OverDrive - Johnson on the Canada and USA showdown, Binnington in the crease and the Maple Leafs' impressions in the tournament

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada and USA playing in the championship game, Sidney Crosby leading the team, the grades for the Maple Leafs in the tournament, Jordan Binnington taking the net, the best players for USA, Sweden and Finland and more.

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Switch to Bell PureFiber, Canada's fastest internet, awarded by UCCLA. Starting from $60 a month. Visit bell.ca for more details and to check availability Bell internet just got better joining us now on the Maple of Toyota hotline is Mike Johnson how's it going Johnny what's going on fellas planes trains and automobiles I was in Boston for the game last night I was supposed to get home today Obviously that is not happening given that's going on in Toronto So I'm just chilling in Boston for a couple days here to so he gets the next game

You're gonna hammer some Sam Adams tonight, Johnny Go down to like one in a hobbit and get some Sam Adams get after a little bit Yeah, just getting a fight like just do it the boston way go down a harder to a happy pop and then just fight somebody that's how you do it boston you like apple but on telling everyone you know exactly exactly that's the advice johnny i mean let's take it back to to your kinda where you were at on night at the Bell Center, not

one, not two, three fights in the opening ten seconds. I mean, where were you, who were you with, and what was your reaction to it all? Well, I was there in the building. I was four feet away from Bo and watching it and sort of stunned disbelief. Not that these guys would fight, but in this tournament right off the bat I just don't think anyone, certainly me, thought that this would happen. Even if they wanted to be physical, if they wanted to be emotional, even if they wanted to make a statement. I didn't think it would go like that. But and I'm generally, maybe you know, I'm sort of not maybe the biggest

proponent of fighting and it's how it can impact the game. I don't know how much it actually does but in that moment that felt so real and so raw. It was beyond exciting. It was one of the most energizing moments I can ever even remember in a building. It was that electric when it went down that way. I think that was sort of the seminal moment of the tournament, which is, while it counts as a resounding success, yeah, the building was so loud, the players were into it, media was, everyone could not believe what was going on. It was that exciting. So Johnny, explain to me if this Quinn Hughes

gets on an airplane, he ain't flying to Boston to watch in the press box, is he? Like is there a defenseman from the States eating raw chicken right now on purpose or what? Salmonella on line one coming down, yeah, I mean. Yeah, and it's Quinn Hughes, you're not pulling a young guy like Jake Sanderson or Thomas Harley that would be sort of you know you're happy to be there and participate and whether you get on the ice or not you're just

you're happy to be told it's quite huge and the Connucks are back in action now like they're back to practice today so yeah I would imagine and I don't know if anyone is hurt or not but given the state of the American team there's both illness going around that you know yeah Wokar was suffering from as well like a flu bug going around and now that's the last game of the tournament oh you could say anybody if you wanted to you could say anybody was sick and who are they gonna they're not gonna question it right there's like okay i mean if you say so then that guy is out of the tournament well the tournament's over so it doesn't matter if

Zach Berenki it won't be him that's why i said him if they say he's sick because then he'll just be done for the tournament so i don't know how it's going to go. It seems unlikely that he comes all the way here and does not play but We're sort of there watching this and and the tournament the rules for this tournament are Vague and not really that well understood and kind of being made up as they go because it's the first time through it So different situations crop up they have to address like the McCar being sick in the middle of the tournament So this is how the macar being taken the whole determined so dot i don't know how the world being made this is how the rule books being made

i get six great goose in waters please hey what do you think about that we let that guy okay let's do it i'd as the role of how do they not account for this a potential injury or illness there are two weeks and how does that not come up at any point when put together the rules list this tournament well it did but i mean i think it was what injury like the guy got hurt without a tournament then you'd be allowed to call somebody else up but you know then the the pa is first

part of this as well because they didn't want guys getting shuffled in and out they didn't want guys getting called when they weren't going to play so trying to sort of protect the players maybe they did too good of a job and it's not like like, and the other language was, I don't know if they ever distinguished like, if a defenseman gets hurt, then a defenseman gets to come. Because America presumably will have 18 skaters for Thursday's game. They just might not have six defensemen if that's the way it went down. So yeah, I think it's just sort of on the fly, figure it out as they go, try to do what makes the most sense. Johnny, what do you think the takeaways, even for both teams but more for Canada, losing

that game on Saturday, maybe some adjustments that they would look at to try and be able to beat Team USA on Thursday Well, I mean I think the first thing they've done is they continue to try to find wingers for Mcdavid and for McKinnon And I thought in Finland getting Braden point to play with Conor Mcdavid made a lot of sense They were both really good points fast. He's good defensively strong on the board You think it just worked better and Mark Stoneman just kind of works with everyone and then getting Reinhardt with Crosby and McKinnon, it was Reinhardt's best game by a mile against Finland so they've made some some lineup adjustments which seem

to make sense and the other part about it when they go against US is they got suffocated with lots of plays trying to go east west, trying to go through the box, across the ice, through the seams. And the Americans just collapsed, knocked down pucks and just didn't give Canada those kind of looks. And I think they will make a concerted effort to be more direct, more straight line, get pucks to the net, a little simpler, because the way the Americans were playing, those options weren't available. So those are probably the adjustments they make. And while Fred and he may be playing, Kel McCarroll will be playing and hopefully continue

to get better than he's feeling the last few days. And he is great enough that he alone would sort of be a difference maker if he's able to play for Canada as well. Just a quick follow up on that. Did that team USA not look like a little bit of a... I know when you look at it Sullivan's the coach, but it felt like it had Torz's fingerprints all over it. You had some fights, you had blocking shots, you had collapsing to the middle of the ice.

I mean, that's how Torz coaches. I know Sullivan might have a lot of that and the bus there but i just felt like maybe tortorella's fingerprints were all over that that game plan for the the u.s. side yeah yeah you're probably right uh... and tortson so they've gone back for a good rangers cannot get together forever so they they are one of the same but also remember do like twenty fourteen olympics

about sochi when canada won gold But also remember Doodle's like 2014 Olympics, was that Sochi? When Canada won gold, that's how they played. They gave up nothing. Like 12, 14 shots a game, no chances whatsoever. When top players are invested and decide to apply themselves and all their greatness to defense, it can become really hard to make plays because they're good enough, it's far enough to make it hard for you. So whether it's Torz or Sully or just the excellence of top players, they were really, really good in understanding what they're being asked to do and then being able to execute it.

Johnny, the three Maple Leaf players that were there or that are there, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, could you give a quick grade on each of their performances in this tournament? Well, yeah. Often Matthews, I think, well first off, is there anyone, any alarm bells that he missed the game yesterday? Kind of a weird one. It is for me.

It is for me. I'm sorry. Nobody's talking about it. Like, Sullivan said, yeah, we got some upper body injuries and then everyone scrambled to go, ah, we're just relaxing them. Like to me, I don't know, maybe I was wrong about that. Given his history noodles, how can you not be? Like he's been dealing with something all year. But we don't know if that was this game doesn't matter, so take the night off.

Yeah, I don't know. I just, I... They played a player short though. Like they played a forward short. Like even if he was, like he's the captain. And yeah, if theak who was obviously hurt and McEvoy who's in the hospital being hurt like you know you would have dressed the guy even if he wasn't gonna play a lot you play him eight minutes you dress him so for Austin I guess that's my thing. He's like I'm a little worried if I'm a Leaf fan, okay did he re-aggravate? Was he never entirely healthy? Well, what's going on here? Or is this something different?

All of which are concerning. All of which don't bode well for him down the stretch. I'm going to give him a B-. He's the captain, he's done a good job leading, he's played hard, he's run a couple posts. First game against Finland, pretty good. Second game against Canada, not so much. Third game he didn't play, so I don't know, B-C+. He hasn't been a difference making player for them just yet.

Maybe he will on Thursday and that will salvage the whole tournament. Willy will probably get based on his expectations for how important he was going to have to be for Sweden. And he was good, he had two or three points in the tournament. He gets a, I don't know, B- as well, because he was okay, but he wasn't as dynamic with the puck and a difference maker every single night. Couldn't find the big moment when Sweden was those close games.

Like, Sweden is going home, having never lost a game in regulation. They were that close, two overtime games, and Willy couldn't grab one when it mattered most, so B- or something. something and Mitch probably a C because he started on McDavid's wing. I had him there on my team so it's not like he was I think he was put out in position. I thought that's where he belonged as well. It didn't work. They didn't generate a lot. He had the one great maybe you know what maybe a B

minus. Guy's throwing overtime games in there you know but which is a great moment in three on three. Awesome, incredible for him, a real important moment for him and for Canon in this tournament. But as far as just general impact on games, it hasn't happened with the puck. Although of course he's been good defensively like everybody has in the tournament. So not necessarily a standout ban or tournament

for any of the Leaf guys right now. They're all been fine but none have been great. Well I think that's the thing that's kind of troubling some Leaf fans here, Johnny. Like yes he's got the goal at three on three and overtime but at five on five when it's been tight and it's been you know taking away time and space very reminiscent to the playoffs. He's been silent. I mean like Leaf fans are too happy about about that did going into the playoffs is that's the Marner we're gonna see I mean I don't know is that concern to you how he's played Well, it's hard to say it's a concern like I didn't see Jack you do too much in this tournament

Right Jack you like there's a whole bunch of players you could say that are incredible that haven't had amazing offensive tournaments. In three games it's such a small sample. Last game he largely was in a checking role and a defensive role. Yeah, you would have preferred if in a super tight game you're like, Do you ever notice martyr does he have it a lot is he ever trading? You know nobody else is he's one of the few who can but on Canada the only like McDavid you could say that about right? Oh, I go what was there McDavid was the guy like okay that guy always looks dangerous, but I guess the US Like almost Nathan McKinnon looked quiet.

Almost nobody did. So I'm not going to pile on him too much. You prefer it be the opposite. And it would be concerning if he had this kind of impact in a playoff game. But I'm not going to say that he won't do well in the playoffs because he hasn't necessarily thrived here. Johnny, you mentioned McDavid. Do you think the Thursday night's game is a platform for him to just kind of put the stake in the ground once again and say I'm McJesus and that's

just the way it is? Yep. 100%. Now, if he doesn't, I don't know if it necessarily harnesses anything, but if he does, if he goes out there and is the best player and if he scores three points and a 3-2 win, if he goes Mario and Gretzky and 87 all rolled into one, like if he does, if he goes out there and is the best player and if he scores three points and a 3-2 win, if he goes Mario and Gretzky and 87 all rolled into one, like if he does that, then yeah, I mean, I think given the quality of competition, how close the games are, the stakes and everything else, then it'd be once again, I don't want to hear about McKinnon talk or Matthews talk or Kucherov talk or Hughes talk or Hellebuck. It's me. I'm the guy, I'm the best, and watch me do it when it matters most, when it's toughest.

And it would not surprise anybody if he was able to pull that off of me. He's just that good. I don't know what to say, even amongst the best, he's better. So Johnny, goaltending, where are with your head into and do you think that there was a conversation a conversation for a change in hale or that you thought they were just maybe pot committed on bennington the whole time so i knew it would you have gone any other way than what they've done

what would you have done no i'd to be honest no i'd thoughts and all and I talked about this, I thought there may have been a snivel to go, okay, let's see what Hill's got against Finland and then maybe run him into the final. But I don't think Bennington has been the difference of cost him games. There's been, and Owen laid this out, and he's actually been perfect and bang on. Bennington's allowed one bad goal per game, you know, minimum, but at least one bad goal where he's got to clean that up because you can't do that in a final game.

So you're going to, on Thursday he cannot have a goal against that would be on him. And I know that's a lot of pressure, but he's got to live up to that. But I could see them running him and, and, you know, sticking with him. He hasn't cost them a game, but he, uh, in essence, he's been to live up to that but i could see them running him and and you know sticking with him he hasn't cost them a game buddy uh... in essence he he's been just okay like i think he's been solid and made a couple big saves but also wanted one back per game that he probably should have had yeah but i think both things can kind of be true right like the game they lost

wasn't necessarily solely bidding consult they for one more that's not on the goal-turning alone. But, I was sort of on board the entire time that I thought Hill should have played against the Americans, Nudels. I thought, after what we saw against Sweden in the beginning, the first game, I'm like, get in against the Americans.

If he plays great, then you roll him. If he plays okay, then you go back to Bennington as though it's a rotation and play Bennington against Finland And I guess that he's gonna be your guy but by going Bennington America You you made it tough to go any other direction because if you went to Aiden Hill You're putting him in a game where they had to win in regulation with a guy who hasn't played in nine days and said don't screw up so

They're going to Bennington. He's been just okay as you mentioned. I think at this point I don't think in Canada cares. I don't think he cares that his numbers might not be great as safe percentages 85 or whatever it might be. I don't even know what it is in the eights. I think he's in there because he's perceived from the management as a winner, a gamer, a guy who just finds a way to get it done. And so far he sort of largely has done that even though you know there's lots of goals you can point to say I don't like that one but it will catch up to them. Then that's just it. He's going to play again and they're playing against an opponent who's better where the margins are tighter and giving up one bad goal is one too many that might stop them from being able to win the whole tournament.

So it sort of played out exactly how you thought it might, right, Nudel? Like goal-tending wasn't an area of strength. There was going to be rocky moments, but the team was going to be really good, and they would probably be good enough to get it done with less than great goal-tending. So far, that's what's happened. We'll see if they can do it when it matters most. Johnny, how many players were named with this team for Canada? 23? Yes, well 24 now with Harley I guess or whatever. Okay, let's call it 25. Out of the 25 guys,

how many will stay on the team for the Olympics next year? I mean, without counting them out, I don't, you know, the goaltenders, I don't know if I can say stay on the team for the Olympus next year? I mean, without counting them out, I don't, you know, the gold hunters, I don't know if I can say any of them. So who knows there. The eight defensemen they've come back with, obviously, McCarr will be there. I think Morrissey will be there.

And that's maybe it. That'll be, that I can guarantee. So that's two I will guarantee up front. Sid will be there if he can. Nick McKinn I will guarantee up front. Sid will be there if he can. Nathan McKinder will be there. McDade will be there. Marder will be there. Say what you want. Point will be there. That's five. Stone, six. Reinhardt, seven. Like that those are the guys I would say no matter like kind of guaranteed though that I would say there's there's no doubt it's very very likely that they'll get there. The rest will sort of have to earn their spots back on depending how the next year

Goes so yeah Not not the majority whereas I think it was the American team you might say 15 of those guys 18 of those guys will likely be there next time because You know, they're definitely the best of that offer canada's there's still for conversations for those players well johnny if you look at the guys who i guess still have to prove their worth going into next year maybe some of the

more you know under well-meaning players in center well maybe the the guys who you are pleasantly surprised that were named to the roster of any of those guys really impressed you and made a bid for next year at the Olympics? Like Brandon Hagel is a guy for me I've liked the way he's looked and also like Colton Pereyko too I've liked his game too as well. Yeah you know Hagel probably would be one because he would be who had been one of those bubble guys and

beyond the fight like he's been energetic he's been good defensively he really has you know he goes up there to kill penalties he's been reliable doesn't need to play a lot like he's sort of one of those players that can play a smaller role and still be impactful so yeah yeah I think he would be an obvious candidate for it. Parenko yeah so he he's been fine. He's been good. He's obviously a very good player. I just think sometimes, you know, he's involved in a lot of stuff.

You see him, he's big, he's range, he's in the way, he's sort of involved in the plays. Then you look at the underlying number of game over game, you're like, why did he get no shot with him on the ice? Like, why isn't this the other guy? Like, the net results aren't always quite as clean as you'd like. So, he's been good, but I don't know if he's been good enough to me that I would just

sort of put him in ink that he'd be on the team. I agree, Johnny. I think his decision making with the puck, he just tries to safe play it up the boards. And to me, nowadays, the defensemen, especially at that level, have to make plays. You have to make plays. And to me, there's been too many just bump plays up to neutral zone bump plays here and there. I think you're going to have Petrangel.

Yes, he'll be a year older, but there'll be other guys, I think, that slide into those roles where maybe Pereyko takes a step back in that. That's just the way I look at it. I think he's been good, and I love that he stood up and fought. And he's a good St. Albert boy, which I always love. I grew up there. To me, I think his eye test to the underlying numbers, to me it matches. I think he tries to be safe, but you've got to make plays at that level. I don't think his first instinct is to make plays.

I think at this point,'s sort of being a larger base defenseman conversation. Defensemen who want to skate the puck up by themselves and shoot from outside look good, but probably aren't as productive as defensemen who can move a little bit and then pass the puck really well. And I think, you know, Pareko might be more in the former category as opposed to latter. Like the best defenseman can do all of it,

but the best defense are the ones who can skate well but then pass and read the play and pass well. And you know, Pranko does it okay, but maybe not as well as some of the best, best guys. Like Zach Wawrowski has been a revelation. This guy, this tournament, has been so good. Makes America not miss Quinn Hughes a little bit, which is hard to say. Crazy. I was talking about him, Johnny. I think that he's right up there with those two guys, like McCarr and Hughes. He's that good of a player.

You can watch games, and you can watch games live, but I just watched him at practice, and it was disgusting what he was doing out there. Like he's one of those, he's a natural, like he's such a natural, he makes everything look so easy. And I don't know, he's a competitive guy and he's just so talented. I can't get enough of him. I can't speak highly enough of that guy. Well you'll love this Johnny.

Zach Warrensky, according to dom decisions net rating model leads the tournament with one point four seven net ratings though is there a rating net rating but don't like i had a big okra don't get a little bit here often number of people that are not you know what i just told you that i would

have to hide anything that's it's i'm saying the number support what you're with the i'd have to see writing that's it's on send the number support what your with the idea is to see and that's the whole point well you're a mall together oh i think they're a carlton with second in that reading of the other that are earlier today he actually looks like they're going to talk now you have to go to the uh... he actually looks like yeah i do know how about the other guy we have let you go here soon johnny but

the other guy this vancouver uh... sentiment soon, Johnny, but the other guy, this Vancouver centerman, that Pedersen might be in one. Oh boy, he's... You know, what you would be hoping if you were Vancouver or Pedersen or someone who's rooting for him is that the change of the dynamic on the Canucks would free him up mentally, emotionally, and with his confidence, and just let him go play and have fun and be light and be excellent like he was before. It hasn't happened in Vancouver. So you're thinking, you know what?

Maybe getting back with the Swedes, wear the Trey Croner, that will be a different environment for him to flourish where he has to be great, would play like-minded players and people and it'll be great. It didn't happen. He played less than 10 minutes yesterday. And in a game that was pretty fast and loose, that American game, like it wasn't quite as locked down as the Canada version of the American team.

You could notice him. And now he's gotta go back to Vancouver, all the pressure on him. And I don't know, his no trade kicks in, we don't have to get there yet, his no trade kicks in in July 1st. Is the next 10 days or whatever, just two weeks until the trade deadline,

is that enough for a bank to figure out, okay, we're gonna build around this guy? Or, I don't know what they do there because this version of him, and we're all set to whatever he's going through, but this version of him is not the guy that he signs to that contract and not the guy they need to have there long term.

It's an interesting situation they got and yeah they got a couple weeks and a couple more months after that to figure it out with Elias Pettersson. Johnny, appreciate the time as always. We'll catch up again later in the week pal. Alright boys, have a good night. Take it easy. Mike Johnson joining us on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Count on Maple Toyota for the right winter tire package for your Toyota.

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