OverDrive - Johnson on Canada's victory against the USA, McDavid's winning goal and Binnington's incredible performance

Episode Date: February 21, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around Canada's victory against the USA, Connor McDavid's incredible game-winner, Jordan Binnington's notable performance, Auston Matthews taking the defeat, Mitch Marner's overall tournament perspective and more.

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K-N-O-W-M-O-R-E.CA. A message from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. Here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst joining us here on the Maple Toyota hotline. What's happening, Johnny? What's going on, fellas? I'm finally back in Toronto. I spent the week in Boston, trapped there because I couldn't go anywhere between games. but Was there last night? Oh, I was with you in Montreal sitting beside you watching the game and I will say for sure the game was great. We'll get all into it But the atmosphere and it's not because I'm Canadian at all

It was nowhere near what it was in Montreal. It wasn't even close. It wasn't even close It was tense and it was tight and it was in Montreal. It wasn't even close. It wasn't even close. It was tense, and it was tight, and it was nerby, but just sort of that energy, that buzz that is palpable, it just wasn't quite the same. Yeah. Hazy would be happy to hear that because at the beginning of the show, Johnny said, or Hazy said, Johnny, he's just so pumped to be Canadian.

They're the best. They always win these games, and he loved every second of it Well, it's okay to love every second of it and they tend to win these games Oh, you and I've had so many conversations about this this tournament over the time and you said some you know, you've always said Yeah, you know what? You may like the depth of the american roster or whatever but Canada has the best players

And sometimes the best players in games like this is enough when the rest of the roster is really quite good. And that's what this tournament was. This tournament was a testament to McKinnon, Prosby, McDavid. And I think I'm somebody will tally up the final thing, but I think it's like Canada scored 14 goals in the tournament, something like that. And those guys were in on 12 of them. At least one of them would get a point on 12 of them. Like it was driven, oh, exactly as you said, by the stars of the team.

They were the difference makers in a very close tournament, in a very close final game. And if you're asking me who I would take, McCarr is incredible. But I think I'd take McKinnon. I think in those kind of games where it's sort of the skill but also like you need the physicality to get there, McKinnon offers that rare duo of like the power and the talent to create off in those games. But you go wrong

either way but I think I'd go McKinnon. He's just a bull like the I don't think I saw the one play on a back check Jack Hughes Nifty incredible player he tried to pull a stop-up on McKinnon McKinnon hit him basically picked him up Three feet in the air just sat him down but it was it was like a it was like a 20 year old playing against a 12 year old and he like McKinnon is just different that way different than Connor different than just about everybody. It was so good, but also so physical Yeah, he's skating. You know, that's the amazing thing like McDavid never really got going He had that one wind up in the third, right?

I want to say with sandhine was so funny to watch because sandhine was going back and kind of I'll go get the puck and you could hear McDavid said like I got yeah Exactly put it on a tee for me get the hell out of the way and he took off mckinnon was chai i want to say it was favor he was chasing down and he was doing like the the running on the beach like picking up his stride to chase a guy down dude i'm telling you man the guy's a black he's the black stallion you remember that movie black stallion yeah crazy guy he almost took down the building in brassard go back the practice rink for the happy toss He starts trucking out there and the place starts shaking. I've never seen anything like it. It's obscene It's crazy how good of a skater is and my car too

That's the thing about the three of them Johnny like the three of them. They all can skate better than anyone else You'll love this exchange. Okay, so I'm going to the final game yesterday it's like five six o'clock whatever I'm heading to the game and I get in the elevator hotel and there's a woman there and she's got like a Canadian scarf and a little Canadian hat on I'm like oh yeah you're here for Canada school where you from and so they on from Calgary I'm like oh yeah you're obviously going to the game yeah was it hard to get tickets and she just kind of looks at me like real deadpads says, I don't know. I'm like, Oh, how did you get your tickets? Oh, my son's on the team.

It was Kail McCarr's mom. It was awesome. And she's like, Oh, what do you do? And I'm like, Oh, I work on it. She's like, man, we come down and meet the husband who was in the lobby waiting for it. And he's like, Oh, Mike Johnson. And if he was totally down, like say hi to everybody at TSN. He's like, watch lots of sports, but, um, and I asked her, I'm like, are you guys nervous? Like, no, no, not yet. And I'm like, well, why would you be? Cause that kid of yours is, he's so good. And he's got like a chip on his shoulder, man.

He's got an attitude problem and I love every second of us. He also has the right amount of fearlessness. Because my game last night, it was cautious. It was conservative, it was safe. And I'm watching it intently. And Kale, when he has a chance, he doesn't, you know, he does it smartly, but he doesn't just concede,

Al's got to chip it in. He's like, no, I'm going to jump. And I think I can get it. If I don't, I'll get back, no big deal. He is wired to want to do it and not wait I'll just kind of chip it in. He's like, no, I'm going to jump. And I think I can get it. If I don't, I'll get back. No big deal. He is, he is wired to want to do it and not wait and not defer to somebody else. He wants to be the guy.

And when he's as good as he is, he can often be that guy. He was, when he played 26 minutes in regulation and probably ended up about 32, 33 when it was all said and done. He's, and never even looked tired once. Never even looked like he was out of breath. Johnny, did you see that coming from Jordan Bennington last night? Nope.

I'm sure a lot of people going into that game may have had some nervous energy about, okay, when's that bad goal coming? Is it going to come at the wrong time? Is it going to be too much to overcome? And then he steals the show. What did you make of Bennington and his performance? I mean, hats off and I'll own it. I even saw on record I would have started Aiden Hill in the second game against America. I would have started him there and have options, Bennington or Hill. Everyone knows every single goalie in that tournament is good enough on one night to

win a game by themselves. Every single guy. The question is how many bad goals you let in or how often can you come up with that effort? And the whole exercise in the goaltending his season that would lead you to believe, oh yeah, yeah, he'll ratchet it up and be incredible when it matters most. Cause he just, you know, he's been so good, but not even as good as last year in the net for St. Louis and in the tournament he's been okay, but he's, you know, same percentage down at 880, whatever it was.

But Cooper was almost defiant in the suggestion that he should do something else. And as he saw the hug that Cooper gave Bennington after the game, it was like the two of them saying, see, you believed in me. I believe that you showed the world. I didn't see it coming. Although I fully acknowledge, of course, he's good enough to do it. That game should have been over four times in overtime easily. And now three of them would have been Austin Matthews scoring the goals But he was I mean the back door password against all honestly

Frankie you me Oh We expect to score that goal seven out of ten times we expect to put that in the net and Let alone Austin who expected to score it 97 times out of 100. And he took that away and made it look like it wasn't that big a deal to reach back on Brady, the glove save off the face off, all of it was, was incredible stuff. So I did not see it coming.

Um, kudos to him. He was actually at the airport this morning. He was dropping some family off. They were coming up to Toronto and, um, you know, I think he just has that. Energy about him now where it's not so much about my stats. family off that were coming up to Toronto. And, um, you know, I think he just has that. Energy about him now where it's not so much about my stats because the stats are, you know, in the middle of the pack, it's about the winds and he believes in himself that he's capable of that. And then maybe that's half the battle.

And last night he showed it, deserved it. He should have been the MVP of the game. And I was watching you guys earlier when I got home and you lock him up now he's on the team next year for Italy 100% oh my but Johnny you stole my question right out of my mouth when he put him in the headlock did he say come into my office I got your plane ticket you're the starting goalie in Italy next year or did he say I gotta see some more out of some other goalies that might be a question mark next year in Italy?

He said make sure your passport is up to date, you're coming overseas. That's all he said. I don't think he gave him the starter's position just yet. Frankie did half an hour ago. He said he's your guy in the first game in the net, not even declared it. Wow. I have declared it. Daisy, do you declare it? I'm willing to declare right now. Yeah, I would declare right now. I think he's worthy of that because of what he did last night. Again,

it's not like the next Marty Boudreau is going to show up between now and next year. I think Logan Thompson is a guy that's having a great great run we'll see what he does the rest of the way if he still read hot that'll be a legitimate conversation at that point but i think that the blackwood is going to like what we got to give it to him exactly saying i think he he he he answered a lot of questions a lot of donors uh... i think you love doing that he got that sort of chip to him

i was one of the guys who were doubted him a hundred percent i've been love doing that he got that sort of chip to him i was one of the guys who were doubted a hundred percent i've had several times that the three best boys in the h l from canada were not in the tournament all three of them temper blackwood and thompson but you know what they picked minnington because they thought he was

gamer winner gutsy whatever you want to say any proved to be last night that he was that for that night he was that he proved that all correct with Mike Johnson all right you're playing the role of Austin Matthews you're on the plane back to Toronto what's running through your head how much can I swear on radio like on it I mean I say whatever you want no No, but like, you know, he would have to be beside himself Absolutely, but obviously Austin has nothing to be sort of

Ashamed they don't make you know his kids career his game his Presence in the league is stature is all there But he had what what he hasn't had in his Hall of Fame career is like a moment, right? Like a moment that was his, that a player of his stature generally gets to have. And last night he was on his way to that moment in a massive, massive stage. Like bigger than a game seven round one. He gets the two assists, he's the captain of the team, there are all these sort of exterior ramifications and noise around the game. He's Captain America and he's got

the puck on his stick in overtime as this generation's greatest goal scorer trying to make a case that he is the all-time greatest goal scorer in the history of this sport. And he couldn't find a way to do what he does better than anyone else. And like that train of thought going through your head over and over and over. And maybe he's incredibly strong mentally and he can like park the Binnington blocker save and park the glove save and park the rush one that he went blocker side and just not worry about it. I would not be able to. That's what I would be thinking about. I can't believe I wasn't able to score. And I think he'd be thinking about that more than I can't believe I chased Mitch

Marner in the corner. I should have just sat in the middle. Fox was behind the net like more than the defensive breakdown, which was his at the end of the game, primarily more than the defenseman. It was his own I think it's more he never should have been in that spot. The game should have been over he should have been getting carried around like he's Michael Ruzioni and Michael Modano and then you know put him on a stamp and I think that like that kind of energy Would would would be going through and maybe Get that of his system in a week or 10 days

or whatever and he moves past it. And when he gets the fly off, he has his own next moment and it's better for it. But that's a tough one. That's a tough one. I can't, you guys were up here, I was down in the States for the last five days. And I've never in my life,

and I've been in and out of the States for about 30 years now since college, seen the NHL get this much attention for anything, anything ever has gotten this much attention in America as this tournament and last night's game. And that was the stage that all the players knew they were walking onto. And he had it there on his stick right where he would want it, right America would want it and he and you know Bennington got the best of him it's not like he didn't do it just Bennington got the best of him and that's what he's thinking about yeah I felt I was sick for the guy and ultimately it benefited me as a Canadian as a fan because he didn't close as a human yes I felt for the guy and

here's another element to it this he's not going to Utah now he's got a flag in Toronto and the scrums waiting for him and they're gonna ask him a million questions You know the Toronto media and I'm curious how he responds and how he handles it tomorrow night But you look at his career now. Oh 0 and 7 and must win games in that building. He's owned for 1819 24 25 three of them for leaves last night for us You know, is it is it's is it snake-bitten? Is it that he is it a gene that he's missing like what what is it with Matthews? And is there a potential here and I'm reluctant to even throw this out here because I've been waiting for it after playoff loss

After playoff loss after playoff loss But the fact that this is closer to the playoffs and the Hurt could sting that much, could this inspire him to just be a machine come playoff time? Because I've never noticed them get pissed really or look like it when they've lost in the playoffs. The fact that this happened in February on this stage, like you said, it's so massive. The numbers are coming in on ESPN. It's like nine million people, probably more for overtime.

It's probably 11 or 12 million it peaked. For Americans, that's just a massive number for hockey. Are you a believer, or have we seen too much, that Matthews will take this and say, I'm not letting that happen again? I mean, I believe in Austin Matthews, the athlete and his strength of mind and his, you know, strength of character. And I don't think this is going to ruin him, but it's hard to say that, you know, I guess

you're saying, well, because the previous disappointments happened in the spring, by the time they got to the next spring, they were no longer fresh and sort of motivating this one is so close. Maybe it will be still tangible and there to drive him I don't know I guess I don't want to believe that I if that was the case I would be disappointed that he didn't channel that earlier in his career from all the other disappointments I'm gonna take it at some point I guess yeah but I guess you watch all those games in this game he plays pretty well and there's

games where he does score in game seven, but they just don't win it. Whatever the case may be. If you were to run like a mathematical probability formula that he would lose all those games you just talked about, given the quality of his play and his teams, it would almost be damn near impossible. Seems that way. Yeah. Seems that way. Yeah. Seems that way.

And yet there he is. And that's not on him. It's situational. But he is the best player on all those teams. So people will turn to him. It's tough. It's just a tough situation. And there's no answer for it from me, from you, from him.

There's only one answer. And that's you got to do it on the ice. It's a weird one when you say, hey, it's not on him but he's always there. Yeah I am but I think that's like I can't put it like you know you you're terrible in every game and that's why they lose that's not why but the bigger I guess the better way to put it he hasn't been why they win and that's what we're as the Leaf fans would be all be waiting for be the reason be the best player Go get four points in the hatchery and win four to like you're good enough to pull that off and last night He and thing is last night. He almost did

They almost won a 3-2 game against Canada and McDavid and Sid and all of it and he had two points He almost had the goal overtime goal the two helpers on the two goals Like it would have been it would have been the master piece It's a massive would have been the moment that would secure his lore in American hockey History, yeah maybe all of hockey history and I would have been more confident Hayes if you would have said Does that success propel him differently him differently right up well as opposed to the does that the failure of the lack of winning motivate him to do something

different about well johnny on the other hand mitch marner has been right there with austin matthews in all these playoff defeats and all these big moments where these guys didn't win the big one and guess what mitch marner gets the game-winning assist in a big moment and has his best game of the tournament so you know what does that do for Mitch Marner having that and having that success especially after a tournament where scores an overtime winner against Sweden goes quiet and then has a great game last night in a do or die you know with the championship on the line it's almost like the opposite of the Leaf time where he's generally pretty good, but

in the biggest moments he can't get the offense. In this game, the biggest moment he got the offense, but otherwise was generally pretty average. So it's not the norm for him, but he will take the confidence he deserves and will walk on that range saying, they'll come back, I guess today, tomorrow's game, and we'll feel as though he has answered some critics. And I think for Mitch, who it feels as though maybe he hears some of the praise, some of the criticism more than other of some of the other high end players for Toronto, like,

you know, he hears it, maybe he listens to it more. He will hear the praise and he'll deserve it and he will feel himself that he has now silenced some of the doubters about, silenced some of the critics about his ability to get it done in big moments, his ability to score goals in big moments because he did it. I mean you think about it they won two games in overtime of the tournament, Mitch was in on both of them. And played a pivotal role. And I thought even beyond the assist, both super nice. He played really well last night.

Like he was comfortable with the puck. He was making plays. He had it and was more involved. Cooper recognized it and put him back up with McDavid, you know, middle of the game. Said, you know what, you're going. We want you with our best player and we think it'll make it work.

Like he was good. So I think he should take the confidence into the rest of the season. And maybe when it gets tight in the first round, he'll be able to draw from a very recent height pressurized, positive experience or he came through with a clutch and that won't hurt him in the playoffs. That's the plan, right? We knew going into the game one of the Leafs would have a positive experience the other would have a negative. We just weren't certain it was going to be so primary like that. If Canada wins and Mitch plays on the third check in line with Sorelli and Hagel and

plays 13 minutes and has one shot and no points, Yes, it's a positive winning experience, but I don't think it resonates the same with him like he did, where he played well enough to move up, where he scored the primary assist on the tying and winning goal in overtime. I think it's so much more than just, well, he was on the winning side because he was so involved in it. Yeah, I agree. I agree. And conversely, you might say the same thing in a weird way about Matthews, is that he was so good and so on it, that it was like, man, you had it. Like, you had that.

And it just, it's gonna make it feel just that much more crushing. Who feels worse, Chris Prider or Austin Matthews today? Austin. Yeah, it's Austin for sure. The guy who played a lot, the guy who had a chance to be the difference. Yep, for sure sure All right, Johnny

Welcome home. Enjoy your weekend again soon. I'm off to my dad's birthday Turning Sydney Crosby today. So Ronnie the coolest 87 year old I know the ass the king of Scarborough Ronnie Johnson. We love it. Shout out. Happy birthday What I know Ronnie Johnson screams rich guy Happy Birthday! What a handle, Ronnie Johnson. That's a great handle. That's a screams rich guy, man. Ronnie Johnson.

There's Mike Johnson, the son of Ron Johnson. Joining us here on Maple Toyota Hotline. Count on Maple Toyota for the right winter tire package for your Toyota. Trade in your old tires, buy a new set and get $40 back. Visit mapletoyota.com. This February, iHeartRadio celebrates Black History Month by amplifying the voices that define black excellence. Select upon and celebrate history and culture.

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