If you’re a Toronto or Buffalo sports fan Thanksgiving Monday was one to forget.
The Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, Sabres and Bills went a combined 0-for-4.
First on the diamond in Toronto where the visiting Seattle Mariners hit three home runs to take a 2-0 best-of-seven American League Championship Series lead with a 10-3 victory.
Remember when the Jays outscored the Yankees 23-8 in the first two games of the ALDS? That’s a distant memory now as the Mariners have outscored Toronto 13-4 to open the ALCS.
“Obviously we need to get better offensively,” said Vladimir Guerrero Jr. through interpreter Hector Lebron. Guerrero Jr. is 0-for-7 with a walk in this series after hitting over .500 against Yankees last round
“For example, myself, I had big at-bats there and couldn’t come through. …
“We don’t like the position that we are in right now, but they’ve been playing great baseball, too. The only thing we can do is just get better, go to Seattle and try to win some games somehow.”
The Maple Leafs and NHL moved up Monday’s start time in Toronto against Detroit two hours due to the Blue Jays game, and the blue and white went out and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Red Wings who swept the home and home series.
Much of the attention after the game went to head coach Craig Berube’s comments regarding forward William Nylander.
“Willy needs more shots, He needs to attack more, needs to shoot more. He’s got to get on the inside more.
Nylander has just three shots on goal through three regular-season games after averaging over three shots per game last season. en route to scoring a career-high 45 goals.
“There’s shifts and times where he is skating, but I just feel like it’s not enough. We need more out of him,” Berube said.
Sticking with hockey and to Buffalo where the Sabres are now (0-3) to start the season following a 3-1 loss to Colorado. Captain Rasmus Dahlin certainly didn’t mince his words after the contest.
“It’s not good enough, a lot of the areas,” said Dahlin. “Better start today, worse ending. Not good on the power play, good [penalty kill], goaltending. I mean, we can’t catch a break there. We’ve got to get out of this (expletive).”
The Sabres playoff drought is a league high 14 seasons.
Meanwhile in Atlanta Georgia where the Buffalo Bills dropped their second straight game losing the NFL Monday nighter 24-14 to the Falcons who ran all over the Bills for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
“Just not good enough, we gotta figure it out,” Buffalo Head Coach Sean McDermott said.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
