OverDrive - Ferraro on Woll's elevated role, the Maple Leafs' winning outlook and the goaltending impressions

Episode Date: May 7, 2025

ESPN Hockey Analyst Ray Ferraro joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs' series approach against the Panthers, Sam Bennett's hit on Anthony Stolarz and how the team can perform, Joseph Woll's larger role in the crease, the impressions on goaltenders in the playoffs and more.

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BC. Thoughts are limited, so register now at careerfoundation.com. That's careerfoundation.com. Join today and be part of something amazing. Here's Ray Ferraro, our good friend from ESPN. Ray, what's happening? Yeah, well, Dale didn't notice the 17,000 people cheering and the horns going off. But you know, it was just a, you know what I remember about that noodles?

And every time I look at that clip is Richie Pilon coming in from the blue line. He flew over the top of the pack, like he was coming off the top rope at WWE. It was mayhem. And we're like, what is he doing? It was, yeah, that was one of the- Oh, that's a crazy one, man. And it was Terjean.

It's your best player, it's your leader, it's a guy. That's crazy he's just he's a guy uh... man it's like it we're just talking about perspective go ahead rey well i think he got twenty games for that right and everyone said at the time that for the next year they're like oh my god the nl is going to be tough on

discipline now and then that that kind of went away and pretty soon there was there's a couple plays you know I don't can't think of them offhand but if you look at them now like in today's world like that guy would have got two years oh man just crazy a hooking penalty or whatever ridiculous we're watching the hit ray it has to be five seconds after the goal, too. Dude, it's post-celebration. Thurgeon fist pumps and then gets buried. Yeah, that's true.

Oh, he's just about to lift his right arm up in the air and absolutely got blindsided. Did you guys, I heard you say Michael Peck, I don't know what play you were talking about. He hit Timo Solani one time in Winnipeg. Oh man. Yes. It was, I'm going to say in real time, it was three seconds late. And he hit, and of course everyone's saying, well you can't watch your pass. You can't watch your pass, the play was gone.

Like, I don't even think he got a penalty for it. Yeah. That one's on, there's YouTube with that, like the whole game in the aftermath, and then he fought, did he fight Domi the next game? He might've, he fought somebody, because Domi, I believe, was on Winnipeg. And I remember the buildup to the next game, it was like, you gotta watch yourself here, because Timo Solani is not a guy you hit. I had Michael Peck lined up in Carolina one night and I've known him for a long time and as soon as he turned the corner I could have absolutely destroyed him and he was not a guy you

could catch like that in a vulnerable position and at the very last second I just yelled Peck's and I grabbed him and kind of went into the boards of them and everyday after that i thought to myself if the roles were reversed and i am probably your and yeah he will you would have been structured out of that because he was a little bit like a diamond sword guy he was like so thin and wiry strong but that i could crush you with him yeah at that to you know that he might I don't think he would have yelled, hey-oh.

Yeah, I know, I know. I thought about that a lot. Well, it's like, because he was one of those guys, and I think he spoke on it, you know, we were talking about the Tucker hit that took him out in 0-2, and you know, the live by the sword, die by the sword kind of guy. Like last year, it was Marchand that was on the wrong side of Sam Bennett. Yeah. And Marchand said it after. He's like after is like it's playoff hockey guys are you trying to hurt people

yeah like that's actually what happened i love when he said that because it's true and honest like they're not deliberately trying to do it but if they do do it at some kind of bonus where you talk yourself into saying that's what we're trying to do here yeah people out of serious well ray what do you uh... what do you expect and how does the Sam Bennett storyline play into game two for you tonight well I assume walls playing right yes yeah yeah that's that's how it plays into game two like they're the

the play itself like I was doing the game I saw I'm a hundred feet away. Exactly. And I didn't think anything really of it at all at the time other than, man, he probably could have had a penalty there. I mean, like he hit him in the crease. Like that's what I thought. And then even when he went to the bench and wall came in, I'm like, what happened? Like, was like in real time, I'm like, was he sick? Like, I didn't even, it didn't strike me at all that it possibly could be even thought of as more than a penalty.

So I don't think there's any, I mean, what's the carryover? Like the carryover is you need to win three more games. Yeah. Right. Like you can't, you can't worry about any of this. Um, I mean you can worry about it or whatever, but it can't, it can't take your only focus away, which is to win tonight. I thought Toronto started awesome, like, like couldn't

have been better, and I thought Florida played a dozy, sleepy, uncharacteristic first half of the game. Like I was like, man they never make mistakes like this. They really don't. And then you know they get back in the game and then they got four guys on the ice. You know, for the Nice goal, it was a weird game that kind of all got forgotten around the Bennett play. Right. Ray, what would you be expecting as far as adjustments? Like Florida is obviously going to be saying, okay, the party's over. We have to get back to our stingy defense where we force dump-ins, we're physical. And what's Toronto's counter to that as opposed to just saying, you know what, we're cooking

right now, we're just going to keep doing it? So of course, Ech Blad will be back in tonight. That certainly helps Florida. I think Florida would look at that game and think the third period was how they play. And it's a lot of what you said, like chip and make those D turn, you finish a check, you get in on the four check, the Ds come pinching down the wall and you just, you know, you try to smother them like that. For Toronto, to me it's all about their, the way they get back on the puck and the way they exit.

If they don't exit with the puck, Florida just becomes like one of those, like a slow steamroller that you, or a roller that you see on the highway. It's like they just, they dump it in, they forecheck, they bang around for a bit. You don't exit, you just kick it out to center ice and then they come right back at you and slowly they just grind you down So to me it's about defense back forwards in Position so you can either exit clean or chip it and get pressure on them. So Florida can't renew

Eventually you can break through like that, but if you just get it and shoot it out of the zone, that's a bad recipe too. Is there somebody on Toronto that you would circle tonight and go, doesn't matter what Florida does, they can take over the game? Oh, I think Marner has, Marner had in my mind a pretty quiet game one, and I can,

I mean, it's pretty easy to see why. I thought he was fine, he's good, but I think he's got another gear to him. We've talked about Nylander a lot over the years. I think if Toronto can go deep, he has the potential to be known around the league as a big game guy. Like I just don't think this stuff phases him any of it. And so when I look at Toronto, no matter what else or who else plays, it's the top end. It has to be.

If the top end outplays Florida's top end, like they did the other night, like I think that's a necessity because depth wise, I don't think, I don't think they can hang with Florida if I look at the depth of the lineups. Where do you stand on the status of Matthew Kachuk and how close to 100% healthy he is? So I did his first game back, he got two goals and you're like, oh my God, he's back. And then you look at the end of the series and you're like, he played 14 minutes. He's an interesting guy, right? Because he's not a fast skater.

He's not the biggest guy. He doesn't have like these incredible dangly hands, but he does everything well enough with a really great hockey brain. And I didn't think they spent any time in the zone where he does his best stuff like he's hash marks down. Right. That's where he's going to. That's where he's going to make his biggest impact. So if I look at their line, the or their top six, the only one of the top six I thought was any good the

other night was Verhage. I thought he was really good. But Barkov, Kachuk, Rodriguez, Bennett scored the late goal. They just, Reinhardt, they just, they got outplayed. And so I don't think Matthew is 100%. I don't see how he could be. And if he's not, I mean, that's... They got to somehow play around it. And you play around it by having really good depth. And they... I thought the other night they were just...

They were so dozy by the time they got into the game, it was a big mountain to climb, right? And they were so dozy by the time they got into the game it was it was a big mountain to climb right and they were toronto had started too well and you hell they almost got all the way back but it's it's too much of a head start to give to give the leaf well and on a on a big picture level ray like what is what is it two nothing leading the series worth let's let's fast forward tonight let's say the Leafs win uh I don't know where you stood on your prediction before the series started but you know the Leafs were underdogs in Vegas on Fandel everywhere and obviously you know the Cup champs are the Cup champs and and I think they deserve that level of respect especially when you

consider how they dismantled Tampa in the previous series I would say almost mandatory well they do it yeah yeah and you. Mandatory when you mean? Tonight? To go up to Cobb. You got, so this is the head start you need to either even it out or to spin it where you say okay the Leafs now they are expected, fully expected to win the series. Yeah I um, I don't know what the stats tell you but you know, obviously you win the first two, like then Florida's got to win four out of five. They are capable Florida of winning on the road. They're like, they're not like Carolina Carolina one, I think 48 games this year and they won 16 on the road.

Like they're not a great road team for whatever reason, yet they win game one. Florida can win and they do win on the road. So I wouldn't say, I wouldn't go quite as far old as you did, but I think it's, man, it's really critical not to give Florida a lifeline. Like I worry about from the least perspective, if you split, it's pretty easy to go down there and the Florida is all ramped up. They win game three. Now you're almost in a must win in game four.

Like it, as long as these series take the guts of the series happen really fast. And in like four days, what was a good position is a, you know, now you're, you got a, you know, an anvil over your head. It's like it, it happened so fast. Yeah, big time, big time, and I guess, you know, that's obviously the messaging for for Perupi. I mean, clearly you want to win every single game, but I think it's more of an objective view when you look at what Florida's capable of doing, and like you said, their ability to really be unfazed by any

Scenario including being on the road But you know the Leafs are in a scenario here where they've been playing pretty well yet They got Joseph Wallenette tonight, right? And everyone's got a different viewpoint on what he's capable of doing or how this could change the complexion of the series Where do you stand on wall going in? could change the complexion of the series where do you stand on wall going in well i guess i would you know noodles would know this best but

he's sitting over there in in game one he's got his ball hat on and he's having a great time well not a great time but he's enjoying the game the team's well the team's doing well and you know the only i'm sure the goalie the backup starts thinking at some point i might have to go in here because we're losing five one or whatever and they start to prepare. Wolves over there watching the game,

looking at the jumbotron and then Solars is puking in a bucket. And you're like, whoa, I gotta go in. And I thought he looked fine, he made a couple of good saves in that second period. I thought he looked shell shocked in the third. And I'm no goalie expert but man he was deep a couple of times and you think shell-shocked right you

should have seen when they panned a Hildeby he was even the an out like Semmer was like hey it looks a little terrified like it was like it was the the fear like that was here in a headlights like that was it. Hilderby could not believe he had a spear on. He would have needed your tailor. He needed the triple stack. Yeah. So I don't know like it's a he has to be able to be okay with the traffic that's going to be around him and okay knowing he's the guy tonight. Obviously, he's going to be excited to play, but it's one thing to be excited, it's another to get in.

Ray, I think you always use the term, there's certain times in your career, this guy's still a relatively young guy, but it is really time to just put everything aside and put your big boy pants on and you've got to go out there and do the job. He's so young that it might not be career defining, but it could be a massive moment for the kid. Sink or swim. So just put your big boy pants on and get your ass out there and do the job. End of story.

Yeah, because the other night, whatever was going to happen was going to be be there would be a story to it. Hey he had to come in. Yeah. Rusty, whatever. Yeah and now it's like I'll say this in general nobody cares. You're in there, you're the starting goalie. Play like a starting goalie. Last year Anthony Stolarz came into one game in the playoffs. It was that game in Edmonton they lost 8-1. And it looked like he hadn't played in forever. The team was terrible that night. And he looked like he'd never played in an NHL game before.

Like, you know, like you're just, and nobody expected him to. They were just like, let's get out of here. And you know, and wool goes in and there's no expectation in game one, there's expectation and need in game two, because who knows? Stolarz is doing better. Great, awesome, and good.

I'm really happy for him. But what if he's not better for game three? This might become your series. Do you think Calvin Pickard think he thought he was going to be the starting goalie for the Oilers? No. No. Six years he was in the minors and and eventually it's like here's your chance the other guy can't stop the puck right now and now he's

won five straight games. Like this is your chance like the door swung open jump through it. Yeah it's a great opportunity. It is. It really is and like Pickard you're right man like ever since he's been in there they haven't lost a game. Now there's been some shootouts in there. It's not like he's been perfect No, but they I feel I don't know how you feel to rate like for some reason they play for him like they trust him Like I think they trust him more than the other guy. That's really what it is. You know now I I'm I Mean it's one thing the guys that get characterized as battlers I think that's a code for, well, they don't have much style

and somehow they just stop the puck. And that's when I think of Pickard, I'm like, he just goes in there and fights his ass off. And he never looks like, you know, like he's not gonna give you everything that he's got. Like, but last night, for example, you know, you mentioned there was a couple of shootouts

in there against LA. Last night I could have played in the second period, it would have still been one nothing. He had one shot. I probably could have stopped that one too. Well, maybe not, I don't know, but he has one shot. Yep.

Yeah. And so he goes in, he got his chance and why would you ever think that you want to give the net back? Like it's my chance, man. Like I want to play. And so if they go back to Skinner at some point, well, that's the way it goes, but he's in there now.

He'll never, he's not going to give it up. Joe wall goes in. He has to look at this. This is my chance. And whether stole ours is ready to play game three or game four. It doesn't matter. What if the wall goes in and throws a shadow on the board? Yeah.

Well, now you're like, see, I'm here. I'm a viable option for the team. Agreed. Do you think Eric Comrie was thinking that way in the last round when he was playing three times for the Winnipeg Jets? He must have been going, what is, everybody in wennapay what's happening why do they keep calling me to go in it's what your percentage we did a many jerry's percentage on seeing him at all skated into the net and play hockey this series

uh... new six percent 6 percent. Ooh, that's lower than any of us. More faith in Hellebuck than... He's at 80 percent. You are! He's at 100. He hates it.

I'm so high. Hellebuck has really damaged my trust, man. I can't lie. Right, this is a guy, he was at the game Ottawa, game two. First shot on net, he sent me a noodles of text and said all marks rattled one shot on any goes this guy's mental games off and I we couldn't even respond I was seeing things I was seeing things in the building and he said he texts us and he goes all marks in his head or something like that and I two shots on I got flushed on I

know I was gonna write back and for some reason I got distracted and I didn't write back I was picking up on things and then we brought it up five days later and all mark I think he didn't play well that game he wasn't bad yeah he wasn't bad in that game yeah yeah what had happened did he stand there in the anthem wrong? Well, yeah, there was some water there were breathing habits shots on that Tex comes in this guy's office game He's in his head. There's a couple things one. He was complaining. He was yapping with the rest It doesn't matter now But remember when he went to the bench and had a long break took a seven minute break because yeah Something was wrong with his helmet. No, I think he was trying to settle his team down himself down

That's what I think he was doing. That was my analysis. That's just so ridiculous. I knew exactly what was going on, man. I saw the same thing as at least him just trying to buy his team. Because I think the Leafs had started pretty quick and he was just trying to slow things down. Alright, it doesn't matter. That series is over. But it was so funny.

No, no. Thank you for bringing that up, guys. That's enjoyable. I'll send everything I see tonight, I'm going to send you guys all the text. Please do. I do have a question though for Noodle. So about Hellevuck. So I had this thought. So you know, when, what's his name, Faxa scored to make it 3-1. I mean, Hellevuck couldn't have, his head was almost in the net well any fax a hit the middle of the net like he was off like he could i'm like what is he doing he's so bad and then in overtime he made like three c

and he was like two feet in front of the crease and i thought like there's a goalie ever go screw it yeah i was playing before does not work i'm gonna go out here could be did it the whole overtime. Well, and in the third period, he made a left shoulder save. He didn't have a lot, but he made a left shoulder save. That could have been the difference.

But somewhere along the line, now I heard this, again, I'd have to be corrected, but I thought I read through the Winnipeg notes where it said, he told the guys in the third period after the second or something like,'m done giving up goals you guys go get Us back into the game something like that. I think he called his shot, but you're right Ray like he looked more comfortable We were texting that's when you know Hayes put out here. I wasn't text. He's put out a tweet I don't know if you saw that Connor Hellebuck owes his team that Connor Hellebuck owes his team perfection in the third and overtime in overtime in particular and I stand by that this guy went on a goalie tirade in

the first round getting started and I got my eyes on Hellebuck and Ottinger tonight I can't wait well goalie Bob needs a response he was no he wasn't that good the other night like the tanv shot bounced twice in front of him to the point where I don't think it made it to the back of the net. That was one of the weirder goals ever. And Tanev afterwards was like, yeah, I was just trying to get it to nine to six. They got to try to plant a seed, whether it's Bob, the whole team, that to keep this thing going it's tough.

They've been to two finals in a row and you just got to plant the seed and that might be some kind of blowout win again or Bob's not good again. Just plant the seed where it's like maybe the party's over. I played a lot of hockey and the party's got to stop sooner or later. You just got to just a little seed, plant it. Well when Tanoff did an interview between periods and they asked him about it on our game and he said something like, I think it bounced like six or seven times. Like he was even laughing at himself. He's like, I just kind of flung it in there. I mean what are the chances that thing goes in? But that gives you more stuff,

more ammunition. I hope I see another one like that tonight, man. I have full breakdown, full breakdown of what I'm witnessing and what I think is going on between the ears of all these guys. Post to post with Brian Chase. I might do a post to post after this. Are you at the game doing it tonight again, too? I don't know. I'm working that out.

Oh, me? No, I got a day off, so I'm happy. I'm in Washington, and so I got Washington and Carolina tomorrow and man Fred was standing down there like a tourist last night. Yeah, yeah. He had nothing to do, nothing. I didn't like that goal. It was a great goal, a great shot by Proudish but that, I don't know, that's a stoppable

puck. That shouldn't go in, should it? It shouldn't, no. I didn't didn't you know you got your golf clubs Ray I can I can give you guys number you can go play congressional if you want I always have my shoes and three balls and a glove just in case Okay, we're back here. I don't know that's gonna fly a congressional, but I can put in a good word for ya He's dropped off in an uber with a sleeve of balls I can't bring my clubs, man. If I check a bag, it's going to be the first time this

playoffs. No chance. No. If you saw my jacket last night, I hope you like it because you'll see it again tomorrow. It's your lucky jacket. It's standing in the corner right now by itself. I don't hang anything up, don't have to anymore. Okay, well enjoy yourself down there. We'll catch you tomorrow night and thanks for doing this. We appreciate it. Awesome. I'll check in for the whatever you're calling it, post to crossbar to post or whatever they have. No, noodles does post to pull.

That's the noodles one. I'll come up with something else. Something with pulled in it. Something with goalies pulled. Something... Pulled your groin, check your shorts. There it is with Brian Hayes on SportsCenter postgame tonight. Look forward to it. Thanks, Ray. Awesome guys, great to chat. See ya. Here's Ray Ferraro joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Drive the built-in Canada fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive Toyota RAV4.

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