OverDrive - Johnson on the Maple Leafs' statement win, the overtime heroics and the series around the playoffs

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs' large victory against the Senators, Simon Benoit's overtime winner, the stars making their mark in the games, the outline of the series in the playoffs and more.

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this Saturday at 3 p.m. on News Talk 1010. Here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst. Go ahead, Johnny. The floor is yours. Take it back. Thanks for the nice warm welcome, fellas. Really, I appreciate it.

Honest to God, like I'm trying to save you here, Johnny. These two are like just on their high horse just firing darts at you. Here's one thing, Johnny. These guys are assuming I referred to you as an analytics nerd. I said there was some analytics nerds complaining about the lack of playmaking and that Leafs were dumping the puck in too much and that's not their identity and they're not playing to their identity. And these two guys said, well, that would be Mike Johnson. I would say that actually.

Noodle's did. Yes. He's talking about a picture that's inappropriate. I wouldn't see it that way. You know what? We could go back to the tape of as recent as 90 seconds ago. That is not true at all. Oh, you said you took a shot at Johnny saying saying these analytics nerds and go let's get to

johnny and and that's me and that's that's when hayes goes yes let's call out johnny for his as recent as how many two weeks ago you said well that that might wrong i mean i'm just pointing out okay so i don't know what let me let me just address what you just that yes i said that they were playing differently they were not ad dominant five on five in their current style of play as they were in years past.

They are playing a team that was the second lowest scoring team in the league five on five. And I think you would say, yes, they're winning. They're up three nothing. They've won two overtime games. I'm not here to just finish that at all. But to suggest that somehow this has been an overwhelmingly dominant five on five performance by the Toronto Maple Leaf against the Ottawa Senators I would call that fake news Oh or Hayes because that's not true

True, so I'll stand by my comments. They're absolutely true now our goal is allowed to be part of your team Yep, our power play club you party yep i never commented on any of that fact that said they probably got better goals in the cutting years all you're long so ice bed correct not corrected i just had correct bill that's all i look at it okay i'm not sure what i think he has had

i'm not sure about any of that johnny but he's just meant and mentioned some key additions the other base stole ours tanaf that Johnny but Hayes just mentioned some key additions. Yeah. Barube, Stolarz, Tanav, Ekman Larsen. Who would you think of the group he just mentioned would be at the top of the most important? You think it's a coach? Yeah, I mean I think so. I think given in all seriousness how different they are approaching the way they play now

versus in years past. That starts with a coach. It's got to get the guys to buy in to play a system that maybe not quite as comfortable for them, not quite as natural for them. And I mean, even that clip of him telling Mark Savard to settle down, which I think is amazing, like just the whole idea.

He's calm, he expects a certain way that they play, and when they do it, he trusts that they'll be successful. So I started with Craig Rubick, because there was a lot of changes that he sort of needed to implement. He expects a certain way that they play, and when they do it, he trusts that they'll be successful. So I started with Craig Rubick, because there was a lot of changes that he sort of needed to implement, and he had to get the guys to buy the fact that if they play this lower event style,

lower risk, lower reward, trust that we will be able to defend our way in tight games with good goal-tenning and timely scoring to wins, they had to buy him what he was preaching, and he's done a good job of getting them to buy in and the guys have done a good job buying what he's selling because they're executing it and they're winning games right now. Um, and then after that, I would say TANF. I mean,

you go out and get the preeminent shutdown defender. If you want to try to reinvent yourself, your team a little bit as a team that comfortable defending, go get the best guy they did. He has been that. that and he's they're all part of how this team is is different this year than years past yeah the McCabe-Tana pairing is is very comforting pairing to have on the ice like they're they play with poise they've got some physicality a little bit of bite they haven't had to use it that much but they are they are under control when they're on the ice.

Very noticeable. And the fact of the matter is, so far in the series, they haven't had to ride those guys too hard, which if you don't want to get greedy, don't want to get ahead of ourselves, we can, the players shouldn't. But like the fact is they can get through this series in the fewest games possible without taxing McCabe coming off injury. Can if it has hard miles on him. Those guys are playing 20, 22 minutes at times with a third pair playing 16, 17, 18. That all bodes well to how they should feel if they want to take this thing for six more

weeks. Johnny, before we get back into the hard hitting and you having to defend yourself. Were you really upset about the Cousins Stolar transaction in warm up? I didn't even know about it until obviously Dreggs had tweeted it out in that. What do you make of all that nonsense and gamesmanship or are we talking too much about it already? So I mean like mostly I'm like whatever who cares if the players don't care now if his cousins and stole ours who played together on their buddies and every guy does that when they play in games then it doesn't matter we're gonna find whole for and shy flee for

stay on the ice too late to see what the last guy to step off is like what does it matter now if it's done to be a jerk and like you know you're firing pucks in the guy's case if they're crossing over trying to bug whatever then like yeah because I think you find them to say don't do that because we don't want that ever to escalate to who did Darcy Tucker go at the at the red line with one time was it was it Sean Avery? Yeah it was Avery. That sort of interaction stop shooting the puck what do you got to do about it? All of a sudden there's an altercation at the red line in warm-up.

You don't want it to get to that. So if it was done with any sort of irritable intent, then I'd then find them sure and tell them don't do it anymore. If it was done for just being way where buzzed, I'm saying hello, then it's probably an overreaction. Johnny, in terms of like which assist impressed you more game one Matthews to Marner or last night Marner to Matthews? Probably last night. The game one was nice because it was defense offense but last night a lot of stuff happening there puck coming around the wall it's spinning you You gotta handle it, you gotta see it.

You gotta lay it out there clean. You gotta put it through the feet of whatever defender was coming at you. The goalkeeper, Paul Omar, he's still on the right post looking for that thing. He still hasn't gone to the correct side of the net. That was beautiful. And that, you know,

O and I have been in the studio a few nights. Like, in those big moments, yes, they've had Domi and Benoit randomly scoring game winning goals, but you're looking for big plays and big moments and in tight games, in third periods. I haven't had a lot of that in years past. Just haven't had the difference making plays. That was supremely skilled difference making play

in a tie game in a third period. You're two best guys linking up and doing something special that was That was pretty that was a very very nice pass. Yeah, I would agree that was so sick man Like that was a beautiful play. Totally intentional like no sort of luck. Oh, I caught it. No No, he knew exactly what he was doing what he was trying to do and he pulled it off perfectly Well like Marner's had an interesting series because like I don't picture him like with the park all time you know it's not leading rushes or anything like that color dot being into much well that's the part of it exactly about that

you're right but i i think that i was gonna say i think he's on the right side of the park constantly beautiful plays in terms of you know finishing a game one setting up matthews last night, he's contributing on the power play. So it's just a different kind of look of what you would expect out of Marner because four or five years ago it was like the expectations were, well, you better be a wizard out there. You better do it.

We've seen Patrick Kane do in the past. And that's not necessarily how it looks but the point production is very high and very impressive and he's playing with these habits and doing things along the boards that I think have contributed greatly to his team being up 3-0 and ultimately that's what Mitch and Austin and Willie, they need that more than anything. You have 25 points in the round, who cares? If you're losing 7 it's irrelevant. You need to win and I think there gets back to what we're talking about with Perube.

They seem to be accepting those roles and I think contributing greatly. Yeah. I mean, I think there's a lot of parts to it, right? One is exactly that, playing that way, buying in, not chasing points, just playing the way you're supposed to. Perhaps the Four Nations for Mitch had something to do with the comfort in tight games playing this way because in the Four Nations that's how he played, right? He didn't have to fuck the whole game. Just playing it smart, playing it smart, waiting for the time when your skill could come to the forefront and then when it does, make it happen. He did it in overtime of the four nations. He did it last night in that nice pass. And the fact is when the power play works, it makes it way more comfortable

for the guys to play whatever you're asking them to do at five on five because they don't they have a ton of points and they don't feel bad about the points and they're just trying to be responsible and trying to win. It's not that they're selfish and you know if they weren't getting points but there's something about trying to create offense for the betterment of the team that when you do it whatever power player or five on five, if you get it then you're not sort of pulling yourself in funny areas to try to chase it. So a lot of stuff coming together and working and again like it's three nothing They're very likely going to win the series to overtime goals This game could this year's could easily be to one for Toronto could be to one for Ottawa

It's not been a route, but it doesn't matter. This is the playoffs and I'll acknowledge this I'm the ultimate process over results guy over the regular season in the playoffs that all matter all that matters is results that's it it is all about results who cares about the process and right now they're getting the results and they're believing and they got themselves in a really good spot to be done early and then catch their rest to get ready for the next round. Well and that next round as of as of now looks like it'll be Florida two nothing quick man they go into Tampa they take both games there was video at the end of the game where Marchand and Bennett and Kachuk are all together chirping the bench of Tampa you're watching that thinking how is this real like how are

these three-headed puppet like just yeah the worst of the worst if you're a Panther fan the greatest thing you've ever seen But if you're a fan of any other team, you're like really those three guys are now we teammates Have we heard about Hagel? Where are you guys on the Hagel? Where do you stand on that? Where he said three games noodles said one I said one Okay, I was 100% 100% suspension, you know exactly what he's doing. You know exactly who is doing to he didn't care whether he touched the puck or not

He was gonna hit him that hard no matter what yeah, I've never touched the puck players have to be protected So how do you get to only one Johnny with that kind of assessment? Because I've seen these things on his Hartman got dealers on one early in the year About two games in the regular season two games in the regular season. Two games in the regular season. Sort of equates out to be one in the playoffs. That's the standard they use. So I think history tells us this is two. That then gets reduced to one because it's a playoff. But I think it's one. But again, if Barkov can't play, you know, Shantambo would almost take that trade, unfortunately. That's the way it goes.

Well, that's true. And you know, Florida's gonna lay it on thick We don't know if he can play he's probably done Well, they've already yeah, I mean it's already Thought I was reading that it says that he embark off doubtful tomorrow that type of stuff I mean, they got to protect the player ultimately they're up to nothing but you know, you hope that he's alright there There was nobody debating, you know, whether this was a suspendable play or not. It's a hundred percent Man, oh, yeah, they're saying should only get to a parent maybe just overreaction. I'm like no no no no That's a suspension every day. How much trouble could you get in guys if you posted fake videos like ambulances stretchers?

Him with a neck guy up. up with all your neck brace, bark off jersey, yeah, really struggling after that hit. Yeah, nah, I mean you could, depends, listen, gamesmanship, like that's the thing you see with that team, those three guys sitting there chirping, like Matthew Kachuck is having the time of his life, like he's, he is front and center in everything. Like, it's just...

Think of where he's at, Noodles. Other guys we've talked about, oh, it's the playoffs. They're kind of, you know, in awe and they're under the gun and they don't know how to figure it out. That guy hasn't played since February and he just puts his jersey on. Obviously, he had to do a lot of prep work and wheels out there and starts ripping home goals of running the power play yelling at guys like it's just a second

it's amazing how comfortable that guy is playing in the playoffs yeah i'm back there and i come back to you like all kind of the hard always going to be different for him somehow it caters to his game and his personality better he had to put the record even with him uh... all the testament to him different for him somehow it caters to his game and his personality better he had a regular season which is also a testament to him. Oilers or Habs?

Better chance of getting back into the series. I mean I say Edmonton because the two guys. I think Edmonton is in more trouble. They're starting Cal Pickard. Noodle's my favorite. The least flexible goalt tender in the league. He's had a good record, but he's an awkward looking guy out there, the defenseman at home has been a mess.

LA is rolling, so all the reasons not to pick Edmonton. But they got McDavid, and they got Dry Saddle, and those guys are good enough that they can do it sort of on their own with just a little bit of help and go out and get back in the series. I don't think they're going to. And Montreal has been really close, but I just also think that Montreal is probably going to come up with just a bit short regardless.

But I mean, Edmonton is troubling Hayes if you're out there with Edmonton because think about they have two games in, they've swapped their goaltenders, they've swapped their defense and they're missing their glue guy and he's not coming back. And they're not sure who's's gonna play with who and what the lines might be and there are two games in it's everything is on the table and they play just two games that's how poorly the first two have gone yeah add one thing to that have you seen you're looking at the bracket everything in the east is zeros and like potential sweeps everything in the East is zeros and potential sweeps.

Everything in the West is at least, another team has won a game except for Edmonton. Now they've got an opera. It's 2-1-2-1-2-1-2-0 in the West. Everything out East is 3-0-2-0-2-0-2-0. What we kind of expected, didn't we? Because we thought the east was a little bit I don't know maybe not to this extent but oh you don't have faith in your boys in Jersey tonight Hey, no, I don't I don't

Okay, so here's a question Hayes just quickly and it's kind of spinning away but Washington Montreal, Carolina, New Jersey We wake up tomorrow. Is it both three nothing or is it is one is one team getting a jersey or Montreal tonight I think that I could see the Habs I said that the other night too but they've they've been in game Montembaugh's playing very well and I think that building them feeding off that building I guess you could argue the same thing with Jersey Jersey's gonna win game I don't think Jersey's gonna get swept. But I think I came into it fully expecting Washington and Carolina would win those series. And I thought Toronto

would win. Florida and Tampa I thought was coin flip. And I don't think that's over yet but it's clearly in a bad, you're in a dark place if you're Tampa right now. So the chalk is winning. Where, you know, at West that's not the case because now minis up to one and LA is up to nothing and You know there's Dallas is there in a row at home guys 13 in a row at home for st. Louis very rightly like that series is Could get tight If st. Louis wins the next game is could get tight if St. Louis wins the next game. That could be very interesting and brutal

and we talked about it before. Like the fact that Winnipeg has to play a team as good and as hot as St. Louis in the first round after being the best team in the league, that sucks for them but St. Louis is putting up the test we thought they would. Well, Noodle's, we haven't mentioned Halibuk yet but where do we stand on him?

I mean, I thought they were just out. They were out class last night. You're watching that game like, oh, you talked about that start like that. St. Louis looked like they had seven players on the ice against like, honestly, everywhere Winnipeg's D turned, they were getting run over from both sides. Like it was an energetic start by saying, have to turn it around like they didn't game two and say the party's over guys yeah that's it exactly I think you know it's a bad night but I don't I mean Hellebuck little shaky game one but they won game two I thought he was rock-solid last

night I think it's a burn the tape for them and and regroup I'm more worried about Vegas is goaltending than I am yeah then I am Hellebuck because if burn the tape for them and and regroup i'd buy more worried about vegas is goaltending than i am yeah then i am uh... hellebuck because of a kiss they just plays a certain way because aiden hill plays a certain way jane was in a crazy looking at vegas is goaltending and then look at what that guy did in washington the other night logan thompson it was like a new you watch that i play a good game you're like how could anybody not have them as it and i know he's like the was like, you watch that guy play a good game, you're like, how could anybody not have them as it?

And I know he's like the, the late bloomer and he's not the traditional stud goaltender, but damn, he was good in game two against Montreal. There's a few, I'm, now go back a while and he wasn't the goaltender he is now, but Anthony Stolar has played in Anaheim, he played in Edmonton, he played in... Take some O'Hallie. O'Hallie, it takes a while and the right situation but it's just some of those fan bases are going, boy it would be nice to have that guy here. It happens but I still think Vegas recovers, they're a veteran team.

They might have taken many a little light, they can't do that now because this mini team can play. But there's some interesting storylines. This Winnipeg St. Louis one, this might be closer than people think. Like that's St. Louis team. Like to your point, Johnny, they can play. And this Dallas, Colorado, I can't get a read on it. I thought Colorado was going to take them and they'd be twice in overtime. Overtime games make it all close.

Tell me a quick thought though, the mini thing. Not only the goalies, Gustafson versus whatever the hell is done, but also when you got Capri's off, best player for Minnesota's got seven points lighting it up every game, equals nothing minus five in three games. Like you take your best player and outplay them. You take the goaltender out playing. You're probably going to be ahead in the series. Minnesota is in a good spot there. And it just to bring it back to Stollers, not only to make it a

saves, which we feel at least like, but his demeanor, he looks like he's having a blast in there, like the smiling and the bump in the break. All the like, he looks. Our guy was never really played as the guy in the playoffs he looks so unfazed by whatever's going on or whatever pressure there may allegedly be because he looks like he's feeling none of it and as a player I would feed off of that like look at our goalie he looks so at ease with everything going on around him why would we get stressed out when he's not stressed out I just think not only the saves but his

sort of the energy he's given off, the demeanor is one that oozes just, it's gonna be okay, don't worry about it. I'm not worried about it, so you guys don't worry about it. I got it, which is a good place to be. Massive advantage, man. If you're winning the goalie confidence meter, that one is really significant.

The deserved to win a meter, not necessarily. Goalie confidence meter, that one is really significant like the deserve to win a meter not necessarily goalie confidence meter That one goes that quickly. We always throw one little mini Jerry at you Here's your mini Jerry for this Friday the Leafs advance the Florida Panthers advance or any team from Florida It's the Toronto Maple Leafs that advance to the quarterfinals. Mini Jerry. You set it up so well, I think you meant semifinals, but I would say it's the Leafs. I don't think you can add that, but go ahead.

I'm just saying, you set it up so nicely, we're going to have to do a redo on the voiceover. I would say the least play Florida, toss up. Least play Tampa, 56% likelihood they win. So I have to do it based on opponent. But I'm going to give them toss up against Florida, which I think at this point is almost a compliment to Toronto because you'll take those odds with home ice that it's basically a pick-up. Yeah, I think that's a positive little mini Jerry for Leafs fans.

Got me kind of fired up for your exit. I'm kind of feeling good right now. See, there we go. Kumbaya on the way out. That's how we operate here. There it is. Hardcore journalism. Kumbaya on the way in, Kumbaya on the way out.

That's right. That's how we roll, man. It's always the way it works here. Thank you, Johnny. Good catching up with you, man. We'll do it again next week. All right. I'm going to lick my wounds all weekend and I'll talk to you guys next week. Can't wait.

There he is, Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. All new, all Canadian. The best of our great nation, one song at a time. This is Justin Bieber. Hi, this is Terry Clark. We are Nickelback. Made in Canada, on iHeartRadio.

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