OverDrive - Johnson on the Maple Leafs' grand shot against the Panthers, Matthews leading the stars and Canada's Men's Worlds outlook

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs' series lead against the Panthers, Auston Matthews' role leading the stars, Max Pacioretty channelling his playoff skill, Josh Morrissey's return to the lineup, Mikko Rantanen's impressive run, Canada's Men's Worlds roster and more.

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Join today and be part of something amazing. Given five days or less to accept a severance offer, you need employmentlawyer.ca. You actually have two years to file a claim for a severance package, which can total as much as 24 months' pay. Call your Sam Firou and get what you're owed. Employmentlawyer.ca. Here's Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Trial Hotline. We acclimated over there. How are we feeling? Pretty good. Hey, I'm not going to lie to you.

I slept well on the flight over. Slept pretty well the first couple of nights. It's like, what is it, 11 o'clock here? Yeah, I will go to sleep in a bit and I think I'll sleep through the night. So yeah, all good. Kind of on normal schedule now. Okay.

What are you talking about? It's Friday night in Sweden. I know and it pains me to say this and I'm not being a hero here, but I have to do three games tomorrow. Dude, rock it old school man. Go right to the, put a suit on and go right to the rink. It's not my energy that's the issue or my morality, it's my voice.

So, it's just. I can't go to the bar at night and then go and do seven hours of games. Two days, like I'll lose my voice by Monday. So as much as I would like to, and I'm right in the thick of it, I am two blocks from Old Town. I am less than a kilometer from Cafe Oprah, allegedly, and I cannot go out until I have a day off, which is like 10 days away. And the other thing too, Johnny, calling an NHL game, we all know who the players are, right?

You're very recognizable, like you're obviously going to know the Canadian players but a guy on the other team who you've never seen before and you've had to do so much research on him because the guy had never played in the NHL and he's played in a second division league somewhere, like that's the biggest challenge for you, isn't it? It's not only the amount of time you've got to call the games with but basically the research you have to do on players that you know are not household names yeah i can't complain about newton slow vina yeah i was a copa tar was playing okay

other than that i don't know if i've heard of any player on their team so i'm open canada the pop a lot but yeah, you can't sort of fake it out of memory. So anyways, so I am here in the room doing some work for tomorrow talking to you guys and then hopefully I won't wake up at all. Like in game two, I woke up middle of the night and watched the last 10 minutes live of the Leafs game, was like from you know 2 45 to 3 in the morning or something and kind of watched how that one ended hopefully that won't happen that I was watching the morning but we'll see well then you would have seen you know pretty good action down the stretch man it was

an unbelievable hockey game game too and the Leafs are back in familiar territory I guess when you consider where they were last series. They were up 2-0 against Ottawa heading on the road. We know how that finished. Simone Benoit over time. This sets up to be a more difficult test, although Ottawa was, I thought, played pretty well in Game 3. Like, they were prepared, but the Leafs were prepared as well.

And I'm curious where you stand on the Florida Panthers. Like to you you in your opinion Is it just a lock that they have a great game tonight or have they they've shown you in the last two games? That maybe they're leaking oil a little bit or the Leafs are pushing them around in certain areas What what do you expect from the Panthers tonight? I? Would be very surprised the Florida didn't play well Doesn't mean they're going to win for sure, but I think we've seen two years in a row to the final, the core group of players that have been there and when they've had to rise

to the occasion, they've been in some tight spots in the last couple of years, they have generally risen to the occasion. The players and noodles may be specifically the goal sender. And so I would expect them all to be good. Now, so Toronto has all to be good. Now so Toronto has to be really good. I think Toronto has done a better job in the playoffs two games than during the regular season games of taking advantage of an uber aggressive four-check. Oh talked a lot about it like getting stuff through the

neutral zone, getting stuff off the rush. That never happened or rarely happened during the regular season. It's happened several times and they've converted on them. If they can, that's, those opportunities will still be there. You know, the forecheck will still be heavy, it'll be aggressive, they'll be up the ice, and if they can make plays on turnovers or make plays quickly, they'll get those chances. I think that is something maybe the Leafs have unlocked in the first couple games to their advantage and those results in dangerous chances more so than you know, scrumming around on a cycle. So that's maybe something Hayes they can latch on to from the first couple

games. But I would expect this to be a very tough game and if they can get it, well you know, then they're going to conference final essentially you know and it's never over but it's only happened four times so this is a massive game and the mentality of the leaf to not think we've done a good job getting up to nothing and if you take a breath and if you ease off at all sort of mentally or emotionally

for right back in the series after tonight tonight that that's a really big game for trial play well if craig berube had the option of hockey gods sat in his office and said you can have one of the other tonight to be the best player on the ice austin matthews or joseph wall which one you take i'm always taken the goalie could even an often the best player he might get one in one

but it shows the wall to best player player, he might get one and one. But if Joseph Wall is the best player, Florida gets none or one. And that's going to result in a win. So I'll always take the goaltender for sure. But I do think Austin has their line, and Paul Maurice was asked about it, how he feels if Barkov and Matthews have gone against each other. And I thought in game two two Barkov, he got the better of us. I know Mish scored the game winner and results matter, that's all that matters.

But I thought Barkov carried the play largely against Austin Matthews' line in game two so we'll see if they can flip that around. But I'm always taking the gold tender, Obe, just because if the goalie has a great game, you basically win that game. That's not always a guarantee with a positional player. Johnny, what do you make of some of. That's not always a guarantee with a positional player. Johnny, what do you make of some of the depth players chipping in and specifically a guy like Max Patchouretti who started as a healthy, comes in as the third line, now he's cemented

himself on the second line there and looking pretty good. It's so pivotal. It's one of the that sort of hasn't happened in years past. Max, I gave him so much credit for being able, but maybe more importantly willing to reinvent himself late in his career. He's had a really good career as an offensive player who scores goals, who wants the puck. You know, he plays physical to get it, but he doesn't play physical to play physical. That's not the way he's played in his career. And yet here he is, mid-30s, recognizing that

if I want to be a contributing part of this team, I gotta be willing to just put my head down, use my big frame, skate and hit and finish, and then the offense may or may not come, but I can't worry about that. And that's not as easy and not as obvious as people might make it, might think it would be and so he's been a big part of it and he's a big guy and Florida is a team that sometimes requires big guys to push them back because they're going to push you and occasionally

it's nice for you to run them over. And he has that. We've talked about him throughout the year like from the first game He played this season way back when he started before he got injured He was hammering guys like hitting guys at a level like I don't remember him ever doing this So it's something that he obviously was intent on doing and he's fall through the entire season. It's been important and that Six top six forward it has been a revolving door. They've tried everyone there.

There was always the hope when they signed Max Pacioretty that it could be him in this exact moment. Like, almost in this exact series where he could be ideally suited to play this role. And so far in the first couple of games, he's played a massive role in them being up to nothing. And so far in the first couple games, he's played a massive role in them being up to nothing With Mike Johnson our TSN hockey analyst ahead of game three tonight Matthew Kachuk, do you I don't I don't know what you're seeing out of his game, but we were talking about this last hour You know Bob has not been himself and if he's not going to be himself and that changes everything

For me putting the goaltending aside if Matthew Kachuk is not capable of inserting himself into the series and being an impact, I'm not sure Florida can get up off the mat either. I don't know if you see it that way or not, but do you have belief that Kachuk will be better and more impactful once they get back to Florida? I'm with you, Hans. Even for Matthew Kachuck, it's got to be tricky to miss two and a half months and then just walk into the playoffs and expect to be really good, as good as he is. And it feels like he's still getting up to speed. Now, he's never been a game that's based on fluid, fast skating. It's sort of a much grindier game in type. But yeah, he's got to have an impact. He's got to have an impact making plays, producing points, and being

around the puck enough that he can bug the opposition, that he can get in that agitating role that he is maybe the best in the world at. So yeah, I would think that he's getting healthier as it goes, but he doesn't look like he's all the way there. Coaching staff for Florida wouldn't acknowledge that. They said they liked his game. He hasn't had the impact that you'd expect him to. If he's physically capable, again, you'd expect him to be better in this game.

I just don't know after that break if he's actually physically capable. That is the question, man. It is. Like, he is, when you look at what they... It's not a will thing. It's just, if he could, you know he would. You just wonder if he can. Well, and again, they got through Tampa with... He contributed. He scored goals. First game back he had a couple of goals. But wasn't averaging a ton of ice time. And a couple years ago when they went to their first cup final, remember he was out in the cup he would just couldn't play it sternum yeah and they were done you know and again Bob kind of was

leaking oil then too but they just ran out of gas and you know again if you're the Leafs we're like it always seems like we talk about well you know if you get a chance to hit Marner you do it if you get a chance like you should be doing the same thing with Kachuk no kidding like just bury him every chance you can drag He you always assume he's the guy that wants to drag you into a scrum. You'd be the one to do it I'm not saying Marner Matthews But if you're Jake McKay bury him when you can fear if you're Brandon Karlo if you're any of these guys men Try to drag him into a fight because if he's not at a hundred percent man, you never know what you're gonna get

He may not be able to do it. Yeah, we'll see. In terms of that thinking, I'm curious what we are expecting out of Josh Morrissey tonight, who is going to return for the Jets. And St. Louis just was killing them every chance they got. I got to believe Peter DeBoer is going to tell his team, if you get a chance to bury this guy, just lean on him. I don't know what we're going to get.

Where do you stand on that, Johnny? It's great to have him back. We presume he's a game-time decision. We think he'll play tonight. But if he's at 70, 80 percent, what is that really going to do for Morrissey and what do you think it does for the Jets tonight? It's interesting because it looks like his injury is an upper body thing right so you think he'd be able to defend because you know if you could skate okay you can gap up you can kind of get in the way on the rushes and get body

position but when I see that shoulder slump down after a hit then he kind of try to hit somebody else and it just looked like a dragon on him you wonder what the strength will be like when he shoots the puck because that's one of the real assets he has and you know what you know that Dallas as you mentioned is going to run him even guys who don't hit you like, okay He's wounded. It's like the it's like the the antelope that's got the bad lint in the Serengeti Like he's gonna get chased down. Everyone's gonna be trying everyone's gonna be drawn to him. And so How many more hits can he take? Will that allow him to play at his best level? I'm not sure but you know it's all hands on

deck for Winnipeg right now but Dallas is a load. They are a stacked, stacked team that it feels like they're just kind of getting better almost like Edmonton. Just sort of playing better as they go and Winnipeg will need Shifily back up and run like he was the lead more see i just i don't know how much better if you know leave a game with your shoulder dragging boated four five four days ago yeah i don't know how much better can get in that short of a time

and what about the most you got a deal with that guy i mean this guy's probably has a score goals good luck so i don't know if that you get on child the goals in a row that might be a ball before the record he said from the natural hatchery to the hatchet in the closeout game to the four point in the period whatever it is even on twelve straight goals for the dallas stars in the playoffs in a game six in a game seven in a game one against just wild

and he's not at any of the winger lately letterman are around its face off there in the middle one. It's just wild and he's a winger. Like at least Centerman are around it's face-off. They're in the middle of the ice. They're around the puck more. He's a winger and he's doing that. How the narrative has changed for him and this season in three games from a guy you're sort of scratching your head well without a good decision by Dallas where is he? Is he pounding? Is he gonna be okay? So now he's what like pawns my frontrunner because of three other worldly games. Again showing why I just checked it. I think he's seventh all time in points per game in the playoffs. All time ahead of Mark Messier who's an eighth.

Like that I know he played Nate McKinnon and I know that make that helps but he also helped Nate McKinnon be really good like they work together well and He's been he's been showing exactly why he was post-sought after throughout the year And now that he maybe is finally right emotionally and sort of fully moved on from from Colorado You can see what he could do now. I'm not expecting another hat trick, but it's just been amazing what he's done Johnny do you think that Nate McKinnon is taking Sydney Crosby for lunch and for dinner and saying What do you think of Colorado? Well, I just said and the GM over this team Canada is Kyle Dubas So, you know the if you want to get Kyle Dubas is here as well. Okay

Do they would have been fishy if he named Nate captain? I think it's like Ryan O'Reilly was over here. Ryan O'Reilly is one of the all time great world championship players. He for sure would have been the captain. I'm like, sorry, Ryan, said the captain and now Nathan assistant. He's an assistant. Yeah, it's it would have been a little fish if he did that, but I tell you what guys,

they practiced here this morning, Team Canada, and Sid walks off the ice, and over here you do like your media on this sort of red carpet thing as you walk through the mix zone, and there must have been 100 media members, just swarmed them, 10, and well 15 people deep in this Semicircle is just there chatting away it like like nothing I've ever seen at any of these tournaments

I've been coming to these things for 15 years. It's amazing the star power he has but yeah, I would bet that Nate McKinnon Is in since year all the time about coming to Colorado, if he's thinking about it, in a respectful manner, I guess. But yeah, I mean, I imagine that would be something that he would be very interested in getting Sid to do. The thing is, I wouldn't be shocked if Sid looked at it and said, well, you guys won your cup a few years ago, for sure,

but since then, you have won a round. What have you guys done? And if I get Nate to pit, maybe I get into the playoffs So, you know, why isn't Sid trying to sell Nate McKinnon on demand? I'm trade that's crazy. Why not? What is Colorado done the last couple years nothing well The other other guy in Colorado is pretty good though that that McCarr. You know what I mean?

Pretty good. Pretty good. You know what else is good around Colorado? All the other teams in the West. There is something to be said about the East. I think if you were on a very good team in the East, you have a much better chance of doing something in the playoffs than if you're on a very good team in the West right now. That's just the way the league is sort of set up and you know if you were it would never

happen but you know that idea that if you went to the easier conference per se then maybe you might have a better chance to go deeper in the playoffs. Johnny if you were the ownership group like if you were the owner of the Colorado Avalanche and you had an exit meeting with Sackett and McFarlane what would you what would like would you want an explanation for that or they already went through all that? Like they would have had to gone to ownership with the Ranton and business but like didn't work out and it just adds insult to injury when he tortures them in game seven. Like what would your, what would your handle

on that be? Yeah, I would assume you're right that they would have been well Briefed on the contract offer if they're gonna offer Ranted in like a hundred million dollars that probably would go through ownership of some time and some level But I guess what I would ask you say so when we decided to trade him How much more money would have taken? to trade him, how much more money would it have taken? How far apart were we from the number that we were comfortable paying him and the number that we could have got him to take? Were we comfortable at nine five and he would have taken nine nine?

How close were we and was it worth it to trade a player of that caliber over $250, $500,000 per year or whatever it might be? That's the kind of question I'd be like, because it seems, you know, do we lose sight of the force for the trees? Because, you know, I understand the cap ramifications of getting the car done and loading up on three big contracts, but the cap's going up. And if it was $300,000, like, please,

$300,000, $500,000, just take that off one of your third pair of defensemen. That's where you save $500,000. You don't off one of your third pair of defensemen. That's where you save $500,000. You don't save it on Miko Rantanen. That's the sort of conversation I would have with them. Like, how close were we and why did it fall apart if we were that close? Well, that ship has sailed and Miko Rantanen is still rolling in the second round and in Winnipeg ahead of Game 2 tonight.

All right, Johnny, enjoy yourself over there, enjoy your weekend, good luck with that voice of yours and say hi to Gordon everyone for us. And if you hear it's scratchy it's because it's working hard not because it's going out. Yes of course, of course it is. Thank you Johnny. Alright boys, have a good weekend. Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline, drive the built inin Canada fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive Toyota RAV4.

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