OverDrive - Johnson on the Canadiens' season turnaround, Senators' red-hot run and Domi making a mark with the Maple Leafs

Episode Date: March 18, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Canadiens and Senators' matchup and the team's stance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs hunt, the perspective of the teams, the Maple Leafs' win and Max Domi's role with the team, Nick Robertson's impact to the lineup and more.

And you're all set! Enjoy your new phone on Bell! Thanks! Whoa! What is happening? What is this feeling? Are you feeling giddy and bouncing with energy? Yes! Yeah, I like to call that new phone vibes. It's that time of year at Bell. It's so good! Get in on those new phone vibes. Switch to Bell, Canada's fastest 5G plus network, and save over a thousand dollars on amazing phones with eligible trade-in. Visit a Bell store or Bell.ca slash spring for details. Bell. Getting a new

phone just got better. Here's Mike Johnson our TSN hockey analyst joining us here on the Maple Toyota hotline. What's the buzz like in Montreal for this game tonight? It's legit guys. It's legit. It's been a long time since Montreal has sort of felt like they are playing for something and all the players. Even Marty San Luis said on Saturday night they beat Florida. Really good game. Played really well. And there was like a standing ovation during the commercial break with six minutes left in the game. Even Marty said I had to almost look up and soak it in. It was just that sort of... The city's neat. Like when they get get behind an event when they get behind their team

they kind of bring up an energy almost like nowhere else in the league and that's sort of the vibe like walking around town you can feel it you can sense it Montreal could be in the playoffs if they win tonight they're going against the other best team in the league since the four nations it's gonna be a fun one yeah it's gonna be a great game tonight and i think it's it's definitely a bigger game for Montreal because the point difference the fact that they're at home Ottawa has been on

fire Ottawa they might hit a wall at some point you know I think they've won six in a row and they've got some really signature wins but this feels like one tonight and I think it says something about Ottawa at the same time Johnny that this would be somewhat of a signature win for Montreal because of how well Ottawa has been playing and I think that's the ultimate compliment that the Habs realized they're in for a test tonight but where are you in terms of these two teams making the playoffs you know I feel like Ottawa is in a very good spot oh you were saying that yesterday I think most people feel that way making it making the playoffs what about Montreal like we're still we got 15 16

games to go how would you handicap their chances of getting in yeah so just for the record I checked the playoff percentages on our favorite money puck they had the Sends at 97 I had no I would have said 78. Yes. I got, you know, my mind like that seems about normal 97. So they're likely more than likely to get in there for the Habs. You know, the teams around them are sort of stumbling. And I think that's part of the equation when, you know, do you trust Columbus to go on a big run, the Rangers, the Bruins, the Islanders? No. I mean, I think of any team in the last 16 games, you go 10 and six, you're in.

Nine and seven, you're probably in. Montreal's got games in hand on those teams. My concerns for the Canadians would be, they're getting carried by their number one line, which is awesome, they're playing spectacularly well in Caulfield, Suzuki, and Slavkovsky. Their goaltenderender obviously took the break and playing at the board,

being around the four nations come back, he's been really, really good. They're still not getting a lot of scoring outside of their top guys, which can be a bit of a problem, but I'd say right now it's probably 33% chance, many Jerry's that they get in with all the other teams around them.

You know, it's a bit of a toss up because they are competing with four or five teams, but they're in a very good spot by points percentage. They're in the playoffs right now. And there's a, you get around the team, you get around Marty Sanlouis, there's a belief that they can do it, which is something that is probably you need to have,

at least as a starting point to get there. Johnny, you do a bunch of Sens game along with noodles what is it that's allowed them to turn the corner i think you gotta give a lot of credit to green i think they have realized that they have to check and that's an imperative part of the game to move forward is it just development or they just realize but what like what is it they just say what we're doing the past was nonsense let's fix this sir

can you pinpoint a couple things that have helped them turn the corner yeah i think they're sort of lumped into one oh you start with trav the coach and recognizing that he has to teach them how to play defense yes this is the n.h.l. and you're also hearing and taught things but he had to teach them like angles lane

positioning siding, like all that stuff that they still work on every day to remind the players who had a few years of not great habits drilled down that they have to change them. So that's on Travis and the coaching staff and they've done a really good job. But also the players I think had gotten to the point now where they knew they needed to change. And that's not every team would get to that point. They've all made a ton of money,

they're all very successful financially, on the ice, points, all the rest. But I think as a group, oh, they sort of said, yeah, we're not good enough. Like, we're good players, but we're not nearly good enough to do anything. We need to change, we need to listen to our coaching staff and do what they tell us.

And if you could be, I think they are eighth or ninth In the whole league it's sort of like a lot of defensive metric expected goals against chances against all the rest You give yourself a chance and even though they haven't scored a bunch this year Which is probably why they keep winning right now because they are scoring throughout their lineup after the cousins trade But they give themselves a foundation if they get good good goaltending, and when Allmark has been healthy, he's been good. Started the year, he was coming off injury, not so good. Then got really hot, then got injured, not so good. Then is healthy again, he's playing really well

after the break. So I think it really starts with the kind of the structure, the defense, which started with the coaches, but then the players embraced the idea that they needed to change to improve to have a chance and and now they Do and they play hard, you know, I guess that's the other sort of compliment to them They play kind of a harder game They did make it sort of unpleasant led by their captain

Of course, but you know, it's a physical game when you play against them not a lot comes easy, which is hard to do For 82 games, but they've done a good job of it you talk about coaches and structure uh... and jay and there've been moments this season remember on the show there's been open kind of questioning of uh... martin san lucien how he was coaching this habs team were they playing with me requisite structure did you know what he was doing a guy whose previous coaching

resume mostly included minor hockey with his son that was a lot from haze best shot and he had hahaha from the two i can recall i can recall lots of commentary on all of our plea guilty to some of that to end a day i think i had a pretty pretty consensus opinion time cuz they look at roaches at times issue they were the

worst offensive team the first twenty gave me a head that in. But that's just a fact. Yeah. They were horrendous. The first 20 games of the year they were horrendous defensively. By the eye test, by the number test, by all of it they were awful. I think a couple of things have changed, Fess. One is he was using this sort of like swarm defensive zone system and guys just had no idea of what exactly he was looking for them to do or they weren't quite able to execute it even if they did understand and he's pulled back on that.

So they were they were like activating three guys into the corner in their own end all the time and you know you have the players who weren't winning battles and the guy be standing up front by himself like this doesn't seem like a good idea and it wasn't. So I think he's pulled back on that and been a little bit more passive plus the players have gotten better with it. I think that they've figured out sort of their lineup a little bit more and identity when guys

and sort of embrace defensive roles when they can. Kirby Dock, and I'm not happy that he's injured, was having a tough year at the beginning of the year, sort of defensively coming off an injury, and he was down like 30% expected goals for like two months. When he's your second line center running those numbers, it's impossible to look like you know what you're doing. So I think that's changed,

and their goal center's been good. So, you know, he's grown, the team's grown. When you're around Marty, he's really smart. Like it's not like he can't think of good ideas, he can't see that his idea might not be working and then pivot on the fly. He can figure out solutions for his talent level, whatever they might be. And he's done a pretty good job of that and they've had some growth and there's still some some holes in their lineup but I do think they just sort of settled things down because Hayes you're not a fraud you're right they were horrific the first two months awful and awful and

the players were talking about like we don't really understand what we're doing and it looked that way and but they cleaned that up because they've they've done a little bit more passive from it and then just the players are sort of executed it better yeah I think appropriate assessment and appropriate analysis is what happened earlier in the year and I want that on the record that that was appropriate at the time and listen I can shift with the times I'm proud of the Habs like the Habs are playing I'm sure they're very happy to hear that from me I'm sure that that's very important. You know what?

I'll give one guy I'll give credit to, Hayes, is Noodle's. Because he comes up with a couple teams a year. We're at the beginning of the year. We're like, sorry, Noodle's. That's just not happening. And he said from day one, I think they're going to be playing meaningful games. And they're a mid-80s team, and they're a high 80s, and they're going to be playing meaningful games

And he said I'm not gonna make any guarantees, but he never left the stance No He always he told me so he never left the stance and he was we even wanted to say to him How's your Habs doing pal like they were? You were awful early in the year Remember that he could stick with that and I thought before the year and even felt more convinced of it, they were going to be one of the worst two teams in the East.

Yes, same. In November, that's exactly where they were trending. Here's another thing that Noodle's hammered. And the only reason we're pumping his tire is because he's not here. Yes, Tampa Bay. But here's what he's been saying. Now, he's been throwing this mud at the wall for years.

And it never stuck in the past, but he has been saying, this is not a division that's gonna have a team finish with 115 points, or 120 points, and then the second place team has 112. He said everything's gonna shrink, and he's absolutely right, because the winner of the Atlantic

is probably gonna have about 105 points, give or take. Like that's what they're on pace for. This isn't, you know, like Florida last year had 112 or 114. I think Boston had 110 or whatever it was. Two years ago, we know what Boston did. 60 wins out of Tampa back in 2019. Like there were always the three or four teams that just dominated and everyone else was horrendous and noodles absolutely nailed that one because you're gonna get now outside of Buffalo basically the seven teams 20 points probably right 105 to 85 that's right yeah three points gap per team I got that's tight that's you know a weekend swing one way or the other and I guess that now noodles might even write about that but if you say it every year eventually it's gonna happen. Yes. We've been waiting five years for this to happen and it finally has where Boston has dropped and Tampa has dropped and

Toronto has dropped and Detroit has gotten better. Ottawa has gotten better. Montreal has gotten better. So yeah, it absolutely is that. And you know, like Ottawa to their credit now, you don't want to be too big for your britches, but like if you're like Ottawa, to their credit, now you don't wanna, it's gonna be too big for your britches, but like, if you're to ask Ottawa, hey, great news about Columbus. They're like, we're more interested in what Tampa's doing. Like, they're looking ahead. They're looking at Toronto winning last night saying,

shoot, like we want Toronto to lose because we were four points behind them. Like, that's where they're thinking about, like, let's get to third place, let's get to second place. They're seven up, they're closer to, let's get the third place. Let's get the second place. They're seven up They're closer to I don't know stands right now. I think they are as close basically to first in the division as they are to missing the playoffs So like they're comfortably in yeah, and they're thinking about what's ahead of them, which is which is a good spot to be absolutely Yeah, and even within their division like Buffalo's an outsider

clearly, but they're Tampa or Ottawa's eight points up on Boston and they're eight points behind, Florida So in terms of the you know seventh place team in the first place team there They're right in the middle of both and if they went tonight, they're that much closer to the guys at the top The Leafs did manage to win last night and they played very well. Like that's the most complete game They played in a long time Calgary had no shot They came out flying their special teams were hot Matthew scores to power play goes three for three And Max Domi's been a big part of it, too

And I'm curious you know we've had this Max Domi chat a lot in terms of where he fits and Like somewhat of a nomad within the lineup like should he play center does he play wing who can you play with where's he gonna be comfortable uh... if he plays with the energy that he's played over the last you know we could too that should allow berube to fall be comfortable sliding him in somewhere where you know is gonna make an impact on the steam and that's gotta be a positive

right like they they make the he may still have to play the wing maybe play center knows but if he plays closer what we've seen out of a last night the game against that's gotta be a positive right like they they make the may still have to play the wing maybe play center who knows but if he plays closer what we've seen out of a last night the game against florida last week it's been a dreadful season for him offensively in particular but if he can rise down the stretch into the playoffs he has the ability to impact the way this team is going to perform

yeah and any of a history of being good In the playoffs in a bunch moments, right? And I'm relaxed here He was like a point-of-game player the last 20 years in the playoffs He had four points in the playoffs, which you know pretty good for Toronto standards. You're not looking for a ton You're just looking for something and it's not the funny part about his conversation Is that it's never about is he talented like he sort of know that he's good. Like he's a good passer. He's got good vision. He's fast. He could be strong. We know he's tough. He can shoot. Like he's got the bucket of skills.

It was just sort of like where can he best apply them? And I mean, I think center is good for him because it makes him a skate and he's a good skater. Maybe sometimes not so good for him because he's not the best defensively. But yeah, I think he's gotten a lot better at that to his credit. And if you were to design the team like I think you know you take take away whatever they pay for Scott Lawton if you think well they pay the first round he's got to play higher up but if you looked at the lineup last night that's pretty close to what you know other than Holmberg maybe being a little bit higher than they would I you know maybe they like a little more polish in that spot I think

Craig Brubbe likes the idea of that line he like he's gone back to that McMahon Domey Robertson line you know you're gonna you know shelter them you're gonna get them third pair defensive minutes and trusted their speed can make things happen. And when it does, they're a different team. When that line goes, it hasn't happened much guys. It's been like what? 10 games this year where they sort of been impactful, but when they do, it's a

different team because they offer something in speed that the Leafs need. The Leafs are not a fast skating team. That's a fast skating trio. I bet that's the fastest line they have of before they rolled out last night and when they could play like that and make plays off the rush and you know pressure the puck and finish the team looks different. So I give Max credit he's sort of never pouted publicly although you know it's bothering him is his stats and his lack of goals. Just keeps grinding away at it but he would say

maybe this is his time here like and want to do it a few years a you can get a pass for fifty games but you know i i thought they might still be there when it matters most of people on a strong finish played well in the plaza however long it last they don't know that you sort of tolerate left great for that left the great production of the regular to the city truck that's gonna come when it matters most

johnny along with Mini Jerry's, we also do a little thing called Underpants Cam. Mm-hmm. Where do you think Nick Robertson was, as far as that element, when Morgan Frost put that puck into the net, and he was sitting in the penalty box for the second time?

The first one was idiotic. What was that about, O? Can you give me any explanation with a slapper? Like, what was that? If I know myself as a coach, as soon as he took the slap shot, I would have said, just go take your gear off and go in the dressing room. He heard the whistle.

Yeah, like it was just so stupid. That was like a peewee play. Yeah. Would you try to say say i didn't hear it where you try to stir it up and walk possibly with the thinking when you get that i have no idea uh... i've i don't know you i mean it was a good like two seconds after the whistle everyone else on that call and he can't say he didn't hear the whistle

like everybody heard the whistle so don't know about the topic is crazy and then he dig the other one you know careless stick he was triple depends is what it was like he was whatever he had leakage and seepage at the side it was the low the double blowout it was terrible. Whatever the worst is that's what it was to the point where I'm watching I'm thinking not only might he not play again tonight, he's not playing next game. I'm not gonna say never, but he's not playing next game either. You just played yourself out of the lineup. Oh yeah. Yeah. Because,

and I, and I, when I'm down within the benches, oh, you can feel how, how badly he wants to do well. And I think he hurts himself cause he wants it so bad. Like he wants to score and he wants to do well. Oh yeah. And I think he hurts himself because he wants it so bad. He wants to score and he wants to make plays and he's always trying to do everything just a trillion miles an hour as hard as he possibly can. And sometimes I'm like, you just got to take a breath. And I know it's hard because you put a lot of pressure on yourself. You're trying to find your role on a good team and you think you can score and you're not scoring and all the rest.

But sometimes I just think, if you just breathe, just relax, doesn't mean don't try, but just stop ripping it so tight. And I think that's where these penalties come from, because he's trying to be so, do everything. And it's almost better off if he just relaxed a little bit, but he would have been feeling Incredibly rough because he would know it'd be that's it like he's gone here comes

You know they're gonna put somebody else on there a little rancid but Lawton on there We're gonna play three lines and that's it for me But fortunately, you know if he's played well his line played well, he may have bought himself Another game because they didn't score when he was in there Well, I think ultimately MJ you can talk a lot about Nick Robertson's kind of dicey situation he's been like that for a long time here in Toronto but the bottom line is as Brad Tree Living has said multiple times the Leafs need him to be a good player like he's essential to them being their best. Yes. Yeah. Anyway. Well he plays that style I mean he can move and he can skate in

if he's yeah will see it as a lot of the difference maker there was a game i believe it was game six or seven when nick paul for the tampa bay lightning had a couple goals it wasn't stamp coast it wasn't cooter off instead there could be a game yeah it was game seven there could be some kind of game where you need a couple nick robertson goals as crazy as that's a capable of doing it it's not you're asking you know even lorenz to do it is not a goal

scorer it you know robertson is a guy if you get him alone in the slot he knows what he's doing he literally did it last night we saw it like he's a guy that can read a play and he can get a party get a stick on a park with some mustard on it and put it in a right in the right place so he's just got a smart not he's got to make sure he doesn't put himself in the dog house is that i don't know if you know i can frost but that pocket that i don't like you might never see that guy again yeah it was trouble him i don't live with her ticket that was a problem

there was a lot but he survived and the Leafs survived. All right, Habs sends tonight. Enjoy it. Say hi to Noodles for us and we'll do it again later in the week. Have a good night. There he is, Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst. Joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline, drive the built-in Canada fuel-efficient,

fun-to-drive Toyota RAV4, gas or hybrid models available. Visit mapletoyota.ca. Kane Brown's new album, The High Road, is available now.