OverDrive - Corrado on his expectations for the Leafs lineup for Game 1, Green’s impact on the Senators play style, and how Suzuki’s rise has affected the Habs

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

TSN Hockey analyst Frank Corrado joins the show to discuss what his expectations are for the Leafs' lineup for Game 1. He explains Travis Green’s impact on the Senators play style and how Suzuki’s rise has affected the Habs

Are you age 16 to 30 and ready to make a real impact? The Youth Thrive program, funded by Canada Service Corps and delivered by the Career Foundation, is your chance to develop leadership skills, connect with mentors, and gain real world experience, all while giving back to your community. Best of all, it's a no-cost program, available across Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and BC. Thoughts are limited, so register now at careerfoundation.com. That's careerfoundation.com.

Join today and be part of something amazing. When Mario Lemieux came out before the first game of the Four Nations and got that bell center just electrified, who would the Toronto Maple Leafs could bring out before Sunday's game against the Ottawa Senators? Only one name that i came up with frank rato

that is not so the people that is insane comment i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i think that i blood juicing into the building i bring out darcy taller and shane course and gary roberts the three of them to drop the part of the great i'd rise and say and and get the crowd going give greenie the finger on the way back and i i i i i that's the way to do it at those three guys out there to walk and drop the park for the playoffs and then when you get the auto while they could throw a big z and chris neil

and chris billups and get their goons out there and it's just that's kind of building up the excitement towards it I think that'd be a fantastic thing to do so you don't like Corrado you know I credit with those guys are him me not none of us Johnson none of us Koliak of oh though cool yeah okay all right you know what Darcy Tucker she ain't coarsen tie dome I don't Gary Roberts get him out of that rice to drop the park you know what Darcy Tucker, Shane Corson, Ty Domey, and Gary Roberts get them out at Center Ice to drop the puck. You know what else the Leafs need to do for this little playoff run? Just for the boys, like in the room, the video coaches, which they're good at this kind of stuff, they need to put together a little three four minute montage of the Leafs

beating up on the Sens back in the day, Battle of Ontario, little motivation before every game or to start the series at least. Well it's funny because you consider the respective concerns in the fan bases. Leaf fans are always concerned, oh everyone's so quiet in the building and there won't be the energy. Meanwhile in Ottawa all they're concerned about is, oh my god, Leaf fans are going to buy all the tickets and they're going to dominate the arena. So it's really funny how they're getting their reverse.

No, no they try, like they're gonna go on Facebook, I don't know how they're gonna find me. Facebook marketplace, yeah. Seriously, like they're trying to put restrictions on certain, they're going into that building. Money talks happening, man. There's all kinds of stuff going on.

And I saw Ann Lauer was on TSN 1200, our sister station in Ottawa talking about, oh, we got a lot of plans in place to limit, leave fans, make sure the season ticket holders well do that what kind of what do you think the season ticket holders are gonna do oh in this economy they're gonna sell the tickets for double the price to leaf fans ready to come in there and be louder than the sense fans no kidding if I'm in sense fan and I could watch at home and be just as happy I'll just

float it out there online saying on Facebook marketplace whatever I don't know it's like all that kind of stuff back in the day My dad had tickets to a leaf game and he's like listen, we've been to a couple games this year We can sell our tickets. We could get a jetoni table. You want to do that? I said, yeah, let's do it We got the jetoni table. I'll never forget this game It was I think it was a st. Louis Blues game Leafs were up five nothing. They lost six five in overtime I remember that yeah, we have the wrong table for 15 years after that's the better question yeah for the for the non-italian you still you still have it

at the house for now it's gone that's very gone that's very a lot of good times though so Frank Corrado is with us here on overdrive it's our two and we've been talking a lot about the Battle of Ontario and why Toronto should be optimistic heading into this matchup the reasons are obvious I think for Ottawa I think the reasons are pretty obvious as well as far as what Toronto hasn't done in post seasons to date when it comes to this battle of Ontario Frank what are you circling and we'll get to the big Leafs Red Wings game tonight on sure we will as far as looking ahead to Sunday night what's the number one storyline you were focusing on for both sides?

I mean, it's always the big guys. I don't think you can bury the lead. It's the big guys of Toronto versus the big guys for Ottawa. And what does playoff Brady Kachuk look like and feel like and how does that factor into the series? Is it exactly what Matthew Kachuk did for the Florida Panthers? Like, is he going to go over the edge? Is he going to get a little too excited, can the Leafs maybe take advantage of that, but I think you go big guys vs big guys and then you start to do all the other auxiliary matchups after that. Like in Ottawa, I think they talk about their third line a lot with Pinto, Gregg and Amadio

saying that's a line that can really match up well against anyone in the league and they feel comfortable with that and so now if you have two lines that can eat up time against the Matthews line, what does that do for Toronto? Like how does that, you know, go against Toronto? But those like, I think those conversations are all secondary to can the big boys in Toronto have a series where they take it over and Ottawa is saying we just don't have an answer for it? And can the Ottawa guys can Stutselel do the same thing? Could Chuck do the same thing? I think Stutzel has the chance to be like this version of Daniel Alfredson where he's got that that pest factor like he's a little bit of an

rat agitator Exactly, he's got the skill to go with it. So there's there's a number of things really Well, AK was making the point that the guy with the most to gain in this series, well two guys in this series with the most to gain from you know playing well on Canadian teams would be Kichuck and Marr. I mean we talked about Kichuck he's never played in the playoffs he's 25 years old he's been in the league an awful long time never been there start with him like how much a does the inexperience factor concern you and b you know how much does he concern you if you're craig berube game planning as a may believe coach i the inexperience thing wouldn't worry me from

the senator's point of view on brady like this guy's he's been built for playoff hockey he's watched his brother do it like firsthand like he's he's been there he's been in the buildings he's been built for playoff hockey, he's watched his brother do it like first hand. He's been there, he's been in the buildings, he's been shotgunning beers with people in the stands watching this happen. So he's well versed in what it takes. I think if you're Toronto, it's just you're dealing with another kachuk, another guy who's comfortable playing in uncomfortable situations and being confrontational with your best guys and like that's something that as much as power play success has alluded them scoring multiple goals in games has alluded them like they're not overly comfortable in those types of confrontational situations so that's gonna

have to shut him down too you're gonna have to deal with them I said it in the four nations Duffy I'm like you're not gonna out-Kachuk the Kachuks like you're not gonna go out there and out punch them in the face and Out be more pissed off than that you're just gonna have to handle it and how you're gonna do that That's for them to decide but you're not gonna know how it's you know, how it's there. It's gonna be decided. It's Can Matthews and Marner? Push back enough where it's not like they're getting dragged into it, but they're not looking like they surrendered You know what what I mean?

Like there's a difference there. Well, Matthews and Marner, their response to Brady Kachuck is, we want you to play in your own end. Yeah. Because then you can't run around and drill people through the boards, and you're going to watch us skate circles around and do our thing, and that's going to be our response. Because we're not going to run you through the boards, and we're not going to do those types of things.

But their answer is, we will cycle the pants off you in your own zone if we have the puck all night and that's going to be a give-and-take and fascinating to watch. I guarantee there's going to be a game where Toronto's up it could could be big could not be big could be a couple goals but it's out of reach and it's late in a game and I guarantee Brady does something towards the end of that game to send a message like we're not going away quietly and we're coming right back at you. I think that's the attitude the mindset that that a Kachuk has and we've seen it from Matthew we're gonna see it from Brady in

the playoffs Toronto has to answer that. Here's the question though Frankie when you when you look at the way the Leafs have been playing lately we've been talking about Stolarz he's been an absolute stud 8-0 with three shutouts and all the rest of it. The same percentages through the roof, the goal saved above expected us through the roof. Cycling them to death, that's not what the Leafs have been doing lately. They have not really been controlling the run of play. They've been backstopped by some incredible goaltending, some pretty good defensive play, and some timely scoring. Do you think they have it in them to dominate the offensive zone

when they haven't really been doing that of late? I do, and I think you also have to look at what Ottawa's been doing the last little while. For the whole season, they had built a foundation of being a really good defensive team, right? Clogging things up, that was what Travis Green really instilled in them. He had to teach them how to check.

He did, but the like 15 or so games They've they've kind of slipped and they've been masked by really good goaltending So I think if you're looking at it's almost like both teams are fighting the same thing here as far as like getting back to Really what is and can be the foundation the bedrock for those teams with Ottawa? It's being a good defensive team and for Toronto, yes, it's good being a good defensive team but it's also being able to overwhelm you offensively with guys that should be hard to shut down. Ken Hitchcock talked about it when we had him on. He always talks about it, we've had him on a few times and it's not the sexiest thing but it's gonna be a factor in the series who can check better

because he talks about it, if you can't check your hat, you're not going to win any playoff series i don't care how talented you are if you cannot check that just doesn't mean running people through the boards or a little stick check here and there it's just checking being on top of the park in eliminating people not giving up on man rushes if you can't do it on a consistent basis you're not winning squad and i'm sure we as much as i didn't like the guy like babcockcock had a good way of framing it, he called it getting skin.

So it's like, someone's near you, you just get a little skin on the way by. And it's like, you have that in your head over the course of a game and you're like, oh, someone's near me, I just got to get some skin on him. And then it goes away from like thinking, I got to run someone or I got a stick check. It's just like, I just got to get in your way a little bit. And you do that over the course of the night and you find like guys, guys can get frustrated with that kind of stuff. That's Frank Corrado in studio with us here on overdrive,

Kuralnik, O'Neal and Fess Chuck. Leafs, Redwings, game 82 tonight on TSM4. Frankie, you and O will be on the panel. O told us some stories earlier about game 82's meaningless game 82's in his playing career. What do you remember about playing in games that don't necessarily have much importance beyond getting the 60 minutes in? So Game 80, I have a few Game 82's under my belt. The one I was ecstatic because I was going to get the NHLPA like health insurance for the summer.

So that was huge, right? Like you get to bill all the massage, all the Cairo, nothing comes out of pocket. But that was a situation where it was like one game 82 we were going into the playoffs, we're ready to play San Jose, and we had just clinched the division. We ended up getting swept in the first round by San Jose. Next year missed the playoffs, game 82 was just like trying to have a good game to finish off the season. And then in Toronto a game 82 where we were picking Matthews. And that kind of just had the feel of like, let's just get this thing over with.

But if you're a team that's getting ready for the playoffs, you just want to get through it healthy. You just want to get it through it unscathed. Like I don't think it's a big X's and O's night. It's not a big like storylines night. It's just you got to get through it and make sure everyone's and O's night, it's not a big like storylines night, it's just you gotta get through it and and make sure everyone's okay on the other side of it. So we will see Max Domi playing on the second line with John Tavares and William Nealer, it's the same lineup for the Leafs tonight

as it was on Tuesday when they clinched the Atlantic division but there's still some question marks with regards to who will be in the game one lineup on Sunday. Sounds like David Camp will be ready to go per Craig Borubei, Max Patch ready. I think he's ready to go as well. What do you think the Leafs lineup ultimately looks like on Sunday night? It's a good question man because I feel like the Leafs lineup this year and it's it's it's been like this in the past a lot of guys that you could move around the lineup like not definitively saying like this is your position. A lot of guys you can move around, Frank, but you'd like some consistency as well.

Yeah, but we never get that with this team. If things don't go well, you might want to make an adjustment, but man, it would be nice for some consistency. We just never get that with this team though, because even a guy like Scott Lawton, when he came in, we were like, if he's not a third center, then what is he? Like that's exactly what he's supposed to be, and he's rarely played that position in this lineup. So it still has the makings of a

lineup that you're gonna move some things around but I think where you can give maybe a little bit of an advantage to Ottawa over Toronto in this series, I don't think there's many places but like that third line identity line which you know that that plays into into some teams success come playoff time. I think they have that, where it's like, those guys are those guys no matter what. And Toronto, it could be, you know, one of six guys could be there at any given point when their lineup's all said and done. Where are you on patch already?

Like, he hasn't played since February. There's every indication he's been skating a lot. And you get the sense that Greg Mary's got a real soft spot for him because he can bring some skin he can he can get a piece and i never thought i'd say that about him fast where max patch already have watched him play his whole career there's been times were in the playoffs i'm like physicality is kinda

disappearing a little bit but there was times this year where he was absolutely mangling guys on the for check like just and i'd never seen him do that ornery man he was out so if he could be healthy and he can bring that you want to talk about a guy that i want the lineup and i think he will be if he's healthy come sunday night you might be with the bars in the letter to you i don't know where he's going to go but you just get that engine fired up and get in in the four-check and he was destroying guys.

You know what it is with Patch Ready 2? It's like you're trying to milk it for all it's worth right now. There's no like long-term vision in mind. It's like we brought you here for this right here in the here and now. So we're gonna put you back in. We'll see if it works.

That's what all their mentality should be. Yeah, I realize that. Like what the hell's the loose? No, I know, I know, I get that. But like that's... Are you saving it for something? No, no, no. They're all gonna have the same thing. But like you're just, you're trying to milk the last little bit out of that guy's career and see if it can help you in the playoffs. That's why he's here. Yeah, but I mean, I wonder though, like, you know, it's nice to think he can do it, but he is 36 years old. He's coming off, you know, it's nice to think he can do it, but he is 36 years old.

He's coming off, you know, two major Achilles injuries. He hasn't been able to stay in the lineup for the entirety of the season and had some fits and starts. As good as he's been at times, like, is it realistic to think he could just jump on this heightened intensity of a playoff series and just fit right in? I think if you're asking for like fourth line minutes 10 minutes a night I think he could like I think he could and like that's those are the conversations you're gonna have like is Nick Robertson Doing that for you or is patch already doing that for you and in a series against Ottawa that could be physical and chippy And you just want to know that you got like your your big burly guys around with you Maybe you'll see if he can give you the 10

minutes and just go out there and crash and bang and maybe he pots one in, that's a big moment too, you never know. You did a lot of Habs games this year and I want to get your take on one player. I was watching him last night and he scored a goal and I watched him since the Four Nations and I'm like, that guy's not just a good like solid two-way player anymore, guy's a that guy's a stud in a superstar and that's your captain Nick Suzuki like I think he's kind of come into a level where you just can't say enough about his game stays out for the full two minutes on the power play he's a two-way player he comes up big he's got he's just this he's a stud there's no other

way to describe him he is man and you what? So we had Kent Hughes on our last regional game of the year. Muddy and I interviewed him and we asked him about Suzuki and we were totally expecting like, this is just the softball answer. We're just going to talk about how good he is and what a great captain. And he goes, you know, at the start of the season, he goes, that was the most, I'm paraphrasing, right? But like unimpressedressed I've been with him and I had to have a meeting with him and told him basically like, I'm the captain of the Nick Suzuki fan club, but this is nowhere near like the level that you can play at. And you know that as well.

And then what happened? Nick Suzuki like turned it on to a level that like he never has before. But you're right, he's not just a two-way guy he's very skilled he's very poised never too high never too low makes players around him better I mean they swept the season series against Florida this year and like he like him in his line like outplayed the Barkov line like quite significantly

I mean that's that's pretty impressive in itself he's he's real deal man. It's not flashy. It's just very very effective. I've heard people say it maybe the praise is a little too high for me at this point in this kid's career because he hasn't even done it in a class but is he like the Patrice Bergeron in waiting of this team? I would say that's like accurate and and fair like it feels like that's the same kind of mold he can do everything like and and and his coach. Gotta have team success for that. Yes. Right. Yeah. It doesn't feel real yet. Yeah. Yeah. During Bergeron's heyday it was like there was the magical Sydney Crosby and these other flashy skill players that were getting it done

and Bergeron was just quietly going about it as a number one center, but he did it different but Bergeron Suzuki is the same way He's not Connor McDavid, but he does it differently, but he's got to have success doing it Yeah, and and keep in mind like Bergeron always had like Cri-Chi playing below him This Suzuki has had no one play like he's had Kirby Doc who's been injured and you know Even when he's played hasn't been to the level they kind of thought he was supposed to be at so he's never had like the Crosby Malkin or the Bergeron Kraytchi like so if he ever gets that at some point I think the sky's the limit for him and I think he's he really is scratching the surface as far as how good of a player he's going to be and and he's like he's going into a series now against the Capitals where

no doubt Capitals are the favorite, but Montreal's got the best centre-man in that series. So you have a chance when you have the best centre-man and you may have the best goalie and you might even have the best defenceman, you know, given whatever night the game shapes up to be. Frank Carratto in studio here on overdrive. I was looking at the odds on fan duel. Montreal plus 210 to beat Washington Ottawa plus 145 to beat Toronto which of those wagers would you be more inclined to make Frank betting on Washington upset

or to lose to Montreal or Toronto to lose to Ottawa okay I'll tell you why I'm gonna say Montreal. Hmm. I hope so. Because, because... Comedy man. I feel like this Ovi thing, this chase for the the goal record for Ovi, was such a such an emotionally charged thing for the Capitals and they got it. And it was this big jubilant moment and they had the ceremony and everyone took a big breath and they exhaled and now it's like been a little bit deflating for them and I think for them they got to find that like same juice to get up to speed at like playoff intensity again and Montreal's been playing in like desperation mode for two months now.

I gotta give their coach some credit though. Washington Capitals, I love the coach. He's a great coach man. I think that guy, I think the world of that guy and he knows the deal what's going on and he knows he's got a snap these guys out of it obviously a saves gonna help them because they haven't getting it for a month but might not get one talk to a lot of you know i have to do it for the

drop of the park to start that series they're going to be dialed in hopefully they get some health back but i'm pretty sure that coaches gonna turn that around to guys yet the jokes over you guys love hammering beers and that's great and everything, but party's over and it's time to get down to business. You know what else I think Washington's going to do? I think they're going to be so, someone was texting me this today, like, I think they're going to be so greasy.

Like Washington's just going to have like a grease factor in that series that's going to be off the charts that I think Montreal, Montreal doesn't get pushed around. Like they have good pushback in their game, but I think Washington is going to throw that at them. Guys like Tom Wilson is going to lead the way. There's a grease factor there. And there's also a lot of younger players on Montreal that don't necessarily have the playoff experience, and they're more diminutive if you want to call them. I think about Hudson and Cole Caulfield and Demidoff coming over from the KHL, played

ten minutes last night, and I'm very curious to see how he handles this opportunity in the Stanley Cup playoffs against probably his idol in Ovechkin. You know he's got the Con Smythe bonus in his contract. Did you guys hear about that? 500 grand for the Con Smythe. Yeah he's got the Con Smythe bonus. Good luck to him. Love that. Frankie I gotta get your take though. We're talking about the hard trophy and voting is due tomorrow. You know we talking about hella buck goalies don't win it often but this guy's been the most important player on the best team and he's had a hell of a year you know obviously Kutrov, Odoch's pointing out that you know he does it all the time so maybe he gets overlooked but you know another Art Ross and then

Dreisaitl 52 goals in a year where he's the only one to score 50 and he's not exactly playing with a murderer's row yeah of line mates where do you where do you lie on that debate so I vote I voted for dry side I voted I voted for dry settle as my number one I think all the all the things that you just laid out there with dry side and the fact that Connor McDavid has missed significant time this year and dry if a sidle wasn't doing what he was doing that team looks different like there there's a different outcome for the Oilers. Yes, yeah like he masked a lot of stuff that happened there and I think Hellebuck it's an unbelievable year for

him no doubt he's so important so elite like best goalie but Winnipeg had the best power play in the NHL they're a top five scoring team in the NH, they're also like the best defensive team by a lot of different metrics in the NHL. Well he's got something to do with that. No, but like even like the amount of shots they allow, like slot shots, quality chances, like all the MJ expected, you know, stats. I think it's nonsense if people are bringing that into like just, maybe just look at it and say that was the best guy.

All this garbage that's being, it's stupid man. I think, I think that, but where that, where that leads me to is this. If you remove Hellebuck from the situation and you put in like a league average goaling, that team goes from being great to probably very good. Where I think if you remove Dreisaitl from the situation and Edmonton,

it looks a little more stark maybe at times. I don't think you're wrong about that. Edmonton, I know McDavid came out and said, I don't want everyone to look at us like we're this wounded dog. Maybe paraphrasing with McDavid. He said they're ready to roll. He said they're ready to roll. We're going to have to wait to find out.

I'm fired up for that series for Edmonton and LA. The Jets taking on the Blues, Battle of Ontario, Montreal, Washington. It's going to be. Carolina, New Jersey. Yeah, I don't know. Well, how about that, how about that hotly anticipated 11 p.m. Eastern start on Tuesday night between Minnesota and the Golden Knights. Fired up for that game, you gonna stay up for that one, O?

11 p.m. Dude, I won't even sniff the drop of that puck. Not a chance. Like 11 o'clock puck. 11 p.m. puck drop in that game on Tuesday. You want to stagger? Sports Center, they're probably like, are you serious, Betman? We're trying to get out of here.

I saw Lainer just sent out the schedule for SC. I got to see who's working Tuesday night. Yeah, that's a tough one. Frank, thanks for popping by. I think the four of us maybe play around a caring place this summer. Oh, dog, you in? I can't wait. That's a great idea. Alright. Fantastic. Fes dog, you in? I can't wait, that's a great idea. All right. I love it. All right, fantastic.

Best, oh, Hayes Jr. Great seeing you. Hayes Jr., my new nickname. I like it, I'll take it. I'll take it. Mr. Chips is my nickname, Frank. Yeah, you can bring the shirt, maybe wear that on the TSN4 podcast tonight

for the Leafs Wings. You got it, buddy. Thanks for popping by. You're the best. That's Frank Curato, TSN hockey analyst. Leafs, Red Wings tonight on TSN4 for all the marbles. Tune in, it's going to be a hell of a show. O'Neill and Curato and Drager and Duthie on the broadcast. Nealer, great to see you buddy. I haven't called you Nealer today. I know. It's great to hear that nickname as well. It comes back. You do like it. Thanks for being with us and

it's great to see you. All right, pal. All right, we'll see you on the panel. That's Jeff O'Neill, Fast Chuck and I have it covered for the next 90 minutes. Overdrive on TSN 2 and TSN 1050. This is Terry Clark. We are Nickelback. Made in Canada on iHeartRadio. Rock, pop, hip hop, and when it comes to country, it's the true north all the way. Loud and proud. An all new digital radio station from coast to coast. Made in Canada, played in Canada on the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud.