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Montreal Gazette
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
St-Victor: Juliette Powell never stood still, whether on MusiquePlus or tech's cutting edge
I'm a romantic and believe that television's golden age is yet to come, and that the medium's death has been greatly exaggerated. Still, while it may be hard to believe now, once upon a time television unified people every day, at the same time and not on demand. TV was about daily rendezvous, not just when it was time for sports spectacles and year-end shows. Quebec TV is unique. These daily rendezvous still exist, and beyond game shows and newscasts. In addition to those staples, the province produces high-quality, addictive televised fiction, like Radio-Canada's Stat and Dumas. At another time, for another generation, the daily rendezvous included everything and anything that aired on MusiquePlus. The U.S. had MTV, and the rest of Canada had MuchMusic. MTV became an unavoidable stop for artists and politicians alike, including a presidential candidate named Bill Clinton, who created one of the most memorable moments of his 1992 campaign on the channel. It wasn't that much different here in Quebec: MusiquePlus was a must for both international and local stars, who used the network to première their videos or announce their tours. Hosts emerged who thrived beyond their departure from the channel, which stopped airing in 2019, and who remain influential staples of our media landscape, like Anne-Marie Withenshaw and Rebecca Makonnen. Also on the MusiquePlus roster of hosts was Juliette Powell, who died June 3 of acute bacterial meningitis, a few weeks shy of her 55th birthday. I met her in 2009, not long after she released her book 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business With Social Networking. I interviewed her for a blog, and she was brilliant and generous. She was also an avant-gardist, understanding that social media was going to change everything. In her book, she analyzed Barack Obama's sophisticated usage of social media platforms, which has since become a blueprint for so many aspiring politicians. Powell also had influence. I wonder if she knew what seeing her on the screen meant to so many of us. When a public personality dies, the praise they receive is quite a barometer. When news of Powell's passing broke this week, there was an avalanche of love on social media. In addition to the sadness, posts have expressed admiration for a woman who broke many barriers. Sure, she was the first Black Canadian to be named Miss Canada in 1989, but parlaying that into a television gig where she interviewed some of the world's most prominent musical artists was quite a feat. For many of us, she was a star among stars. Did she know it? Possibly not. Local media critics could be brutal and gratuitous. But that's the price when you're one of the first and one of the very few. The impossibly high bar is set not by you, but by those who question whether you belong. MusiquePlus had its share of mediocre VJs. Juliette Powell was not one of them. Those of us who cherished seeing a Black woman on Quebec television knew this. She moved to Toronto in 1996, hosting on MuchMusic and also studying economics, which led to business reporting on television. Her continued thirst for knowledge brought her to New York, where she graduated from Columbia University and recently taught at New York University. She remained one step ahead of most of us, researching and advising on artificial intelligence and ethics in tech. Powell was gorgeous and, honestly, she could have just banked on her looks, but she was too bright and had too much talent and vision for that. She was style and substance. And that, too, had an impact. Did she know? Whether or not she did, Juliette Powell mattered.
New York Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How Kris Knoblauch's keen ability to adjust elevated Edmonton Oilers
In the 18 months since Kris Knoblauch took over as coach of the Edmonton Oilers, he has guided the team to the Stanley Cup Final each time. For fans of the team, the unassuming Knoblauch represents an elite problem solver. That ability to tinker with the roster, using only players who are readily available, has become a calling card of the team's head coach. After going to Game 7 of the final last spring, he now has the Oilers four wins from the championship. Advertisement Here's a list of how Knoblauch helped the Oilers arrive as a Western Conference powerhouse. Knoblauch gets credit for placing the top line and pairing (Connor McDavid's trio with Evan Bouchard's partner, most often Mattias Ekholm) to form an elite unit. His predecessor, Jay Woodcroft, had already started the practice, but in typical Knoblauch style, the results under his guidance during the 2023-24 season were superior to Woodcroft's: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick There were other changes, and the NHL experiences a 'dead cat bounce' routinely after a coaching change, but the improvement was immediate, exceptional and had sustain. During the 2024-25 season, McDavid's line and Bouchard's pairing continued to dominate NHL opposition. Averaging 12:18 per game at five-on-five, the five-man unit scored 62 percent of the goals (63 percent expected) and dumbfounded NHL coaches. In this year's postseason, the unit has averaged 10:45 minutes per game five-on-five, with a 62 percent goal share (59 percent expected). That's against top-flight competition. Knoblauch didn't invent the five-man offensive wrecking crew, but he did perfect its deployment. There was a time when Oilers players played through pain, at the expense of performance. San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier had a legendary pain threshold when he played for Edmonton. He dealt with shoulder issues, and there were times when he would skate back to the bench after a hit, grimacing in pain. Grier would get his shoulder reset on the bench and make the next shift. So it was interesting to watch this year's team take maximum time (and then some) when players were injured. A look at the team's foundation players shows several (McDavid missed 15 games, Leon Draisaitl 11) Oilers missing extended periods via injuries or suspension. Advertisement There's no rule against resting players longer after injury, and there's no evidence the Oilers did this during 2024-25. The team is healthier this year, with only Ekholm missing significant playoff time this spring before the injury to Zach Hyman. Also, Evander Kane timed various medical procedures that allowed him to be ready for the second game of the playoffs. Knoblauch has been a little unorthodox in his handling of his goaltenders during his two playoff runs in Edmonton. In the spring of 2024, Stuart Skinner struggled during the series versus Vancouver Canucks. Knoblauch inserted Calvin Pickard for a couple of games, and then went back to his starter. That's a traditional handling of goaltending tandems. This spring, Skinner once again struggled, and the coach made a change. This time, he ran Pickard through the end of the series against the Los Angeles Kings and the beginning of the Vegas Golden Knights seven-game tilt. Only injury gave Skinner another chance. Entering the final, Knoblauch has shown confidence in both goaltenders, and they have rewarded his faith in them. All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick These are exceptional numbers, with Skinner's save percentage the best for an Oilers starting goalie since Cam Talbot (.932) in the 2017 playoffs. Knoblauch has a reputation for having his finger on the pulse of the roster. There's no better example than his handling of the goaltenders this spring. One of the big questions entering the playoffs for Edmonton surrounded Ekholm's absence. Oilers fans worried about the team's ability to replace him on the top pairing without upsetting the rest of the defensive depth chart. Knoblauch did two things: He ran Brett Kulak on the double, pairing him with both Bouchard (132 minutes) and Darnell Nurse (93 minutes) at even strength. The unusual deployment worked through most of three rounds, before Ekholm-Bouchard returned late in the series against the Dallas Stars. Advertisement The second tweak, and the major lift, came from pairing newcomers Jake Walman and John Klingberg. The two men showed sensational puck-moving ability, with Klingberg delivering breathtaking headman passes for big goals in what can only be described as a return to his impact level at his peak Dallas years. The pairing played 168 minutes together through three rounds, and were an enormous help in getting the club through the period when Ekholm was not available. Up and down the roster, Knoblauch's ability to call on players who are not in the everyday lineup has been impressive. Some of it comes from a deep roster, but every team that goes deep has quality stored in the press box. A good example of Knoblauch's ability to find what he needs is veteran winger Kasperi Kapanen. Inserted because of his foot speed (he's in the 97th percentile via NHL Edge) and aggressive play, the Oilers are thriving with Kapanen on the ice. Other players who have been spotted in and out of the lineup include Ty Emberson (nine games), Troy Stecher (six games) and Jeff Skinner (two games). Knoblauch rolls four lines and three pairings when possible. The coach will insert the McDavid line (or Draisaitl trio) after commercial breaks in order to get optimal performance from his elite talent. During the series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Knoblauch deployed Draisaitl (at times with McDavid) against Jack Eichel's line a higher-than-average amount. In 42 minutes head-to-head, Edmonton won the shot share (60 percent), goal share (67 percent) and expected goal share (57 percent). That kind of head-to-head matchup is out of the norm for Knoblauch. In this case, it worked well, as the Oilers won handily. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment by Knoblauch and Oilers coaches surrounds overcoming the team's reputation regarding the McDavid minutes. Aggressive play, determined forechecking and playing beyond the rules seemed to impact the Oilers in past seasons, leaving the team without optimal McDavid at the most important time of the year. Knoblauch's ability to coach the defencemen on retrievals, make sure the forwards offer attractive outlets in breakouts and keep the puck out of the defensive zone may be the key step in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton.
France 24
29-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
US suggests Syria-Israel non-aggression deal
Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948, with Israel taking the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. Since the ouster in December of former president Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes and multiple incursions into Syria. Barrack, who inaugurated the US ambassador's residence in Damascus on Thursday, said the conflict between the two countries was a "solvable problem". To him, Syria and Israel could "start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders" to build a new relationship with its neighbour. Israel has said its strikes on Syria were aimed at preventing advanced weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities, whom it considers jihadists. It has also threatened further intervention should the new authorities fail to protect the Druze religious minority. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said earlier this month that his administration was holding "indirect talks" with Israel to calm tensions between the two countries. Restoring US ties Sharaa, who led the rebel offensive that toppled Assad in December, was once a jihadist leader wanted in the United States. Since coming to power, he has repeatedly pledged inclusive governance that is open to the world, and restored Syria's ties with global powers, ending decades of isolation under Assad. While on tour in the Gulf earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, and said he hoped the country would normalise relations with Israel. "I told him, I hope you're going to join once you're straightened out and he said yes. But they have a lot of work to do," he said of Sharaa. He also called Sharaa a "young, attractive guy" with a "very strong past. Fighter". On May 8, Sharaa said in France that Syria was holding "indirect talks through mediators" with Israel to "try to contain the situation so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides." The United States has in recent months started rebuilding ties with Syria, ending more than a decade of diplomatic freeze. Syria signed a $7 billion energy deal on Thursday with a consortium of Qatari, US and Turkish companies as it seeks to rehabilitate its war-ravaged electricity sector. US flag raised The agreement, signed in the presence of interim Sharaa and Barrack, is expected to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity and cover half of the country's needs. Barrack, who is also ambassador to Turkey, inaugurated the US ambassador's residence in the Syrian capital with Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani, state media outlet SANA reported. AFP photographers saw the US flag raised at the ambassador's residence, just a few hundred metres (yards) from the US embassy in the Abu Rummaneh neighbourhood, under tight security. "Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East," Trump said, according to a post on the State Department's X. The US embassy in Syria was closed after Assad's repression of a peaceful uprising that began in 2011, which degenerated into civil war. Barrack met with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Istanbul on 24 May, after the United States lifted sanctions on Syria. The meeting followed a meeting in Riyadh between Trump and Sharaa, who led the Islamist coalition that toppled Assad in December. The last US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, was declared persona non grata in 2011 after defying the Syrian government by visiting a city that was under army siege and the site of a major anti-regime protests. In late December, a US delegation led by Barbara Leaf, the State Department's Middle East representative, held an initial meeting with the new leadership in Damascus. © 2025 AFP
New York Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Ty Emberson's role with Edmonton Oilers has evolved in NHL playoffs
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ty Emberson has a unique role with the team this spring. A top option on the penalty kill, Emberson's five-on-five ice time is about five minutes less than in the regular season. He's the No. 6 defenceman on the team, played in all games during the recently completed series against the Los Angeles Kings, but isn't part of the regular rotation at five-on-five. Advertisement Why is this happening? Part of the deployment is no doubt Emberson's lack of NHL experience, but there's another reason. Here's a look into the Oilers coaching staff, what is valued and where those missing minutes are landing. Emberson has been a strong PK option for the Oilers since November. During the regular season, he averaged over two minutes a game short-handed, and his numbers were among the best of Edmonton's defence. His GA-60 (6.4) was superior to the results when he was at rest (9.47, via Natural Stat Trick). In the playoff series against the Kings, Emberson delivered two minutes per game and once again beat the rest of Edmonton's defencemen in goal suppression. The Kings' series had plenty of chaos, so Emberson's GA-60 (13.74) was inflated drastically compared to the regular season. When he was off the ice, the results (16.17 GA-60) were even more frightening. The Oilers coaching staff values Emberson on the penalty kill. A quick comparison of the playoff numbers reflects a clear top three PK men, with Emberson part of that group. PK numbers via Natural Stat Trick Emberson's spot in the starting lineup is secure based on these numbers. He's one of the top PK men each game, and even in a period where the short-handed crews struggled against the Kings, Emberson's underlying numbers are quality. Emberson's five-on-five minutes have declined during the postseason. He's being used sparingly compared to the regular season in the game state: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick Emberson's 51 minutes five-on-five has seen Edmonton score two goals and allow one, while being outshot 24-14 by the Kings. Small samples will produce such conflicting numbers, but the regression suggested by the shot share is significant. The coaching staff is going with veterans, a tale as old as time. Advertisement Emberson will probably take on more minutes next regular season and be a stronger option in the 2025 postseason. Where are those minutes previously given to Emberson landing? Enter Brett Kulak. He has emerged as a super utility player. Coach Kris Knoblauch has identified two interesting wrinkles in his defensive units. First, the exceptional performance of the Jake Walman and John Klingberg pairing has held sway, convincing the coaches that that duo is a key element in team success. Any efforts to split up the pairing seem fleeting, and the duo quickly returns to working together. Second, Kulak has emerged as an elevated fifth defenceman, gobbling up the Emberson minutes in an effort to outscore opponents. Here are the top seven pairings by ice time during the Kings series, with minutes played and results. All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick Emberson is part of a single pairing. The numbers are solid and those results come in a depth role. The Kulak-Emberson duo is slightly under 50 percent in expected goals, nothing alarming about that number for a third pairing. However, it's noteworthy that this tandem is the only one in the group that is below 50 percent expected goals. Meanwhile, Kulak can be found on three pairings of 29 minutes or more. His 124 five-on-five minutes ranked him No. 2 (Darnell Nurse) among Edmonton's defencemen in the third round. A quick note on Nurse and Evan Bouchard. Despite the low scoring rates, the expected goal share suggested that regression should be expected. Some fans are frustrated with the coaching staff's seeming stubbornness about the duo, but the underlying numbers endorse staying the course. Emberson's minutes during this postseason are not guaranteed, but his future with the organization looks to be safe. He recently signed a two-year extension ($1.3 million annually) and figures to be in the mix for regular work next season. Advertisement His current role is somewhat unusual, but it's a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Oilers coaching staff. Taking advantage of Kulak's tireless skating, and improving the puck movement ability of the defence makes this deployment effective. Emberson fits in perfectly due to his penalty-killing goal suppression. He has provided enough quality play to stay in the lineup. Why is Emberson playing less at five-on-five? The Oilers' current success is heavily based on moving the puck into the neutral zone (and enemy territory) quickly. Kulak is taking Emberson's minutes because he's fast, can pass and transport, and (most importantly) play either side of a pairing effectively. Moving Emberson down the depth chart can be justified if it's working, and Kulak went 5-3 goals (64 percent expected) with various defensive partners during the Los Angeles series. The stars of the show during that run were Walman-Klingberg, who outscored opponents 3-0 in 55 minutes in the first round this spring. Knoblauch and his staff are so enamored with that pairing that the club is willing to deal with some uneven play from the Nurse-Bouchard pair. In 58 minutes, the trio went 3-7 against the Kings. The pairing may face even more difficult challenges against the Vegas Golden Knights in the next series. With Ekholm still unavailable, and the coaching staff likely to run Nurse-Bouchard and Walman-Klingberg as the top two pairings, the role of Kulak becomes even more important. Troy Stecher may be inserted into the lineup at some point, with the Oilers possibly running seven defencemen in games. All of this is designed to keep the club in the playoffs until Ekholm returns. At that point, the Oilers will run the pairings envisioned at the trade deadline.
New York Times
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Is Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch any closer to fixing the defence?
The Edmonton Oilers entered the postseason with more roster questions than any true Stanley Cup contender this spring. Injuries were rife across the roster, ineffective play from veterans was a real concern and the goaltending was a question mark. One by one, coach Kris Knoblauch found solutions from the available roster players. Advertisement Goaltending was solved by inserting backup Calvin Pickard. Knoblauch did it during the Vancouver Canucks series one year ago, so the transition from Stuart Skinner to Pickard wasn't shocking to anyone. What has been a surprise is the quality of Pickard's performances. He currently owns the net, and Skinner's return date is unknown (although likely if the team continues deep into the playoffs). Perhaps the biggest concern surrounded how to replace injured defenceman Mattias Ekholm. He's slated to return to the roster at some point this spring, but the team needs to win games without him in the interim. After the completion of the six-game series against Los Angeles, the questions about how to replace Ekholm remain. Ekholm is a strong two-way player and the ideal partner for Evan Bouchard, Edmonton's outstanding puck-moving defenceman. In the first two games of the playoff series versus the Los Angeles Kings, Knoblauch and his staff (the defence is led by coaches Paul Coffey and Mark Stuart) came under heavy criticism for the deployment of the defensive pairings at five-on-five. In Games 1 and 2, the deployment looked like this: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick Fans were unhappy with the Darnell Nurse and Bouchard pairing due mostly to coverage problems for the tandem. Both men allowed Los Angeles forwards to wander behind them, and the club paid in full during the early portion of the series. The obvious solution was to move Jake Walman to the Bouchard pairing and check down Nurse to play with Brett Kulak. Instead, the only change Knoblauch made early came when switching out Josh Brown after Game 1 and inserting John Klingberg (the numbers above for the pairing are from a single game). Once down 2-0 in the series, the coaching staff had some decisions to make. Things weren't working, and something had to give. Here are the pairings for Game 3 and Game 4 combined: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick The top pairing still had some issues, owing at least in part to facing tougher competition. However, the second and third pairings shone like a diamond. The pairing of Walman and Klingberg has been exceptional. In the pivotal Game 5, the duo scorched Los Angeles 16-4 shots five-on-five with a 94 percent expected goal share in the metric. Advertisement How did it happen? The team's outlets have been tweaked in at least a couple of ways. First, the team is deploying an old-timey strategy in having the centre come down low (with speed) and take a handoff from the defenceman in possession of the puck. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can easily beat the forecheck going full speed, and have the advantage of less traffic once hitting the neutral zone. Additionally, the passing by defencemen from deep in the zone is more effective because there is often more than one attractive passing option. The Oilers don't have two forwards lingering in the neutral zone in search of a jailbreak pass. The result is more control, and more consistent breakouts since the start of Game 3. How much have the changes improved the results? Meghan Chayka from Stathletes tracks the evidence, and it was devastating for the Kings in the middle games of the series. In Game 5, Knoblauch and his staff deployed seven unique pairings that played three or more minutes together. The dizzying changes may also be impacted by the lack of response from Los Angeles, but the results in Game 5 didn't identify a true weak link among the seven pairings: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick After five games, it appeared the pairings worked and the coverage plus outlet passing issues were solved. Edmonton won the series, but there are questions about the defence as the team prepares for the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. The performances were decidedly less impressive than in Games 3 through 5: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick The most used pairing in the closing game of the series matched what fans were demanding, but both the first and second pairings struggled against a determined Los Angeles squad. Meanwhile, Nurse-Bouchard had solid numbers during the game (although the actual results were poor). Nurse-Klingberg was effective, giving the coaches another combination to ponder. Advertisement It's difficult to look at a series clinching victory with a negative eye, but the reads and gaps will need to be much better in the next series. As the team sets the lines and pairings for Vegas, there are several things that should be addressed. Nurse had a high event series with some loose coverage that is reflected by eye and math. When the big defenceman was on the ice at five-on-five during the Kings' series, the Oilers were outscored 9-4. When Nurse was off the ice, the team outscored Los Angeles 11-5. Evan Bouchard had similar totals: 8-3 goals for Edmonton when Bouchard was at rest, outscored 11-7 when Bouchard was on the ice. Together, the pairing delivered 3-7 goals on the ice at five-on-five. That reflects coverage issues and misreads by the pairing. Without the puck, Nurse and Bouchard have the same weakness (read and react, wandering). The questions around the defence appear to have gone full circle in one six-game series. The easy answer is placing Ekholm on the Bouchard pairing, and then running the strongest combination of Nurse, Kulak, Walman and Klingberg on the second pair. Ekholm could return from injury at some point during May. Until then, Knoblauch's ongoing search for what works receives another best-of-seven series to continue the experiments. A good guess has Nurse and Bouchard on separate pairings in Game 1 against the Golden Knights. (Photo of Darnell Nurse, Kevin Fiala and Evan Bouchard: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)
