OverDrive - Johnson on Bennett's hit on Stolarz, if it was suspendible and Woll becoming the focal point

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around. the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Sam Bennett's hit on Anthony Stolarz and if he should have been suspended, Joseph Woll's role in the crease in the series, the solid performance of the Maple Leafs, the Oilers' series against the Golden Knights, Connor Hellebuyck searching to improve and mpre

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Thoughts are limited, so register now at careerfoundation.com. That's careerfoundation.com. Join today and be part of something amazing. Here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Johnny, everyone else has given their opinion on the Sam Bennett Anthony Stolar's play. Where do you stand on it? I think O and I sort of fleshed it out last night and I think O made the point that carried the day.

And my first thought was I wasn't going to say he's going to get suspended because I wasn't sure about that but I wasn't gonna say he's not going to get suspended either because you need to sort of like to piece together you know in the crease on purpose injury it really comes down to was it hard enough and can you prove that that blow was the one that caused him to get ill and leave the game and I think the uncertainty about you know maybe the earlier shot in the head and more likely what Oh was talking about it just wasn't hard enough. And it's kind of a tough way

to say it when he when he left and he obviously was feeling very unwell. It just wasn't hard enough to warrant it. So I'm not surprised. I think Sam Bennett is a master of knowing how to do dirty things and not get caught or not cross the line or not be suspendable. He's done it half dozen times in his career different instances sort of like this and he's he's very good at it part of what makes him so good as a player. Is he a tough guy to play against? Not surprised. Was it on purpose? Yes. Did he mean to bump his head? Yes. Was he trying to rattle him? Yes. Do I think he was trying to injure him?

Probably not. He was probably just trying to get in his kitchen, you know, bug him a little bit, bump him, whatever. And it obviously did more than that, but I'm not stunned that that was not a suspension. I don't, it probably wouldn't be. I think O made the good point. It just wasn't hard enough. You know, Johnny, in watching that, I don't know how you guys were in studio. Hayes had a different view because he's in the building.

So we're all experiencing it differently. For me, you know, how everything went down was the most perplexing part of it for me, how everything went down was the most perplexing part of it for me because we can look at the actual forearm, elbow, whatever contacted his head and we can make a decision on that, but he gets up in place and then he goes through a TV timeout and then he goes to the second one and then there's vomiting and then you're hearing, I don't know who's tweeting it out, I think it's Chris Johnston, your hearing is leaving on a stretcher. Everything's delayed.

If all that happened all at once, then I think we're sitting here with a different thought process on Sam Bennett, on maybe a potential outcome, but because it was so spaced out, I'm still perplexed about it. How did you guys react to hearing that he was stretchered out and then, you know, them picking up the viz of him puking on the bench two tv timeouts later type of thing. What was your reaction to all that? Well we were stunned because the conversation we were having was will the concussion... we just assumed he got pulled, which can take three or four minutes, right? It might take a couple whistles, message gets down there there's a stop in the play, he gets pulled.

And you're wondering, will the protocol take him to the end of the second period, or will he come back with two minutes left or something? That was sort of the conversation, and then we were talking about, well maybe if he gets to the end of the second, and the score is still four-one1 you just let Joseph Wall finish it up and let Solaris Rastadon worry about it and so we didn't think you know

anything other than that like when will he return he's obviously going to be okay because it just wasn't that much that why would you think he wouldn't be okay and then we saw the images of the vomiting and everything else, like, okay, I think we've all experienced or been around people who've had concussions or different injuries that have forced them to be sick. And we sort of were always warned growing up about how dangerous it was if anyone ever was sick after being hit in the head. It's a scary situation. You got to be really careful. So you hear that, you're like, okay, that's not out of the question, but the stretcher thing and the hospital thing, again, we've all been around players that have had their head bell rung badly and not had to go to the hospital.

So it was obviously pretty serious, Nudel. I think that was sort of the, man, that didn't happen in real time, but it obviously ended up being quite a serious ailment for Stolar to work through. Hayes, I don't know what you thought, seeing it originally going down, but my first initial thought was,

just can't have nice things, can't have it. Like they look good and it looks like they're gonna make a difference and they've got it and then that happened and I'm like, can't have nice things. Yeah, I see it the same way and that's what leads to the anxiety about Joseph Wall going in. It's more layered with the fact that it's out of necessity

because of injury as opposed to performance. Where like you look at in Edmonton everyone was like just get I can't look at Skinner anymore I love Pickard he's Grant Fewer to me now like this guy's one of the all-time greats because he's not Skinner that's not what's happening here Stoller's played so well down the stretch he played so well all year he played really well against Ottawa he wasn't tested a ton last night, but for the most part he looked locked in and dialed in So that that is you're right a leafy type of thing Finally, you're up one nothing the series everything's all good and now wall comes in but at the same time another thought I had last night

is this is an example of how warped this sport is how This is an example of how warped this sport is, how crazy it is, and if you're not a fan of it, and you look at this and say, that's such an insane statement, what I'm about to say. But Bennett doing what he did last night makes you want him even more on July 1st. Like the Leafs would have walked away hating him and thinking, I gotta sign that guy. And every other team in the league would be thinking the same thing drag said it on the panel last night goes trees can be calling for a

suspension today for him he's going to be calling a mantra life record i need you on my team i don't think that it's a we and we fancy want to hear it yet it's it's true johnny like that that's what makes them sam b Sam Bennett is he knows exactly what he's doing. He straddles the line. Oh, and also he's good enough to be on Team Canada at the Four Nations. Yeah, the reason he's going to make nine plus million dollars is not because he lights up the score sheet, right? I don't think he's ever had 60 points. I don't think he's ever had 30 goals. He's going to get paid nine million dollars this summer because he's

good in the playoffs for production and he's good in the playoffs in physicality. However you want to describe the way he plays. You know that element of making it hard, making it unpleasant, occasionally making it so that players don't finish the series that they start against Sam Bennett's teams. And yeah, we said it last night on TV it's a compliment when you say this guy is you know he knows how to be sort of greasy dirty chippy in the playoffs this is this is kind of what you do it is a battle of attrition and you do try to hurt guys and you don't want guys to get injured for their life

but if I can hit Oh cleanly or quasi cleanly and separate his shoulders so he misses two more weeks and doesn't can't play in the series that's what I'm trying to do even me like if you know not a uber physical player not a super dirty player that is your mentality and he takes that and executes it really well hundred percent I mean every team will watch this like man that, that's greasy. But we love it. We love him on our team. We hate him when he's not. And that is, you know, in many ways the ultimate compliment to an NHL player.

Johnny, I know you're not going to be on the panel tomorrow night, but if you were and you were asked the question by Duthie, what do you foresee happening in game two tonight, obviously being tomorrow? What would your thoughts be on? How do you play it out? What do you see going down in game two tonight, obviously being tomorrow, what would your thoughts be on? How do you play it out? What do you see going down in game two? Well I think related to Bennett, zero. Like I just don't, like you know, is Max Bomey gonna go whisper in his ear, like oh do you wanna fight?

Perhaps, but I don't think the Leafs go out of their way to engage him physically. I don't think the Leafs go out of their way to run Bobrowski. I don't think the Leafs come out swinging trying to protect Wohl, taking cross-checking penalties if people get around him. I just don't think, oh, that goes down that road. Not because they're soft, not because they won't, not because they can't. It's because they're coached with 5,000 penalty minutes. They're like, no, that's not how we're going to win. You take this series into the gutter, Florida is way more comfortable down there than you are Toronto's got to try to play exactly how they played in the first and for most

of the second where they were quick out of their own end in on the forecheck finding rush plays being creative their best player especially Willie was just ridiculously good last night and and try and go at it that way hurt him on the scoreboard and also trust and this is one other part I would watch for tomorrow night's game. Trust in the scrutiny of the officiating tomorrow night because anything borderline will get called tomorrow. So don't be the team pushing the borders because I think tomorrow night it'll be a tight standard and any sort of extra punch any elbows elbows up, any cross-checks in the back that might have been let go in game one or had this not happen will not be let go. So that's

sort of what I'll be looking for in game two. Well with that in mind though I was concerned where it was going when they called Domi on that cross-check in the first period. That was ridiculous. That that was so red a pathetic pathetic call where easy call yeah crazy I have what you see a game that wouldn't be a call haze and literally a ten-year-old game no it was an awful call man and furthermore watching it March and had

already cross checked the leaf and then Domi runs into him and then afterwards March and goes back and cross-checks another leaf. Like afterwards. And yet Domi's the one that goes to the box. And I was, I mean, in the end, it didn't matter because the Leafs, they killed it, and they found a way to win the game.

But I was impressed by Brad Marchand last night. I thought he played really well, man. And in the third period, he was dancing and skating. And he looked like himself. Like we saw that in game five in the Tampa series and everyone's focused on Bennett and everyone's wondering what's gonna happen with Kachuk and Barkov and Marchand further down the lineup you know up against a third or fourth line or a third pairing man that yeah that's that has the potential to be scary tomorrow night

yeah i mean he had to second-to-fifth right yes he did not second one he he drove the play but i don't know why i'm going to get out and keep your global ag and because the top and it's long over the lens gets but yeah i'd yeah for sure he dot line is good that medlund elis to rein in and marsh and line i think it and and i think when i talked about That Lundell, Lusterainen and Marchand line, that line is good.

I think when I talked about who the Leafs would match up against them, I said I would probably put Lawton against them or Tavars because I don't think you want Max Dolmy against them because they're too good offensively. Lawton's line didn't have a great line in their own end last night. They were kind of running around a little bit. They were victimized. They're going to have to be out there and be a little bit more trusted. But listen, that's why they got them. Like you're taking a guy who was, what do you have, 60 something points this year in 75 games

or 70 games. So you know, not quite a pointy game. You're taking a guy who's basically a pointy game player in the playoffs and you're dumping it on your third line. Like it's those kind of matchups. Luxury man. That is a deep, deep luxury to have and it should be good. It should be a difference for them. Yeah. Johnny, what do you need to see from Joseph Wall? Like as far as to make you feel comfortable? Like just a couple saves early, like dialed in, like, you know, that's a tough predicament

to get put in. I, you know, I've been thrown in for some mop up. But like when he, like he did well in the second. You tell me, how hard is it to get dumped in with 10 minutes left on the second and the guy's puking in front of you? That's weird. Especially when you just had a conversation with him three minutes prior, high fiving, winking and smiling, you think he's okay. So any thought that you might be going in will have left your body. You're going back to spectator mode. But he was good in the second. Yeah, I thought so too. He had the full intermission, fully engaged and warmed up.

And the third was where he maybe wasn't quite as sharp as he wanted to be. So I don't know if I can put it on the tough situation to get into the net because he handled that part of it pretty well. I guess to me, Nudel is confidence, whatever, making saves. Two things stand out to me where he's not quite as strong as Stolar's or hasn't been this year. One is that he's a bit smaller than Stolar's and I don't know what he's supposed to do but when there's a lot of traffic in front of him sometimes it looks like he either lets himself or is unable to see pucks. He doesn't work to find it quick.

He goes down and he's relatively tall, but not quite tall enough and they go over his shoulders or his elbows or whatever. I'll be watching that. Like, can he fight to find pucks because you know there's gonna be a lot of traffic around him and in front of him. Stolars can just kind of go down there

and he's a bit tall, he's like two inches taller, that it works out. And the other thing, you guys just touched on it, he doesn't play the puck anywhere near as well as Stolars and does that hurt Toronto trying to get out of their own end? Yeah and that's a big part of what Florida does right dump and chase and make it difficult and get in on the four-check. All right game two tomorrow night we got game one Oilers in Vegas tonight let me throw these duos at you and you tell me if the Orlers if the Orlers win this series it's it's because which of these three duos got

the job done McDavid and Dry Settle, Nerson Bouchard, Pickard and Skinner. I love that Pickard is the starter it's amazing. That's why I have to include Skinner because he might play. Yeah, I would bet he does play. I bet it's more likely than not that Skinner gets in this series. Yeah. Vega's going to win some games and, you know, Pickard, maybe the bloom, the bloom will burst. To me, it's the first two. It's always the first two for them.

They are the first and last and most important part. Yes. The goalie's got to be good, of course. But do I think Pickard's going to go and steal them games to one, getting goalie's gotta be good, of course. But do I think Pickard's gonna go and steal them games two one, getting out shot 40 to 25? I do not. Do I think Bouchard and Nurse have enough to want locked down and play two one games? I do not.

They'll be good, they'll do what they do well, and they'll have some moments where they don't do it as well. What will win Evans in the series is if, whether they're playing together or apart, on the power play or in late in games, Griswold and McDavid do what they do in the series is if whether they're playing together or apart on the power player in late in games, Drysull and McDavid do what they do in the playoffs which means if they play six or seven games in the series, okay I'll close right back use Hayes, I'm putting the over under for points by those two in it in this series however long goes at 18 and a half. It's crazy. I know that I know it's insane. 12 combined games I'm gonna average a point and a half. It's crazy. I know that. I know it's insane. 12 combined games. I'm

gonna average a point and a half of them. What do you gotta take? Yeah, I guess you got to take the over. I mean the over, you might pay juice on that. But combined between the two of them. So that's in six or seven games. Yeah, one will get 10 points, one will get nine points. Yes, that's what they do. I could see that happening. I mean, the thing about it too to lost in all of this defensively the guy is is struggles but often the is an evan bush are like second behind bobby or as far as points per game in the

playoff is are we not factoring vegas is not going to fold up like an arty urbeys suit and i i i have a lot of the time pretty sure i thought matmulvey and capri dot run rap shot all over them and i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i It was what four times three four times in that series like that. That's the one thing now LA I think did crumble and I think that's why there's you know, Rob Blake is contracted and you know And I think there's they're they're looking at things hardly there But in the end like Ebbinton can score the biggest challenges Can they keep it out of their net consistently and that that comes back to it? I think you're right. I think Johnny You're right. They're gonna get lots of points doesn't mean they're gonna win

games it just you know they're dry subtle had four goals was that against Vegas a couple years ago he had four goals in one game they lost six five or six four remember that yeah that's right yeah that's right yeah yeah but that would be the over he does that again we're just talking about points yeah points accumulation because I think they had 20 what do they have 21 combined in the first round in six games yeah like that's that's rock star stuff man that's what you expect but they do in every single series that's right what the thing is about these two so yeah I mean I don't know I guess I can I can't see

Edmonton winning without those guys being amazing. I can see them winning with Bushard and Nurse sort of being average. I can see them being winning with Pickard and Skinner being, you know, okay. They won't win if those two are just okay. If they get five points each in a six or seven game series, Edmonton will not win. So they have to be great. But the good news is that they almost always are That is the truth man If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt It's those two like they just always show up for the moment and they they always

Continue to get better and better and better and you might contain them at times but stopping them completely. It just doesn't seem possible Jets starting tomorrow night possible. Jets starting tomorrow night. Connor Halabuck, like if let's say he has a great first two games in Winnipeg, does that, does that mean anything to you or do you have to see him perform on the road? I know I think, I think that means something. It's a step in the right direction because even though he won all four games at home, he probably played well in what two of them. So it's not like he was air tight and even in Winnipeg but it will be fascinating is to see if if somehow winning a first-round series for the first time in a few years get over a

mental hurdle for him even if his performance you know didn't well let me be driving for it here is let me play that clip I want to play this I am fascinated by this clip I don't know if I'm and i don't know if i love it i'll be honest here's connor hellebuck earlier today on on them getting through the first round i definitely felt a little something there no at this point the the pressure

is kind of fall off and the way the world off my shoulders and i have nothing to do with anyone else's just a the mental grind of that series. That being said, in that moment, it was like a second chance for me. I just got to go and play my game and do what I do best. I don't need to do everything. I just need to play my game and do it the best I can and bring it every single night. So he was asked about his performance in overtime but pressures off waiting for the second round and I had to beat on it. I think you're taking the comment wrong. I think what he meant to say is I just needed to get through that round to find some confidence

I don't think there's no it's not possible to be involved in these games and not feel any pressure now yeah I think he was I think he he didn't use the proper wording. I think you have a longer context of it too. I don't know how you feel about Johnny. Like, I think he's trying to set up and go now like now I've got an opportunity. He used the word second chance. And I think that's what he should be clinging to going. We got through this and I didn't have my goods. But I did feel my goods the last couple periods or in overtime Let's see what I've got against Dallas because he's gonna need it. Let's be honest like that I think Dallas is a a rock star team and you're getting Robertson Hayes getting back

You know, it sounds like they're gonna be back like those guys are you know, they're top players That's the crazy part, you know, to need all of Hellebuck. The weight of the world better be off his shoulders because he better put that team on his back because I don't see Winnipeg winning without him being a rock star. Yeah, I think Robertson practiced on the line today. I think Robertson is playing game one, Hayskate and maybe not. To me guys, and athletes do this, I don't even fault them, if I were to put a polygraph on Connor Hellebucket and said, do you think he played well in the

first round? He'd say no, if he wanted to pass the polygraph. You know, I said, did you feel some pressure about Connor playing well there? And did it affect your performance? He'd say yes, because it did. If I were to ask him, will there be more pressure in round two, three or four or round one? He would say two, three or four. What he's doing is like sort of positive self-talk. Setting him, like saying it out loud even though he doesn't really believe it, but it sounds good. Like, you know what?

That was the hard part. That was the hurdle. That was the mental barrier. I'm over that now. Now I can just breathe and play and be free. I don't know if he really believes that. I probably think he doesn't. But I think it's good to say it. He's trying to get himself in a good frame of mind as opposed to saying, man, I struggle around one again and it's only going to get harder against this team, which is

probably the truth. But you don't want to hear that. You don't want to hear it out of your own mouth or anybody else's. He's just positive self-talking that's probably not accurate all right you guys are selling me and you know the idea that listen I'm sure he faced an enormous amount of pressure because of the way he performed in games three four and six to have an outing you know you guys goofed on me but I said it I thought he owed his team perfection in overtime he did and I think those comments that might be what he's saying like man. I was Freaking out if I put up a bad goal my team would how can they look at me again? Yeah You know just called you out for the timing of it. That's what I thought it was mandatory

What are you gonna make a prediction after the game? You got to call your shots before the game and did call your shot. I called my shot You know, he owed them perfection. He lost. Alright Johnny, good stuff buddy. We'll do it again later in the week. Alright next time I'll be coming you from the shores of Sweden. Yes! I'll call on Friday. So I am off tonight to Europe.

Okay. I'll talk to you boys in a couple days from there. I love it. Say hi to Sid and Nate Dogg for us. Sid, my flower, like listen, they got an All-Star team over there right now. What a scene, man. That's going to be an awesome turning. That'll be great. Like, Patlison's over there now, the whole gang has said, well, Sid's going, I better

go. Yeah, the power of Sid. I would do the same if I was on the fence. I'm like, sure, I'll hitch a ride to this bandwagon. Why not? Go find a gold medal with Sid, man. You can't beat it. All right. Safe travels. We'll catch up later in the week. There's Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline.

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