OverDrive - Boudreau on Ovechkin's goal scoring run, Jones and Schenn's blunt comments and Marner playing at another level

Episode Date: February 26, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Bruce Boudreau joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, Alex Ovechkin's incredible goal scoring run, the Capitals' strong season for the team, Seth Jones' overview of the team, Luke Schenn's perspective of the Predators' offense, Mitch Marner's impressive run, Anthony Stolarz's role in the crease and more.

Lights camera action the 2025 Juno Awards are hitting Vancouver on March 30th and IHAR radio is your ticket to the stars Hosted and performance by Michael Pooble Plus a final performance by Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees some 41 and more you can win an IHAR radio Experience with tickets flights and a three-night stay at the Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver joining us on the maple title hotline here's Bruce Boudreaux Bruce if you're in Carberry's situation you were for hundreds of OV's goals uh... how would you feel about him beating the record setting a new record passing Wayne Gretzky on an empty net goal. Well I mean it wouldn't be the thing you want to happen but it would happen if it's gonna be this year because I'm not going through five

months of questions until next October he's gonna get it this year and you know what I think the other team would want him to have it too they could be like Edmonton three goals down and pull the goalie with six minutes to go, just put Obi on the ice until he scores, because that's what happened last weekend. But I mean, he's going to get it this year. It's going to be well before the last game of the season. So I mean, he's just skating like he did 10 years ago right now. So I mean, or even just skating like he did 10 years ago right now, or even longer, or

even before that. So, I mean, I'm pretty sure he's going to get it. Yeah, it seems like it, man. He just, again, they lost last night. That was a big two points for Calgary last night. Big win. But like you said, he looks and reacts as if he's you know just breaking into the league with uh... such exuberance every single goal and he's he's skating

with with pace and but he's truly a dominant dominant figure almost every single night yeah and i mean uh... you know the numbers don't lie but let's think about these thirty nine years old now okay and gretzky

at 38 years old and I love Wayne and he as great as he was. He scored nine goals in his last year and if if Ovi played 82 games he's on a 58 goal pace. It's unheard of it's it's so crazy but you know what? When he was young, it was like he would always be sitting there, Russian machine never breaks. He was like, he would tell you that. He's, don't worry about me, Russian machine never breaks. And that's the way he played. And he's one of those guys that in sports, I mean, they come along, they're bigger than life and he's physically incredibly strong and he's just got that he's just got that talent

that he's gonna break it and he's gonna be the greatest goal scorer of all time Brucey what do you think of the caps like they talk about OV you know deserves all the you know the attention they talk about the team but when they bring out the Caps, they're like, they've had an unbelievable season, but it's always followed up with, I wouldn't be shocked if they got pumped in the first round. Like, do you think the Capitals are the real deal as far as a cup favorite? Well, I do. Like, I mean, I do Caps pre and post game a lot, So I see them play all the time and being in Hershey.

And I've come to really love the way they play. They play the same way every game. Now, listen, I think Calgary won three to one. I mean, the other day, that was the first time they'd gotten points in 16 to 17 home games. They play the same way every night and they don't have bad nights. And they've got four lines playing all the time. They've got six defensemen that can play and they've got two goalies that can play.

And they're in your face. I mean, I've come to really appreciate that they play, you call it the right way, but they play a way that makes it difficult for every team to play against them. And when it comes into the third period, if they're up a goal, they can hold the lead. If they're down a goal, they always seem to catch up. I mean, I've become truly amazed and a huge fan of the way they play this year. There's no doubt in my mind that I believe that they believe they can win the cup and it wouldn't shock me if they at least make it to the conference finals in the East this

year. It wouldn't surprise me at all. Bruce, what do you think the ceiling is for that monster protus? A 6-6 just sniping goals. Well, you know, you've got to think that he got three goals last year. And like when he was in Hershey, everybody said, yeah, this guy's okay. He's a good player, but he's not going to be a goal scorer. He's got 26 now.

He's going to get 35. I mean, I may be off by a number or two but I mean so the the ceiling to me is Next year. I mean it's gonna get more even he's still a young man he's you know, like I mean he's just beginning his career to me and it the caps have drafted his younger brother to who's a really good player and So I mean I can picture those two guys in caps uniforms for a long time but protus is a beast he's 6'6 or closer to 6'7 and I don't even think he knows how good he is at this stage but I mean like he's just another

story in why the caps are doing so well like protus and m and McMichael and everybody else that comes from the first line to the fourth line, it's making it easier for Alex to score because they're not depending on Alex to score. Like, I mean, they're just, I mean, if Alex doesn't, they can't put all their eggs and say, hey, the disc defense is going to be against Alex's line all night because the other guys score. So it makes it easier all the way around. And that's why I think they're the real deal.

They're a great team. And I think they're going to be a really tough team to beat because of the way they play. With Bruce Boutreau, scoring is not generally something that the Nashville Predators do very well. They got beat up again last night for one home by florida luke shen this is what he had to say this is what he had to say about his team of the way they play uh...

new world nothing's easy obviously uh... i don't think i've ever been a part of a group where you literally can't score goals. Obviously, sometimes you're giving up a lot or the game's not there, but at least you catch a break and keep talking about it. It's been hard to come by. So, the definition of a stay-at-home defenseman is Luke Shen.

That's where I'm kind of... Your thoughts, Bruce. That's like, to use NFL parlance, that's a defensive tackle or linebacker saying, our quarterback, what the hell is going on over there? What is going on over there? You don't generally see or hear that kind of candor. What do you make of it from Luke Shen last night? Well, first of all, I know Luke very well. He's one of my favorite all-time players and he's as honest a player as the day is long. And I think it's a, he's saying that we can't

score because we don't go to the net. We don't go play in the tough areas. We're like For want of a better word chicken To go to go into the tough areas and I mean he didn't say it that way But it sounded like that's what he meant and you know, and it's not like they don't have the talent to score So I mean they got five guys on their on their forwards that have scored at least 30 goals at least once in their career Some have scored 40 and 50. So I mean, they've got the talent to score, but if you watch the Nashville Predators play, it's always one and done.

If they don't score on their shot or they don't score coming down the rush, they don't score the in-tight goals that you need to win. And that's what Luke's talking about. Because I remember watching the last game, Luke's getting shots from the point like he doesn't doesn't get a lot of shots but he was shooting and there would be rebounds there but nobody's getting them because nobody's going to those those hard areas and that's that's the thing that bothers me because Luke is the most honest player. He had him in Toronto and he's been around and he's had the ups and downs, but he's a

solid, solid citizen and he's not saying these things lightly. And it's sort of like a calling out to his teammates and saying, boys, you always ask questions why we're not doing this, this is why we're not doing it without really calling out anybody individually. Bruce, Seth Jones also came out and had some comments he'd be happy said chicago socks which is not hot they are they're so bad

really looking like people don't know what they're doing there and that's just the plain simple truth of the fact but if you ever approach one of your players about comments made in the media or is that something you wouldn't touch you know know I probably said it once or twice in the 15 years that I was there saying, what did you say that for? You could have said something different, you know? But like with Seth, to me it's a hundred percent just get me out of here. He says, if you don't want to get me out of here I I'm gonna say things that'll make you get me out of here.

Guys, what's fascinating about him was he knew the team was gonna be terrible. Uh-oh. Yeah, the option. It gets emotional. Yeah, and he signed there for all the money and they're still brutal, so that's quite a comment from him. Well, and what he said last night, we have the clip, why don't we play it? Do we have it JP because it is pretty scathing from a coaching perspective because Luke Richardson got fired and

Anders Sorensen got in so you got two different coaches and Do we have a JP or not? Okay, here's here's Seth Jones postgame last night. I Think we're the exact same team right now as it was with game one. I think it's pretty evident out there. We haven't made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team. And it shows we don't get a lot of wins because of that. Is this kind of an opportunity to gauge that since you started here and now 60 games and almost you're back here again?

Well, this is in almost four years of you know bottom of the league so it's not just this year for me at least. Yeah and again it's pretty rich man like he has not exactly been a world beater but he took the bag. He's making a fortune there he wanted to get to Chicago and now he wants out and it's publicly known he's asked for a trade he wants out. But if you're Anders Sorensen Bruce, you know, he's saying game one we were the exact same. Basically, he's saying this new coach is doing nothing. Like that's how I kind of read it.

Well, why was he hired anyway? Like you've got to get and I don't think you'll ever coach again, but you need a Mike Babcock in there because like you fired Luke Richardson in the GM. Now that arrows go right at the GM when he says, I didn't ever thought we were a last place team. Well, you are, you stink, you're terrible. They need players. What do you think?

They need better players, Bruce, don't they? Yeah. They need better players, but he's right. Like, I don't know if he's right, but he's definitely pointed to that. Management for not getting better players, he's pointed at the coaching hasn't been, hasn't done the right things to make them a better team. And, uh,

he is, you know, I mean, he's sort of taken the blame away from the, on the ice players. He's blaming it all on management and coaches, which is, is a tough thing to do unless you really want to get out of there, but it's going to be a really tough thing unless somebody eats half of the deal to get out of there or he's stuck there, one of the two. Yeah, exactly. With Bruce Booth. So that Leaf win last night, that was a fun game man. They spot the Bruins at 3-0 lead. It's just all downhill the first 20 minutes and Stolars was great. I guess we'll start with Stolars and Wall because both of them have not been healthy for a while. They're both playing well. Stolars, to his credit, has not missed a beat.

He was great before the injury. I thought he was awesome last night too. I thought he was too and he gave up four. I thought he played pretty well against Carolina, I believe it was, because by the third period it was just Carolina was all over the moment pushing and pushing and pushing uh... if if the game was if you want was tonight your correct beruber who gets the start

well i would i would start still are uh... to me just uh... it won't been good to both coles have been good but i just think still are can can steal you the game a little bit better at this stage than Wall could. But I mean, and you're right, last night's game, there was two tails. I mean, the first two periods, Boston owned the Leafs and he kept them in there in the

second period. But save after save after save. But I tell you what, I was more disappointed. Boston playing with the lead the last minute and a half they must have gave the puck away five times I mean what they were doing this was not the Boston team that I'm so used to be to watching or coaching against that knew how to protect the lead and and once you they had that one goalie I mean it was over I mean granted they don't have Bergeron and they don't have a McEvoy or Hampus Lindholm out there but boy were they giving the puck away to the Leafs like you just said.

Well, the Leafs are going to score. I would have bet the farm that the Leafs were going to score and the overtime was just a perfect play by both Matthews and Marner and they made it look easy. Yeah, they did. And you look at Mitch Marner in the last week he's had, and twice in that building in particular, he turns the lights out last night with a beautiful breakaway goal. He also, he almost set up Tavares earlier in the overtime on what would have been maybe the setup of the year.

And we know what he did on Thursday with two primary assists, including the winner with McDavid. He looks great. He sounds, it's true strutty the subject of the fact is i great the last week you can carve a boy or not there martyrs been outstanding and all that you know off all factual uh...

are you a believer that this is a sign of things to come burs when it comes to mitch martin well i don't know what i can's a great player all the time. I mean, I thought for me anyway, coaching against him, he had that breakaway after breakaway you had to watch him make, let's not forget. He scored the overtime goal against Sweden too. And that first game, but, um, uh, I just think he's a great hockey player. He's got eyes in the back of his head when it comes to playoffs.

It's a different animal for the whole Leaf team, the whole city. I don't know why we can't go any further because they've got a dynamic group of forwards and they got two good goalies and if TANF is not hurt too bad they've got a fairly solid defense. They're in the top 10 defensively at this stage. So I want them to get into first place though so they get a chance to stay away from Tampa or Florida. I think it's important that they get in first place this year so they can win that first round with some authority and go in with confidence in the second round. That's my thoughts on Toronto if they want to advance because Tampa and Florida are going

to both pose big problems but after March 7th they might make a trade or two to make them even better which would be great. Brucie, what happens if this scenario goes down? The caps who you do pre and post for, and the Leafs are in the Eastern Conference Final, where is your allegiance? The Leafs or the Caps? Come on. Come on. Are you kidding me? I'll be doing the Caps and every time the Leafs score I'll be cheering. I mean, I'll be doing the Caps games'm cheering for the leaves. I like the caps. I love what they,

the opportunity they gave me to start a career in coaching in the NHL. But when I'm coming to cheering, I'm cheering for the Leafs. That's my boys. And all I mean, uh, born there and played for them and grew up as a Marley. So I'm a Leaf guy all the way. There's no doubt. We'll be here for just a good Toronto boy. We'd love to hear that. There we go. Yeah. Strudy, you just don't understand, man.

You could not understand it out there. You do not get what it's like to have civic pride in your city. You have no idea. When you get the top two in your body early in your life you keep it on your back that's right that's right for us when all of us tell a cup tattoos on there for the lease and i there are people

but i don't think that i mean of them that's right for tea how many does that mean that out there being fourteen yeah that's why i was a three-team league when they want those but i don't know Yeah, that's right. It was a three-team league when they won those 16 and you know, there's 21 teams Asterisk beside the Gretzky era too. I mean, let's be serious. Oh jeez as it should be Alright Bruce. We'll let you go there. We appreciate you doing this as always

No problem. My pleasure. There's Bruce Boudreau here on the music, stories, and culture that inspire us all. Black history is our history. Celebrate with us. History to make it. Listen on the free iHeartRadio app.