible six points to improve their record to 5-1-2 overall. He opened the week by notching one goal and one assist in a 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers Oct. 16. Landeskog then recorded his third career hat trick, including the game winner, in a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils Oct. 18. His three career hat tricks have all come since the start of last season and are the three most recent hat tricks by an Avalanche player. He closed out the week by recording two goals, including the game-winning tally, in a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Oct. 20. The 25-year-old Stockholm, Sweden, native is in his eighth season with Colorado, seventh as captain, and leads the NHL with a plus-10 rating this season.

 SECOND STAR – CONNOR McDAVID, C, EDMONTON OILERS

 McDavid tied for third in League scoring with six points (2-4—6) in three games as Edmonton recorded two overtime victories in three starts to improve to 3-3-0 this season. McDavid began the week with 2-2—4 in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Jets Oct. 16. On Oct. 18 he notched two assists, including the lone helper on the game-winning goal, in a 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins before being held off the scoresheet in a 3-0 loss to the Nashville Predators Oct. 20. The 21-year-old Richmond Hill, Ont., native, and two-time Art Ross Trophy winner, became the first player in NHL history to record a point on nine consecutive team goals to begin a season.

THIRD STAR – MARC-ANDRE FLEURY, G, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

 Fleury went 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .956 save percentage to backstop the Golden Knights to a perfect week and a 4-4-0 record overall. Fleury opened the week with a 26-save performance in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 16 and followed it up with 17 saves in a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 20. In doing so, the 33-year-old Sorel, Que., native earned his 408th career victory to surpass Glenn Hall for sole possession of 10th on the NHL’s all-time wins list. 

Something To "Mitch" About

--Did some of you put some salt and pepper on that crow Sunday morning?  How about some hot sauce?  Those who were beaking that the Saskatchewan Roughriders would not win another game this season after their 31-0 defeat in Winnipeg have seemingly gone under the witness protection program.  Either that or they are buying tickets for the Grey Cup.

What an effort by the green-and-white and yes, a win in Calgary surprised me as well if the truth be told.  There is no doubt the green-and-white played their best game of the season at McMahon Stadium Saturday night as they kept their chances of first alive in what is a wild, wild West with a victory over a Calgary team that is spinning its wheels right now.   Where do you start?

Zach Collaros had his best game as a Rider as far as I am concerned. His bounce-back after the Winnipeg performance was something to behold  Yes, his receivers hung on to the football which was key and he had Jordan Williams-Lambert back which was also key, but Collaros was in control and was the best player on the field on this night.  How many 2nd and longs did he convert?  This was the Zach Collaros of old.  This was the Zach Collaros Chris Jones was expecting when he acquired Collaros.

Cameron Marshall was huge. With Marcus Thigpen being named as a game-day scratch, the seemingly forgotten Marshall reminded everyone that he is still around.  He had a huge kickoff return, several big runs and was a force out there.

As much as he has been maligned by many, Josiah St. John held his own against Micah Johnson.  Johnson made him look bad on one play, but overall JSJ won a battle many thought he would lose.

The secondary was in a mood and it showed as they had several big hits.  Ed Gainey, Mike Edem and Crezdon Butler were in one of those zones.  The Edem interception in the endzone may have been the game-changer.

Brett Lauther was once again Mr. Automatic.  I don't have a vote when it comes to player awards.  While he should be the top Canadian and special teams player nominee for the team, I'll be interested to see if he gets consideration for MOP.  Kickers don't usually get that and yes, you can talk about the play of Charleston Hughes and Willie Jefferson, but where are the Riders without the foot of Lauther this season.

Speaking of Hughes, the Riders did the right thing by suspending him for a game.  It didn't sound like Chris Jones was too happy with that call, but something had to be done in the wake of his driving while impaired charge.  Letting him off with no punishment for something that is wrong would have sent the wrong message.

It was completely different from the Winnipeg game.  The Lions may be the best team in the CFL right now as they keep marching along.  The season finale against BC at Mosaic will have a playoff feel to it.  I'm OK with that.

--The Brandon Banks injury may be too much for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  A team already decimated by injuries to the receiving group could not afford one to Banks.  Ottawa may have the inside track to winning the East now.

--Can't wait to see the ratings for the Argos-Alouettes game this week and yayyy, they will do it again this week.  The game wasn't even on TSN 1 or 3.  I certainly had no interest in the game.  I did see Johnny Manziel walk off the field though.  At what point does everyone realize this guy is a complete and total bust.  There are better.  Does anyone think Manziel is back next year?  I don't.  I believe he does have another year on his deal, but I don't see him being back in 2019.

--Who is going to pay for what has happened this year in Edmonton? What happened to the Eskimos? Do you think the Grey Cup committee is concerned about this knowing Calgary or Saskatchewan will likely be there representing the West?  Nope, I don't either.

--It must be nice to be a Boston sports fan.

--A great question has been brought up by Kirk Penton of "The Athletic".  Penton says while the CFL doesn't test its players for marijuana, the league and the teams expect all employees to show up for work ready for work and not impaired.  The league doesn't say anything about sponsorship though. Could a CFL team or the league itself have a pot shop as an advertiser?  Hmmmmm!!

--If he is healthy, Noah Picton will play his last game as a Regina Ram on Friday against the U of S. Once Picton leaves, the Rams will have capable replacements.  Whether or not Seb Britton or Josh Donnelly is the starter, both have shown they can run the offence.  Donnelly was given quite the assignment on Friday night in Calgary as he was asked to start a game against the number 1 ranked team in Canada.  While he didn't put the ball in the endzone and threw two INT's in the endzone, I thought for his first start, he did quite well.  He will learn.

--If you've been to Calgary for a Rams or Riders game, you have likely visited Nick's Pizza and Steakhouse right across from McMahon.  If not, do so.  I have attended that spot many times over the years and you simply won't get a better pizza (do the 26) or steak from there.

--After another Sunday of NFL play, I just go "KICKERS".  Chandler Catanzaro can't hit a 40 yard field goal, but he nails one in overtime from 58, Brett Maher boinks a game-tying FG off the upright as Dallas loses and the always-reliable Justin Tucker gasses a convert to give New Orleans a win. Meanwhile, Kansas City just continues on.  How good will their game against the Rams be in a couple of weeks!

--That's all I got.  Have a great week!