OverDrive - Ferraro on the Battle of Ontario matchup, the aspects for both teams and the Stanley Cup Playoffs series

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

ESPN Hockey Analyst Ray Ferraro joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Battle of Ontario matchup between the Maple Leafs and Senators, the aspects to win for both teams, the Canadian teams with the opportunity, the outlook of the series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Hart Trophy selections and more.

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Join today and be part of something amazing. Here's our main man, Ray Ferraro. Were you leading the charge on a four-check or were you the second man in usually? Lead the charge, come on. Man, that would terrify a defenseman. Oh, here comes a five-eight guy guy chopping it up, coming in there. Reverse puck retrieval.

I'll tell you if one of those guys bobbled it though, I could go get it. But taking it, getting in there first, like those guys, like, you know, you're talking about Roberts, but like those guys that, that do that are like their goal to play with like they oh they don't go very fast they don't have they just like the clear room and you're like oh I got the puck I this is awesome and now I can get the hell out of there it was they were the best you get a guy with a big frame like I played with a guy in Carolina his name is Bates Pataglia if he was on his game that guy could get in on the four check and dig in putt and he had good hands too so he could

make a little chip play it just makes life so easy where they crush the defenseman and dig out pox and everything starts from there pleasure to play with a big body like that noodles and I played with Pat flatly with the Islanders My god, he looked like a broken down truck half the time like, you know, we had these big knee braces and One of the first games I played with him the puck was in the corner and I went to help And we go back to the bench and he's like when I'm in the corner get away from me Just get open like he didn't even want help And he'd be like slashing away and he'd always get the milk not all you'd always get the puck I'm like it was one of the best guys I ever played with for it like it was amazing

Yeah Running comedy show watching those guys like that. Well we were thinking about like what the vibe is going to be like for this Habs game tonight where the Habs are playing for something and the intensity that they should show up with yet Carolina would do anything for a handshake and just let us leave and go home right like this game is completely meaningless for them tonight. And yet if you're Columbus, you're like,

can you guys show up and try? Like can the goalie make sure he's got pads on tonight? Like it's gonna be a kind of an eerie experience like watching this Habs game tonight. It's, yeah, it is. Except like the guys that are in the game, you know, the ones that are beyond the 13th forward, beyond the sixth or seventh defenseman, like they get a chance to play like this game for Carolina,

this game means so much to them. Like sometimes you get a better game than the guys that are just coasting into the playoffs that are like, I don't want to get hurt here. I'm just thinking about Saturday. Like Carolina, whoever's going to be in goal tonight, the team in front of them could be terrible for 40 minutes. That guy stands on his head and you're 1-1 going into the third period. Like they're not taking, this is not a like a beer league team that's going in. Like This is not a beer league team that's going in. Look what happened in Calgary last night. Vegas has got Stone, Patrangelo, Hanifin, Eichel, they're not playing. And Calgary's got to win to have a chance.

It was 3-1 in the first period. And Vegas had their second team in. Now Calgary ended up coming back and winning but there's only one team with pressure tonight and if pressure goes bad it goes really bad and you could you could end up on your back foot in a hurry sorry Noodle, you could end up on your back foot in a hurry. I was just gonna say what do you make of this Montreal team but we know from the start of the season even through the middle of the season and where they are now did you see this coming did you think the progression was there it just a little

bit faster like what do you make of this team I did a game about six weeks ago they wrote West they were in Vancouver and they looked like a carefree team like with not much pressure they were playing with house money, that top line in particular Caulfield and Suzuki but Slipkowski was really good that night too. I was like that's a legit line. And then the rest, they just worked. Like they were workers and they were fast. And I was quite impressed with Lane Hudson.

First time I'd seen him live and I'm like man he doesn't really put himself in position to get hit too often. Like he's little. Like I don't know if you guys have seen him live. Like he's little and I was impressed with them. Like they're fast and they're talented. They're just, there were points in the game where you're like, oh my gosh, they are so young, like so inexperienced. And somewhere that'll bite them this year, but they easily could go play a great game tonight. Like they, I'm surprised. I didn't, of the, you know, that group Ottawa, we keep talking about Ottawa, Detroit, Buffalo, Montreal, who was ready to take the next step. I didn't think Montreal would be one of those teams. I thought they were a little bit

behind. Ray, you just mentioned Ottawa. They're playing the Leafs in the playoffs. It's the Battle of Ontario. Everyone around here, including your guy Hayes, is pretty pumped up about it. No Boston, no Florida's. We get something different. We've been waiting for this. How do you kind of look at that series? I think it's really important for Toronto not to try and prove how tough they are and how physical the series is going to be and say, oh yeah, we can play that series. Just play your game. Just play the game that you know how to play,

that I think at times this year has showed really well, at a lot of times this year has showed really well, more of a playoff style game. They should be a deeper team offensively. We know Travis's teams, they play well defensively, like they play hard. I think they've got the best goalie in the series, and so I don't think it's like an easy walk in the park thing, but if the series is in a lot of scrums and in the mud, in the Battle of Ontario and all that, I think that favours Ottawa. I think if Toronto just plays, they'll be in good shape.

So how do you tackle the experience versus inexperience conversation, yet the least experience is purely games played, but not playoff success? And what I mean by that is Kuchuk's never played in the playoffs, Cousins never played, Stutzla's never played, Batherson's never played, Chabot's never played, Sanderson's never played in the playoffs, where Matthews and Marner and Neal, they played a ton of games but is it worth anything if they haven't won in the past? Like does experience even matter when you're calculating how you think this could play out? I think it matters by this, and I think this is the biggest change from regular season

to playoff. When there's a, this is the example I'll use, when there's a 50-50 puck in the playoff, it means everything. Like that the intensity to each little battle you have to learn and because you get surprised by how hard each square foot of the ice seems to be now. Because in the regular season there's still 43 games left and if you lose this puck that's you don't want to lose too many of them right you're trying hard but the intensity is never the same. Like you think of this, these guys have killed themselves for eight months.

This could be, it's going to be over for eight teams in ten days. So the intensity of this, I think, can be learned. If the Leafs haven't learned it by now, then what are we even talking about? Right. Like, if they haven't learned by now, then, you know, I mean, like, oh my gosh, like, holy pound your head on the wall. I think they have. Like, I think this team just seems a little different. And if you think of last year, did they have to be that much different to beat Boston?

They need one goal. And so if the goaltending holds, like I think it's more than adequate. If the D plays in the style that they've been built, it's above average. You don't have to worry, you know, like the top end guys are going gonna have to score. It's the same as any team Depth is great. It's a nice storyline, but if your big boys don't score you're screwed Yeah, and that's it. I mean There has been turnover on on both sides But with the Leafs now you got Ekman Larsen we presume will be healthy Tanev here and stole ours is red hot like their Goal tending is in a better position this time last year Ilya Samsonov was going to be their game one starter and Timothy Lilligran was playing

and you know there there has been turnover and I think improvements in important areas but you just said it right like the big boys they are the stalwarts they've been here forever and when you just look at it on paper and it doesn't have to mean anything come playoff time on paper the expectation should be that the Leafs superstars are capable of Winning those battles and being the best players in the series Said right at the start like in every series There's something you could say if this goes well that team could win it

You know if this if this goes well, I could see that happening. I think we can go through this series in a hundred different ways and divide it up like you can in almost every series. And at the end of it, the goalie and the best players are probably going to decide most series. And I think Omar is really good. He is man. He changes the entire outlook of Ottawa. He really does. Right from the moment that they traded for him. But they're all their big boy players are all brand new to this. And I and I do believe there is a difference, I really do.

Well there was a Brady Kachuk conversation earlier in the year about his intensity and his approach and Travis Green came out immediately and said I'm never telling this guy to stop playing the way that he's playing. But I'm curious about what you expect to see out of him in the playoffs because of his style, because his intensity we saw it at the Four Nations I mean he's been injured for a while so you hope that he's healthy if you're a Sens fan or if you're the Ottawa Senators for that matter but is it is it possible he's gonna have to reel it in like if you're the Leafs how are you approaching Brady

Kachuk? Every time there's a whistle have somebody get near him and just rub a glove in his face. See if you can piss him off. See if you can get him to take an extra penalty. Like any time you can pull him out of the game, I think if you're Toronto, you've done a good thing. And if you're, you know, I guess the one thing you might say to him is just when that whistle goes, like get your head down and get the hell out of there. We need you on the ice way more than anything else that can be accomplished when the whistle stops. But if I'm Toronto, man, I'm trying to be a rock in his shoe all the time.

See if I can get him aggravated and agitated and see if he'll take another penalty. The two brothers, like they're, they can run hot, but Brady is by far closer to Keith than Matthew is. Like Walt wouldn't lose it and it was impossible to rein him in. and it was impossible to rein him in. And I think Brady's got that, he goes red and he sees that. And if, and I would, if possible, try to get him as close to that as I can, if I'm Toronto. Because maybe you pull him out of being effective for a couple of double minors in the series.

Like that, that can be the difference, right? It doesn't have to be much. Right. No, for sure. With Ray Ferraro. So Ray, if we offered you, you can only watch one of these series, either Florida, Tampa or Colorado, Dallas.

You can only watch one. You can't even check in on the other one. Which one would you choose? Oh, Colorado. Yeah? Yeah, I just, I think there's gonna be points in that series, it's just like a race track. Like, I don't know what I expected from Tampa this year,

but I didn't think that they were gonna score 300 goals. Like, I just, I don't know why, I just didn't see it. And they're gonna score. They're gonna make Florida play a style of game that Florida doesn't really wanna play as much. I don't think Florida's as good as they were last year. Clearly they got health and suspension issues that they've been dealing with,

and maybe they'll be a different team, but I think that series is going to be super interesting but the Dallas one like that's they're just going to be like race cars like I I'm so entertained by the thought of that I am also crazy amazed that Colorado did what they did with their team this year like I can't remember a team being totally stripped down and rebuilt in the midst of a season. Like impressive. Crazy. Both goalies, three of the four centermen, plus the Ranton and trade and fiasco. Like it's a comp- I looked at a game sheet I had

from the beginning of the year. It was almost like I I looked at a game sheet I had from the beginning of the year It was almost like I was looking at a game sheet from two years ago Like it's not even close to the same like the goalies were Giorgi even on and in Like they had four guys from the American League up front and I'm like who Ivan Ivan was playing like I'm like who are these guys? who? Ivan Ivan was playing. I'm like, who are these guys? Ivan Ivan. Cras. His parents really went to work on that one, didn't they? Let's just call him Ivan Ivan. All right, done. Moving on.

We're done. Ray, if you had to choose today, I mean, we're going to talk about it here soon, either today or the next couple days. Who's your heart trophy winner? The heart? Yeah. You say sorry, yeah, I think I would vote for Dry Cytl. The only 50 goal guy in the league. Still the hardest thing in sport or in the sport to do that a skater has. Yeah, I think I would I think I would vote for him. I think I would have Hellebuck second. I know they got their own trophy, but that's not their fault that they do. And then I would have Kucherov and McKinnon and Jack Eichel, I think would be my five. Eichel's had an amazing

year. So good. So good. Now he's been, I guess, bit banged up and, you know, didn't play much, I guess, down the stretch, but he's been so good. And Vegas is a team, like, it's kind of strange, like, they're quietly just plodding along. They won the division. They've got, we know they're going to play Minnesota in the first round. They'll be a huge favorite in that series. And, you know, they weren't as active at the trade deadline. Like, it's kind of been an uncharacteristic year for Vegas. Yet there's no reason to believe they can't as active at the trade deadline. Like it's kind of been an uncharacteristic year for Vegas, yet there's no reason to believe they can't or won't compete for another Stanley Cup.

Uh I I think I'm gonna pick them to come out of the West. Really? Um and one of the reasons is like they're deep right like they they get scoring from a lot of people. When Marchisot left that opened up room for Dorofiev and if you haven't seen that kid shoot like this is a big league shot he's got over 30 goals right Stone has been healthy you know I say I mentioned Eichel, Aidenhills his first 30 win season they're enormous they're honestly there I've done a few other games. They're like a football team when they come on the ice

there were no small players and That I think if you're trying to win 16 games in two months, which they are Somewhere along the way you got to take the punishment. You got to be able to handle it and physically they just They're bigger than everybody else. I just I think they're really really good. Do you have a Canadian team at the top of your list like best chance to win a Stanley Cup and one of the Canadian teams that are going to the playoffs? You know I'm not a panderer to the market but I think this is Toronto's best chance. Yeah I really do. I there just seems like there's something different about so much of them, you know, from the way Borubi coaches the team, like his style and his message, all this scar tissue that

they should have built up. They had, you know, they had a more than adequate year for, you for for the slog through something that really doesn't matter particularly for them because if they had 120 points or a hundred points did anybody care it's like what are they going to do now like Matthew's had by his standard a subpar year and I look at them and I'm like they're they're not going to be in that first round slugfest, right? The Florida series.

If they get by Ottawa, they're going to play some, which I think they will, they're going to play somebody that's already had to, you know, box 15 rounds. And that's a good place to be. And the East isn't as strong I don't think. I would pick, Toronto would be my Canadian pick for sure and I can't say that I've said that very much over the last decade. No and listen they're 12-2-1 coming in, Stollers is red hot, they're relatively healthy, we believe McCabe and Ekman-Larson will be prepared to play in

game one and they got home ice. I mean everything this is it for them right like I feel like there's deja vu we said this 15 times in the last 10 years but this is the one like if you can't show up and win this series outside of all mark standing on his head four times which can happen but if it's not just all mark making 50 saves every night if you can't win in the situation you're in now I just I don't know how anyone could ever get you know two weeks from now and say next year is the year they'll do it like this is it yeah like this has got to be it you have

to win this series and then take advantage of yeah the road that's ahead of you. You can keep moving forward next year with a team that looks a lot different, but as far as it looking like it is right now, this is it. This is it. Yes. Hey, how about this though? So like you mentioned about the goalie. So if Montreal gets a point, it's Montreal and Vancouver, or Montreal and Washington,

right? The last time they played, I went back and looked because I remember I thought like I think that was the Halak game seven so they get the Marcher they get the Washington for game seven Washington out shoot some 41 to 22 and loses and that's playoff scariness yes it is like you you get if you've got Ottawa scrambling around early because they're young put your foot on there like squish them don't let them get into the series because then you get into the point that Jarrow Hallak has the game of his life. Ovi was you know a young man then 15

years ago he had five goals in seven games and they're out. That's it and that's what like if Washington plays Montreal this time it'll be a similar situation. Don't let Montembeau get to a game seven where maybe he stands on his head and burns you. You know? Montreal or Washington came so far this year. They look like so different than they have last year. They squeaked in with like a minus 40 goals or whatever. And now they've kind of stumbled and kind of threw up on their own shoes here coming down, down the stretch. And they're, you know, they've got some uncertainty

health-wise with Thompson and Protus. First time, expectations are different. Last year was just a nice story, now they're supposed to win. That'll be an interesting series too. Yeah, it sure will be. Well, we've got to get through two more nights of regular season hockey and then it's go time on the weekends. So, it's going to be fun and I'm sure you'll be traveling a lot and calling a bunch of games so good luck with it and we'll do

it again real soon thank you for this as always yeah we'll check in and by the way were you ever have you ever been more exhausted watching a sporting event than you were Sunday afternoon mentally draining from the first hole on usually I'm like okay I'll go hit some balls I'll do something I'll catch these guys in the back nine as soon as that guy doubled the first hole i said i gotta watch every shot it sucked me in and yeah it did there was uh... at an amazing quote patrick herrington said rory won that tournament three times he was of course he lost it twice yes and that's that's exactly what i would like cast when that last part went in a bucket

felt like i actually did something i just sat down on the couch for five hours i know it's in the most incredible and you're right all about like the marketing element macarons a genius because you look at the ratings they were consistent all day because of what he did on the first like i'm not leaving and i don't want to watch something else i got a lot of the first year like man if this guy doubles the second this is a smoke show and everyone's back into it yeah i know but he it was it was crazy was awesome

stuff even little jimmy lost his composure ray any cashed his media card, he yelled out, Rory, way to go, that was awesome! With his media badge down there. Oh, that's awesome. Cheerin' on McElroy. All right, guys. All right, you boys, have a good one. We'll talk in the next little bit, and have a great playoff run.

Yep, you too, pal. We'll see you down the road. There he is, Ray Ferraro of ESPN, of course, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Drive the built-in Canada fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive Toyota RAV4, gas or hybrid models available. Visit mapletoyota.com. That just happened with me, Vashi Kapelos, Canada Decides 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast, available Friday afternoon straight

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